A full month of pictures!

My 31st picture! Crazy! It's funny, I'm using my camera everyday now, but I'm not taking as many random photos as I did. I think as I am moving forward in this challenge I'm learning to focus more on what I am putting in front of my camera. And actually because of this more focused shooting style more people are coming up to me to talk about photo shoots and whatnot. I've also been hired to shoot a wedding in May and in talks with another. Also, one of my good friends has a student film debuting in April, and guess who's hired to document the final shoot/movie poster? Yours truly. Sheer craziness, but I guess that's what happens when you start working on improving a skill.

Still nothing on my internship, I just need to hear back from one person then I can start moving forward again on going to either the Philippines or another place.

Picture # 31, I love me some sun flare!

My friends Joy, Lauren and I went for a hike in the snow today. We had a total blast and I think I really surprised Lauren with my picture ideas. I'm all about sun flare now so of course to finish up the hike I had the camera into the sunlight. And because it's been 31 days of posting pictures, I'm throwing in another one from earlier on in the day.

Picture # 31b, Thoughts among friends!

All in all, a wonderful, lazy day with a good bout of exercise. School already has a two hour delay tomorrow, but pretty much all students are praying a cancellation. Personally, I would be really shocked if we had school because everyone I've talked to has said that the roads are terrible. One of my friends went out to run to the gym and he said he nearly died. And as we all know, dead students equal unhappy parents, which equals less money for the school, so if my school wants to remain in business they should obviously cancel the day. :)

We got snow!

Today Virginia received easily a foot of snow. And it's still going. It's supposed to stop for tomorrow, but I'm positive that school will be canceled on Monday. Then we are supposed to get even more on Tuesday. So I guess that it's a really good thing I didn't drive home. I could have been stuck away from school for who knows how long.

I wanted to go out and do all kinds of fun things in the snow, but with the wind and snowflakes still coming down pretty hard I just went for a short walk. Hopefully tomorrow it'll be bright and gorgeous. And since there is nothing else to report on, here's the pic of the day!

Picture # 30! Hanging out with Stacy!

Haha, yup, another picture with Stacy. She has snowflakes up all over her room so we had to bring some out into the real snow.

Now I can't wait for tomorrow!

A big chance of snow

So I am still at school for the weekend. I wanted to go home so badly, number one to see my nephew perform in the school play, and two to hang out with my mom and grandmother. But unfortunately that was not to be. Apparently Virginia is going to get a lot of snow this weekend. Possibly up to a foot. Which means everything will be closed down for quite some time. I would have had no problem getting home, but driving back could be potentially dangerous so my parents strongly suggested I stayed here.

Since I am stuck on campus for the weekend, I decided to use the extra time to work out. I went to a spinning class (an hour spent cycling on a bike), and it totally ripped me apart. I was huffing and puffing, and I wanted to quit so badly. I just had to keep saying to myself, "Don't quit, don't quit." I slowed down a lot towards the end, but I never stopped moving. I hope to continue working out so hopefully I won't be as dead as I was tonight, because man it was rough.

Picture # 29

Hard to believe that it was warm enough to wear this and it's supposed to snow tonight! Don't get me wrong, it was cold, but the sun was shining so I went out anyway. And I've worn this scarf for like, the past three days. I think I'm on some scarf kick right now. Well, I guess it did match my outfits. Maybe that's why I kept wearing it. But for this picture, you could guess that it's summer if it wasn't for the scarf!

Do something! Make Your Life Count

Wow it's justs after midnight. But I have a good reason for being so late today. Between my hectic schedule of classes, homework, and finally campus church, I had nearly no time for the internet. I'm actually supposed to be typing up my book report right now. Oh well.

Normally campus church is only on Wednesdays at 7:45, and we get out somewhere around 9-9:30. But this week my school hosted a Spiritual Emphasis Week, also known as S.E.W. And there are sermons preached on both Wednesday and Thursday nights along with some during the days. Tonight there was some bad planning and there was a basketball game going on in the location we normally have church. So they pushed back the time and moved us into another building. And let me just say, we packed it out! Several thousand college students poured into the building until there was standing room only. And stayed from 9:00 to 11 pm! So crazy. But it was really good and I learned a lot. It was a relationship sermon today, and while it was really awkward, it was awesome. Read the story of Ruth and Boaz! What a good love story. Just don't let yourself get caught up in the cultural difference.

