YVE FONTILEA

This is where I currently am.

No, that was not a metaphor - I really am seeing miles of green in front of me. This is one of the perks of my job - being outdoors, breathing in fresh air.

This is usually a crazy time of year for me when it comes to my work. Lately I’ve just been playing hardcore catch up - and I’m afraid I’ll be forever behind. Stupid deadlines.

Right when I mentioned in my last entry that I was going to update this Tumblr each day for the remainder of the year, I disappear from the intarwebs. Ooops! But hey, c’mon, it’s the holiday season that’s best when you’re out and about. 

I’ve been taking full advantage of my current staycation. Above is a photo of one of Francesca Woodman’s notebooks, with each page laid out and protected within a clear pedestal case. I’ve been revisiting this current SFMOMA exhibit several times now, and each time I’ve come away from it with inspiration and awe.

Tomorrow is my 36th birthday. It’s hard to believe that 2011 is coming to a close, and it’s been a helluva year. I can’t necessarily judge 2011 to be either a good or a bad year. Rather, I’d describe 2011 as a year that provided both the biggest life changes and challenges that I’ve experienced so far in life. I would not change any of it.

I’m grateful for the blessings (most especially those that emerged from the challenges), yet I’m electrified for what lies ahead in 2012. Happy New Year, y’all. I hope tomorrow evening will be full of good memories with great company.

I’ve been reflecting a bit lately on how this year has been for me. Since there are 10 days left of 2011, I’d like to share 10 things that I’ll remember most, in no particular order, one shared for each day, starting today and obviously ending on my birthday, the last day of the year.

#1: Moving back to Oakland.

I spent the majority of my college years in Oakland. After being away for a period of time, I moved back to Oakland with a fiancee in tow. More than just where I live, this city is now my home, my life, my friend (and sometimes my foe).

Today is the first day of December, and it’s during this month that I reflect more on the year as it reaches a close.

Above is my left hand, hooked up to an IV and monitors and stuff. I took this image before I was whisked away to surgery to remove some precancerous cells within me. What followed was a sometimes hellish recovery, but recovered I did, with the sheer knowledge that these cells were removed just before it reached a dangerous and spreadable stage.  Needless to say, I dodged a big bullet.

May 2011 | iPhone | Instagram

I’m slowly coming out of a break from personal photography. This happens when you enter that time of year when work seems to takes over most of your life. Taking such a break is essential - it encourages you to take a look at your own work and discover what you can do better and/or differently.

I’m going to use this Tumblr blog differently from how I’ve been using it in the past. Whereas before, this blog was just a hodgepodge of things, both slightly personal and very impersonal, now I’m going to share the story behind the photo rather than just posting the photo.

In other words, I’m taking this Tumblr blog in a more personal direction.

I took this image yesterday afternoon in Alameda, California. The weather was doom and gloomy, but the sun pierced through the clouds quite prominently shortly after 4:00p - yanno, that sweet light.

It’s hard to believe that we’re days away from October.