maybe i'll blog again.

two years ago, i posted that i had a big girl job. i had just started dating. and i had just graduated from college.

but two years can change a lot of things.

i'm getting married in ninety-six days.
my brother got married.
my job situation has changed.
i ran a marathon.
i'll be a homeowner in less than a week.
i have a nephew.

lots can change in two years and it's exciting. in the midst of all these changes, i've been embracing my creative side again. it's mostly out of necessity: i love the office space and desk job but my brain felt dead inside. so i've been taking more photographs. i worked with a bridesmaid to create my veil for the wedding. in the next few weeks, i'll be putting together wedding favors.

it's good to work with my hands and engage my creative juices again.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

In case you couldn't tell, my blog has changed a bit.  I've wanted to give my blog a slightly different feel lately, so I ditched the single column.  I like it.  My blog feels cozy now, if that's even possible.  The only problem?  Many of my past photos are slightly too big for the column widths.  I'm in the process of trying to switch over five years worth of photos, but it's difficult. (And I betcha didn't know I've been blogging here since 2006!)  I have temporarily taken down many photo posts as I attempt to fix this, so I'm sorry for any inconvenience.

The future holds many changes for me, some of which I've alluded to on this blog.  In addition to photos, I'm hoping to incorporate more of my writing (because in case you didn't know, I am a writer by day).  Many of my photoshoots will still appear here; however, I'm hoping to utilize my facebook page more.  I'll still post an image or two here, but you will find the images over there.

For now, I'm back to working on the following:

• forty-page paper on immigrant identity formation in Europe.
• an analysis of this book.
• a critique of this book.

Have a happy Saturday!

New, exciting things.

Lots of cool things are happening lately. I gonna try and update on everything and answer some questions about my trip.

• I'm shooting my first wedding (as in, I'm the head photographer) tomorrow. Up until this evening, I was freaking out (and I mean f.r.e.a.k.i.n.g). I'm not sure who was more stressed, the bride or myself. What if my images look horrid? What if I miss something? Will I look like a dork snapping away?! Thankfully I can make lists so I don't forget things. I know I can take good pictures. And I already look like a dork most of the time, so tomorrow won't be anything new. I also realized that I can't do this on my own...in order to survive the wedding tomorrow, I'm gonna need to rely on God. I'm going to try my hardest and leave the rest of Him. Also, it helps that the bride has an awesome wedding planner!
• I am going to start blogging my trip to Bosnia. The posts are going to be different then what I've ever done before. I'm looking to be more photojournalistic, so some photos will have pictures and words while others are simply pictures. I will intermittently be blogging them between other posts, so keep checking back.
• Since I'm already on the topic of Bosnia, a lot of people have been asking how I'm doing, what it feels like to be home, etc. And I just have to say, I freaking love America now that I'm back. But I'm also more aware. In Bosnia, I was very conscious of my Americaness (every time I walked past the US Embassy in Sarajevo, I almost always started humming the Star Spangled Banner and I'd talk freaky loud in English) and most people there seemed intrigued about this place I call home. America is awesome, but when I arrived back it was sometimes easy to become agitated and annoyed. Sure we're a rich, powerful nation that exudes much influence around the world and it's easy to become egotistical. As a Christian, I became convicted that my allegiance is to God first and foremost. So, I've become more aware.
• Lots of people have also asked about jet lag. Well, not everyone, but some and so why not talk about it. Everyone has a horror story about this kind of stuff, so I'm going to end on a slap-happy note. When I first arrived in Bosnia, I was extremely jet-lagged and oh-so upset. The six hour time change was kicking my rear and all I wanted to do was SLEEP (been up for almost thirty-four hours), but it was only the mid-afternoon and our team leaders had planned a forty-five minute hike to the top of a mountain to keep us awake. At that point, I thought traveling halfway across the world was the worst idea in the history books. We were falling asleep in chairs, the nearest beds...everywhere. In hindsight, the hike was a great idea because the lookout is where I first fell in love with traveling halfway across the world (and it also gave us this awesome photo where our jet lag was documented for all eternity). The moral of the story? Jet lag is horrible, but worth it. So get out there and see the world!

{zagreb cathedral; zagreb, croatia.}

Bosnia!

As many of you know, I am headed overseas for six weeks. I am leaving on Sunday and will be traveling to Bosnia with EveryStudent, working students at the university there. I'm excited to travel there and I know I'll have many photos to share when I return!

Just a few business details to take care of...

