Art Gallery Violet's Photo Album

Welcome to 2018 Albums! I've made a separate section in the OP for them, as well as possibly starting to change the upload schedule again, and get more creative with what, where, and how I take photos! This is going to be a great year for photography, I can feel it!
This album is coming out a bit late because of negative personal reasons. I've been trying to deal with some things and while I've had this album since December 22nd all ready to go, I haven't actually uploaded it because of those reasons affecting me in the past week and a half.
Without any longer wait, here's...

Album #22!
Taken on December 22nd, 2017 in Tsawwassen BC, Victoria BC, and even in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!
This one was excellent. I've been waiting to talk about it. In December, my family organized a trip to travel to Victoria, a city I've heard a lot about but never been to. For those who don't know, Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, the province I live in, but is actually located on Vancouver Island, a fairly large island just off the west coast of most of the province. You actually have to travel through several cities to Tsawwassen to take a ferry to Victoria if you live in Vancouver. This was yet another fantastic opportunity my family granted me to take more photos before the end of the year.
Want to get creative after taking so many photos in one city? Go to a new one! Want to get creative after taking so many photos on land? Take some on the water! And that's exactly what I did.
I'm actually really pleased to mention the fact that I've been able to take photos from being on the Pacific Ocean, because while I've been on boats and at the beach, I've never taken photos on a boat and never really travelled to a destination on one. This was a strange first for me, not to mention having a personal fear of drowning made something like a ferry better for taking photos on.
After the fifth photo you can start to see buildings and people, this was when we actually ended up in Victoria. I thought this was another day where I wanted to try scaling the photos from daytime to night time, as you can see the first few photos are when we arrived, walking down some of the bigger streets, then at night time where we explored and travelled to one of the malls downtown.
This was the more simple of the two days I spent in Victoria, and next album is filled with more photos from the trip.

I'm going back to giving shoutouts again because I want to give a shoutout to someone new, being @TheR3DX for giving me the motivation to finally post this. I'm honoured to hear someone else follows my photography. I'd like to thank some friends too, most of which who won't see this, so people will just go unnamed, just know that if you're who I'm thinking of, you'll probably know it.
 
Hopefully 2018 will not update this slowly. I've been doing a lot and not a lot of that has included photography. I still have quite a buffer to go through, though, so updates for right now will most likely end up being posted every other Sunday afternoon. To make up for the wait, I'm posting this album today, and the next immediately after, either later today or tomorrow, with something special I've been waiting to show off.
Without further wait, this is Album #23!

Album #23
Taken on December 23rd outside and inside the Royal BC Museum in Victoria, BC, Canada.
This was our sightseeing day, and it was great. The Museum was one place I didn't know I wanted to go until we got there, and actually just ended up there on a whim. The surrounding area included the Victoria Conference Center, which is the building in the first photo, the Parliament buildings and Legislature, featured in the second photo, and the museum and theatre (which are in the same building) in the next three. I'm really proud of the spiral staircase shot, and as we approached the building I ran across the street knowing that it was a shot that I needed to take. It was.

I'm usually not the kind of girl to enjoy museums, and didn't think there would be much opportunity for photos, but wow, this place definitely proved me wrong.
The building has three floors, the first having the lobby, theatre, and a couple cafés, then the second had the Natural History Museum, consisting of things like environments, ecosystems and animals, which we went to first. I only wish I could explain how great the Micro Climate Theatre was, as well as the room the next five pictures were taken in. The eighth shot in the album with the birds on the rocky coast has to be my favourite. The backdrop looked perfect and so real that it's like they knew I was coming in to take a picture and set it up just for me.
After taking a break in this one spot on the second floor leading up to the escalator upwards, taking some great photos there, the third floor consisted of the Human History Museum, which was divided into two sections. The first included a lot of things like aboriginal or first nations tools, survival skills, shelters, and things like totem poles, since those are very big in British Columbia. The other section focused on things like the origin and beginnings of the province, things like the Gold Rush and how it affected the province, and things more related to society in the 1900s, from what I could tell. Once again, I'm not an expert or interested in these things too much. From the last five photos, there was this one section of the museum that was set up to look like what seemed just like a city straight out of a steampunk novel, with an old train station, a hotel, and even what looked like a shady club that was blocked off. This is definitely the best museum I've ever been to, and I'm interested how I can take even better photos the next time I come around.