After church, I bought the speaker's book. DO Something!: Make Your Life Count. Yes, I bought another book to add to the collection. I don't know when I'm going to have time to read it. I'm still trying for my "book every two weeks" thing, but for this time I don't think I'm going to make it. I'm reading two books at once and it's slow going.

But I'm going home for the weekend and hopefully I'll get in some good reading time. And I'm praying I don't get snowed in, as we are supposed to a lot of inches tomorrow night.

Picture # 28

Don't I look so emo/rocker chick? I love it. I used to play guitar, but then mine broke and while it's fixed now, I lost all motivation to play. It's pretty depressing. Maybe once my life calms down I'll pick it back up.

Learning...

Oh man God is going to be stretching me this year. And not just in any one area, but in all aspects of my life. Well, I guess romantically that hasn't happened yet, as I am single and loving it, but probably throughout the year something crazy is going to go down. God always likes to throw in a curve ball. But mostly I think he will be challenging me mentally. My homework schedule is ridiculous, I'm working out nearly everyday (except for Thursdays, my rest day) and of course this challenge. Most days I really like coming up with a good place to take a picture, but already I've found days where I just have no desire to be creative. I'm still sticking with it though! I think as long as I really work on my self-control and write everything down, I'll be alright. This is the best time to learn how to juggle a busy schedule. It's only going to get worse from here on out.

Anyway, here is my picture of the day!

Picture # 27

My second upside down picture. Here is an example of the first. Notice the difference from the earlier picture to now. I definitely am starting to see some difference in how I act in front of the camera.

I also really like the posing of this shot. I've still got to work on some more body poses, but I'm doing a lot more interesting stuff then just sitting there like I was in the beginning.

Sun Flare

I absolutely love sun flare. Which is funny, since I used to hate it until one day something in my mind switched and I suddenly started viewing sun flare as beautiful art. So this morning when it was sunny again, I knew I had to at least try for some sun flare. I wasn't sure what the outcome would be, but I was determined to try! Good thing too, because I actually had two pictures that I really like and then later on the skies clouded over. Apparently we even had snow when I was in a class. What is with all the crazy weather in Virginia?! Yesterday is was amazing weather, today it was miserable from noon on.

Anyway, I started getting in emails about different internship opportunities in my email today, and I am freaking out! I'm driving back home for the weekend so I'll definitely be talking this out with my mom. She always seems to help me clear out my head.

Picture # 26

And man finding the right spot to take this with the sun where I wanted it was pretty difficult. But I managed. :) Tomorrow I'm thinking will be an indoor shot since I think the weather is supposed to be bad again. Oh well, I enjoyed it while it lasted!

Wind can be your friend...

Or it can be your enemy. The weather was amazing today. The sun was out shining, the clouds were high and pretty, it seemed like everything was perfect. Except for the wind. I was desperate to be able to just wear a short sleeved shirt and walk all over campus, but the wind made it super cold.

It kind of got me to thinking, sometimes everything in life looks great, like the sun is shining right on you. But what you think to be all good has an unseen bad side. For example, I have been working on a specific internship for the Philippines where I would be  over there for two full months. Then I met with a member of my church who has just emailed several of his colleagues to see about me getting an internship through another corporation. At first I thought this new opportunity would be the better one for me, but as I am drawing closer to God and asked a close friend about these new organisations, I realize that the Philippines is really where I need to be for the summer.

Do you see where I am going with this? I feel like my initial internship was my hot sun, but now with the knowledge that my resume and cover letter are out in five other companies right now is blowing my mind. It's like an invisible force and I can't decide whether it's going to cool me down or completely freeze me. Ugh. Now my own metaphor can't even make sense. I'm giving up for the night and leaving this in God's hands. I'll end up where he wants me. No matter where I end up, I know I'll be stretched and challenged.

My picture today is a complete profile. In this case I am using my sunny day and the wind, both a mutual contributer in today's pic. One thing I learned in this shoot was that i absolutely love the contrast between myself and the open sky. There is just something so freeing when my head is in the clouds. :)

Projects, projects, projects!

I seem to always reach out and take to much on. I'm currently working on one personal project, going to do camera work for a friend, and today I just got involved with another. All big time projects, all with a big pay-off if I plan my timing right. I'm not ready to reveal anything on here yet, because the majority is just in the beginning stage right now. But I definitely cannot wait to showcase some unique stuff on here! Anyway, here is the picture of the day. Reflections anyone?