• I have some posts scheduled, so be on the lookout for those!
• I will not be answering business emails until after July 4th, so please bear with me. Also, I will not have a phone, so any voice mail messages or texts will also go unanswered until after July 4th.
• If you would like to keep up with my travels, check out my blog here. I will be posting updates when I can.

See you all when I return!

Welcome!

I've updated my site and changed a few things! I switched serves as I was generally unhappy with the comment system at Tumblr. In addition, they always seemed to be having technical issues and that's not cool when you're a photographer and want to show people your work. Not all of my images transferred over, so bear with me. I also have about a dozen other NEW shoots to blog, and I'm excited!

More fall photos (and an update)!

I apologize for the lack of posts recently! October is always a busy month for me and I have a hard time keeping up on sleep even! I plan on returning emails, answering questions and posting more photos within the next month or two. Please bear with me!

School has been going wonderfully. I am just finishing up midterms, which is a relief! I'm excited because in 29 days, my brother graduates from boot camp! He was able to call home (rare) the other day because he won an obstacle course competition. He is also a squad leader, which means added responsibility. Although boot camp is very hard, he's doing well!

hello, hello, hello!

No, I didn't fall off a cliff in Colorado. I'm alive. Very busy, but definitely alive! I have several shoots to share, in addition to more Colorado shots, so stay tuned!

card-happy!

Well, today was an exciting day, to say the least. I came home from work, to find a neat little bundle with my address on it. To my surprise, it was my business cards! I feel so legit now. When my graphic designer (thanks Maddy!) initially sent me the first design, I was REALLY skeptical. I had given her some colors and let her go because honestly, I never would have figured out a design. When I opened the box and saw the cards, I immediately fell in love. I can't wait to give them away now!! (Phone number blotted out - if you're interested in talking to book a shoot email me.)

Updates

May was an incredibly busy month for me, and June is proving to be the same (and it's only day 2)!

• I still have several shoots to blog (I posted the teasers, but there are so many more images to share).
• My awesome friend, Maddy Bartlett, designed my business cards. Can't wait to show them off! Thanks, girl!
• I also updated my Package page. Be sure to check it out!
  
• This is totally unrelated to photography, but for those who've been reading the blog and know me, I love to run. This Sunday I'm participating in a 10K with my friend Emmy. I'm so excited because it's a prestigious run, my friend is awesome and I haven't done a road race in a long while. Can't wait :)

Happy Wednesday!

photo of the month

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend! May went by too fast, but I'm excited for June and all the graduations and weddings :)

Direction.

I have several more shoots in the next two weeks. Very excited about this, however, I am still trying to sort many things through. Previously, I had planned on expanding my photography business and openly advertising for it (currently, I do business via word of mouth). However, I received several academic opportunities for the summer and beyond (opportunities that could take me away from Michigan for a while). This is caused me to pause and think about running a photography business a bit more before I rush into it. I know that I love photography, but I'm not sure this is the right time to pursue this endeavor.

Have any other photographers ever come to a crossroad like this? Advice would be appreciated :)

Shoe-aholic.

Yes, it's true. I love shoes. This picture is actually for another project I'm working on, but I liked it so much, I had to share :) What types of shoes are your favorites? Heels? Flats? Tennies? Do you like ones with patterned designs (zebra stripes, floral pattern, etc), flowers or other embellishments? Since I'm on the taller side, I am not a fan of heels, but I do own several pairs and wear them sometimes. Flats of any style are probably my favorites. If they have different patterns or embellishments, even better!

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This weekend, I am...

...wondering who gave my friends permission to grow up and get married ;)
...sleepy.
...supposed to be doing homework.
...grateful for certain friends.
...happy.
...booking photoshoots.
...exercising. Actually, I already did that. Yesterday I ran 5.5 miles and then this morning I went to my torture class.

Happy Saturday!

Oops!

My apologies for disappearing. Things have been absolutely crazy - I returned to school this week. Seven more weeks of classes and then SUMMER. Speaking of summer, the weather has been beautiful here! Mid-fifties, sunny and breezy. I love it. Unfortunately, I have been very sick with who knows what. I have been drinking a ton of tea and resting (when I can). If my symptoms last for another day or two, I will be going to the doctor.

All that to say, I am behind in blogging and moderating comments, so bear with me!

busy, busy, busy!

lots of reading/writing.

in my spare time, i've been watching and keeping up with this.