As for shoutouts this time, I'd like to give them to @mirdo for being a big influence for taking pictures of the birds in the museum, I took them especially for you and I'm glad you liked them when I showed you the day I took them. I also want to give shoutouts once again to the people who have been following this thread, but specifically those showing visible support. Liking these posts, writing any comments, messaging me telling me my photography's good, any of that. Hearing or seeing the vocal or visible support for what I do keeps me going, and I wouldn't be taking more photos if it weren't for that. I'm grateful.
 
I promised a quick update, and I'll deliver this time. I've been waiting a while to show this special place off, possibly my favourite part about having visited Victoria in December. Hopefully the next update is in fact on schedule, and continues to stay that way. Until then, enjoy!

Album #24
Taken on December 23rd, 2017 at Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, BC, Canada.
I'd be lying to say this wasn't half the reason I wanted to go on that trip. A great photo opportunity, not to mention the first time I've visited an actual real-life castle. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to kick everyone out and rightfully claim my place as a princess inside of it, but it balances out if I was able to take photos like these.
Funny thing, this is only about one-third of the total photos I took in this building. I was having issues uploading this album for what I partially believe to be an issue of having too many photos, and that was after cutting half of the photos I had taken already. I'm hoping I captured the very best of them to show you.
You may recognize the first photo, I won't give an official source of how you may know it, but know that it comes from potential discussion between @TheR3DX, @Lord o da rings, @GekkisaiDaiNi and I.

All in all, this was a new and unique opportunity for more photos and I was able to be really creative with it, and I'm so proud of how it turned out, and won't forget the experience. This was fantastic to be able to have.
For shoutouts, I want to give them to the already mentioned TheR3DX and Lorde, as well as GekkisaiDaiNi. I already alluded to this, but I'm incredibly honoured hearing someone not only follow my photography, but want to actively use for a project, whether or not that project ever faces the public, and having support and people to join in on this said project, because its existence truly makes me laugh and enjoy myself. I'm glad to have it. I'm glad my photos can directly tie into what's at the very least an inside joke, and at the very most something funny we'll remember.
 
I want to take a moment to interject between updates to say a few things.

First of all, if you're following this thread, thank you once again. I know I say it a lot but how much I mean it never changes.

If you enjoy my work and have even the slightest interest in taking photos, any photos at all, do it. Go for it.
My favourite thing about having this thread is having the opportunity to inspire others into a nontraditional art form they didn't think they had any interest in. Many people seem to be worried that their photos aren't "good" enough, when the only person who should ever decide how good your work is should be you, and if you ever think you need to improve, that you should strive for improvement and do your best. If you don't, keep taking those great photos.

You don't have to share photos publicly to enjoy what you take shots of. You don't need every shot to be that one-in-a-million perfect shot that will shock everyone.
If you have even a small, slight interest in photography, of anything at all, go out there and take those photos. Give it a shot and see how you like it.
 
Unfortunately this came a couple days late due to personal reasons. However, I think I'm making up for this. I know I say this more often than I think I should, but I think this is my one of my best albums so far. The day these were taken on was just absolutely perfect for these photos, and the first thing I said after taking them was "Why did I ever stop taking photos?"

Album #25
Taken on January 26th, 2018 in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
"Another Vancouver album? Seriously?" Well, this one's different. Once again, if you find yourself in the same city over and over, find a new place to take photos.
For those who don't know, Downtown Vancouver is sort of cut off by the ocean in every direction except the east, where the train lines run, and there are several bridges in the south and north connecting it to what's essentially the rest of the area. In the south, there are three of these bridges, and this was one I walked across. I think my favourite part about this album is how it starts at one end and progresses to the other end of the bridge, allowing the large buildings of downtown to come closer into view as the album progresses.

