the great salt lake

i realize that it has been quite a while since my last post. so much has happened since i have entered back into savannah, that i have forgotten to update. so now the 2 people that read my blog (my mother & mandy from capon) will be happy :)

i am in a very sleepy and mellow mood. i went to tybee island early this morning with my friend mikey to shoot the sunrise. i had forgotten how amazing it was...it will sound corny, but it was a little bit like a miracle. or maybe it was just another reminder of how artsy God is. i mean - dang. God probably would have gone to SCAD and graduated summa cum laude.

when we got back from the island, i thought i would drop by bonaventure (cemetery) on my way home. my brother's anniversary of his death is in 10 days. it will be 14 years since his death :/

i also looked at my grandfather's gravestone and realized that he had been gone for 4 years...i didn't even realize it had been that long - feels like it was just yesterday. he was a magnificent man and quite a stud, might i add..

i stood there in the middle of all of the headstones and the wind blew. i have never been in a cemetery that early in the morning, and it was strangely relaxing. i had time to think about a lot of things, most of which sort of brought a smile to my face. i am feeling extremely blessed. i literally felt like i could sit there all day and maybe just have conversations with God...

...then the leaf-blowers showed up right in front of our section of the cemetery and went to town on the leaves. the peaceful moment was lost, but i really enjoyed being out there.

i drove home with the windows down listening to Band of Horses. i love their music. i think i heard about them around 3 years ago...my favorite songs are "the great salt lake" and "the funeral". i thought they were quite appropriate considering i visited the ocean AND a cemetery this morning. thankfully i am headed to see them in concert in 11 days. yessssss..

anyways, for those that would like to be updated, everything is going well. lots of portraits have been going on and i have had the privilege to shoot 2 weddings since being home. i really do love shooting weddings...they are challenging and stressful, but are also rewarding and basically just make me happy :)

i will be writing more frequently now that i have time to breathe. the website will be receiving a lot of updates before the end of December. i'm sure everyone is tired of looking at the same pictures (i know i am). lots of new stuff coming, pretty people.

(my photo was taken by mikey)

lasts.

today is my last trip to Winchester :/

i am currently sitting in Panera Bread (as usual). they don't have broccoli cheddar soup, so i can already tell that it won't be the best day...ha. i actually said "this is the worst day EVER" when i didn't see that bless-ed soup on today's menu.

the ladies from Capon (waitresses, kitchen staff) are taking me to eat tonight at Red Lobster, so i have a couple hours to kill in Winchester. i'm pretty excited about dinner with all of them. it's sort of a "going away" dinner, which is very thoughtful. we never get a time to just chill outside of work and hopefully i'll get to know all of them better.

the leaves are falling like CRAZY today! i won't be surprised if all the trees are bare on the way home tonight :) it was nice to take Back Creek Road and be surrounded by the fall colors and drive through blankets of falling leaves. fall in West Virginia is a good bit different than fall in Savannah. maybe it's because WV isn't filled with palm trees and huge oaks..

i have 3 more days of work and will start the journey home on Monday morning. i will be making 3 different family visits till i finally make it home on the 26th, the day before my birthday :) 

i am very excited about Nicki and Josh's wedding and all the portraits next month!

i would write more, but i have to go shopping for my mom's birthday present :)

my monk.

i can't tell you how happy i am to finally have this photo.

i pass this man about twice a week on a back road near a monastery. he is one of the monks. i've been wanting his portrait for about 4 months, but i either didn't have my camera, or i was too afraid to get out and actually ask him for it.
the other day i went out with my camera in the passenger seat to hopefully see him on the road. a couple yards away, i saw him with his headphones on and walking down the middle of the road. he didn't even notice i was there, and was going slow enough to where i might as well have stopped to get out. it was one of those "here's your sign" moments. so i got out and explained to him that i had seen him all the time and had always wanted his photo and asked for his permission. (by the way, that's a big step for me). i think he was startled that some American girl that was about a foot taller than he was asking such a random question. i don't think he knew much English, except for "yes" :)
so i took his photo, said thank you, and we each went on our way. he gave me a wave (as he always does) as i drove back by him.

