To the Moon & Back Photography

City Shots

2010-04-11T01:05:00.005-05:00

Today has kinda been a busy day. I just started learning from an awesome local photographer, Annie Torrini and this morning, I had the opportunity to hang out with her cool, fun, spunky personality! I've already learned so much from her, so hopefully my pictures from now on will do her teaching justice! :)

I then had lunch with a friend I haven't seen in a while, and it was just nice to get together and catch up. Great times, I tell ya.

And then after that, I had a photo shoot with Erik and asked Crystal (from previous shoots) to tag along. Erik is in his junior year of high school (also from earlier posts or on facebook) and needed senior pictures done awhile back-which, I had done, but his hair was really long then, and so his mom wanted to do pictures of him once he would get his hair cut shorter. What happened was, he shaved his head. So for a few months more, we waited for his hair to grow back for pictures. And dun dun dun.... today is the day we did it with his hair just the perfect length; not too long, not too short. He is one good looker, ladies ;) and super sweet and I enjoyed going downtown for today's session very much with him, his friend, and Crystal.

And I promise, there will be more to come as soon as classes let out.... or when I catch up with school work!

Thanks for checkin!

Yes, Spring Is Here!

2010-04-08T01:24:00.006-05:00

And so, my nieces and I took advantage of this lovely fine weather Minnesota has been having and decided to do some shoots of them in their pretty dresses. Here are just some of my faves! :D

Enjoy!

The Way You Make Me Laugh

2010-03-23T00:22:00.001-05:00

Pretty Pinks On My Feet

2010-03-21T18:55:00.005-05:00

I Could Never Stop....

2010-03-21T18:53:00.002-05:00

Loving this little girl :)

Ooh What Lovers Do

2010-03-21T18:49:00.003-05:00

More to come!

I Had To!

2010-03-16T23:44:00.001-05:00

Experimenting.....

Saturday...

2010-03-13T11:54:00.001-06:00

Happy Just Because Day....

2010-03-10T16:46:00.003-06:00

Just Because!

Happy Wednesday!

To 2010..

2010-03-08T23:26:00.005-06:00

I know its a bit late for this, but....

Hello 2010!

Jeremy came to visit in January and spent 10 days with me! We did a lot of stuff... like eating, walking, and driving an hour out to see trumpet swans (see post below).... and also including a photo shoot. I rarely have pictures of me so he insisted to be my photographer. How sweet :)

I've been meaning to post these up, but have been preoccupied with other photos... and other life stories..... These were able to wait....

Until now....

Because.....

Dun, dun, dun.....

My website will be launching soon! So stay tuned!!

Thank you, JerJer!

xoxox

Baby, Baby, Baby

2010-03-08T23:20:00.001-06:00

Isn't he AH-DOR-A-BLE?????

Man!! he is SUPER CUTE!!!

This is Minnesota

2010-03-08T23:17:00.000-06:00

Random Postings...

2010-03-08T22:56:00.001-06:00

A Violin Concert

2010-02-28T16:06:00.004-06:00

Yes, Yes, Finally!

2010-02-28T15:58:00.004-06:00

I finally got around to uploading these on blogger! FINALLY!! Its been a good 7 months now? You've seen some previously... but here is the rest!:

How Can You Not Love This Face!?

2010-02-28T15:05:00.002-06:00

And this one too??.. hehe

<3 Him :)

Winners Announced!

2010-02-28T14:34:00.002-06:00

Thank you for all who submitted your poems! The winners are:

Shall I sleep tonight?
Dear Lord, shall I sleep this night?
Shall I slumber, dream my plight?
Father shall I rest tonight?
Relief until thine morning light?
And dost my king bid me adieu?
T’whom I’d run, who’d carry through?
Father you won’t leave me right?
Leave me nor forsake me might?
Always there for me sight keen?
Protecting me within thine mean?
Of course thy hand rolls high and nigh,
Always mindful by and by,
Present when I lack to feel,
Near when I’ve done all but kneel,
Of most enduring grace I know,
Thou wash-ed me of brightest snow,
Cleansed mine seen of troubled times,
Spotless garment mine of thine,
Righteousness what endless prime,
Provided for mine wretched crime,
Never must I doubt thine right,
Lord pry and pull, Lord fix my blight,
And as I lay upon my springs,
Resting in thine peace that brings,
Reassuring comfort soft,
Reposing high mine cozy loft,
I know of truth Lord that I might,
Of your accord, now sleep…this night…

James Byron Miller
Copyright ©2005 James Byron Miller

And

Writing a poem can be a struggle for me
Because I'm not sure exactly who I want to be
Poems and such ... well, I find them...very fun
But it makes me really sad when...he doesn't see me as the one.