The bear statue's kinda cute, too.

I want to give thanks to the people I call friends. I'm stating a lot that my albums are being pushed back off their normal uploading schedule due to personal reasons. And these people are the ones that keep me stable and allow me to keep updating this thread and posting more albums. It's all worth it in the end.
 
Because I forgot to set a reminder for this one, today's album is kind of... awkward. It's more of a mini album than a full album and mainly just focuses on two themes, possibly just because they were the only photos on my camera feed I had to upload for this.

Sub-Album [Sunsets and Chocolate]
Taken over several days in Vancouver, BC Canada.
So you'll notice that this is too short to be a full album, and divided into two main themes, like I said before. Those being Sunsets and Chocolate, which I think gave this album a cute little name.
There's an event in Vancouver known as the Hot Chocolate Festival that's held... annually, I believe. Different stores or cafés will create different kinds of hot chocolate to sell and people in the area will travel to different participating cafés for these kinds of hot chocolate.
I want to bring special attention to both the first and last photos of this album. The first photo is possibly my favourite sunset photo I've ever taken, and I almost missed it. As I was walking by in a rush, I wondered if I should even stop to take that photo. I did, and I don't regret it. Just how the sky transforms from a cloudy gray to a bright orange and yellow into the blue sky is amazing and I've never had a photo like it.
The last photo is just silly. At one of these cafés, I ordered a hot chocolate that was made with avocado, and it stuck with me just because of how much better it was than expected, and how unique it was. The middle photo is actually from the same café I received that drink from, and I just wanted to take a picture of how those cute boxes of chocolate were colourfully arranged.
I think if nothing else, this is a cute aesthetic album that just combines and showcases either fantastic ways to take photos, or just silly themes I had fun with.
This isn't my best work, but it was something new I decided to try and have fun with.
Now for shoutouts! I've been getting back up on my feet getting work done and being able to continue updating this album thread. Sometimes I say a vague thank you to people as a group of just "those who helped me out", but I'm going to give shoutouts mainly to @Lord o da rings, @mirdo and @NinjaPenguin for helping me a large amount with getting back up and helping me through things.
 
Making a note in advance: I won't be able to update the Album thread this coming Sunday due to travelling! I'll make up for it by committing to a once-a-week upload schedule for the next three weeks. I hope this makes up for it and makes people excited for photos from my next trip!
 
This isn't an update or another album, but it's an important post I think people should see. I honestly don't think I'm able to keep a regular schedule for this thread anymore. I think I've kind of just obtained all I can from anywhere around the local area and that really, the only times I'm going to take photos to put together into albums is when I'm going on trips or doing things for special occasions that I wouldn't on a typical day, week, month, whatever.

I've debated discontinuing this thread in favour of creating a new thread specifically for photos only during travel, but I may as well just rework this and keep it around for those who've already seen it. I'm not making a third photo thread, I think that's a dumb idea.

The OP, name of thread, and other small things may be changed fairly soon. I hope this hits a balance that shows off my photography but doesn't chain me to deadlines I don't want to fit or can't fit.

So with that, I hope to show you where I go next!
 
I agree with you there, Violet, on not making a new thread! This thread is your portfolio and your journey, and it's been great fun to watch. ^.^

VioletValkyrie said:
This isn't an update or another album, but it's an important post I think people should see. I honestly don't think I'm able to keep a regular schedule for this thread anymore. I think I've kind of just obtained all I can from anywhere around the local area and that really, the only times I'm going to take photos to put together into albums is when I'm going on trips or doing things for special occasions that I wouldn't on a typical day, week, month, whatever
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This is what I find interesting. Some of my favourite art simply finds the beautiful in the norm or the basic - and I'd challenge you to try seeing the familiar locations and objects in your local area in a new light! I live in a very small town, so I can understand that feeling of 'been there, done that' - and even still, I'm sometimes amazed by the beauty of the region captured in my friend's photography. I'm not sure what your thoughts are on this picture, but I really like it! Now, what if you got even closer to that bear statue? What new perspectives or emotions could you capture?
 