ouw nashun's capitow

i tried to make the title sound Forrest Gump-ish :)

i went to Washington, DC a couple weeks ago and it was great..

the day started off by leaving WV at 8 so i could have a semi-early start in Washington. well, apparently, getting to the metro around 10 is way too late to find parking places. everything was packed, so i parked at the $1 per hour meters (which is kind of ridiculous if you're there all day). i went inside to see if they had any quarters and they promptly told me that they don't provide change. so i decided to get a $5 metro ticket to get the change back, and soon realized i had, instead, paid for a $10 metro ticket. i started tearing up...i went back outside to see if there was any other possible form of payment for the meters, but no luck. i actually met people who were in the same predicament, which made me feel more normal. i made so many trips outside, that i had practically made friends with the people who were doing the landscaping outside! :) well, 2 trips later, the security lady finally heard my story and escorted me to a machine that gives change (but the machine was not intended for that purpose..blabla). anyways, i wish she would have just told me to begin with, but i wanted to hug her afterwards :)

so i quickly got on the metro and headed to the Smithsonian. once i was off the train and out of the station, i was greeted by a man who i assumed was homeless, but clearly realized i was a tourist. he handed me a map and asked where i was headed. he was so nice :) i handed him a few dollars (i think he said he was with a homeless organization) and followed the path to the US Holocaust Museum. i was stoked to go in! i have always been really interested with movies and literature about the Holocaust. so, i went through the security check and one of the security ladies asked me about my "Be Still Know God" bracelet. she liked it :) there were a couple school groups in the Museum. there was an exhibit called "Daniel's Story" that takes you through pages and scenes from his diary. it was pretty neat - and sad. i LOVED both of the Walls of Remembrance.

next, i headed to the African Art Museum. i never knew this about myself, but i LOVED everything about the art. it was all so detailed and amazing. and the way that the museum displays and lighting were designed was very attractive. i wish i could have bought half of the gift store :)

after i left, i headed to the Smithsonian Castle too look around. i'll be honest, it was pretty boring, but the height of everything made it look grand. lots of random things to look at, and i also had a scoop of ice cream for lunch while i was there.

i next headed to the Smithsonian Museum. on my way, a lady stopped me and told me that she was homeless with 4 children...hmmm. she wasn't very nice until i pulled out a couple dollars, and even then she said "i hope it's enough for 4 kids!" i understand that she probably has it rough (and that she might not actually even have 4 children), but her ungrateful heart made me want to just put my money back in my backpack. stuff like that is just frustrating. i finally made it into the museum, and it was lovely! i got to see fossils, another African exhibit, and the Hope Diamond :) there were so many older ladies gathered around the diamond taking photos...ha. i also visited a large exhibit on mammals, and got to see a cool Asian room.

next on my stops was Lincoln Memorial. it seemed miles and miles away! i passed a lot foreigners that were dressed in v-necks, "summer scarves", and leather pointy shoes :) i passed the Washington Monument on the way, but didn't stop to go up to the top because of the long line waiting outside. i also happened to see The White House on my way. one i got to Lincoln, i was greeted by a group of geese that had "taken care of business" all along the side of the Reflecting Pool. hmmmm. lovely. the Memorial was beautiful, though. there were a bunch of people there, all aiming their cameras at themselves to get a picture with Abraham :) (i was one of those people..) afterwards, i sat on the steps for a while and watched people go in and out. there was a man sitting near me with a very thick southern accent, and it made me happy!

i walked down the steps of the Memorial and noticed a crowd gathered behind a man that was being filmed dancing and singing in front of the Memorial. he looked so much like Little Richard (ha), but i later found out he was a previous contestant on American Idol. how cool!