He let go if it
Two months into our relationship
Sure, I'm real young, and I've got lots of life left.
But still, just remember, the first cut is the deepest

I'm wondering why
I'm spilling my heart out tonight
And it's not even that good, it doesn't flow really right
I don't understand, what my problem is now.
I don't understand how I love him. How?

I don't understand him,
thus, I don't understand myself.
I turn and I toss and I weep and I yelp.
And I think myself lucky that no one could tell.
Because we'd be a part of gossip.
And I'd just hate that now.

Ok, so I'm too young to have a boyfriend and such.
My mom lets me learn the hard ways very much.
I guess now I understand life and all it's small little things.
Now I understand life is not at all what you think.

I mean, I knew that before,
But I know it more now.
And someday I'll find more.
And I'll look back and think, "Wow."

I really did love him.
So much, do I now.
I really did love him.
I'm not really sure how.

But I really did love him.
And I always will too.
In a place in my heart,
He will sit,
In a place in my heart,
He will forever hold true.

And I thank you for listening,
Even if you have nothing else to do.
2/20/10
SingKittyle

Thank you you two for sharing!

Please email me your address information along with your choice of photo!! :)

See the Music

2010-02-17T21:20:00.001-06:00

Updates...

2010-02-17T09:17:00.002-06:00

Dear Blogger,

Today looks warm outside. I am going to have a mini-vacation this weekend with Jere, starting tomorrow after work! Yay! I need a break... and a full long week vacation. But, I'll take this weekend for now.

I went to a 1st grade violin concert last night. My baby played and she did awesome! I love her ta death! The rest of the kids were cute too. Pictures to post soon!

Love always,

~Hli

P.S. I didn't post up a deadline for poem entries. I'll let it run until this Sunday. Either email me your poem, or comment below! Thanks to all who've submitted already! I've enjoyed them! :)

Winter Wonderland

2010-02-13T20:37:00.001-06:00

Absolutely LOVE waking up to this

Swans and :O GIVEAWAY!! :D

2010-02-08T20:24:00.012-06:00

I thought it was time for an update....

School's kicking my butt, and I'm a little stressed and drained. 15 credits this semester should me good for the summer, eh? I finally have the "motivation" to post something today.. so I will! Check it:

I went to work one day.... and our pest control guy came in and we had a very interesting chat. Somehow, we ended up talking about photography, and he told me about this place an hour away from the metro with TONS of Trumpet Swans--good for a photo op. [Supposedly these trumpet swans only come around this time of year to be fed by a swan lady who shows up every day just to feed them (I wonder if she ever gets too sick to go?? --it was COLD that day)]

So, I pull into a neighborhood area, thinking I took a wrong turn.... but then... I heard sounds of, what sounds like, trumpets...... (A-HA!)... Drive down some more into the nice and friendly looking neighborhood and found a parking area half way down the street (which, I thought was strange). I park, still listening to the sounds of trumpets, get out of the car, and see this:

A bunch of them were just chillin'.. :D

This one was probably the most active that I got to see:

They were either eating, swimming, or lounging... ooh, the life of a swan.

Fascinating!... Not at all what I expected.... but it was definitely an interesting experience! --Though, no swan lady in sight. Just houses (can you believe this is in people's backyards????? They even try to make money off of photographers who want to get a closer shot at the swans since its all private property!)

Anyway

I've been on this bubble tea kick a LOT lately... I've been getting it at least once a week... :/ Its not all that good for you because its syrupy and sugary.. but man! Is it good! :D I had a wintermelon green apple this particular day (ALWAYS gotta have my wintermelon *something*) :D

When I don't get my bubble tea, I feel like this:
:(

Anyhow,

I promised a giveaway... and I shall deliver as such!

I love poems! Colorful, cute, sappy, artistic... I love them!... Leave me a poem and and the best 2 gets an (apprx) 11x17 mounted photo of one of these (your choice):

Choice #1:
One of my favorite places to shoot :)

Choice #2:
Who doesn't have a good time bowling?

Choice #3
.....and I think this one speaks for itself :)

Ready?

Set.

Woo me! ;)

Remote. Set.

2010-01-17T23:56:00.000-06:00

Shoot.

Pause...

2010-01-16T14:27:00.002-06:00

It feels like it anyway. I am back in school for the semester! Cannot wait to finish up! I know I said I'd have more giveaways, and I do! They will be up as soon as I can get to this again. :) Also, for those of you who are waiting for your rings, they are in the making as we speak! I'll have them in the mail soon! Thank you for being so patient with me!