So, with the mentality of switching it more towards travelling albums and less towards frequent updates, have some photos of a trip I went on recently to Portland!

Album #26
Taken on March 23rd, 24th, and 25th 2018 in what's mostly Portland, OR, USA.
Portland is a city I've been to several times and while it's not as high-up in the list as something like Seattle where I constantly adore going, it's a frequent travel spot my parents and I enjoy going to, and it helps having friends who live there. I actually went for their Regionals, and wanted to show off the venue they had it at, which you can see in the fifth photo. I intended to take more photos of the venue, but seeing as the inside was typically filled with large amounts of people and how busy I was playing for the day, I wasn't really able to. If I ever get the chance to go back there for whatever reason, I'd like to take photos, because the inside was really pretty as well.
After performing very poorly in the first day, I decided to drop out and go shopping for the rest of my time, so the rest of the album is filled with photos of the two malls I went to, and some of the spots I walked by one night either going somewhere to eat or coming back to the hotel I was in.

You guys really have some cool stuff. Ice rinks and spiral staircases in your malls... I'm pretty jealous. But I'm really fond of spiral staircases for photos and I think both the level and upwards shots of the spiral staircase might just be my favourite shots from the album. They're always fun to take pictures of.

Thank you to several people both for inspiring me to go on this trip, take more photos, and finally upload them. Probably the most notable shoutouts go to @bbninjas and @GrandPanacea, so thank you.
 
VioletValkyrie said:
So, with the mentality of switching it more towards travelling albums and less towards frequent updates, have some photos of a trip I went on recently to Portland!
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Ahhh, glad I could be of some inspiration!!

Also, my favourites from that album are probably the one with the weird square-ish stones, and the one of the building with the sun setting.
 
I'm going to make an update to this thread for one reason that I really wish I didn't have to.
Recently I went to Toronto for their Regionals, and I took a lot of great photos and had an amazing time.

...Unfortunately, all of those photos are lost. I deleted them on accident and have no backup for them, or any way to get them back, besides travelling that distance again to retake them, which is something I obviously can't do. Therefore, the two or three albums I had taken aren't going to be posted here.

Instead, I want to thank those people who made my trip so enjoyable, because regardless of those photos, I still went on this trip and it was still a great trip to go on.
Thank you to @double o squirtle for proposing the idea of going to Toronto, as well as being so inviting when I arrived, and for spending so much of it with me. I'm glad I could make your Regionals experience better like you did mine. Good luck on your invite!
Thank you as well to @GrandPanacea for not only being an inspiration to take photos for the past few albums, these ones included, but also being open-minded and understanding with me before and during the event. I'm glad I could meet you and I want to thank you again for your contributions towards all I've done both with this thread and in the Discord chat recently. It was an honour.
And I want to thank those of you who cheered me on when I said I was going to compete. I'm proud of how well I did, and I'm grateful for everyone's support.

"So Violet, when's your next trip?"
That's a good question. It's typical of my family to travel in the summer, so that may be a good opportunity. As for updates, I may take more local photos. At the very latest, I expect more albums to be taken in late August. Stay tuned.
 
VioletValkyrie said:
Thank you as well to @GrandPanacea for not only being an inspiration to take photos for the past few albums, these ones included, but also being open-minded and understanding with me before and during the event. I'm glad I could meet you and I want to thank you again for your contributions towards all I've done both with this thread and in the Discord chat recently. It was an honour.
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I'm really stoked that I could be a part of your experience, and super glad I could be an inspiration <3

I should update my thread.
 
VioletValkyrie said:
Thank you to @double o squirtle for proposing the idea of going to Toronto, as well as being so inviting when I arrived, and for spending so much of it with me. I'm glad I could make your Regionals experience better like you did mine. Good luck on your invite!
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It's all good man, thanks for coming! Don't worry about not having the photos, we still got memories right? ^^

And thanks for the good luck, I'mma try my best to get my invite.
 
