New Stuff! Whoo!

 

 

 

Notice my shiny new blog header?

I was pretty impressed with myself for making it...until I saw that it isn't quite long enough to go across the whole page. Ah, well. I'll leave it that way for now. ;)

This past week has been full of excitement and anticipation. I've been planning on getting a new camera for a while now, and it was only recently that I was able to actually buy one. I had actually put in an order to Sears, but the order got messed up somehow and we ended up having to cancel it, so I actually had to drive down to get the camera I wanted. Of course, there weren't any stores in my own town that had the one I wanted, but I still had a fun time spending the day with my sister in the city.

The camera. MY GOODNESS. It's like a dream come true. I've spent the whole day getting to know all of its new features, and so far it's all pretty exciting. I have a family photo shoot this coming Saturday, so I am looking forward to shooting with my new lens.

I'm serious when I say that I've spent the whole day getting to know my camera. Here are just a couple of shots of taken today.

  This first one was actually taken last night at about 11 or so. AT NIGHT. Just in case you missed that. ;) I was very impressed at just how sharp everything looks, considering how dark it was at the time. I couldn't even see that well when I took the picture!

 

 

 

 
Okay, this next one might not look all that impressive to you guys, but this is actually the first ever clear photo I have ever gotten of this dog. She can never stay still enough for me to get a good shot of her--until now! The photo was also taken in medium-shade, and yet you can't even tell. :o

This last one is one of my favorites. Taken in my dim kitchen with a simple kit lens and flash (and really fast shutter speed). I really love how the background is reflected in the water drops.

So there's the sneek peek at my day! :)

Lovely Tiffany {Senior Shoot}

My last senior shoot was with Tiffany and while the wind that day was about 50mph, the photos turned out so lovely.

This first one is by far my favorite out of all that I took. 

 

 

 

 

 

Absolutely loved her adorable outfit!

 

  We had a blast!

Beautiful Chandler {Senior Shoot}

I had a blast shooting Miss Chandler here a couple weeks back! She's beautiful both outside and in. :)

--

Totally loving this fall weather! I just wish it would hurry up and get nice and chilly; my sweaters are calling my name. ;)

Downtown in October {Senior Shoot}

  I've found a new location for senior shoots that I absolutely love!

  If you know me, you should know of my fascination with anything old or vintage. Well, I was scouting around town and I found this wonderful old building. I've done two shoots there so far.

  The location was first tried out with Jared.

And then, of course, we had to move on to the railroad. This was underneath the tracks, a perfect place for pictures. Another new spot discovered as well!

 

 

I'll have more senior pictures up tomorrow!

Castle in the Air

I haven't posted in a while, have I? I blame my busy life.

Things have sort of (not really) slowed down a bit, and I have lots of photos to share so this blog will hopefully be up and running again. :)

A week or so ago, my creative juices were flowing and I decided to try my hand at a surreal photo.

 It was so fun to create! I definitely think I'll be trying some more like this. :)

A Hidden World...

I like the idea that there is a hidden world inside every mirror. Maybe I'll play with this idea a little while longer with my photos.

A Little Imagination

‎"Sometimes I believe in as many as six impossible things before breakfast."--Alice

It's a wonderful practice, you know.

 

Getting packed!

Well, it's Mother's Day weekend...which could only mean one thing: CAMPING!! :D

I'm packin' up for a great weekend with the family--the whole lot of 'em--and I'm really looking forward to the mini holiday. I believe I've packed the essentials!

Super cool fedora? CHECK!

Old-fashioned suitcase? YOU BETCHA!

Vintage camera? OF COURSE!!

...Now,I just need my Aviators and I'll be all set. ;D

Miss Tara!

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure of taking my good friend Tara's senior photos! We had a blast, and she looks amazing in every photo.

Thanks for asking me to photograph ya, Tara! You're absolutely gorgeous. Inside and out! :)

 

A few of my favorites from the day. Then again, pretty much all of the 200 some-odd photos are my favorites!

Those Who Wander...

"Not all those who wander are lost." --JRR Tolkien

This quote really speaks to me for some reason. Perhaps it's because I've always been one of those who people that walks a slightly different path.

