Day 3: Clouds

  I must say that Oklahoma, despite its flat lands and terrible weather, really does have some amazing skies.

  This was taken last week sometime during all of the thunderstorms we were experiencing. I absolutely love when the sky is grey and the clouds are churning with a storm! No two skies are ever the same where I live, which never ceases to amaze me. I like to think that the sky is God's canvas and the clouds are His beautiful masterpiece.

  Speaking of masterpieces...my logo is definitely not one of them! I'm currently working on a new logo that I can add to all of my client pictures, and this one is just a temporary filler. It has a sort of charm to it, I guess, but I'm looking to go for something more elegant. We'll see how it turns out.

  Until next time!

Day 2: What I Wore

   My outfit of the day was pretty casual, as you can see. Also, I'm sort of awkward when it comes to posing myself (go figure).

  In other news, I have recently decided to learn how to sew! My mom has always been great at sewing and I've always admired her talent but I never thought about giving it a try. I'm not exactly sure what changed my mind (though it may have something to do with the fact that school is out!), but I suddenly really want to learn how to sew all kinds of things.

  Hopefully, my lessons with Mom will start tomorrow. I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Day 1: Self Portrait

I can upload photos now, which means it's time to give this photo-a-day thing a shot!

 

 

 

 

Day 1: Self Portrait

    This photo was so fun to take! I was absolutely covered in glitter by the time I was done!

  Since I've shared a picture of myself, I feel I might as well share some facts as well. So here is an impromptu list!

1. My favorite color is green.
2. I have four older siblings (and I'm the only kid with brown eyes!)
3. I write/speak Italian.
4. If you ever see me deep in thought, there's a 98% chance I'm thinking of some book I'm writing!
5. I love the sound of rain, especially on a tin roof.
6. When I was a kid, I was absolutely obsessed with wolves.
7. My prayer is that I live such in such a way that others see the love of Christ shining through me.
8. In my opinion, Irish and Scottish accents are the most wonderful accents to listen to!
9. I hate being the center of attention.
10. I used to write for an online Christian magazine geared toward young women.

  There's a bit about me!

  As this day comes to a close, I would like to wish everyone a great new week starting tomorrow! Keep in touch because I'll be attempting to post a new photo every day. :)

Photo-a-Day Challenge

  Lately, I've been lamenting over the fact that I'm really not that great of a blogger. I don't often have any regaling tales of my life to share, and seeing as this is my photography blog, I really feel like I need to keep up with at least a weekly post.

  To help myself get into the groove of becoming a better blogger, I have decided to embark on a formidable journey: a daily photo challenge. It's seems to be a trend nowadays for people to commit to monthly photo challenges, so why not give it a shot? I think it would be fun to get my creative juices flowing by posting a photo a day!

  As I'm sure you've noticed, I've already missed three days. Four, if you include today.

  Better late than never? ;)

  I was going to attempt to catch up by posting the four photos I have missed so far in the challenge, but Blogger seems to be having issues (again) and it isn't allowing me to upload pictures at all. I'll try again tomorrow, I suppose.

  In other news, I've done a bit of updating on my website! If you haven't already seen it and you're interested, check it out HERE.

The Kings {Family Portraits}

  Clouds, railroad tracks, and a splash of yellow.

  This photo shoot contained all three and it was such a fun variety! The canola field was perfect for capturing some beautiful family portraits. I have so many favorites from this day; it's hard to choose which to display!

 

 

Isn't she adorable in those boots?! :)

 It's not often that I find a couple as crazy as my parents, but here you go. ;) I love these two!

What a beautiful, awesome family!

Cody {Senior Portraits}

  It was a rainy, grey, and humid afternoon...

  My favorite kind of weather for a photo session!

  Cloudy days are really the best days to hold shoots, mostly for the fact that the sun isn't out to cause any trouble. Lighting is much more consistent and you don't have to worry about your subject squinting on account of the sun being in their eyes.

  So, it was a perfect day for a portrait session (though I suppose it could have been less humid for my taste. Long hair and humidity isn't pleasant for a photographer, let me tell you. ;)).

  Here are a few of my favorites:

 

 Such a great session and a great guy to work with! Congrats on graduating this year, Cody!

Nash & Keeley [Children's Session]

  About a month ago, I had a photo session in the not-so-Spring weather with a couple of my cousins. It was their last day visiting in Oklahoma and despite the fact that it really was quite chilly outside, they wanted to make sure they got through the shoot. They were definite troopers!

  It was a fun photo shoot and I'm so glad I could capture some great photos for them before they went back home.

 

 

 

 

 

  This last shot is my absolute favorite out of all of them! The sweet sibling love conveyed in this picture just nearly makes my heart melt. :)

New Lens

  I think I mentioned a few posts back that I managed to get a new lens.

  I've had it for a few weeks now, but it wasn't until just a couple of days ago that I finally got to really test out its features. After much cajoling, I succeeded in getting my mother to use her as a model while I fiddled with the lens to see what it could do.

 

   Let's just say...I love it!

  The main reason I purchased this lens was for its ability to set a low f-stop, which is how you can make the background more blurred. As you can see in these pictures, I opted for a rather low f-stop (I love my backgrounds creamy!), while my mom's features are still tack sharp. If you were to zoom in onto her eyes, you'd be able to see her individual eyelashes and the unique splay of colors in her iris.

 

 

The Verdict:

I give this lens a double thumbs up! It's perfect for portraits, and while it's capable of giving you a wonderfully bokeh background, it also maintains an amazingly sharp subject. It is definitely a new go-to lens for me.

My Valentines

 

  Ah, Valentine's Day: the day millions of people around the world either love or hate.