Picture # 24 "Reflecting on Prayer"

Hmmm, could have done better on the angle of this picture, but I tried several and nothing seemed to work. Shooting into a mirror was harder than I expected it to be. I do plan on trying again, but I'm going to have to work a lot harder to get a better focus and see the shot before hand in my hand. The biggest problem was cutting off my head again.

Well, it's way past my bedtime and I have to be up before 7:30 tomorrow. Humanities at 8:50 in the morning is not fun.

Something to help out Haiti

This is just an independent post.

Only if you are living under a rock have you not hear about the disaster that struck Haiti. And yet the believers there still worship God. One woman was quoted as saying, "Of course I don't blames God for this. In fact, He is the only one getting me through this." Just amazing.

Well, I had been trying to find ways to help Haiti out and yes the best is to just straight out donate, but I also found this website that is selling a photography book where 100% of the proceeds go to help the people of Haiti. It's only 12 bucks, and you get 40 pages of professional pictures from Haiti. I just bought one tonight and I thought I would share the link in case anyone else was interested as well.

Weekend Work

I seem to always catch up on everything except school over the weekend. While I have yet to work on my homework tonight, I got a lot done in my room, went food shopping, went out to lunch with an old friend and went "hiking" with some others. Tomorrow I am going to church, creating a game plan to help Haiti with a friend, taking a test to become a leader on the hall and laundry. Somewhere in between all that I have to add homework. Nothing is actually due on Monday, but if I get some work done tomorrow I can save myself a lot of stress.

Alright, today's picture is from hiking. I know, the lighting is awful and it's a little over-exposed. I did shoot this in a RAW format, so I could run it through Photoshop and fix the white balance, but to do that i would have to run all the way to the computer lab to do that and it is just too cold.

Here's another picture from the hike (Aka, we walked for twenty minutes then our fingers started to freeze).

I believe this was on auto, but the clouds today cast off a weird white light that was just not flattering. Normally clouds just reflect good light, but this was not to be the case. Oh well. We still had fun.

I choose Life

I posted a picture yesterday in support of those who went to protest Abortion today. Today, I'm posting another picture for the unborn today. The idea behind this picture is from the Day of Silent Solidarity, a pro-life movement to raise awareness of the issue. It is a genius idea and if you are not familiar with the movement then just click on the link. The Day of Silent Solidarity falls on October 19 this year. I post this photo is in memory of the thousands upon thousands of babies killed in America since 1973.

I'm on the left with another pro-lifer (My good friend Joy) on the right.

March for Life

Tomorrow there is a protest going down in Washington, D.C. I wish so greatly to be there, but unfortunately that's not an option for me right now.

January 22, 2010 marks the day that thousands of concerned Americans will march  and never let anyone forget the horrible tragedy that happened in 1973. A genocide, happening to American babies, became legal. Yes, I am talking about Abortion. I don't care what you believe in, what your opinions are, nothing will persuade me that the taking of innocent lives, lives that aren't even given the chance to experience this world, is okay. To many young girls are sacrificing their children, because of social pressure that says, "It's not human yet, it's just a bunch of cells. Get rid of it." That doesn't stop that fact that it is a BABY. No matter what the world is going through, no matter what mistakes you've made, the right to life should always be upheld. I've gone through debates against pro-choice friends, and heard about the situations that drive people to commit such an act. What they never mention is the aftermath. I have listened to, read testimonies, and prayed for so many women who even years after getting an abortion still struggle with depression and scarring. They don't tell you that girls who have an abortion increase their chance of miscarrying a wanted child later. They also forget to mention that medical studies are now discovering that those who go through an abortion increase their chances of getting Breast Cancer by 25% or more. Abortion is not just a one-sided issue, and it is not just a religious argument either. There will be people of all kinds protesting the practice of Abortion tomorrow. Moms, daughters, fathers, and sons. Christians, Muslims, Atheists. All affected by the knowledge of what Abortion is doing to our country and to our young.

I am proud to say that my school is doing something to stop the genocide. There is a student group on campus called R.O.S.E. Which stands for "Reclaiming Others Sacred Existence." In honor and support of those going tomorrow to stand for those who do not have a voice, I post this picture.

Picture # 21

Please look more into this issue than just the surface. Do the research. Know how Abortion affects everyone, not just the woman going through it.

Where is today?