I’ll admit that I’ve known about this thread for quite awhile, but haven’t looked at it in a long time or even commented any feedback. Even though this has been inactive for a few months, I think that feedback is important. So let me say this: I think you do a fantastic job on these albums, especially when you consider that some of these are being done while you’re on vacation! I mean, lots of people take photos while on vacation, but theirs usually end up having potato quality. Your pictures are always very clear and even work in some artistic components. A favorite of mine is the one you did of the Lovejoy Columns. The column was the very clear focal point, since you took it at the angle where it was clearly lit up and most of the other objects were dark and somewhat stashed away in the background, yet still satisfying to look at. You also took it at the perfect time of night, because the color of the sky was awesome as a background color and looked very pretty in conjunction with the rest of the picture.

tl;dr: Your work is beautifully and artistically crafted, and is a pleasure to look at!
 
This one means a lot, and my writing for this one will be a lot more personal. Please bear with me, and enjoy the photos I took.

Album #27
Taken on August 5th in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Pride Month happened in July. However, we had our pride parade at the start of August. As soon as it came up, I knew I wanted to go, as it's something that really means a lot to me, and for obvious reason. For those who don't know, I'm lesbian, and that part of my own self-identification means a lot to me. Along with myself, I know a lot of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, some who are pansexual or aromantic and if there's anything I want out of my friendships with these people, it's for us to feel loved and valid for who we are together.

I want us to all be able to grow and be loved by each other, and I strongly believe that everyone is valid and should be treated with respect regardless of how they identify, straight or gay, cisgender or trans, whatever. Everyone is the way they are and we all just want to be happy in our lives. I want to do my best for people who are struggling with their identity, or are facing hateful comments or actions because of who they are. It's important for me to stand up for those people and inspire them into being happier with who they are.
When I talk to some people about how I identify, I'm asked if I had any trouble with coming out to people, and with people's acceptance of who I am. I'm incredibly happy to be able to respond truthfully to those questions by saying that I've had almost no problems and that those I've formally come out to have always accepted me regardless of my sexuality. I want others to be able to know the happiness of never having to hide who you are, and never being treated as less simply for who you want to be, who you love, or anything in-between.

On that note, I feel I should mention something. Close friends of mine will know this, but those who follow this thread may not.
While I haven't had many problems with coming out and am very open about my sexuality, PokéBeach is the first place where I have had someone actually voice a homophobic comment towards me. This was done secretly though private messaging, and while I believe it was dealt with responsibly and appropriately, it's definitely something that's going to stay with me for a while. However, while it still stays in my mind at darker points, it's something that I can use to keep myself going and keep my head up.
I wanted to share this to tell people that this is something that happens sometimes. It's a pain, but we're strong enough to get through things like this, because we're more than what people think of us and we won't be weighed down by hatred.

I took 102 photos at Pride this month. All of them are special. However, that's a bit big for an album, so I hope you enjoy the small amount that I picked from the group to share with you all. I hope you enjoy them, because I'm proud of them.

Thank you to those who have supported me. I want to thank @double o squirtle, @Lord o da rings and @Blakers for their support, but also to @GrandPanacea for making me really excited to go to Pride, especially since I was nervous, this one being my first.
 
Aw Violet, I'm glad to see I helped a bit. I love your photos as always, and I think you'll be happy to know that when I got to the end of your album there was a gif of a cat underneath it.

A lot of people know me as being "fearless", I guess, for being so open about how I identify. In reality though I face stigma and dysphoria over it just like many other people in the community. It's posts like these that make me smile. Knowing that LGBTQ+ rights are being voiced and encouraged is truly an uplifting thought. I hope that one day enough people will understand what being LGBTQ+ really means and that no one will have to experience the same kind of hate that you did. So thank you for saying that, I'm glad to be good friends with someone who is able to stand up for this sort of stuff in public.
 
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Oh my god, she updated a week after a previous album!
Well, I mentioned I was going on a trip in the summer. While it didn't happen the way I expect, I still enjoyed myself.