I also had a birthday. Yesterday. But I was too busy sitting in classes or working to post anything. I am now an old woman...of twenty-one years. The most exciting thing about this birthday? I got a new driver's license, which meant a new picture. I love my new picture. I don't look like a zombie anymore. And that's about it. I promise to try and keep up the blogging. I have some exciting shoots to share :)

It's 2010!

Happy New Year! As I mentioned in my last post, I'm getting ready to start pursuing a more formal photography business. I'm so excited! My mom has been so wonderful with the marketing aspect; she's always full of good ideas. She's also been helping me establish rates and my Dad (a financial planner) is helping me take care of the more business aspect (taxes, budgeting, invoicing, etc). My parents are awesome! I can't wait to share more sooooon :)

Comments

I have spent nearly a week troubleshooting and trying to fix the comments on this blog (if you didn't notice, you couldn't leave any). As much as I loved this template, I was ready to do away with it because comments are...important for critique? Something like that. Anyways, somehow I managed to figure out the simple problem, so comment away ;)

Longtime readers of my blog probably know who Gavin is, but I haven't really shared to many pictures of his adorable sister, Ella. Last weekend, I babysat her but only managed to get one shot. She is the SWEETEST little baby - rarely fussing and so full of cooing and laughter. I hope I can see her more often!

Random tidbits

-I apologize for the lack of posting here. No, I haven't given up completely on a photography career; it's just not the focus of my life right now. I do miss my camera and wish it were more compact as it would be easier to tote around school. I was out shopping today and many of the smaller point-and-shoot cameras looked incredibly tempting. I tried several out and I'm really amazed at the quality!

-Oh, and in case you didn't notice. I changed my template. Again. I warned everyone...this will probably never end. Actually, that's not true. I'm still trying to discover "my style" and what I'd like my brand to be. This template is definitely closer to what I was aiming for. Eventually, I'd like to get a custom header for uniqueness, but time prohibits that. Otherwise, I like the clean, crisp edges and the simplicity that this template brings. Thoughts? EDIT: I just realized the comments are not working for some reason. I'm too tired to look into this right now...but I will soon.

-Fall is in full swing here. I plan on getting out and taking pictures of the beautiful colors shortly! You can view the ones I took last year right here.

-Hopefully soon I'll be able to share a few cross-country pictures. I attended my first race today; however, I didn't run. I tripped while running a few weeks ago and pulled a muscle. It seems to be all better now (I ran four miles today on my own as proof). I am SO excited for next week; I'll run my first 5K then!

Comments

This evening I was alerted to the fact that some people were trying to comment on my posts, but they weren't going through. No, I'm not into censoring or deleting comments and I'm not sure why this is happening. I am looking into the problem! Has anyone else been attempting to leave comments only to find that they haven't gone through? If you try and leave a comment, but it doesn't go through, please, please, please EMAIL me. I would like to know!

Thanks!

58 | 365

I totally didn't mean for this much time to elapse before posting. Honestly, I didn't. It's just...time slipped out under the door and...yeah. Lame excuse. I'm trying to adapt to my new school and work schedule. I'm getting there and I'm hoping that once I fall into a routine, I'll be able to share more photos.

School is...school. Two days ago, I couldn't wait to start. Today, I am ready for it to be over - I have already started a countdown. I'm adjusting to a new school quite well, although I will admit that it's hard not seeing a familiar face around every corner. Because I was so well-connected at my old school, I knew a large portion of the student body. Now, I hardly know anyone. This has probably been the biggest and hardest jump in the transfer process. I love most of my classes....err, when I can find them. Today, I must have walked down every hall and climbed every staircase in one building looking for a particular room. Eventually someone noticed and inquired whether I was lost. Me? Lost??? Oh no, I just like walking around a building a bazillion times! It's part of my training for the xcountry team! Seriously.

And speaking of the cross country team. That sure is work, but it's great to be out with other runners who are so encouraging. I'm running a 5K in just a few weeks and I'm stoked! My goal is to eventually run a full marathon so this is definitely a step in the right direction!

Before I sign off, I just wanted to share one picture. I took this last year, but fall is definitely on its way and it won't be too long before the landscape will look like this...


I can't wait to get more photos of the pretty colors soon!

57 | 365

this is what I looked like this morning, when I pulled up my to-do list. So much for Labor Day weekend.


I have been doing a lot of photography work in my 'spare' time. While I can't discuss any of it here, it's all quite exciting!! I plan on signing off for the rest of the weekend -- too much school prep. I do have one question for my blog readers....

Does my blog take too long to load?

You don't have to leave a detailed comment or email; a simple 'yes' or 'no' will do. Thanks!