Where did today go? It went by so fast. It seemed this morning at 7:30 that I would have a long day ahead of me. Instead it was gone in just a few blinks of an eye. I must admit though, I did drink an energy drink. Maybe that's why time speed up.  Well, right now the plan is to review, read, and rest. I don't think I'll be in bed by 11 as planned, but if I buckle down I should be about to finish a chapter of Mere Christianity before bed. That way tomorrow I can finish the second one in the morning and hopefully type up my reading report before class. But my plans almost never really go according to plan. I'll look at tomorrow morning to test my self-discipline I guess. Hopefully this is one test I can pass and save myself hardship later.

Picture # 20

Sweet and simple tonight. My only regret is cutting off my elbow. My arm looks pretty awkward like it is. But overall it just seems like a simple picture, and sometimes simple is all you need.

Blending in

Not much to say today. Looking ahead at what my schedule might be for this semester is daunting. A lot of projects are solely on me to get them done. No accountability. Which scares me to the core. If I stay focused and use some good time management, I'll be great. If I don't, I'll crash and burn.

Good thing my fruit of the spirit this year is Self-Control. I think I'll have to be in constant communication with God this semester to make it through. And this year, I'm branching out. I'll learning new skills as well as honing old ones. I'm also considering taking a leadership role on my hall this semester which would mean a big time commitment and it will probably take a lot out of me. But the pros are outweighing the cons right now. Hopefully taking the position won't overwhelm me later. Ok, enough with the whining and being a Debbie Downer.

Picture # 19 "Blending In"

I look so sad today. Oh well, everyday can't be a happy day. In fact, I'm already planning on posting a crying picture about half-way through to be versatile. I don't think this picture is very pretty, but this project isn't about being pretty. It's working to convey emotion through an image. To gain confidence in front of the camera, no matter what I am doing.

I call today's photo "Blending In" because my shirt was quite close to the color of the wall I am set against. But it can also be interpreted as more allegorical, and much deeper. I'll leave the deeper meanings behind this picture up to you today. Tell me what meaning you get from this particular image.  

Homework already?!

It's only the first day of classes, but I've already been assigned homework. And just like the procrastinator I am, I finally bought some of my books online today. I've been able to borrow an expensive textbook, adding to my savings, but I'm not sure about the two other books that I will eventually have to get a hold of.

Anyway, it seems like this semester I will be reading a lot. In fact, my first homework assignment of the semester is to read the first two chapters of C.S. Lewis', Mere Christianity,  and type up a short book report about them. I don't think that doing the work will be hard, but I can already tell it's going to wear on me because these types of book reports are due for a total of 40 times. That's a lot of reading to do, and my professor said the reports should add up to about 30 full pages. That's a lot of writing! Oh well, it'll be good for me. I'm definitely looking forward to learning a lot in that class.

Anyway, I love to read, but I have gotten out of the habit in recent years mainly because I read a ton of articles and stories online. I still feel like my brain gets fed by this, but I sorely miss the comfort of paper in my hands and the focus that comes with a real book. So for this New Year, I made a resolution to read one book about every two weeks. I feel that's pretty reasonable working within my schedule. I used to be able to finish a huge hardback in about three days back in the day. So I know my speed reading is up to par with my plan, but I am worried about simply not sitting down and just plain picking up a book. I do have ADD, and I do get distracted easily. Especially when I'm on the computer. Now, onto the picture of the day!

Picture # 18 "In a sea of books"

This is a unique one today. Normally I post a face shot, but I loved how this composition turned out. I think that the business of the upper right corner is balanced by the negative space in the bottom left. Though I must say, I think this was my hardest shoot to date, camera wise. The Snake was definitely the most challenging for me personally. But I say this was the hardest because I had such a simple shot lined up in my head. Turned out that executing the shot proved to be pretty much impossible. If the lighting wasn't the problem, it was everything being out of focus. When I would go to fix the lens, I would somehow show outside the main set. And on top of it all, I still managed to cut off my head in 9/10 photos. Finally I started playing with different angles. Still difficult, but I got some gems. I had about 5 really solid pictures that showcased my love of reading and where everything was in focus. But I picked this one because of the lines I saw, the attention point is the book, and the emotions (At least what I can see) transfered through the posing of my hand.

If you disagree with me, feel free to point out something that I might have missed or should know for next time. Thank you!