I may just have some pictures to post in the next few days of my week with my beau (see post below ;)). He's such a sport. He did such a great job with my photoshoot, so I might just have to post those up as well!

Anyway, intensive reading and writing... here I come. Goodbye life (temporarily).

Stay tuned! I WILL have a giveaway!

I'm In LOVE

2010-01-11T19:26:00.005-06:00

with this man :)

So Candid.

So Hott.

You're All Very Special!

2010-01-03T17:25:00.004-06:00

Sooooooo all of you who commented,

You ALL WIN!!! Well.. there were 7 comments (yes ALL 7 of you!!) with some sort of identity.

"Chic Your Thing" has been gracious and would like to make all 7 of you winners! Please email me with your address, ring size, and color selection of the swavorki crystal color you'd like by next Sunday, January, 10th, 2010!

Thanks for commenting! Stay tuned for more free goodies! and pictures!!

I Hold Dear to Heart

2009-12-30T00:48:00.009-06:00

LOVE.

Merry Belated Christmas everyone! -My Christmas decorations. haha! Very minimal this year....

Here's just a few more random photos from a few weekends ago. Become a fan on my facebook to see more! :) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Twin-Cities-MN/To-the-Moon-Back-Photography/148024326080
Enjoy!

Show off. haha

Best.Weekend.Ever.

2009-12-29T00:14:00.012-06:00

My sister and brother in law flew in from California for the first time since they've been married back in September. It was fun. And the Best.Weekend.Ever. :D

Here are just a few from our bowling ventures:

The girls had to learn how to take turns......

And take turns, they did!

And I just LOVE these shoes!!

More to come!

P.S.
Don't forget about the giveaway! 5 more days! Tell your friends! Random Comment! I will have more to giveaway and it won't be jewelry next time! So guys, you're in too!! :)

Merry Christmas Giveaway???

2009-12-25T11:03:00.015-06:00

Merry Christmas! I hope you all are enjoying your day off and spending it with the ones you love! We're getting snowed in here, but I am LOVING it! -as long as I don't have to drive to work in it. :P

So again, I've been pretty bad about keeping my end of the bargain with blogging world..... Gah! I know, I know... but I will be back soon enough! Maybe after the holidays are over...... Maybe even before then.. but I won't abandon you completely.. Promise!

Also.. as promised... I have free goodies from "Chic Your Thang"!!

So... Let's make this fun...

I have 2 I'd like to give away. They'd be something similar to this design: (Made with sterling silver and swarovski crystal)

Here's what you have to do:

Just leave me a creative/random comment... about anything.. anything at all, and I'll pick the best 2 comments on January 3rd, 2010! If you can get more friends to follow/comment, I might have some more to give away along with this one *hint hint* *wink wink*. (Remember, you do not need to have a blogger account to comment).

So let the random thoughts begin, and I'll leave you now with other "Chic Your Thang" pretties! They are available to purchase through me. Just email me if you'd like more info! Also, in case you don't see my email on the left of the screen here, its: ttmbphoto@gmail.com

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Bloggy Blogger.....

2009-12-04T12:40:00.003-06:00

Ok.... So, its been awhile since I've written anything worthwhile on the blog.... and now I'm back to blogging.... hopefully.... about my photographic life... and the likes. Of course, to me, that means I'm full of intertwined things within my life anyway... so you'll probably hear/see close to full details... we'll see....

I don't have any pictures for you guys today, but I do have some news and such. For instance, I've (when I say "I", I mean my sweet, patient, and somewhat "time-taker" of a guy.. [jk, Jere ;)] hehe) been working on putting out a website... Hopefully, it'll be up soon!

Also, I will have some goodies for you in the next few posts (which will include "chic your thang" jewelry) but there is a catch! To make this more fun, let's get more followers up on this blog... Even if you're not a blogspot-er, you may always comment me (non-members comments are enabled) to let me know you stopped by! Let me know what you think of my posts--any input would be helpful!... or if you're just interested in getting free stuff, let me know you stop by occassionally!

Stay tuned for more posts!

Have a wonderful and safe weekend :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T21:46:00.006-06:00

Ok... I know, I know... I should have some cooking and turkey pictures up today... but truth be told... I won't have a Thanksgiving feast until 2 weeks from now when the entire family can make it back home.... but I hope you all had a great feast with family and friends to enjoy it with!

For now, enjoy this shoot I did a few weeks ago!

Just Some.....

2009-11-26T19:14:00.001-06:00

pictures that have been back dated and I felt like it was about time to work on and post....

This probably isn't the last either.....

California 2009!

