Texas, USA
Could you listen to a whole Godsmack album in one sitting and enjoy it?
Oh, yes. And Korn. AND Creed. But probably not Saliva or Disturbed.
Is painting still important?
Painting will always be important to me. I have painted many portraits and I'm sure painting has helped me understand compositions better. Also, if I wouldn't've gotten tired of painting, I would have never started taking pictures.
What's the best/worst part about living in Texas?
The best part about living in Texas is definitely the big, green trees and wild flowers. The clouds are also great: they expand into huge, fluffy marshmallows and get so close, you can almost touch them (especially during thunderstorms). The worst part is the humidity. I was born and raised in Southern California, so I had never felt such gross moisture; I'll never get used to it. There are also many lousy drivers.
Do your parents know about your blog?
Absolutely. A couple of weeks ago I was in the front yard to see what my parents were doing. They were cleaning out the garage, so I decided to glance around, sit on the grass, and enjoy their presence. About 10 minutes after I sat down, my mom called out to me and shouted, "Ariana, come take a picture of this! It's a lizard!" Even though my parents don't really understand the kind of pictures I take, they say things like that to me all the time. They are very supportive.
What are your three most cherished cassettes you own?
Selena's "Amor Prohibido" and "Dreaming of You," and Shakira's "Pies Descalzos."
If you could bring one person back from the dead, who would it be?
I wouldn't do that at all. I think yearning is silly.
What movie scared you the most as a kid?
I avoided watching scary movies as a child because I get frightened very easily. I still avoid watching scary movies, actually.
The girl in a lot of your photos, Brenda, what does she mean to you?
Brenda is my younger sister. Stress, relationships, lifestyles, beliefs, and experiences cause family members to grow apart, you know, but she's alright.
Did you teach your bird any words?
Our parrot already knew some words when we caught it (or at least it knew how to mumble and imitate conversations), but I'm pretty sure we taught it "Bueno" and "Ariana." We answer the phone asking, "¿Bueno?" so whenever the phone rang, the parrot immediately asked, "¿Bueno?" My family members seem to love yelling out my name when they're calling me, so the parrot easily learned "Ariana," except it'd pronounce it "Agaga" (it also kinda sounded like "banana").
Do you see your blog/photography as a diary of some sort?
Yes, though it's not as consistent as previous photo blogs I've had.
What's an important part of being a girl?
I think happiness, honesty, and hydration is important in everyone's life.
Do you believe in ghosts? Do you have any ghost stories?
The creepiest thing that has happened to me happened when I went to Mexico in 2005. My parents took me to my uncle's ranch on Easter Week, so I took pictures of family members and the church near the ranch. While I was looking through the pictures, I noticed one came out a bit different. It was a picture of my mother and her sister talking to an elderly woman, their aunt. The picture shows the elderly lady to the left of the picture and my mom and her sister facing the lady, to the right. Everything in the picture looks pretty clear and normal, except the lady's face; there is a black shadow over it. When I showed my mom the photo, she explained to me very matter-of-factly that the lady's face has a black shadow over it because the lady had always been very evil towards my mother and her family members.I don't know what to think of the picture. The shadow could have been created by my finger accidentally covering the flash, but it seems too dark. I think paranormal phenomena could be real.
How important is the internet to you?
It wasn't until I met a girl online who loved exclaiming, "I love the internet!" that I realized how important the internet truly is. I have grown up with the internet, so I often forget that there was a time when it didn't exist (though now that I think of it, my family did own a collection of monstrous encyclopedias when I was younger). The internet has connected me to people, images, places, and thoughts I would have never had been able to come across. Most importantly, it's helped me care about these things.
Would you still take photos without the internet?
Of course. I would still take pictures, paint, write, etc. without the internet. I'd just have less ways to share it.
Three predictions about the world in the next 5 years
Something about microbiology,Something about nanotechnology,And something about the unwavering hearts of those who believe in astrology.