My girl Stacy

Today is the 17th posting for my 365 project. I can't believe that the time has flown by that quickly. It seems that just last week I was passing my final math class. But no, an entire month has gone by. And my internship is just as confusing as it was last semester. Only God knows what I'll be doing this summer now. 


Anyway, onto my good friend Stacy. I met Stacy at color guard camp, and she was put into my squad. We had fun, and my squad was the best. :) After marching band season was over, we still liked to chat and hang out. And she is a photographer as well, but she shoots with Nikon, whereas I use Canon. When I first decided to start a 365 project I told her about it, and we decided that we'd both do it and keep each other accountable. It's been working out well so far. So here's to the first picture of Stacy and I!

Stacy also does a lot with acting and dance, so she has a ton of fun makeup. I'm excited for some of the ideas we talked about. The future is looking bright for this project. 


One quick note. Tomorrow is the first day of classes, and I am not really prepared. Second, I seem to be getting a cold on top of everything. I pray it doesn't last very long, otherwise I'm going to be miserable all throughout the week. See ya tomorrow!

Friend fun.

Well, I got bored today. I put away some clothes, I organized some bins, and then I got on the internet. After an hour and a half I went out to Walmart with a friend in my quad and we stocked up on supplies. Then after we got back I went on the internet again and watched some TV (yay for Hulu!). Then I reconnected with another girl upstairs and went out to dinner with another one. We got some delicious Mexican food and then sang songs in her room. We eventually came back to my dorm and I asked if she wanted to be in my pic of the day. She was not expecting me to set the camera up but was dealt with it. So everyone, meet my good friend Ciera!

Picture #16!

My face is just the slightest bit out of focus and it bothers me. But I forgot to change the focus to manual so I fail. But Ciera looks super cute! And we even match, though we didn't notice it till half-way through. It was like our destiny to take a picture together today. Haha!

I love school

Not really. But I do love my life at school, which is where I am now. In my dorm, where I got to meet my new roommate. She seems really cool, and pretty mellow about a lot of stuff like me. She's also highly motivated, which makes me excited because I tend to do better when I'm around people who have big plans. We both are planning to get up early, she was willing to take the top bunk (Which I hate being up by the ceiling. I was in a loft last year, never doing that again!), so I'm confident we will work really well together. Now, for the picture of the day.

I did end up doing one last home shot, but you can't really tell because it's a very tight shot on my face. I wasn't planning on using this picture, but I screamed out at me.

Picture # 15

Hmmm, lovely. Anyway, here's to a brand new semester at my favorite University!

What a wonderful day!

Today was busy. To say the least. I'm driving back to Virginia tomorrow, and I have yet to pack. My laundry is all done, but that's about it. I'm not to worried though, I'm not in any hurry to get there. Well, I am, since I already have dinner plans with a good friend, and I'd get to meet my new roommate. But I don't have to hit the road that early. And I'll probably forget something, I always do. So why am I on this blog when I've got packing to do? Because I missed yesterday and I refuse to let that happen again. And I also have the cutest story to tell.

The picture today wasn't really taken by me. Around noon today I went over to a good, good friend's house. We traveled to Mexico together when I was in high school, and she became my mentor. I also became close to a leader on the trip, Mr. Dan. I never would have guess this then, but two years later they got married. Now they have two absolutely beautiful children, one boy and one girl. After the two year old boy got up from his nap he had a blast going around their house and pointing out all kinds of different things around. He even asked me to read him a bit of a book. It was the cutest thing. Well anyway after the "tour," we went back to the main room and I got out my camera. After taking about three pictures the little boy was all over it. I'm pretty mellow about my stuff, so when he asked questions about it I placed the tripod on the floor mostly closed up and started explaining buttons. I kept my hand on the tripod as he chose his own setting (Sport) and pointed the camera at the couch. He shot a lot of pictures around the room and then pointed the camera at me. Here is his picture.

Picture # 14

I added a little contrast and desaturation, but the image is really close to what he shot in camera. And haha, note my arm at a weird angle. Still holding onto that tripod!

*Side note: If you ever get the chance to see the Temptations perform live, go! I was given the opportunity to run a camera for a quick interview of the band, and after that was done I got to see the show for free. Wow, it was powerful. And I was so nervous shooting the interview. There would have been no chance for a redo if I messed it up. But thankfully, everything went well. :)

Dropped the Ball

Wow, I cannot believe I missed yesterday. I had my picture all ready to go too. I almost went to bed when I realized that I still had yet to actually post the picture (Que palm slap to forehead). Oh well, just about 25 minutes past, not to bad. Anyway, here is my picture of the day!