I look for the unique things in life and make them part of my own. Anything that is intriguing or mysterious--that's what I like. From the way I dress, to the way I think/speak--even how I act--I sometimes feel a little out of the norm. Some people think I'm weird, I know. But I accept that. I am who I am.

I'm a reader. A writer. An artist.

That probably accounts for those faraway looks I often get. Why I get quiet and thoughtful at times.

I'm a Christian. A God lover.

Because of this, I think before I speak and I care about what others think. I don't get angered easily, and I love everyone I meet. God makes everyone different. He just so happened to make me the quiet, thought-filled girl that often gets lost in her daydreams.

I'm eccentric. Unique.

I'm Hogan.

The First Dandelion of Spring

Spring. A time of new beginning. Rebirth. Colors splash, rains quench the thirst of the land.

This year, the budding springtime only reminds me that my own life is about to begin anew. I'm nearly an adult, and before long I'll be heading off the college and starting to walk the path set out for me. Though the thought is a little (okay, a lot) scary, it's also a little refreshing as well. Who knows what God has in store for me? I'm excited to find out.

Today I think I'll leave you with another song. This one speaks to my heart.

The Well.

Spring! It's here!

Hopefully.

The weather has been absolutely wonderful this past week. Today was so lovely that I kept hoping I would have to park a few orders at work so that I might get a chance to walk outside for a moment. ;)

With this great weather comes all sorts of great opportunities for me as a photographer. I'm really itching to have a new shoot. I'm also itching because I have a bad sunburn, but that is neither here nor there.

Well, to have a shoot, I'd need a subject. And as of right now I am lacking in that department.

To compensate, have some random pictures of my nephews:

Look! Look into their sweet faces...and ignore the fact that I forgot to insert my logo. ;)

Editing is going nicely. I've finally fallen into a nice rhythm, so I no longer want to throw my work across the room. No,  I'm actually having fun! *gasp* And I'm also seriously thinking about putting up an excerpt...What do you think? Should I?

Amy and Daniel's Wedding

I had the wonderful privelege of shooting a wedding here a couple of week's back, and now I've finally gotten the chance to show some of my favorites!

The beautiful flower girls.

The groom and his father. I really liked this one.

Walking down the aisle...Can't miss her lovely smile!

They were such a wonderful couple, and I had a great time! Lots of blessings and thanks to Amy and Daniel. :)

Photo Shoot in the Backyard

That's right! I had a photo shoot last week with my mom in our very own backyard. Personally, I wasn't sure the pictures would be very captivating since it was a usual windy day and all I had to work with was a rusty red barn (thingy) as a backdrop. I snapped a hand-full of photos and we headed back inside after just 15 minutes or so.

Surprisingly, I was more than happy with how the pictures turned out, especially after I got them edited and tweaked. It also helps that my mother is wonderfully photogenic.

About two weeks ago, I bought a new editing software based on the fact that I am scheduled to shoot my first wedding the end of this month--yay! I fell in love with the new software within the first few minutes of using it, and thankfully, it's very easy to use. With just a few simple adjustments it can make any photo brighter and more appealing to the eye. I think I'm in photoshop heaven.

Aren't I lucky to have such a gorgeous model?

Oh, notice the logo? I am sort of proud of myself for figuring that one out (even though it was really easy to do...shhh). Now it almost feels like a kind of business, especially since the wedding shoot is coming up soon. I really am thankful for all of my friends and family that are helping make this possible. It seems like I am getting closer and closer to fulfilling my dream.

And on that note, I think I'll leave you with one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies:

Click here--I've Got a Dream

Go, live your dream. <3

Starting the First Cover!

I know I showed one cover that I was working on a week or so ago. That was supposed to be the cover for my first book....but as I was drawing it, it took on more of a look for the second book. *sigh* That's the problem with me; I just let my imagination reign, so even though I have a time limit and SHOULD have been working solely on the first book, I accidentally started on the second one right off.

And now that that cover is finished, I had to start again, this time with the first book in mind. Thank goodness, it worked out this time and I ended up with this:

Right now I'm working on putting it to color. It's actually a nice reprieve from all the editing.

As I'm making the cover, I'm listening to -this song- on replay. I love it for some reason.

I feel like I'm not doing all that well with blogging and making it interesting, but this is pretty much all I got. :)