James Bernal

2010-03-02T09:39:00.003-05:00

Hay.

You've probably noticed I haven't been keeping up with this blog very much. I've been a little busier than usual lately (this may or may not be a good thing, I'm hoping for the former). You might find a little more action on my website www.jamesbernal.com

Go there!

Sufjan Stevens - Cashmir Pulaski Day

2010-02-02T17:16:00.001-05:00

This particular entry, is a little different from my other ones. Mostly because today is actually February 2, 2009. It's groundhog day and Shakira's birthday. I set this blogger to post this on February 2, 2010. I really have no idea where I will be on that/this date, who I'll still talk to, if I even update this blog, or have a job, or even still like Sufjan Stevens. Things might be going well for me, or not. It's like a mini time capsule for me.

At around this time tomorrow, I should be on a Paris-bound flight with my mom. It'll be the first time for both of us. I realized about an hour ago, that it will be the first time in our lives, that the two of us will share an airplane. I'm 22 now.

This is my mom. And these are a bunch of other people's kids.

Another first, I just bought a plane ticket to Managua, Nicaragua without running it by my parents.

2010-01-02T00:30:00.000-05:00

Alexa in her underground fallout shelter. Just kidding, she's 10, so I'm pretty sure she has no idea what Mutually Assured Destruction even means.

silver jews - wild kindness

2009-12-30T08:24:00.000-05:00

In an effort to make myself sound/feel more legit, I've finally put together a website: www.jamesbernal.com

Updating it will be [one of] my New Year's Resolution[s].

smiths - cemetery gates

2009-12-27T00:50:00.000-05:00

jock jams volume 8

2009-12-21T08:27:00.001-05:00

I can't get over how terrible that mural is. or how precious Josh is.

a tribe called quest - electric relaxation

2009-12-21T08:23:00.000-05:00

deerhunter - vox celeste

2009-12-19T00:47:00.000-05:00

This picture reminds me of how great that backpack has been and how many buses, airplanes, and boat rides we've shared over the years. Looking through it a few weeks ago, I was hoping to find a lock. Instead, I found seashells, a subway map, and an email scrawled onto the back of a napkin.

khonner - crapstone

2009-12-17T10:53:00.000-05:00

pixies - gigantic

2009-12-14T21:30:00.002-05:00

A year ago, we were playing Beer Toss and The Pixies came on. The guy next to me turned to his friend and mentioned how much he hated that band. In hindsight, what an idiot.

sharks keep moving - jet's jets

2009-12-11T10:45:00.001-05:00

Davids will be Davids

fairport convention - tale in hard time

2009-12-09T10:53:00.000-05:00

gilberto gil - procissão

2009-12-05T10:48:00.000-05:00

shout out louds - normandie

2009-12-02T11:32:00.000-05:00

talking heads - this must be the place

2009-11-29T00:04:00.000-05:00

Approaching the bottom-of-the-world, Calafate, Argentina. We were popular amongst the street dogs that followed us around and I actually felt part of something bigger. That is, until I let hubris get the best of me and a rogue German Shepherd bit my leg. Just ask my friends- they love that story.

dirty projectors - stillness is the move

2009-11-27T12:35:00.003-05:00

Bro. I didnt think I'd like this album, but now I can't stop listening. Bro.

m83 - graveyard girl

2009-11-23T10:40:00.000-05:00

treefingers

2009-11-17T10:14:00.000-05:00

Because Gainesville, Fl is a fancy place where fancy kids come together to have fancy dinners such as this one:

guided by voices - queen of cans and garbage

2009-11-13T12:17:00.001-05:00

animal collective - guys eyes

2009-11-11T10:56:00.001-05:00

Taking a break from the ridiculously cold Pacific in Nicaragua.

david bowie - china girl

2009-11-07T14:16:00.002-05:00

Jamie Tao, missing link between sloth and human.

boards of canada - turquoise hexagon sun

2009-11-05T10:38:00.000-05:00

wilco - either way

2009-11-02T10:54:00.000-05:00

Get money.

manu chao - me llaman calle

2009-10-31T14:08:00.002-04:00

pains of being pure at heart - come saturday

2009-10-28T10:52:00.001-04:00

d. banhart - walilamdzi

2009-10-26T10:41:00.002-04:00

kings of convenience - rule my world

2009-10-24T08:09:00.001-04:00

I'd like to adopt an Australian Kelpie. I need to secure a backyard first.

m83 - kim and jessie

2009-10-22T14:04:00.002-04:00

mum - we have a map of the piano

2009-10-19T10:34:00.002-04:00

While in Colombia this past week, my dad found an old Kodak Brownie in my grandparent's old apartment. He brought it back and I've been playing around with it and I can't help but feel like an archeologist because it's such a simple device (essentially a light-tight box with a shutter) but some levers don't seem to do anything. I'm going to keep playing with it and figure out a way to roll some modern film into it.