Picture # 13 (Though late)

Yeah, I totally used the snow while I had the chance! I'm actually standing on top of the frozen marsh in front of my house. While the snow is almost entirely gone now, there was a lot left on the marsh because of the ice. I had fun doing this shoot, but yes, my hands were freezing!

*On the internship note, I submitted my resume to another company working with the IMB. I'm not sure how it'll go over, but I might not be going to the Philippines if this works out. It could mean a much better opportunity for me, and possible employment after graduation.

Reminiscent Kissin' Kate Barlow (Holes)

Today I got up semi-early and used the natural light to my advantage. In my head I had this awesome plan of how I wanted the bearded dragon picture to look. I was only going to use the two younger lizards and lie down on the floor and let them just chill my shirt, but when I talked to Jessica she had a completely different idea. She also convinced me to add in Ziggy, the oldest bearded dragon. He just sat in the same place the entire time and looked majestic. Anyway, we first went for the floor idea, but in my house there are only two options. Brown carpet and off-white tile. Neither work well for professional shots. Jessica dug up a solid black plastic table cloth but the light just bounced off of it. Not flattering. So instead we created our own little set. We had to rearrange a lot of stuff to get something that would photograph well. And the end result was something that actually looks quite natural for the Lizards and allowed me to pose comfortably.

Picture # 12! I must have eaten some Onions!

So I learned that you don't have to have professional equipment to get a solid shot. Just a lot of creativity! Had I thought about the snake set yesterday with a lot more care it probably could've been a lot better. But you live and you learn. Just two more pictures left of home, I'm thinking about doing Friday's here as well, since I'll be at school for months. So I guess Friday's picture will be a surprise for all!

Scariest picture yet!

My little sister has to be one of the weirdest girls on the planet. And she will gladly admit this to you. Growing up, my sister and I would go out into the woods behind our house and play with all the little creatures we could find. If we were lucky enough, we would find at least ten salamanders and we would bring them home. Mom would freak out, so I would let mine go, but my sister would find some way to sneak them into the house. For weeks she would hide them in her room, until sadly, they would dry up because she did not know how to properly care for them. After we moved on from salamanders, we graduated to Iguanas. We did much better with them. After mine passed away from a random disease (Not making this up, Izzy did not die of animal abuse!) Jessica got a bearded dragon for getting straight As in the 5th grade. Since the 5th grade, she gained two other bearded dragons and two snakes. And if you don't know what a bearded dragon is, stay tuned, I'm thinking I might try taking a picture with the two younger ones tomorrow. As for the two snakes, one is currently in a school classroom, because Jessica chose to send it away when she went to college. But the other snake bites, so no one was willing to give it a new home. The only solution? My dad throws in a mouse once a week and Jess cleans the tank when she's home. Essentially, the snake stays all snug under the heat lamp in his tank, staying pretty wild.

Well, today, as I was planning out the photo, I thought I would try something with the dragons. But then Jess suggested a photo op with her Jungle Carpet Snake, and I couldn't pass it up. Even though she warned me he bites I didn't think much of it. I've held plenty of snakes before and what was the worst that could happen? But as soon as I stepped in front of the camera and Jessica placed the snake over my arm I could not stop jerking, which freaked the snake out, which freaked me out even more. He almost bit my face. But after I calmed down, so did the snake. The photo shoot became a lot more fun and if only I had better stuff to work with at home I could have gotten some phenomenal pictures. Definitely something to revisit in the future.

Now, Picture # 11!

 I tried some new editing stuff for this one. I'm not happy with how the pictures turned out, but I can't really make excuses. I just let all the crazy things happening around me to affect my overall picture. There are a few picture where I really have a terrified look on my face. They will never been seen by anyone other than family.

And I hated the lighting I had to use. Here at home I have very limited lighting options. I know natural lighting would be best, but I'm in this awful habit of not getting out of the house until about three, which in the winter would be considered the Golden Hour, but when you are surrounded by trees I cannot utilize it. Oh well.

Ten in 2010

Today, ten days into 2010, my pastor gave a sermon about new year's resolutions. He is starting a series in Galatians, more specifically, Galatians 5. I believe the plan is to spend ten weeks going over each fruit of the spirit. To begin, he gave the church four questions to ponder.

