Day 59

     Go Earth.

Day 58

     For some reason, I have had a weird obsession with trees lately. Maybe because the snow melting and dripping off of the waxy needles caught my attention!

Day 57

     Really in the mood for portraits today...

Day 56

     Since we've been having a warm streak (45 °F), I decided to wear sandals again to day. As soon as I opened my door, I had to turn around and change into my boots and grab my camera. We had gotten dumped on! And it was gorgeous. I didn't get to take many pictures, as I was running between classes and it was melted by the time I was out. I did snap a few, and to spice them up, I decided to add a couple fun elements to a fairly plain picture. I love winter. 

Day 55

Day 54

     Still border-line disappointed from my photo mishaps last night. I have a lot of ideas floating around my head for cool shots, but I don't have the resources to do them. I could just try, and be more creative in the process, but I would rather be able to nail it than focusing on how to get the camera to stay up. haha. So no, I didn't attempt them today, but I'll figure them out sometime.

Day 53

     I am thoroughly displeased with myself today. I did not put in the effort that my concept idea deserved, and the results show that. Maybe I'll save that idea for another day. Perhaps one that I can own a tripod and a remote sensor. Someday... I do not like today's picture, so you shouldn't either. But if you do, please let me know why, and I'll pretend like that's what I meant to do.
     Broken lamp.

Day 52

     The sunset on a beautiful weekend. Now back "home" I go.
     These are two images I took this afternoon, overlaid together.

Day 51

     It sure is beautiful up here. Our dad took us on a wonderful drive through the mountains.

Day 50

     I have the coolest family. It is so much fun to be here spending some time with them. I absolutely adore my grandpa, and he is so amazing. As the sun was going down, we sat around the living room talking. And I noticed that the light filtered in beautiful and soft and lit up his face and the red wall he sat in front of. Even though the color was beautiful, I decided I liked the black and white better.

Day 49

     I'm going on a road trip! We were standing around waiting, in the gorgeous afternoon sunshine, and I noticed (not for the first or last time) that my sister is very beautiful. And I just loved the light falling behind her. So what did I do? What every photographer does, and what my family is very well used to by now, I reached in my backpack for my camera and took pictures of all of them.

Day 48

     I got to do another couples session today! And boy, was it fun! Demarie and Jason are so cute together, and I think I might have found the perfect couple. They were really fun and easy to work with, so it made me feel a lot more confident as I worked. They're natural-born models! So I am very pleased with the results, and I hope that they are too.
     I did a lot of playing with the white balance today, because that's something that I've never really worked on. And I am so happy I did. I am going to do that always from now on. The colors turn out so much richer and true-life. Very happy.
     This may be the most favorite picture I've ever taken.

Day 47

     Weirdest weather today. Windy by day, sleet-y by night. I was planning on doing a shoot today, but I kind of gave up in the face of the wind. Dang it though, I should have done it. Might've made for some fun results. Now I know, you NEVER back down because of the weather. When he's being unkind, you just smile and prove to him that you are awesome. I really wish the wind would kick up again.
     And now we've got some sleet. Hmmm. Not really feeling the photo jive. But that's why I gotta keep trying.

Day 46

    Baby Tori is such a beautiful girl. And boy has she grown in the last few months! No, she's not mine, but I kinda wish she was! She is such a big girl, so incredibly smart and sweet. I even got a little raspberry on my cheek after giving her one on her belly. And she's not even talking yet! I love her cute little sprouting pony tail, her gorgeous blue eyes and her endearing little chin dimple, just like daddy. I hope she is always loved, wherever she goes, cause I know that she deserves it.
     Lighting was tricky tonight, in a poorly lit apartment and a restless baby, but I still had fun shooting. I tried a lot of things, but neither aperture nor ISO could save me tonight. I finally caved and tried with flash. Gosh, I hate on-camera flash. Someday I'll be able to afford a nice hot-shoe attachment.

Day 45

     I miss dancing every day!
     Hopefully you like this, cause just afterwards, my incredibly awesome lamp fell over and broke. It better be worth it.

Day 44

     A friend walked by, exclaiming that there were only "like two" stars to look at and kept on moving. Here's to her, to prove her wrong. It's always brighter than we think it is. There's always more stars than our limited eyes can see. Even if others only see the few bright ones, you have the capability to see more, just by changing your perspective.
     Feel free to interpret this metaphorically.

Day 43

     You were really cute.

Day 42

     Amazing what a little contrast can do. No color or effect added!

Day 41

     Well my concept idea today spluttered and flopped. Maybe it will work better one day when I can afford and own a tripod.
     So this was my next one.

Day 40

     The tight squeeze. It's on all our minds.

Day 39

     Every day I look at these mountains, see the trees dusted in snow. I want so badly to climb up. There's gotta be something magical there.

Day 38

Day 37

     OK, so, couples portraits...outside my comfort zone. Have not really done much of it before, so it's really hard to get myself to act like I know what I'm doing. Especially when they ask the famous question "What do you want us to do?" That's when I freeze up and want to hide behind my camera. I am the kind of person that likes to ask questions or just go with the flow, not direct answers. That is definitely something I need to work on, and do better next time. Even though I don't have much experience, I really love doing it! I love seeing the interactions of the two, and trying to get that onto the camera sensor! I'm a people watcher, so it's really fun to portray people through a lens, and try to capture the RAW emotion. (Haha, camera humor.)

     Luckily, Becca and Riley are adorable, and put up well with my inadequacy. Two awesome people, and so sweet! I had a lot of fun just snapping pictures while they skipped, danced, and climbed trees. Thanks guys, for helping me out. I'll be a little more assertive next time.
     You guys are awesome.

Day 36

     Saturday, so everyone is gone. Basketball game, so everyone's watching. So just me an my baby wandering campus. And it was dead. Fields and courts abandoned, buildings still, doors unopening, clouds overhanging. But the birds were plenty happy. Amazing how quiet it could feel in the nucleus of town.

Day 35

     Took my camera with me to dinner for the first time. Kind of nerve-wracking, with all the potential for spillage. But I had nowhere else to put it. And it is my baby, so I prefer to take it with me everywhere. Having my camera with me gave me opportunity to take some fun candid shots around the table as we were finishing up.
     Charlene, you are beautiful. I hope you know that and believe it when I say it. Beautiful.

Day 34

     I've done a lot of experimentation with lighting lately. And learned a lot. And had fun. Because that's all a photo is, light. Light frozen in time. It may not look much different, but trust me, I am learning. Currently practicing with a mini-studio set up in my room.

Day 33

     Learned about light waves in school today. So I thought I should have some fun experimenting with a laser beam.

Day 32

     Waaaaaayyyyyy too cold outside to spend too much time out. I'll opt for the indoor fountains.