I have the pleasure of calling many talented people my friends. This post is about one, Matthew Ehlers.

Between college and grad school I did some over-hire and electrics work at Geva Theatre in Rochester. I met lots of cool people there a few of whom I'm still in touch with. This was where I met Matt. Matt was smart and funny and very cute. I had one of those school girl crushes on him (you know the ones you know will never happen, and if you thought they would they wouldn't be so appealing, but since it won't you just enjoy it).

Anyway, Matt is the short film writer, director, producer, etc. of Egg Works Productions. When I was working with him he showed me his first film The Alibi, and I attended a screening of his second film Lunch at the Rochester Film Festival. Soon after that I left for grad school but continued to get updates from Matt.

Matt's films are short, never more than a few minutes long, are simple, yet very creative and are incredibly funny!!! I really suggest you view those that are available online. They are really wonderful!

The links below will take you to a page where you can view the films
Lunch (3min 20sec) was excepted at the Sundance festival in 2002 and now screens on the Sundance Channel and HBO.
AutoBank (2min 25sec) was excepted at the Sundance festival in 2003 and is coming this summer to Comedy Central
and now:
Who's Your Daddy? (3min 17sec) is the his third offical selection from the Sundance Festival for this summer.

I have to say I'm proud to know him.

This is a cool photography site: Modern Ruins. They only take photos of modern technology that has been abandoned. There are also stories collected from people who experienced these ruins. I really love this one.

"So you've taken pictures of the Alcoa factory that was my childhood fascination? Did you sneak through a window, and look up at fallen dust blanketed stairs? Did you hear loud thumping in the dark? Those were the sounds of the criminals who lived in that factory and plotted their crimes through out the night. I was always very quiet in there, and always got out very fast. But even when I was outside, surrounded by faded, scragally grasses and bright yellow danger signs I could still feel the life that had once come to work every day. I could still smell the sweat and see the small paths left by heavy boots in the ground. But hey, I was only eight and I really did believe that each time I left that edifice, there was a man watching me leave from the top window. He was probably an ex-worker who lost his livelihood when he lost his job, and that was probably his oil soiled, stiffened, leather glove that I had just stepped on, so I began to run as fast as I could.... maybe that's why I spend my time in the places that time has passed by."

(Thank you to Feed Me Links for finding me this link).

While Kevin was in the eye doctor I did some photo wandering around the Berkeley campus. I found some beautiful flowers to photograph on a bridge near faculty glade. As I was photographing two men came onto the bridge and began setting up equipment. I was about to move on when I realized these men were setting up photography equipment. So I stopped to talk to them.

I ended up spending about 45 minutes chatting with freelance photographersEdward Caldwell and Jed Manwaring; asking questions about their equipment and backgrounds. Jed told me about Better Photo.com which is a website that gives all sorts of tips to beginners as well as offering classes online. Kevin and I are both considering taking a class.

Both guys were really nice and really helpful and wonderful. Their photography is wonderful and if nothing else comes of it, I really loved just talking to them. However I made one request of them: Both men were happy to offer me their email and agreed that if I sent then a couple of photos they would be happy to give me some feedback. I'm so excited! I promised I wouldn't pester them; I would just send them my photos.

So now I'm trying to decide what photos I want to send to them. I'm working on sorting through all my photos and narrowing it down, but if you have an opinion please let me know!!

So the question is, of all the photos I have up on In Pictures, which ones should be critiqued?