2009-11-23T21:49:00.003-06:00

Its been about a month now.... but I was in California visiting my sister and enjoyed the beach!! and the various views... and have FINALLY am just posting these now....... but I hope you enjoy!! :)

"Chic Your Thang"

2009-11-22T00:10:00.006-06:00

HEY! I know a have just a few followers, but... SPREAD THE WORD!! I have hookups to pretty things for you!! My sister is super incredibly crafty and has made her very own line of jewelry. I'll be posting and adding her stuff here and there ... and perhaps, if you're good, maybe I'll throw in giveaways...

Soooo tell your girlfriends!! Chic Your Thang!!

Sterling silver bracelet made with genuine freshwater pearls, swarovski crystal beads and sliders, and sterling silver wire and beads: $40.00 (not including shipping and handling). One size fits all.

Email me if you're interested! :)

Photoshoot Galore!

2009-11-01T23:13:00.005-06:00

Weddings!

2009-10-21T00:59:00.009-05:00

What a Wall

2009-10-21T00:57:00.002-05:00

I absolutely love this wall!!

What a couple! :)

More Day Afters!

2009-10-18T01:06:00.000-05:00

Kiss Me Goodnight...

2009-10-18T01:04:00.000-05:00

AHH!! TOO CUTE!!

2009-10-01T21:31:00.004-05:00

Beloved Innocence

2009-10-01T00:03:00.002-05:00

More Sneaks

2009-09-28T17:51:00.001-05:00

Little by little I will have pictures posted!

Beloved...

2009-09-24T22:58:00.003-05:00

My beautiful sister got married this past weekend and I'm so happy for her... but miss her SO much. Best Friends Forever!

Isn't It Beautiful? (Sneaks :D)

2009-09-21T09:19:00.001-05:00

More to come ;)

Color Me Joy...

2009-09-12T22:22:00.008-05:00

Its the TWO-SIES!!

2009-09-07T21:01:00.002-05:00

MIA - BUT ALIVE!

2009-09-07T20:38:00.008-05:00

I've been MIA, but I AM alive and well. :) Just been busy with wedding planning with the sister... Also, with random photoshoots with her.... as follows - enjoy!

OH! Also... the clear "Swarovski" crystal ring is by "Chic-Your-Thang" -- Photos to come soon! If you're interested, I can hook you up! ;)

AND!! You can now find me facebook! "To the Moon and Back Photography" ;)

I Absolutely Love Her

2009-08-08T23:13:00.004-05:00

SPLASH!

2009-07-26T21:19:00.004-05:00

This is JoJo.

And he is ADORABLE!!

Ooh Aah

2009-07-26T21:06:00.009-05:00

Strolling....

2009-07-26T21:01:00.004-05:00

How men stroll kids....

Engagement Session #2

2009-07-21T20:04:00.018-05:00

I was in Michigan for a family reunion back on the 4th of July (photos to come soon) ... I know, I know... this is late!, BUT I had the awesome privilege of shooting my brother and his fiancee's engagement pictures at the place where he proposed to her. I gotta say, he picked a beautiful place. I am proud. =)

There were lots of bugs, but we didn't let that bother us... also getting up at 6 on that Saturday didn't bother me either (until later).. BUT it definitely was all worth it. I love my future sister in law.. she's gorgeous, super sweet, and has a beautiful singing voice! I can't wait to have her closer and officially become part of the family!

Three Times a Darling

2009-07-14T20:09:00.008-05:00

I love that title.. It fits this family well :)
I am so excited I get to post these now! I just came back from seeing the little baby. He's SUPER CUTE!!
A friend asked me what I thought would go through this little baby's mind when he gets older looking at these photos.
My answer: "Man, someone was obsessed with me!"

Yessir.... :)

Thanks Darlings for the privilege to capture your "bundle of joy".

Children Are Like Lambs....

2009-07-14T18:06:00.004-05:00

Precious

Family Reunion - Round 1

2009-07-14T17:19:00.009-05:00

Here's the first trip we made for my dad's side of the family in Missouri. The drive was long and we didn't get there til 4 in the morning after leaving at about 7pm the day before.. but we got through it, and it was a great family reunion. It reminded me how close our family really is and the importance of having them around. Great weekend.

Nature Shots.... It was BEAUTIFUL out there at night

We had some fireworks going on the last night -- the kids LOVED it!

My little cousin's horse with no name

My babies :)

The Family ... and we're still missing a few families who didn't show.

On our way home, we saw a rainbow...

And discovered there was another on top of it...

Yay for family and roadtrips! :)

Amazing...

