November, 2012.

The Raven.

I did a collaboration shoot with Dream Photography back in May when I went to Boston. The inspiration was "The Raven" by Edgar Allen Poe. The concept was what if he were happy, and how different his poems would be; all idea making goes to Dagny at Dream Photography.

And a huge thank you to my best friend Rowan for modeling for us, and getting annihilated by mosquitos! 

It was absolutely an amazing experience to see how another photographer works. Especially a photographer like Dagny, who seems to think almost exactly like me when it comes to being at the photoshoot. It was so much fun, and I can't wait to do it again!

First beginning, ending to a start. 365.

At this moment, I'm feeling a mix of strange emotions; I've got this thought in the back of my head telling me "what if you don't take pictures?" or "what if you completely lose all motivation?" I know I can't think like that, and I know I'll still take pictures whenever I have a spark in inspiration. But it's scary thinking it won't have to be a part of my everyday routine anymore. I remember constantly thinking during my 365 "Oh, I'm gonna do all of these things once this is done. I'm going to do this, this, this, and this. It will be amazing." But as my 365 came to a hasty finish; it really feels like all I want to do is take more pictures.

I don't want to do this, or that, or all of those things.

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With that being said; my 365 has been the best choice I've ever made in my life. It's changed me as a person in a whole, and enhanced my love for photography by thousands.

There are things I learned during this project I know I'm never going to forget. I won't list them all, but here are a few of the biggest things I feel I learned:

I learned how to live with a camera by my side at every waking moment; and now I won't be able to live without it.

I learned what it was like to feel completely intoxicated with inspiration.

I learned how to get inspiration when I had non.

I learned my favorite way of meditation is going out alone to take pictures.

I learned endless things about myself.

It has helped me grow, helped me feel, and express myself.

I don't know what I'd be doing today if I didn't do this project.

As I've been getting ready for what my last picture should be, I'm finding myself getting sort of nostalgic. Like I can feel all the emotions I had during my 365 bubble up, searching through my brain in little cycles. Overwhelmed by the feelings of relief, and lostness. It'll be strange.

Once I thought about it for a long time. I sat, and imagined how it feels to start. When you start something new you have this whole new outlook on everything. It feels so fresh, reborn almost.

So my parents drove me to the most amazing abandoned neighborhood. Everything's destroyed, not suitable for living, really. Vines growing inside the houses, and through the doors. And I see them as sort of a strange ending to a house. I guess almost all houses end that way, abandoned, rustic, falling apart, being vandalized. But really, these houses should not be abandoned. The houses are brand new, built around the same time my house was built; just over-development. They inspired me to really imagine myself maybe someday buying an old house and getting something that's ultimately finished a start.

Which is how I'm looking at this 365. It's ultimately finished, there's nothing left of a 365 once it's finished. But it sure can start something else. Something big. And I think that's how I'm feeling now. Something big will come from this (and already has come from it). So. Here it is. 

365, an ultimately finished story of a start.

And finally, last, but not least. Thank you everyone for your constant support, encouragement, and helping me through all of this. It was definitely a difficult project, but I couldn't have done it without my friends and family. Thank you. <3

Sleeping Beauty.

So, a few weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to go and shoot at a rehearsal of the Sleeping Beauty ballet at the Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance in Roswell GA.

It was honestly the best photography experience I've ever had. It was so great to be able to capture the dancers just doing what they enjoy, and how amazingly they do it! It was such an honor to be there, and so I figured I'd share some of my favorites with you guys!

And then later that same week, I was invited back to do the dress rehearsal.

Which was absolutely outstanding, and I have so many amazing shots I can't wait to share with everyone.

But for now, these will have to do!

I'd just like to thank Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance and Tracy Bayly for letting me come, it was so breathtaking to watch, and capture!

Dress rehearsal coming soon!

As always more pictures on my Facebook page and Flickr!

That time I met a snake, and swam with a spider.

Ookay. So. This story is a story. So prepare yourself, you might want to get popcorn.

It started off as just a normal day of hanging out and taking pictures and I had this amazing idea to take pictures down by the lake.

Oh, this should be simple, I've been down there before, it won't be too hard. No. Not at all.

So I went to the lake, and found wonderland, quite literally. 

WONDERLAND! Taken with my cell phone.

It was beautiful! Grassy, mixed with wonderful mud, and swamp, and there was this river going right through the grass, and then the sun was shining, and I could've sworn, I had found my favorite place in the world.

I was quickly proven wrong.

I was getting my shot wonderfully, and it was glorious, and everything, but then! I decide to sit in the river. Yes. Of course you must sit in a muddy river for a good picture? I stepped in and the mud went over my knee and into my mud boots.. But it was still pretty great.

I eventually found a more solid spot, to sit, and enjoy the nice freezing cold water...

This is after I sat down for the first time. You can see a little bit of my out-of-focus rage.

When I met a snake. It didn't get very close to me, (but I swear it was going to turn into Jaws with a snake) and was pretty small and black and just swimming around so it was okay, but I quickly scurried out of there afterwards and went to wash off at the lake, after I washed off a bit my beautiful white sheet, when I thought I'd go and jump in the pool!

I walked in, the chlorine started bleaching the sheet a bit more, and it was all swell.

When I realize there are two wolf spiders in there.

It was disgusting, they probably were dead.. But I don't know!

That was my adventure of recently, but hey, I think it might've been worth it for a good picture? 

Dwell.

Also, on St. Patty's day I went to a ballet school and took pictures of a rehearsal of Sleeping Beauty. It was wonderful.

I'll be doing a blog of them once I get finished with editing them all!

-Edit-
I forgot to mention the fact that each time I've gone back something has gone wrong, worse and worse.
The second time I went back I saw a snake longer than my arm.
The third time I saw a black widow.
*shudder* I don't think I will be going back there again 'till winter.

More pictures on my Facebook page and Flickr!

Our world. Our landfill.

Let me just start off saying, I'm furious with people right now.

Just on a normal walk down to the lake today there was boxes, a few sodas, cups, pills, shampoo, deodorant, soap,  it seemed as if someone had cleaned out their bathroom and thrown everything in a parking lot. The majority of the stuff had never been used even, it was really bizarre. But, since there's wind outside everything had been blown into trees, under leaves, in the rocks by the lake. Who knows what went into the lake. It was disgusting.

We (Abbi, my mom, and I) got lucky that there was actually garbage bags dumped out, too. So we cleaned up as much as we could and put it in the garbage.

But it left me feeling horrible. I felt like I was going to throw up I was so disgusted. So I walked back home as fast as I could, to take this picture, to write down this experience. To tell people that this is not right.

It felt like a real life Wall-E moment. It hurt my gut to see my world (not only my world, my lake and park I walk down to every day) treated so terribly.

This summer, I want to get into gardening, to get more plants out and around. Our planet doesn't deserve this kind of treatment.