Lahaina-Whale watching

I did whale watching once again while in Lahaina, Maui. I have to say that my camera work was 100% better!

But guess what!!!! NO damn whale activity worth going on the whale watch for. Well there was a close encounter, but it didn’t last long. I did capture it though.

I don’t have a still of whale only because it’s so challenging to just sit there and film them, let alone try and get a still AND film them. I told Stephan to get me whale watching again next cruise. Its weird cause the first time I went there was a whale pod doing all kinds of crazy things. My camera work was shit though. Lol.

Right on the shore of Lahaina there is this cool tree. Bayan tree. It’s like the biggest tree. Its cool cause it looks like it has multiple trunks, separate trees, but its all one tree.

sorry about the coastline pic of Lahaina. It was really Voggy out. 

Kaua’I Ziplining

I went Ziplining! It was pretty scary at first, but awesome at the end. I’ll def do that tour again. ☺

There was this amazing view. We did 7 ziplines. The tour guides were such awesome people. I was scared doing it, the hardest part is jumping of this ledge. By the 1st one I was like this is awesome and was relaxed doing it.

I took the camera with me on the zipline, I was nervous with the camera with me for sure. I got some pretty cool shots though.

Hilo-Secrets of Puna

This tour was awesome. I really enjoyed it because it had a lot of intense history. We went to this church that had been moved three times to avoid the lava flow of Kilauea Volcano. It has been flowing for over 26 years. It doesn’t stop. The Lava destroyed this town called Kalapana in 1990. I really liked the church. I don’t know why. Good vibe.

 

We went to Kalapana beach. Where this beach that was previously lined with tons of coconut trees was now covered with lava rock. they are slowing replanting them. It had an awesome black sand beach. It was really cool looking.

 

We went to this Macadamian Nut farm. Sweet Jesus White Chocolate covered Macadamian Nuts are SOOOOOOOOO good. Lol. It was a really good lunch. I had Hawaiian Coleslaw. I never have liked that stuff, but it was super good. Ribs and Chicken too. It had this guava-glazed stuff on it. It was home cooked. Super num nums!! Lol

 

Than we went to Lava Tree park, where we stopped for about ten minutes, and Amber got eaten alive by bugs. Lol.

 

Than we went to a lagoon I’d been to before.

 

Stephan liked my edit. I did a mini interview. It was a good day. Besides the whole one dude screaming over in pain….I really hope it wasn’t the dude that got everyone sick.

 

Busy days

Sorry for the delay it’s hard to update on port days. I usually save a blog entry once I am at sea. It’s hard doing anything recreational when doing the tours then editing and trying to get sleep.

I will have photos up for sure! I love my new camera.

My roommate and I get along. We laugh hysterically all the time. Lol. It’s funny. I’m glad things are turning out good with her. Her and my boss is in puppy love. Lol there was this whole drama thing I guess with him staying in my cabin. He’s not allowed anymore because it was affecting my sleep.

I haven’t slept properly in like a week or so up until we got all that stuff about him staying in my cabin business out of the way. I slept great once I had a meeting about all of that, and Stephan and I talked about our personal issues. As well as once I had a meeting with the head of my department. Amber got in huge trouble-one huge mistake and a few other small things. Almost lost my job. Trust me I am turning it around. My first impression isn’t that great let’s just say that. I am doing better.

Things are okay. Photo staff is ehhh…okay. Lol. Oh got my hair cut. Yay. Lol. Finally. I got it done in Honolulu. They did a good job. I wasn’t like freaking out once it was done. Most of the time I am like oh god are they gonna fuck it up. But all is well. they didn’t.

We are almost at red level on the health hazard. ☹ which means passengers are sick and spreading stuff. I had a guy on a tour like crazy sick! I was not about to get in a van with him. I kept my distance. Some guy instantaneously spewed all over a slot machine. When its instant and with no warning its norovirus. You do not want that.

I don’t want to get that!!!

Things have Changed

Well ever since we got the new staff things have definitely changed. The over all vibe everywhere else is different. Better for sure.

I like my roommate. She is chill. Turns out she is having the same issues as me when I first got here. She is a first contract as well. She is getting the whole “ oh you’ll love it now, but in four contracts you wont like it than.” Ugh. So fucking annoying. The one girl who I really do not like latched on to her so quickly!! It’s ridiculous.

I understand the divide on the photo staff now. It’s the mega partiers and the mellow people who feel drinking all the time isn’t necessary. I fall in between. I hang with both groups. The one girl I do not like always seems to say some shit that makes me wanna slap her. Lol. Seriously though she’s the type when someone says something she’s the one that goes well I know it to be this way or another. It’s sooo fucking annoying. She knows I don’t like her. I always piss her off. Like today, a few of us were eating lunch, and she is a complainer. She was complaining about how one of the other photogs didn’t print the shots that were taken at the dining room last night. Something was up with the printers. And She was pissed that he didn’t right away print them when the machine got fixed. So we’re all listening to her complain and she’s like I just don’t get why people don’t do their job… blah blah blah. We’re all honestly sick of the negativity after we just got rid of two people who were super bitchy and complained all the time and were just negative all the time. So I just said, “it’s all over and done with there is no need to keep on with it. Just be happy.” She just shut up, and a look of “I hate Amber” came upon her face than she just gazed on. The rest of us looked at me and had the look like finally someone shut her down. Story of my life-I say what everyone was thinking.