In other news, I've been a whole lot more inspired these past few weeks. I've been looking/lurking a lot and seeing so much good work from people that I just feel like grabbing my camera and running outside. The deceptively pleasant weather is also helping. I just need to find adventures/excuses to sling my camera over my shoulder.

grizzly bear - dont ask

2009-10-16T10:42:00.001-04:00

neutral milk hotel - holland,1945

2009-10-14T11:38:00.000-04:00

akron/fam - we all will

2009-10-11T10:28:00.000-04:00

My old roommate, Roger, doing his thing. Which is actually watching other people do their thing. In bikinis. By the pool.

los pixies - lala love you

2009-10-09T11:40:00.001-04:00

beach house - astronaut

2009-10-07T11:51:00.000-04:00

Precious Josh's Precious Cat doing Precious Things.

album leaf - thule

2009-10-05T10:25:00.001-04:00

woods - night creature

2009-10-02T11:24:00.002-04:00

A photo from back when I used to live in The South and 2AM grits actually hit-the-spot. And Danielle didn't live in Korea.

spoon - i summon you

2009-09-28T10:43:00.001-04:00

destroyer - what road

2009-09-25T10:41:00.001-04:00

my bloody valentine - when you sleep

2009-09-16T10:41:00.000-04:00

2009-09-14T10:55:00.000-04:00

Fun Fact about James Bernal #83:
My favorite Beatles song is 'Hey Jude'

the anniversary - the heart is a lonely hunter

2009-09-08T23:40:00.000-04:00

Just looking at this photo makes me tired. Volcano trekking in Central America.

joy division - digital

2009-09-06T10:24:00.003-04:00

The best part about my new job is that I'm about a 5 minute walk down to the beach and I can't figure out if that's good or bad.

four tet - parks

2009-09-02T22:15:00.002-04:00

I always knew I'd say this, but yeah, I miss college.

Here we are playing Wisest Wizard on Josh's Porch.

monomono - tire loma da nigbehin

2009-08-29T11:08:00.002-04:00

This shouldn't surprise you, but I'm starting to feel the effects of 'the travel bug' yet again.

velvet underground - femme fatale

2009-08-24T23:05:00.000-04:00

Early-Morning-Mate-in-Middle-of-Nowhere-Argentina

broadcast - come on let's go

2009-08-21T11:02:00.000-04:00

Whitney installing her BFA show.

mobius band - the loving sounds of static

2009-08-19T11:01:00.000-04:00

guided by voices - i am a scientist

2009-08-14T12:16:00.001-04:00

lali puna - faking the books

2009-08-12T23:16:00.000-04:00

Precious Josh shows us how to safely light a bottle rocket. and his crack.

daedalus - assembly lines

2009-08-11T23:13:00.000-04:00

atlas sound - on guard

2009-08-08T10:02:00.000-04:00

sharks keep moving - second instrumental

2009-08-06T23:02:00.000-04:00

Attempting to cure altitude sickness in Peru with coca tea. I can't remember if it actually worked.

ibrahim ferrer

2009-08-04T23:06:00.000-04:00

I spotted this owl hanging around the neighborhood by Gator Bev so I channeled my chi and became the human tripod for 1/4 of a second.

wilco - summerteeth

2009-08-01T23:31:00.001-04:00

I'm somewhere in St.Louis. brb.

human television - i laughed

2009-07-29T11:45:00.000-04:00

four tet - slow jam

2009-07-26T22:50:00.000-04:00

my birds

appleseed cast

2009-07-26T17:45:00.000-04:00

the stranglers - no mercy

2009-07-24T23:02:00.000-04:00

While going to get our mail I spotted a small frog in a puddle on the sidewalk. He was dirt-colored and about the size of a grape. Naturally, I put the frog in my pocket and got the mail (no perfume-tinged love letters, btw). I walked over to the lake behind my house and tossed him in. That's it. No real moral to this story, it just stood out to me because I haven't put a frog in my pocket in over 10 years.

pomegranates - tesseract

2009-07-22T11:46:00.000-04:00

Because everyone likes puppies:

boards of canada - turquoise hexagon sun

2009-07-20T11:51:00.000-04:00

album leaf - glimmer

2009-07-18T22:55:00.000-04:00

Nando having an early morning stretch and showing off his Donald Duck impersonation.

prefuse 73 - regato

2009-07-16T11:47:00.001-04:00

akron/family - set 'em wild

2009-07-14T19:09:00.000-04:00

Dear Nikon FM2,

Thanks for all the memories.

Love,
James

deerhunter - operation

2009-07-12T23:23:00.001-04:00

stephen malkmus - ramp of death

2009-07-10T13:26:00.000-04:00

cansei de ser sexy

2009-07-07T17:13:00.001-04:00

untold stories from Nicaragua:

dirty diana

2009-07-07T15:14:00.001-04:00

yes - sweetness

2009-07-06T22:56:00.001-04:00

dr dog - the breeze

2009-07-04T16:29:00.001-04:00

american analog set - new drifters III

2009-07-02T13:25:00.001-04:00

m ward - outta my head

2009-07-01T16:19:00.002-04:00

joan of arc

2009-06-30T16:53:00.000-04:00

the microphones - i felt your shape

2009-06-27T22:34:00.001-04:00

Standing in Buda looking over at Pest.

get up kids - regret

2009-06-24T23:24:00.001-04:00

calexico - attack el robot! attack!