1. What is one thing you desire from God? (For a starting point, check David's desire at Psalms 27:4)
2. What is one thing that you lack in the relationship between you and God?
3. What is one thing you need to let go of?
4. What is one promise that you need to claim?

For those who belong to the body of Jesus Christ there are ten virtues that shine through in their lives because of the radical difference Jesus has made and what he means to them. Each virtue is defined through different verses in the New Testament. We were challenged to pick a virtue to work on that would help us to truly live by the fruits of the Spirit.

Picture # 10

I am choosing Self-Control. Over Winter break I have really a lot of disciplines go, and that has spilled over into all aspects of my life. When I'm not living my life the way God intended to be lived it becomes obvious to everyone around me. And I'm not saying that Christians have to be perfect, I know that even giants of the faith like Paul the apostle struggled to live like Jesus. But this year, and throughout this new decade, I would love to get right with the Lord. And I am choosing to do this through zoning in specifically on this aspect of my life. I'm ready to give up my comfortable life of doing whatever I want to do, to truly surrender to Jesus Christ.

*Sorry if this post is too preachy. But I said in this blog before, I am a Christian, and sometimes when The Holy Spirit says something to me I gotta share. :)
 

Vacation is winding down

Well, today I got to visit with some family and spend some quality time with friends. And this morning I hit up Walmart and my mom paid for everything I picked out. Gotta love the free stuff. But reality is starting to set in as one of my close friends is leaving tomorrow, I'm leaving Friday, and my cousin is leaving the 25th. Hard to believe how different our schedules are.
Oh, and I just found out some major news. I have been assigned a roommate! My roommate from the fall graduated, meaning that for all of break no one else was in my room. It would have been nice if it had stayed that way, but after talking a bit with her through facebook she seems pretty cool. Although she is engaged and the wedding date is in July. It seems that this year I am doomed to be surrounded by happy couples as my old roommate is getting married, along with at least four other couples that I'm friends with. Unfortunately I'll only be able to make it to two weddings as the time of the other weddings conflicts with my internship. While sad about not getting celebrate the happy day with my friends, I'm still glad about getting to work in my internship.

And now, picture # 9!
Also titled, "I have the coolest friends"

For this picture I set a very low shutter speed (0"4). I stood completely still while having my two awesome friends (Chris and Emily) moved around like madmen. It was quite humorous and we had some interesting results, but I love all of our facial expressions in this photo the most. And looking that this picture made me realize that I need to bring my head forward more. I kind of just sat back and did nothing. Which resulted in an unflattering pose. Next time I'll do better, but at I'm learning something out of this project!

I'm going to the PHILIPPINES!!!

Well, I FINALLY got some answers today! And I'm going to be talking to a woman who knows more specifically what I'll be doing over the summer on Monday. So while I still don't know exactly where in the Philippines I'll be, I do know I am going. Which means this semester I'm going to have to work hard to raise about $2300 to go. But I know it's in God's hands, and I'm just excited for such a cool opportunity. If you want to read more about my internship journey, here it is.

And here is my picture of the day!

I went outside for this one! I woke up with this beautiful soft snow on the ground and knew I had to go outside today. The gorgeous dog in the picture is my puppy (ten years old), Holly. She is one of the happiest dogs you'll ever meet, but boy is she naughty. Right after I took this picture she ran off into the woods and didn't come back for half an hour. Oh, and the big wheel is my dad's old tractor. Normally when there is a snow my dad will tie up a sled and my sister and I will hop on. Then as he starts driving around the house my mom will let the dogs loose. It's good fun for all of us especially the dogs because after chasing us for a minute they are generally able to catch up and hop on the sled as well. But unfortunately this year the tractor is broken and he wasn't able to fix it in time for the winter. It made me realize that I am growing up way too fast. Anyway, hopefully I'll get to take another picture in this kind of snow again before the winter is over!

Photo info: I just took this on auto. The weather was perfect, so I didn't worry about getting all the settings right. But if you really want to know the details, ask in a comment and I'll look it up. :)

Day 7

Whew, another day! Winter break is way too long when you don't have a job. And tomorrow I'm planning on calling the IMB to see whatever happened to my email. I should have heard back by now about this internship.

Here is the picture of the day!

I decided to try something different today. I'm not used to taking pictures upside down, but I thought I would give it a try. And I realized that I need to try to do more to get out of my comfort zone. Since I still have a week at home, I'm going to have to come up with some pretty creative stuff around the house.