i headed back towards the Smithsonian and ate a hotdog at a refreshments stand outside of the museum (note to self - if you'd like to save about $20, pack a PB&J) i sat there surrounded by foreigners, and was happy to finally have the chance to rest. there were pigeons everywhere, just waiting for people to drop something on the ground. at one point i dropped a fry toward one of the birds, and this whole flock of birds swarmed over to get a piece. it's crazy how that happens...

well, i realized that most of the museums were probably already closed, so i headed back to the metro. business people were whizzing by me on the escalator down to the metro to make their bus. i didn't realize that everything was sort of timed, so i made it just in time! i think i had about a minute or 2 to spare. i saw lots of people dressed in suits on my way back to Fairfax (my stop). it would have been a cool opportunity for pictures, but at that point - all i really wanted to do was close my eyes! it was such a tiring day...

it was a good day :)

wedding video

eventually i will make a wedding video with more variety, but these are photos from Andrew & Liz's wedding :)

partial changes

hello friend,

well, on the photography end of my world...i have updated the website partially. i have added a "comments" section with responses from the people i have taken pictures for. if you have any comments, please feel free to send them to my email or message me from the site :)

i will be adding a lot of new pictures in the weeks to come (mainly people and weddings). i really haven't had too much time to do much of anything, but my work (in WV) is finally beginning to slow down! it's been much needed!

i am finishing Liz and Andrew's wedding up! it has definitely taken me a while :/

here is one pic of Liz that sort of sums up how lovely she is:

 

my "wedding" section is looking a little low on variety, mainly because i only have about 1.5 weddings in it...ha. i will be taking out some pictures and putting in an assortment of wedding photos. weddings are so fun! i am excited to come home in October and have some to shoot! i have Nicki & Josh's wedding in November, and Sara & Bobby's in December. both will be at The Mackey House, which seems to be a very popular place for the weddings i shoot :)

i can't wait to be home!! there will be a lot of new things going on when i get back, so i can't stop thinking about it. i love the mountains, but i'm ready for the flat-landed city :)

in random news...i am losing weight! i'm trying not to make too big of a deal of it, but i'm very hopeful that i will look a little different when i get back. maybe i should come to WV every year! ha. God has been so good while i am here. i am continuing to try to keep my focus on Him and His plans for me. if you think to keep me in your prayers, please do so!

i hope everyone will have a good start to September! how did it get here so fast? the leaves are already changing a little, and are beginning to fall. it makes me happy. maybe i'll experience a little cool weather before i head back to humidity and sand gnats :)

please vote :)

reasons to smile.

i am in Winchester for the day, and i thought i would make my weekly visit to Panera.

a guy that looked exactly like Jamie from To Write Love On Her Arms ( www.twloha.com ) just walked in to pick up a smoothie - i literally sat here staring with my mouth wide open. haha. that was crazy..

there is a man to my left with a broken left arm. someone asked if he was "the photographer", but he said no -  he was "the conductor" :). he explained to the table that his left arm is his conducting arm and that the orchestra has just recently finished a show. i'm still not quite sure how it got broken. a man from across the room came to introduce himself and prayed for a moment with the conductor. that made me smile - i felt like i was at home for a minute.

the conductor's wife looks terribly familiar, but i have no idea how i would know her..

there is also a lady with a hat on to cover her head with no hair. the hat is pink, as is most of her outfit. she makes me smile, too.

there are times that i wish i were home so badly. i do not feel alone here, but i feel that there are a lot of opportunities i am missing out on at home. not that God hasn't thrown about a million opportunities to me while i'm here.. i realize that you can't depend too much on people here, but you CAN try to make a difference.

i feel like i have a lot on my plate right now. i have an entire wedding to edit, work 5 days a week, an album that is long overdue, and a possibly broken air conditioner :(

i think it will waste my time to dwell on the bad stuff, so i will just have to work (and pray) really hard to get these thing done/fixed.