Hilo tomorrow. I am checking out something cool. The tour is called Secrets of Puna. I forget what it entails.

Oh goodness!! The ship since we left LA has been REALLY rocky!! Like seriously bad. To the point where people who have been on ships for years have been scared! I am doing okay. No sea sickness, but passengers are sick all around. The night before last I was getting a lil queasy. Its hard to sleep when its this bad. Its calmed down now though thank goodness. Last night after drinking I couldn’t tell if it was me being a lil drunk or if the ship was super bad. Lol. But turns out when I was talking with Darren this afternoon it was super harsh last night. I worked out last in the passenger gym and that was scary at some points. Lol. The higher up on decks you go the harsher the winds get. Running on a treadmill was out of the question for sure.

New pics will be up soon from the port tomorrow. ☺

Goals-Career path

I am slowly discovery I like shooting actual real life. reality does not count!!! It is not the same by any measure. lol. Narrative isn’t as nearly as fun. I know for sure editing live events is way better than editing narrative. I don’t particularly like editing narrative too much. I kinda hate it really. Shooting it is fun, editing it –boo! Lol.

 

Each section has its pros, and cons for sure. Narrative has its control factor where you can get what shot you want in your head, and problem solve to get your vision to real life.  Documentary has its unpredictability, where you have to adjust to what’s going on around you. How can I get the best shot with all of this going on? Or how can I challenge myself to get a more creative shot? There is a think on your feet element to it.

 

I think working for the discovery channel would be pretty sweet. Or even being a camera person for a travel show. That’d be pretty sweet too. Making movies is fun too. But most people in the industry seldom have those moments where they’re like “I love my job!!!!” Its usually, ( and Ive heard this many many times in the industry) “Why do I Fucking do this to myself?” lol. You have to wait around for the moment where you’re like this is why I struggle and put up with 16 hours a day-6 day work weeks. For this moment I got out of the whole month of shooting. You don’t get treated like crap either in this job. There isn’t someone waiting around to make you feel like crap because they do. People are generally happier on this side of entertainment. Lol.

 

I was mostly a camera assistant, 1^st or 2^nd. And working in any camera department is pretty sweet. They have the fun job. Being a Set PA, or AD trainee sucks. You’re everyone’s bitch. Lol. You have to pay your dues for a looooong time. There are times when there is always someone waiting in the wings to scream at you even in camera. I feel like the film industry is way more strung out, and tense than it needs to be really. It’ll always be like that though.

 

Who knows where I’ll end up but I know I will have a kick ass demo reel when I’m done with this chapter in my life. lol

Turn around day

It was turnaround day. We ported in LA. I got to spend time with Craig! It was so great to see him. It was funny I was up all night, and stayed up all day with Craig, did the safety drill, went to shoot sail away, and crashed at 6pm. Took a nap which I thought was gonna be 3 hours, I woke up to Stephan calling me asking how editing was going on sail away. I was like oh um oh no ahhhh!!. Lol he was like “what?!” Lol I was like “oh yeah I was sleeping you were my wake up call I met to wake an hour ago.” I was editing till maybe 130am. I took my sweet time. The longest was finding the right music. WE NEED NEW MUSIC TO USE! ugh.

 

I am finally finding my niche of friends on board. Claire, a photographer, left, she was pretty cool. She was one of the nice ones. She brought a good vibe everywhere.  He got a new dude from Chile. Met him all of two seconds. Lol.

 

I finally got a new camera so pics shall continue again on the site. J

 

I lost my roommate to her husband. Lol. Since Claire left, and two other photogs quit they took the one room and I got a new roommate. She’s from Canada. I met her only briefly cause I was working late tonight. She’s a first contract. I made a point to let her know if she needs anything I will help her out any way I can.

 

We sold over a hundred dvd’s again this cruise. J Which means the two cruises I have made stuff for have both sold over a hundred. GO TEAM VIDEO. Lol. Small joke with Stephen, and I. lol.

 

I don’t have to be a pirate tomorrow night, but I have to shoot and edit two things. I edited LA sail away. It was raining, scenic weren’t as beautiful as last cruise. Yes, I shot in the rain like a trooper. It was a decent edit.

 

With each day I am getting more eager to find out what ship is next for me. :-D

 

Oh I am thinking of doing a mini doc thing on board with all entertainers. It’s weird. I was telling Stephen this the best way I could try to explain it. Lol. Doing this all the time gets my creative mind going more so than before. I am always thinking of what kind of projects I can do, trailers, documentaries or something like that. I’m always around creative people so it really triggers my creative side as well. Steve said I can draw up a proposal to do an entertainer documentary and he’ll get all the approvals needed for it. J