Album #28
Taken on August 27th and 28th around Seattle, WA, USA.
So these past few days I've been in Seattle, Washington again and it makes me incredibly happy to say that. Seattle is a beautiful city and I really wish I was able to live there. Be sure to see more of it in the future, as I'm nowhere near done with that place, trust me on this one.
During the trip I went to buy things for school, mainly new clothes, so I went to a shopping district (which you can see as the first three pictures of the album) and I think those pictures might be the ones I'm most proud of, maybe even just in general, especially the second one. The lighting and the way the shadow from the tree leaks into the middle of the plaza is really nice.
After that we were back on the road and on our way to Downtown Seattle. Specifically, Uwajimaya Village in the International District. If you're ever in Seattle, check it out, it's one of my favourite places. I'm a bit sad I missed a picture I really wanted to take. In the International District, or at least a specific part of Jackson Street, the street signs and names are written in English and in Japanese. I'm going back there eventually, too.
In Uwajimaya Village, there is a bookstore named Kinokuniya, and it's a wonderful place. They sell not only books and art supplies, but an extensive selection of manga, both in English and Japanese. They even sell things like Pokémon cards and plushes. Unfortunately I didn't have several hundred dollars to spend though, but I really would have spent that much if I had it. It's forever going to be one of my favourite bookstores.
The last picture of the album is actually very meaningful to me. At a rest stop along the I-5 Highway, there's this large cedar tree, which was cut as such and turned into well... what it is now.
This spot means a lot to me because on the way to a Regionals many years ago, I had stopped at this same spot. This was way before I started photography, but more importantly, it's way before I became the person I am today. I thought back to that time years ago when I was there, and how much about myself had changed. I mention quite a bit that I'm not very fond of who I used to be, that I hated so many things about myself. And going to this same spot, I realized just how much I've improved as someone and how I see myself. I took a photo not just because I recognized this spot, but to commemorate the growth I've achieved as a person. And one day, I'll go back. I'm not where I want to be yet, I'm still working on myself and trying to improve. But I'll go back one day and I'll be happier. And I'll stop here and think "Wow, I was pretty stupid back then, wasn't I?"
 
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Wow, it's been nearly eight months. I talked a while ago about how I thought of using this only for when I travel and that's part of why this thread was so empty. The photo album racked up a lot of dust on it while I was away, and while I definitely can't say if you can expect any further updates for months after this one, I felt it would be a crime to simply let this thread die, when it's been something I've had so much fun making for myself.

The 2019 Album
Taken on April 1st, 2019
Cherry blossoms. They're beautiful. I feel like there's a lot here I could say that's symbolic, emotional, and honestly, probably a bit sappy. I wanted to take a detour when I was out on this day so that I could take these pictures, and it seemed like it was a popular picture taking spot as there were people there when I went and I had to come back later as I don't enjoy getting lots of people in my shots just as I wouldn't want to be in someone else's.

Unfortunately the biggest thing that stands out with these shots is the black smudge in the top right of nearly all of these photos. I didn't even notice those when I took the shots and only happened to notice them when I uploaded them, which is honestly the biggest shame. It was actually due to an obstruction of my lens, which is why I always take my phone out of my case in order to take photos, however I happened to inconveniently forget this time. Funny how that works out.

Really, I think these trees are absolutely beautiful and I wanted to play around with some angles and see what I could get out of them. You can tell near the middle of the album there's a shot I took from the middle of the street, which really, I think is the one of the silliest but also the best things my photography "style" really has as a thing going for it. It makes your street photos stand out, and it gives people that impression of "Oh my god, did she really walk into the middle of the street to take that photo?!" so it's entertaining thinking of the shock value a photo about sakura trees can give.

I had fun taking these and it did definitely remind me of that love I have for photo taking. I hope you all appreciate this little bump in this thread.
 
These are wonderful Violet! I can definitely tell that you paid careful attention to how you framed those cherry blossoms in a way that best showcases their beauty. Walking out into the middle of the street was completely worth it, that picture is my favourite pick.

Don’t worry about the smudge tbh, I think the smudge accentuates the chill atmosphere you’ve got going— everything doesn’t have to be perfect, you can still relax.
 
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