2009-06-22T23:21:00.000-04:00

fleet foxes

2009-06-21T16:30:00.003-04:00

mobius band - a hint of blood

2009-06-19T10:35:00.001-04:00

devendra banhart - at the hop

2009-06-16T22:08:00.003-04:00

I always liked this as a negative, but now that I've printed it, I like it more. Reminds me about the unpredictability of life that makes photographing it much more interesting.

buzzcocks -noise annoys

2009-06-14T13:26:00.002-04:00

I thought this was pretty cool. In case you didn't already know, Daniella and I organized this game in Gainesville a couple of semesters ago. I'm glad it's still going strong even though I no longer call Gainesville home.

deerhunter - vox humana

2009-06-12T23:18:00.003-04:00

So. The newest Phoenix album is pretty good. Colorin Colorado, este cuento se ha terminado.

owen - ghosts of what should have been

2009-06-10T10:41:00.001-04:00

pains of being pure at heart - the tenure itch

2009-06-06T17:40:00.000-04:00

Two years ago, I was stuck on a 36 hour bus ride between southern Argentina and Buenos Aires. A year ago, I was being chased through campus by a guy with a water gun. If it doesn't rain today, I should be celebrating my birthday in park with my favorite people who inhabit Miami.

my bloody valentine - to here knows when

2009-06-01T09:20:00.005-04:00

I've been cleaning out my grandparents' apartment with my dad this week and so we've been driving back and forth throwing out old furniture. I had the special experience of driving a U-Haul truck around Miami (I'm not gonna lie, this was sort of exciting). While emptying out a dresser, I stumbled onto my late grandfather's liquor cabinet, which was really just a bottle of wine and a small flask of aguardiente. Aside from his green Publix name tag, this is all I really have left that belonged to him.

And here's an unrelated photograph of Danielle in Georgia.

elliot smith - no name #3

2009-05-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

phoenix - summer days

2009-05-26T14:15:00.000-04:00

Fun Fact about James Bernal #36:
I make up a new signature every time I need to sign for something.

dntel - life is full of possibilities

2009-05-24T23:19:00.000-04:00

Cecille, a Brazilian friend I made in Austria.

grizzly bearrr

2009-05-22T14:21:00.000-04:00

Self portrait in a Czech rest stop bathroom.

animal collective - bluish

2009-05-17T20:26:00.000-04:00

Two nights ago, I was about to hose down the front of my car because the radiator had become a graveyard of dragonflies, butterflies, and love bugs after my trip down from Gainesville. When I shot a stream of water at the front of my Jeep, a little black luciérnaga flew out from underneath the car. The small blips of fluorescent green on its back reminded me of summers growing up, when my cousin and I would catch them in mason jars under the careful direction of my grandmother. We were too young to care about the chemical reactions taking place within the fireflies that would produce their emerald glow, but we became experts in catching them during the early evening hours before dinnertime.

It's the first one I've seen since the summer before I first moved out of Miami and I caught myself smiling as I turned off the hose and watched it for a moment until it took off again and swirled away behind some palm trees.

pinback - lyon

2009-05-14T08:42:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody, its Sam!

beulah - silverado days

2009-05-12T11:41:00.001-04:00

Llama-Sutra. Zing!

elliot smith - between the bars

2009-05-09T21:29:00.000-04:00

tom zé

2009-05-07T11:32:00.000-04:00

radiohead - kid a

2009-05-05T09:05:00.000-04:00

Somewhere over the Moldrava.

..aywkubttod - how near how far

2009-05-03T15:43:00.001-04:00

Nicaragua is known as 'the land of lakes and volcanoes' for good reason. I took this photo from atop one of two volcanoes that comprise the island of Ometepe, itself in the middle of Lake Nicaragua. The bigger volcano can be seen shrouded by clouds in the distance. I took this from atop the smaller one. 'El pequeño' was still a three hour trek to the summit and the volcano kept a pair of my shoes as a keepsake.

Broadcast - I found the F

2009-05-01T11:56:00.000-04:00

Somewhere in Vienna

múm- faraway swimmingpool

2009-04-29T09:26:00.000-04:00

okkervil river - starry stairs

2009-04-27T10:02:00.000-04:00

Volcano-boarding in Leon.

sufjan stevens - romulus

2009-04-23T19:39:00.000-04:00

caetano veloso - soy loco por ti, america

2009-04-23T10:34:00.000-04:00

new order - ceremony

2009-04-21T09:05:00.000-04:00

I wasn't kidding when I said we played with every dog we came across. We (I) named this guy Scruff McGruff.