2009-07-14T00:20:00.004-05:00

On our way to Missouri, somewhere in Iowa, we saw in the distance, what looked like a formation of a tornado. Just a little bit shaken, but I decided to photograph it.

This is what I saw 2 days after we had gotten home and I finally had the chance to reveal my photos:

Amazing.

A Day @ the Conservatory

2009-07-14T00:03:00.004-05:00

These girls were great! They asked me to do their post-grad pictures and I was honored to be able to get together with them. It was a good time at the local Zoo's conservatory! I even took 2 of my nieces along and got cotton candy afterwards... I know, I'm the best Auntie! :D

And yes, you might recognize her from previous shoots. She's so cute and photogenic... It wasn't until AFTER this shoot that I found out she used to model! I suppose I'm not so surprised. Just gorgeous!

Just a Sneaky Peeky

2009-07-13T21:38:00.004-05:00

Okay.. Bear with me while I work backwards here.

Baby Isaiah at just a little under a month old.

Adorable! More pics to come soon!! So, yes, that means more blog updates!! :) -Believe me, I'm ready this time to post!!

Post SOMETHING!!

2009-07-10T09:04:00.003-05:00

Ok, ok... I'm working on updating this more often... Seriously! I've been busy and tired from travelling and working... and working on a regular work out schedule (for the wedding). AHH!! BUT! I haven't forgotten about blogger world.

I will return with pictures! PROMISE! So don't forget about me!!

Getting the Hang of Things

2009-07-01T17:03:00.005-05:00

I know! It's been a while! But its funny that I'm not the only one who keeps saying that about updating my blog.... What's worse? I have a website that hasn't been touched since the first few days I got it. Its got some pictures on it... and is still under construction. I just can't seem to make up my mind, whether I like it there or not. One huge plus is that its got its own tab for everything - a portfolio space, a blog space, and some other random space tabs... all on one website. *sigh* such is life with decisions... ahh well.. (btw, if you're curious, its tothemoonandbackphoto.webs.com)

I've been shooting tons of pics, but just haven't gotten around to much of a lot of them. But I am attempting, TONIGHT, to get some posts up from recent happenings and shoots before I have to pack my bags and leave for the holiday weekend to Michigan! Woot! I am especially excited because, well... let me list theeee waysssss (in no particular order, whatsoever):

1. Its a family reunion and I'm excited to see my mom's side of the family
2. Its a road trip!! I love road trips! 13 hour ride tomorrow, hopefully my love for these trips doesn't get altered on this one
3. I am getting out of Minnesota once again (I enjoy a change of environment and scenery every now and then)
4. I get to do a photoshoot of my brother and his fiancee... at the place he proposed to her. I'm told it's by a lake... I'm STOKED! :D

Anyhow, these are a few older ones I've done that I've been playing around with to get into the hang of things. Check it!

My Favorite Boy In the World

2009-06-18T20:36:00.003-05:00

Yes, he IS :D

Rainy Days...

2009-06-18T19:57:00.010-05:00

I've forgotten how fresh and clean dirt smelled like. I seriously love that incense! I've missed rainy days.

I had issues goin on with my very first external hard drive and through the days and mess of the trying to save my very first thousand pictures, I just couldn't save them all.... You may remember my "play days" post with a pictures done in the rain. Long story short, I had to replace those pictures because I enjoyed them so much! Sooo, the rain gave me a definite excuse to go out and play and shoot! (Also notice the more fancy stuff... :D I'm so proud of myself! I've taught all that I've done so far! yay!)

I Just Had To!

2009-06-14T16:11:00.004-05:00

He's sooooooooooo cute!! Sooo gonna be a heartbreaker...

Simplicity

2009-06-04T23:11:00.004-05:00

Oooh Family Portraits...

2009-06-04T22:07:00.012-05:00

I feel like its been a while since I've posted anything and I may even miss posting something... All in all, I am back with some pictures!

My family and I went out to Akita Sushi & Habachi for my dad's birthday last night. "Happy Birthday Papa". It was goooood food! I am definitely going back! I didn't take any photos too seriously this time around, but here's just a few portraits from all the joy we have from being together:

Someday...

2009-05-28T08:47:00.003-05:00

... I'm gonna have the guts to belt out in song in public whenever and wherever I'd like.

No pictures, but I had to have that written down somewhere. I thought about it on my way out of the gym last night. Feeeelllsss goooood!

Weekend Fav....

2009-05-24T22:23:00.004-05:00

Oh YES!

2009-05-24T20:16:00.005-05:00

Pictures!! As promised!! :D

Happy Birthday!!!