before i forget, i take a back road all the way to Winchester, which is conveniently named Back Creek Road. there is a monastery on the road, and i often see monks when i'm driving. they wear large orange robes and some have walking sticks. if i didn't know where they were coming from, i'm sure i would have freaked the first time i saw them. it's not quite what i would have pictured to find in the mountains and hidden roads of West Virginia. they always smile and wave. i saw a lady and a little bit farther down the road i saw a very dark tan man. i cannot place where exactly (in the world) he is from, but i am dying for a picture of him. he walks with a huge stick and places his arm out when i pass as a wave. i wonder if that is weird to ask for a picture..? hmm, we'll see.

in recent new:

- the Kenners are coming to Capon on Sunday!! finally - familiar faces. and it means that my family will be here the week after the Kenner family gets here. oh happy day. i will have a couple days off to chill with the family and spend time with friends again. i'm excited :)

- also, The Dark Knight was one of the best movies i have seen in about 5 years. good lighting, good actors, good EVERYTHING. i think Batman might be my new favorite superhero..

well, i think i will head to Petsmart at some point today. last time i was in there, a lot of people brought in their German Shepherds for some little class or meeting. i love seeing the little dog stuff. i am hopefully getting a Westie when i head back to Savannah. a Siberian Husky is my dream, but i can't imagine inflicting southern heat on that poor snow dog.

trips.

i got a navigation system today :)

gosh, i know that makes me incredibly nerdy...but have you ever ridden with me? yikes.

Luke let me borrow his for one day and i was sold..

it felt good to be back in Georgia for a couple days and sit down for a good sermon at my brother's church. my favorite part was their worship...i haven't had that in a month or so (unless you count me singing Shane & Shane very loud on my weekly trips to Winchester).

i have also missed family hugs, so i was very anxious to receive them!

Liz and Andrew's wedding was gorgeous. everyone seemed very laid back and so happy to be there. i was very thankful to have been asked to shoot the wedding, and even more happy that my brother and sis-in-law were helping, too! my lovely friend, Erin, helped me shoot the wedding and it was wonderful to have her.

tiffany & co

with this ring..

they couldn't see each other before the cermony

Mr. and Mrs. Poth :)

i had the opportunity to visit my grandmother (and her new husband) on the way back up from GA. it was so good to see her...i missed her southern drawl and the way she lights up at simple things. she's pretty wonderful.

my family will be here 3 weeks from today! my other family will get here a little earlier, and i can't wait for familiar faces...the entire week of August 3-9 will probably be my best out of the summer.

i am still feeling a little awkward here at times. God has helped me figure out a lot of things about myself and i am feeling a lot more confident. confident about the future, and just with who i am. i have a lot of growing to do, but i have noticed that stepping out of your comfort zone will do that to you..

hmmmf.

living here is a little disheartening.
i guess that would be the right word...
i feel as if the people here do not realize that there is more to live for than today.
gossip, sex, and cursing seem to have taken over completely and it makes me so sad.
people younger than myself are throwing away their lives for things that are here one minute and gone the next.
it's as if people are viewed as disposable.
i want to make a big sign that says "God is real, people - there is more to this life!"
i don't know - it just makes me very sad.
i have had so much time to reflect and think about things.

i think people need to start smiling.
smiles make my day and i'm sure it would make someone else's.

i drove to a local carnival tonight...
i would think it to be impossible to live here and not believe in God.
this land is beautiful...only someone awesome could create this.

i suppose my prayer would be that i am used through God in some small way here.
i feel like He has put a project right in front of me, but i am sure that i will get more from it than i put in.
maybe He is reiterating how thankful i should be for my circumstances and blessings that seem to overflow..?

"Our world is desperately in need of imagination, for we have spent so much creativity devising ways of destroying our enemies that some folks don't even think it's possible (much less practical) to love them."

-Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution

my new home

i finally have a minute to update!

i have been waking up at 6:00 the past 3 mornings and working 10 hours each day.

yikes.

i am so happy to be here, though!

my apartment has the distinct "Capon" smell :)

it's the kind of place where you leave your windows open at night and (in my case) listen to the frogs, crickets, or the rain. (it rains a lot here)

i have about 4 deer that i see every morning in the woods across from my apartment, and i was informed that i might see a bear. so basically...i look both ways before i leave my doorway.

my apartment is an old house that used to be owned by a lady that worked here a long time ago. the downstairs used to be storage for meat, so there are bars on the windows down there. i live upstairs, and my neighbor is the son of the man who hired me :)

my favorite thing is my bathroom window - it is very deep set and opens from the side, and it makes me so happy!

an older waitress that is one of my kitchen supervisors is the same lady that waited on my family when i was young :) i was so excited when i realized she was still here.

i have only had to wait on 1 table this week and my boss tells me i've had compliments and said she thinks i've gotten more confident in the past 48 hours :) i happen to be serving one of the only 2 tables where people my age are present. it's a little intimidating, i suppose.

tomorrow i am looking forward to getting into the pool here - it is fresh spring water and is usually around 65 degrees, and will take your breath away.

my next day off is on Saturday, so i will try to make a little video of the Capon Springs grounds. it's like a different world up here..

when i got past North Carolina, there were nothing but mountains to see - it's crazy. it was kind of like God was saying "in case you were wondering if I'm amazing - it's true..." :)

i'll have more pictures to talk about on Saturday..

this is the Main House, the building that i work in

the water fountains that make me smile.

clotheslines for pool towels at the Main House

it's almost time!

i leave in 9 days!

i'm so excited - mainly because i am headed to the chillest place in the world! i've decided that i will do a little video when i get there so everyone can see how pretty it is :)

i found out yesterday that i am for sure doing a wedding in July! it is my one chance to come back to Georgia - but not Savannah :( i'm so excited, though! i will be photographing Liz and Andrew's wedding in north GA. they are very good friends of my brother and sis-in-law, and they all went to college together. i'm stoked. i just love the documentary feel that comes along with weddings - it's my favorite.

i am packing in a lot of Savannah people time for the next few days. i'll be going on a picnic in Forsyth tomorrow with my 2 wonderful friends, and will hopefully have a lot of picture opportunities throughout this week.

i am very excited about some photo projects that i will be trying to work on for a group in my brother's church called Proskuneo. they are GREAT. i'm just thankful that i have an opportunity to try to help out. check them out: www.proskuneo.info 

the gospel is boring?

"God forgive us for all those we have lost because we make the gospel boring. I am convinced that if we lose kids to the culture of drugs and materialism, of violence and war, it's because we don't dare them, not because we don't entertain them. It's because we make the gospel too easy, not because we make it too difficult. Kids want to do something heroic with their lives, which is why they play video games and join the army. But what are they to do with a church that teaches them to tiptoe through life so they can arrive safely at death?"
-Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution

oh snap.

so i started back on reading Shane's book last night.

that man is crazy.

crazy amazing.

there will be new bridal pictures up in June! :)

i took bridal and engagement photos for my friend from high school, Lauren, and she is just the loveliest person! she and Nick will be getting married in June.

by the way, how weird is it to have friends from high school getting married?? :)

this is the lovely couple:

i am leaving for West Virginia in 24 days!

i'm so excited :)

lovely people.

well, i'm in Panera again :)

Saturday was a sad day - it rained pretty hard while i was at Sidewalk Arts, so a lot of people's drawings got messed up. i also had to cancel my pictures with the Thompson boys for rain (that never came!). but, i did have a lovely evening with the Haas couple, Frances, and Josh on Saturday night at Forsyth Park while An American Tale was playing. i think the fact that it was part-musical really topped it off..ha.

anyways, i got to take picture of the Thompson boys yesterday evening! they are totally adorable, and apparently very photogenic :) they made me smile.

 here are a few pictures from the day:

