Smile.

*Sigh*  The one thing that makes me feel alive is photography. When it's me, my camera and my music playing in the background, the world feels right. Even if it's for the half second the shutter closes and reopens, in that moment, everything seems to make perfect sense. I see the world through a lens, there is no doubt about that, and perhaps that is my problem. I carry my camera with me almost everywhere I go, even if it's to the store for milk...But I haven't turned it on or taken a picture with meaning for almost 6 months.

Why is it so easy to push aside the things that you love so much, including ourselves .I see this happen so much in life with so many people, especially in myself. It is so easy to get caught up in making money, working, running errands, getting things done within a deadline that we forget to take 2 mins to take a picture, give a hug, or simply smile to the person sitting next to us on the bus?? 

I'm making a pledge to myself today...I'm going to smile more, not get irritated with grumpy people, but give them love, pick my camera back up and take more pictures, and most importantly, enjoy life. It's the only one we have...and we never know when it's our time to go. <3 

Inspirational Show

www.framedshow.com

This is an amazingly inspirational show! I'm so excited to watch it every week.

With Fix You on repeat, my heart is sad today...

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference

I honestly don't even really know where to begin with this...

It's been way to long since I've blogged last. The holidays were crazy fun and filled with lots of joy and love, which I'm truly grateful for! More upbeat and happy blogs to come with pictures and laughs from the holiday season, but for right now I need to vent and emotionally throw up, so thank God for blogs.

Love is the greatest thing on earth. I've told him that from day one. I wanted so badly for him to find someone to love and be loved by, so I should be happy for him right? Wrong. I believe that we were put here on this earth to love one another... and  I wish more then anything that I could rejoice for him. I wish that I could share his butterflies and excitement about being in love...but I can't.  I'm angry and disgusted. If the circumstances were different, I could do all of these things with him and for him, but they aren't,they are far from acceptable. The world we live in already has so much sadness and disgust in it and I never, in my wildest dreams, thought he would be another person to add to pain in which the world is suffering. I tried to be the supportive best friend, I tried to understand and not judge, I tried to be happy for him, but I can't do it anymore. My own moral compass is spinning out of control trying to do these things for him, and for my own self, I can't risk loosing myself and my morals trying to hold on to him.

As I'm sitting here listening to Fix You, by Coldplay, I realize that it's out of my control. I wish I could swoop in and slap some sense into him and make him realize that in the end he is only going to get hurt and in the process he is hurting a lot of people around him, but I guess I'm not God, and I can't do that. All I can do from here is pray and keep on loving him.

*Big Sigh*

This feeling inside of my solidifies my belief that I was put on the planet to find good and bring it into view of others. I will find a way to do this, most likely through a picture. <3

Assignment number 1ish...Why Do I Want To Become A Photographer?

So I've finished the first three chapters of my photography  book, and let me tell you, it's brain over load for sure, and it's just the beginning. . . 


The first actual assignment I did was getting to know my camera... I thought I knew my camera like the back of my hand, and boy was I wrong. After an hour or so of pressing buttons and exploring different menus, I fell even more in love with JJ (my camera). I was very excited that I was introduced to her deeper side, because it's amazing! 


Now on to what I'm going to call my first assignment...Answering the big question of Why I Want To Become A Photographer? I'm also suppose to pull out at least 3 favorite photos that I have taken before reading the book, put them aside and go back to them after reading the book to see how my photography has improved, so I will also share those pictures with you :) 

Why I Want To Become A Photographer...

When I listen to a song that catches my ear, emotions are pulled from me, sometimes happy ones, sometimes sad ones, but nonetheless,  emotions that make me feel more then what I was feeling before I had listened to the song.


Photography has the same effect on me that a great song does. There are times when I look a photograph, and I can feel exactly what the photographer was feeling at the very moment they shot the picture. The first time I heard someone tell me they got emotional from looking at one of my photos, I couldn't run away from the fact that I have a gift to see the world through my own, built in, wide angled lens. I want to inspire people and I've found that my unique way of doing so, is through photography. I love making people smile, and what better way then with a camera in hand.  


If you asked me a month ago what I wanted to do with my photography, I would have told you I wanted to be a world renowned photography for National Geographic. But quickly my mind is changing. It's not that I don't believe I have what it takes to become that good, because I'm a believer that you can do anything you put your mind to, but I don't want to lose my love for photography.  Although in my heart I don't think the love will ever go away, but it's not something I'm willing to risk. I never want my gift to become "Just a job."


I love taking pictures, the way I feel when I'm behind a camera, capturing a moment that can't be relived is the most amazing feeling in the world. I would imagine it makes me feel the same way it makes a musician feel when they step on stage to sing a song they wrote. I get lost in it, my mind is clear, and for those few moments, I have no troubles and life is peaceful. 


I don't want photography to be my main job or my main source of income, I want it to be a hobby that I'm extremely good at. I want to be a very affordable photographer for families that can't afford ridiculously priced family portraits, or for a young married couple that wants their special day documented, but doesn't have the money to hire a professional photographer. I want to be as good as a professional, and that's why I'm doing this.  I want to produce memories for people, but I don't want them to have to pay a fortune to get that memory back on paper. One of the biggest rewards of this profession and/or hobby is making people feel good, and making them smile, and there is no amount of money that is worth that.


So now onto my favorite beginning photographs, I chose these because they each hold a great memory for me. . . 

This was in a small bar in Chicago that had AMAZING pizza
I love Chicago and I love their pizza :) 

I was on a road trip to Idaho with my cousin
Amy and my bestie Tyler, it was a "perfect"
kind of day... 

Amy walking on the UCSC Campus. It
was my last night, and she was taking me to the most
amazing view I've ever seen... <3 

I was driving with Amy and Marta in
Santa Cruz on our way to the boardwalk...it was
a magical day <3

My little sister and I had a "Sissy day"
it was perfect <3

Summer day+Ron+Fishing = Amazing 

Exploring downtown Chicago...I loved this
alley. 

Well peeps, that's all I have for assignment number one. I love you all!!! 

P.s. 36 Days, 8 hours and 22 Minutes until Christmas, but who's counting?  ;)

*Passenger Seat on repeat*

I've been laying next to Kenny for the past three hours studying my photography book. I would read a little, and he would let me explain to him what I was learning, that way it would sink in to my brain a little better. I was laying on my tummy and his arm was wrapped around me, it was warm and cozy. It was perfect. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better he fell asleep and I found myself falling in love with even more...I didn't think it was possible, but it was. Oddly enough I had just flipped the page to a new Chapter 

"Photographing What You Love"...

♥ Kenny's hand propping up my book ♥

Senior Fever Sneak Peek Round 2!

This is a little sneak peek of Chantels Senior Portraits. . .  

Senior Fever Sneak Peek. . .

The beautiful girl in these pictures is Mikiya Stowe. I've known her since she
was just a little girl, and let me tell you it was CRAZY taking her pictures
when it seems like just yesterday she was sitting on my lap watching
cartoons. <3  

Well, I have good news and I have bad news...The good news is that I've spent the past couple of days working on editing senior pics for some girls in my home town of Chelan and I've loved every minute of it. The bad news, I've misplaced my photography book, so my assignment posts will have to be put on hold of a couple of days, but have no fear, I will continue to blog.

I had a great time with three senior girls from Chelan (I can't believe it's been almost six years since I was senior!) We took TONS of pictures and had  lots of laughs! I feel so blessed to be a part of their senior year. I thought I would share a few of the photos from Mikiyas shoot. I promise there will be more to come....I hope you enjoy <3