2009-05-21T23:28:00.013-05:00

MEYA!! FINALLY! She can sing the Birthday song and use her name without being wrong! She is adorable! And I love her!!

She absolutely adored the cake her mom made her (my sister has ALWAYS been the baker in the house, so its not a surprise)

Happy Birthday, Meya. Auntie loves you! (Though, you have sort of a dirty face in that last picture... and she knows you can't read, and knows that you don't know how to get on the internet and onto her blog site.... but.... she LOVES YOU!!!)

Have A Secret?

2009-05-16T20:49:00.006-05:00

I absolutely ADORE photographing this couple. I love it! Got some shots tonight, and was so excited to get back to see how they all turned out... needless to say, they are adorable! So, as we speak, they're at prom right now, dancing the night away!

But here's a sneak peek of what's to come (though, a little disappointed this one turned out a tad blurry.... but I love this shot, nonetheless)! Enjoy! :)

Fence Up!

2009-05-16T08:53:00.001-05:00

Beyond the Fence

2009-05-16T08:52:00.001-05:00

Have A Seat

2009-05-16T00:05:00.001-05:00

Look What I Found!!

2009-05-13T17:39:00.009-05:00

My glasses!!! :D

...lookin' studious..... and slightly outta focus.

Prom 2009

2009-05-12T22:55:00.005-05:00

Its been soooo long since I've been in highschool... feels like it, anyway :P

But I got a chance to visit a friend and her friends while they were waiting for their dates to show up for prom. It was windy and a bit chilly, and the forecast called for rain, so I didn't get many pictures, as some didn't care too much that I was there, either.

But anyway, this is Vicki. I've known her for a while too, but I didn't think of her to be there. And quite honestly, I am surprised by how photogenic she is! Don't get me wrong, she's a gorgeous girl, but I've always known her to be super shy and quiet! Anyway, I loved how her pictures turned out (with just a few shots too, but she was also the most cooperative. High schoolers...... :P ).

Yummy Ice Cream

2009-05-05T23:07:00.003-05:00

She really did like it...

.....Just gotta make sure its not on her shirt

Check out the cream on the shoes

Random Posting

2009-04-30T10:09:00.003-05:00

This Weekend...

2009-04-27T20:50:00.006-05:00

We looked pretty...

(Pretty random in this one....)

....And then we played in the rain!

Minnesota IS Up North

2009-04-27T20:31:00.009-05:00

In no particular order.....

Places to Breathe

2009-04-27T19:05:00.006-05:00

Can't wait to see this place again :)

Sass

2009-04-21T00:07:00.002-05:00

Try it on.

This is Love

2009-04-13T00:40:00.013-05:00

Happy Easter everyone! I had a fun weekend after being sick for the past few days. I skipped out on work for a good portion of last week and now, I dread the thought of work tomorrow again :( Ahh well, as I always say... college girl gotta eat too. LOL Just sounds funny to me.

Anyway, I started out the weekend with pictures for my dad and sister's tutoring program. They had an Easter egg hunt deal goin on there and my sister wanted me to do some pictures. I ended up deleting them-not thinking of posting any up on here-after transferring them to the flash drive. I'm QUICKLY running out of hard drive space, so until I get the external hard drive I ordered on Wednesday in, I have to conserve space on my mac... however, OF COURSE I had to keep pictures of my personal kiddies, so I have a couple of those of which you can have the viewing pleasure:

Easter Sunday was great! I dictated pictures after church...

There was a gust of wind that picked up the leaves and brustled them around and around during my test shots....

Pretty Sweet

...And this is what Love looks likes:

Just For My Pleasure

2009-04-08T01:38:00.006-05:00

Sick of these people yet?? haha.

Me too ;) (jk, you know I love you two!)

Can't seem to fix the lighting in this one, but I LOVE her!

And this is my comic relief girl. LOVE her too!

Ok, One More Post

2009-04-06T23:29:00.007-05:00

This is Kezzy:

This is Kezzy with an orange peel:

This is Kezzy showing off his orange peel:

Yummmm...

This is Kezzy: oh so tired now =]

More, More, More

2009-04-06T20:17:00.003-05:00

More pictures from the weekend shoot. Cute feet! hehe

The Essence of Cuteness!

2009-04-06T00:20:00.010-05:00

Its so great, my nieces LOVE the camera spotlight now... sooo I have pictures from this weekend!

And here is the mini "photoshoot" I had this weekend: Isn't he so cute?!

That's it.... I'm feeling too lazy for typing words tonight, but I hope you enjoyed the visuals!