Just in time!

I went over to hang out with two good friends with high school today. I was planning on taking a picture there, but unfortunately I forgot the only other thing I would need other than my camera. A memory card. *Cue palm to face. I only have one right now and I keep switching it between my DSLR and my Camcorder. Well, I forgot to switch it back and took this picture just a few minutes ago. So not what I was planning, but hey, I'll go with the punches.

And this shot is awkward and not really professional. I apologize. I will get better, I promise!

Day 5!

Ok, coming up with different ideas for shots in my house is getting harder. I can't wait to go back to school. I'll have a ton of locations and fun stuff to do then. But for now, I went in front of my family's fireplace. And yes, I am aware I am a dork for doing this, but I wore a snuggie for today's picture. The snuggie is my dad's, he got it for Christmas. And it is a "A Christmas Story" snuggie. Which makes it all kinds of cool, because everyone knows that "A Christmas Story" is the best Christmas movie ever. Anyway, I decided to go with an artsy picture this time, instead of a face shot which had been the plan.

Ok, I'll admit it. I have curves! I'm not a skinny Minnie, and this picture I think shows that curves can be flattering. Especially when wearing a snuggie. :)

Day 4...

Still no word on the internship. :( But in other news, I watched Star Trek today!!! The movie, not the series. It was so awesome! I really appreciated the fact that instead of doing everything in the studio or using CG, they went outside and did as much on location as possible. I really applaud the director and actors, the entire team put in a lot of effort to make a great movie, and they definitely did. I highly recommend seeing it.

And here is my pic of the day, this was shot at a friend's house, with three other people behind me. It was a lot of fun and even though I felt embarrassed to ask if I could take a picture of myself there, my friend Chris was all for it. It was epic.

Oh life during the winter...

Well, I sent off an email to the IMB about my internship. Hopefully I'll get news back soon. Anyway, today I did not even leave my house other than to go to church and to run my dog. It was MISERABLE outside. It was below freezing all day and the wind was brutal. So I didn't go outside to take my picture, instead I decided I wanted a reflected look. The best place for that is in my parent's room. I went in front of my mother's huge mirror (She'll hate me for showing some of the clutter, but oh well). The picture I'm posting for today is actually what I was doing to test out the lighting.

And I'm going to follow through and show you what I was attempting to do. Not exactly what I had in my head, but close enough.

And I just have to note; I'm not wearing any make-up in this picture. Since I haven't left the house today, I decided to let my skin breathe. I've actually been doing that a lot lately. Since late November I've been off and on about using make-up. I'm not saying I don't like make-up, I do. I have a lot of fun with creating different looks. It's more that I don't feel like I need make-up on to impress anyone. And that is a long way of thinking since high school. :)

The second day...

Well I have two things to report on today. First, I got an email from Che' about my internship. In case you haven't read previous posts, Che' is/was my mentor for my internship in the Philippines. She asked my if I had heard back from the IMB yet and no, I haven't. So now I am thinking that maybe I didn't get the internship at all. Which in the overall scope of things isn't that big of a deal, but for my immediate hopes and dreams this would be devastating. So hopefully this week I will get an email from the IMB.
Second, my photo of the day!

Lesson:
I need to watch out for the natural light. I don't own professional lighting kits and I, for some reason, waited until it was 5 0'clock to shoot this. But I think it turned out ok, and I even got one of my cats to sit in with me. So, model I am not, but do I look comfortable in this pic? Oh yes. And now for the info!

f-stop: f/11
Exposure: 1/6 second
ISO: 400

See you tomorrow!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2010! Wow it's a new decade.
Well, I had a blast for my New Year celebration. I didn't get all crazy or anything, but I hung out with some good friends and saw a few peers that I graduated with. Then after midnight, I went with some friends to a house to watch a movie and eat brownies. Yum!
Anyway, I didn't end up coming home until 4:00 in the morning. And I never stay out that late. So of course when I got in I decided to take my first self-portrait. In the dark I couldn't find my tripod (it was in the dining room), so I improvised upstairs. This is the result.

           Day 1.

Here are the details for those who are interested;
F-Stop: f/5
Exposure time: 1/60
ISO: 400

This wasn't my only choice for a picture to put up, but I really liked how it turned out. It's not perfect, but something made me come back to it again and again. I really like how my mouth turned out as well, normally it looks really awkward in pictures when I'm not smiling. I'll be back tomorrow!