  I, for one, actually like Valentine's even though I don't actually have, well, a valentine. ;) Unless you count my parents, which I do. They're pretty much the best valentines a girl could ask for, and their love for me is displayed every day of the year, not just today.

  It's always nice to feel a little special and know that you have people that love you, isn't it? I know that I was pleasantly surprised this year when my mom and dad presented me with their sweet gifts; I actually wasn't expecting any because I figured they might think I'm too old for it or something. But I'll definitely accept the chocolate and flowers!

  Sometimes, the sweet and small gestures are the ones that mean the most. It's not the chocolate or the pretty flowers that made me feel extra loved today; it's the hugs and words, "I love you" from my parents that truly filled my heart with warmth.

  Happy Valentine's, everyone! I hope you had as sweet a one as I did.

Snowstruck

  It snowed today.

  Big, fat snowflakes the size of silver dollars floated from the sky and it was all I could do not to stare for hours as they fell. It's truly been so long since I've witnessed a good snowfall that I nearly forgot just how beautiful a sight it really is.

  It just so happens that I got a new lens yesterday and I've been itching to use it, so I nabbed my chance as Mom and I were about to leave for town earlier. Since we only had a few minutes to spare, I didn't get quite as many photos as I would like but I really do love the ones we ended up capturing.

 

 

  The snow had just begun to fall around this time. It snowed nearly all day, so our yard is now pretty much covered.

 

 

 

 



 

  Pretty momma, beautiful as always. I love the bokeh in the background.

 

 Please excuse the yellow buses in the background (*sigh*). I'm still figuring out how to use this lens to its full potential, but so far I'm pretty impressed. f-stop here was a 2.2, I believe, which accounts for the creamy background.

  I'm slowly turning my mom into a pretty nifty photographer! She was sweet enough to take some pictures for me.

 

  I absolutely loved the weather today. It's days like these that I really do wonder at God's ability to create such beauty. Have you ever just tilted your head back and watched as snowflakes flurry from above? It really just boggles my mind at how gorgeous something seemingly so simple can be. To me, some of the smallest wonders can be some of God's most wonderful fingerprints upon this earth.

 

  I'm glad I get to enjoy such brilliant days like this. :)

Ashley & Brandon

 

  Ashley is a friend of mine that I met through homeschool. I got to meet her boyfriend at our photo session a couple of days ago, and I think you'll agree that they are adorable together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More from the Farris Wedding!

 

Now that I have more time, here are some more from the Farris wedding!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The wedding party!

A sweet moment between the newlyweds.

 

 

 

Such a great group!

 

  

Erin & Micah {Wedding}

  I had the great pleasure of photographing my friend Erin's wedding this past weekend.

   I've always loved weddings. It's such a good feeling to see the love between family and friends, to witness the anticipation as everyone waits for that moment when the bride walks down the aisle.

  Best of all, I like seeing the love in the both bride and the groom's eyes whenever they look at one another.

 

  These two are just right for each other! It isn't difficult to see that they will have a great life together, and I'm honored to have been a part in helping them preserve these precious memories on their special day.

Castles, rain, potatoes, and Leprechauns.

  One of my best friends is currently in Ireland AS WE SPEAK.

  When I first found out that Tara was going to be traveling to my favorite country ever and staying there for a week, I was a little shocked.

 
  For pretty much as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of going to Ireland. In fact, I may or may not be a little obsessed with it. I mean, come ON. Castles...rain...potatoes. Leprechauns.

  This country has it all, man.

  It's a well known fact among my friends that Ireland is pretty much my most favorite thing ever. Tara was even a little wary about telling me that she was going, because she knew that I would likely die of disbelief.

  Well, now my initial shock has worn off and I am so excited! My friend is in Ireland right now! She even emailed me! From IRELAND.

 

 



  I'm probably way too happy about this.

  Just think...If I were actually in Ireland, I would be wayyyy worse. Let's all take a moment and be thankful I'm not. I don't think my heart could take it.

Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain

 

 

 

  When it comes to music, I love anything with a hauntingly beautiful and melancholy sound--especially if it's in Gaelic.

 

  I thought I would share one of my favorite songs, Tha Mo Ghaol Air Aird A' Chuain. Julie Fowlis has such a lovely voice; I could listen to her sing all day. Makes me wish I knew Gaelic as well!

 

 

Adlie {Newborn Session}

Newborns.

  Aren't they so precious, with their tiny toes and perfect lips? They're so fragile, so delicate. And though they are so small, they can hold such a big place in our hearts. They are one of God's most precious gifts, and so it was with great care and honor that I held this particular photo shoot.

  My cousin Nona and her husband Cody have been wanting a baby girl for years, and it was this past October that their dream finally became a reality. Adlie was born with brilliant blue eyes shaped like her mama's, and she had a full head of dark hair--as opposed to her two older brothers, who are both blondies.

  One thing's for sure, this lovely little girl is going to give her daddy a reason to stay on his toes!

Nona had requested a photo like this before the shoot began, and I was excited to give it a go since I like using pops of color. I actually did no editing at all to make Adlie's eyes appear bluer. In fact, they were so blue that I had to tone it down a bit to make it look more real! Is it alright to be jealous of a baby's eyes?

 

 

 

  Though Adlie didn't sleep more than 5 minutes for our hour-long shoot, she was still very photogenic (as long as she had her pacifier, she was good ;). It was a fun session and I learned some new things, which is always a plus!

Mendenhall {Family Shoot}

I had a great session with the Mendenhalls a few weeks ago! This was actually my first shoot with my new camera, and it was then that I fell completely in love with my Canon.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to meet and photograph such a beautiful family!