What A Sunday

2009-03-30T00:00:00.008-05:00

Church service was good this morning. Grant, a fellow colleague whom I've known since elementary school, gave the sermon this morning. He's interning under our senior Pastor... He's grown so much since I've known him that it makes me forget he's younger than me. He gave a lesson on faith. I've always known faith to having belief in things you can't see, particularly, God... and as Grant was introducing his topic, The Kry's "Take My Hand" song came to mind: "Faith is to be sure of what you hope for in the evidence of things not seen". And though I grew up in a Christian home, I needed that lesson on faith again for the umpteenth time.

This week I've been struggling with being productive mentally. I wanted to be busy to keep my mind off things that I've been dealing with. I did A LOT of editing on my pictures and even looked up old photos to edit now that I have Apple's great editing software, Aperture (LOVE it, by the way). I did a pretty good job at keeping my mind busy for the most part to avoid issues I wanted to keep at bay. I kept thinking and day dreaming of other things I could do, and it mainly worked. But I knew I wasn't satisfied; I had the icky feeling of knowing I'm going to have to deal with this sooner or later.

Grant's message reminded me of what faith is and isn't. It was credited to us as righteousness; though we don't deserve such righteousness, we did... even in our most unrighteousness. Faith needs to be cultivated because faith is dead without actions. James 2:22 speaks of faith as a lifestyle and obeys and responds to the commandments of Him whom we faith in. Though I thought I was keeping busy, I wasn't productive with my time as much as I could have been; in a very selfish way, I still wanted to wallow in my self pity and continue to keep my issues instead of letting them go. But the driving point of his sermon? Faith isn't lazy. I have kinda big problems in this area. I'm not lazy in the way that I do nothing. I just don't put much effort into "faithing". I just kinda let it be and go with the flow of things, but I've come to believe that allowing things to flow isn't having faith that everything will be ok. I tend to worry, stress, and lower my self-esteem while I'm in the process of something.

I sat on that for a bit earlier tonight as I was folding my overdue laundry on the "to-do" list.

So my epiphany came to me: I need to put some effort into my faith and actually faith through a knowledge of redemption, love, and hope.

I know Christianity seems like such an unpopular "category" to be placed in nowdays, but I'm taking the name and going to strive to make it what it is.... not what the label entails as it has from the surface... and I can only pray to genuinely show the relevance of it from here on out, that its not another categorized religion but a lifestyle =]

Anyhow, I don't have a great transition into this next section at all because I am mainly exhausted but here's a change of pace of blogging...

Pictures! Like I said, I did A LOT of editing. Mostly couple pictures. The more I edited, the more I fell in love with them. =] And yes, they are from the previous shoots, so I hope you're not too bored with them just yet..... And hopefully I'll have newer ones up in the next week or two to come!

Here are my favs.... Enjoy!

By the way, I LOVE these heels! I actually got these for her and have a pair of my own!

Seriously, love the cuteness of this couple!

Okay, okay... last couple for the night....

Intro...duction??

2009-03-28T03:25:00.007-05:00

So I thought maybe I'd be able to get to bed, but I just can't seem to. It's about 3:30 in the morning....... central time... and I don't know what it is, but I'm wanting to write.... whatever it is, as long as its writing. I realize that as a newbie to "blogger", I haven't necessarily written an introduction to myself or the reasoning behind this account on blogger. So here's my attempt:

I've always loved pictures; the way they're framed, the poses of the subjects, the candidness of the subjects, effects that can be made in the photograph, etc. But I just recently started taking photography more serious when I asked to do photos of my sister and her fiance just before they were engaged. I knew he was going to propose, and I really just wanted to take photos of just anyone and anything, and knew that she loved having pictures taken of herself. So when I found out her, then um... "non-titled boyfriend" was going to propose, I casually asked her if I could do pictures of them that weekend her "non-titled boyfriend" was going to be in town (from the west coast). To my surprise, the pictures turned out pretty good for a Kodak Easyshare! We ended up using one of the photos for their "save the date" cards. Yes, that was my baby! And from then on, I've had more and more desire to do photos and capture such moments and personalities....

And then I was talked into getting a blogger account from.... "Sassy Pants", I think is her name on here... haha. Yes, she IS given an actual name and not one that consisted of such a personality and breeches. So here I am partly with pictures that I hope may inspire you just as much as they inspire me, and mainly also with hope to gain better insight into photography through the many photographers and their blogs.... I've seen a few and am amazed at the differences of perspectives in each photographer's photos. Any feedback/advice would be greatly appreciated!

And on with the introduction to myself... I am about 4'11, brown eyes, black short hair, and love long walks on the beach.... ooh, whoops, not one of those sites. Hah! Lame, I know, but its about 4 in the morning... I'm 55% here!