Tyler was definitely a ham (yay!), and Bradley loved eating the leaves so much (so i assume he will become a vegetarian)

it was a lovely day :)

overwhelmed, but overjoyed.

so...i'm overwhelmed.

but parts of it are in a good way :)

i'm actually currently procrastinating from editing pictures, so i thought i would update things since i haven't written in a while..

i truly did not know that my photography "business" would take off the way that it has seemed to. i know there are a lot of other photographer's are out every day with shoots, but even with my spread out schedule, i have managed to become a little overwhelmed! i really cannot complain, but i wasn't prepared for how greatly God would bless me. further proving that you should never underestimate Him!

i am currently sitting in Panera Bread (they own a lot of my money :) this is probably my 3rd of 4th time in here this week...yikes.

there are ladies sitting near me who are catching up on their latest gossip and there seem to be a lot of new art pieces on the wall...yay!

i had to buy reading glasses today :/ i like them, though! it seems that i stare at a computer screen too much and my parents recommended glasses while i'm working. -sigh- i'm getting so old.. :)

oh my goodness, yesterday was the happiest day of my life!

i was riding with my mom yesterday, and we passed the "Sidewalk Arts Festival" sign at Forsyth Park. it's on Saturday! and i'm so excited!! i missed it last year, so i will probably be out the whole day taking pictures. i also get to take some photos of my high school science teacher's kids on Saturday. i'm pumped! we are going to my great aunt's plantation home and we'll be on the dock and everything. should be lovely :)

i just saw a guy voluntarily toss a penny onto the ground.

that made me smile.

i have a pretty busy schedule before i leave for West Virginia (which, by the way, i'm SO excited about). i will be leaving May 29th, and it will be a 2 day trip.

by the way, while i'm thinking of this - if the lady who called me today regarding a wedding in October is reading this...are you set on that day? i will be home the next week in October, and i really feel terrible. please call me if anything changes.

i think i will head back home now for more editing of a recent wedding.

here is one of my favorite pictures, even though the bride isn't fully dressed for the occasion :)

i have added a few new pictures to my "personal/art" section and will be adding a lot of wedding and children's pics soon! there are a lot of photo opportunities this week :)

the Ball wedding

well, i just got home from photographing Doug and Stephanie's wedding :)
it was beautiful and everyone was so nice!
i haven't gone through all of the pictures yet, but here are a few of the kids that were there...


Brooklyn fell asleep after pictures :)
it's hard being a flower girl!



this is Luke...and he was ADORABLE.

Bentley!

i took some pictures today of a beautiful baby named Bentley!
i just thought i would share some of my favorites :)

changes

oh man, i'm a total people watcher!
i've always sort of known that, but i realized it a lot today.
older folks are so cute...i know that sounds weird, but honestly - just watch them sometime..
i'm sitting in a cafe in Toccoa with a coke and Shane Claiborne's book next to me...i STILL haven't finished that thing! i think i started it in the summer of last year, got totally wrapped up in it, then put it aside for one day and completely forgot to go back. -sigh-

i'm super ready to be home. i guess not home, but anywhere but here, ya know?
i am really going to miss my friends here, but i guess i'm just ready for a change of atmosphere.

my whole family is coming to Toccoa on Thursday for my graduation! i'm so excited :) i think they're more excited about going to the famous BBQ Shack than my graduation, but can you blame them..?

anyways, here's a little quote from Shane's book that surprisingly applies to my day:
"We read in Scriptures that God says to take good care of strangers, for we could be entertaining angels without knowing it (Heb. 13:2)."
-Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution

i think i've been in this cafe for close to 3 hours, so i'm pretty sure that's weird..
hope everyone's week is going well!
by the way, i finally rented Becoming Jane the other day - i HIGHLY recommend it. it's lovely.

hasta luego!

kelly & brent

here are some of the silly pictures from yesterday with brent and kelly :)

i'll be adding the ones of them together on the site.

hooray! they make me smile.

kelly decided to take a picture of me :)