I've always just blogged on myspace and facebook, but have since stopped writing much of anything at all really and posted for anyone to read. Its funny, this blogger account feels as if my topic should just stick to photography and nothing of the like of my life. But it already looks like I'm becoming a little more personal on here...

I love any good music and have been more into recommendations lately than my very own "tastes" (not that its a narrow one at all), which kinda says a lot about my personality; I am a pretty open minded person, for the most part. Before this reach for photography, I dreamed of being a singer/songwriter/music manager/producer--music something in the music industry, but the writing seemed more appropriate for my confidence, though there's much experience in singing in my shower and with my car radio station =] I still hope one day to be part of the music scene, but until then, I am currently an over-timed psychology student working in the dental profession with a business emphasis. Wow, I never realized how broad of a spectrum I'm on profession wise. Hmm..

Anyway, I've lost track of where I was going, if ever I was going anywhere...

However, I cannot promise my life will posted here as often as it has been in my first week using blogger, but I hope you continue checking up on me just in case.... and if ever I have anymore long posts, I hope and pray that it is way more useful and encouraging than this introductory.

Happy reading and looking!

Late Night Post...

2009-03-28T01:05:00.012-05:00

But I had a nap earlier already, so I'm good to be up at 2:30am.......

Here are more posted up pictures of the previous shoots I've done..... including my own... hehe. I've fixed these ones up so some of them may be a repeat with a few enhancements.....

Future Bride-to-be (also of whom yours truly is the maid of honor! =] )

LOVED these colors on my nieces against the dull grass; as dead as Minnesota looks, it turned out great for the shoot!

He is sooo adorable! Got a little cranky after just a few shots due to nap time, but I've got him on the list to re-take. Can't wait!

Tais tais & Meya... "You my bes-fren for-ever"

When I first started photographing this couple (my baby brother and his gf), I had to admit, it was a bit awkward, but they are such a cute couple and it shows in pictures... Just a couple of my favs:

And last but not least, this one reminds me of that one couple merrily almost tipsy from a night of drinks downtown... BUT I assure you, they didn't have anything to drink that night; I was there.. hehe... Such a loving couple they are...

Yay For Amateurs!

2009-03-26T23:50:00.003-05:00

Psalm 111:10

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding."

And I am learning this all over again...

It's Wednesday

2009-03-25T19:10:00.019-05:00

It is hump day, and I'm feeling neutral about my week; not sure if I care if it feels like its dragging or flying by. I've been experiencing and learning new things just in the past 3 months of this new year. So many changes, yet so much familiarity. Its has definitely been an interesting year so far, but I'm not complaining; that's sooo '08 =]

I finally got a few pictures posted up after 2 weeks of returning from my spring break in lovely downtown Denver, Colorado. It was a nice change of piece of mindset. I went without my family; my usual travel party. I decided that instead of working like I always do during spring break, I'd book a trip and go with one other friend in place of my sisters who were unable to accompany me.

She and I ended up staying at the Westin Hotel... one of the great 4 star hotels in downtown... on the 17th floor of 19 total.

We walked into the room, pushed the dark green window curtains that kept the view of the city at bay, to the left and to the right, revealing a scenic city ready to be explored.

Breath taking when you're gazing into the distance of the city lights (as polluting as they can be).

My bed was comfortable for only the first night, and then I missed my very own. It wasn't firm enough, and the pillows, feather stuffed, seemed to suck my head too deep into their grasps. It was uncomfortable, but such an exciting feeling to be in a 4 star hotel, I didn't dare ask for different pillows.

And like any other tourist in a different city, I spent the a good part of my vacation week walking the streets, shopping in the shops along the 16th Street Mall, and visiting the art museums on certain given days (they were closed Mondays).

My friend and I also rented a car for a day for a drive to Estes Park, which was about an hour northwest of the city.

GORGEOUS mountainous views.....

I've always loved Colorado; mainly for its mountain views and clean city streets, but I discovered something on the very last morning I spent gazing out the window of room #1721 in the Westin Hotel.

If ever I find a way of growing a money tree in my backyard.... I'm sooo going to own a home out here.

And This Is Where It Starts

2009-03-24T00:14:00.035-05:00

It feels as if I've fulfilled a piece of void I've been missing for so long. I can almost taste this anxiousness of where it can lead me; beyond skylights and flower-filled prairies. Though so much in my life feels uncertain and messy right now; studies, career choices, finances, and even romances, I can almost say in confidence that the art of my existence exists in my passion for understanding myself and most essentially, other people through forms of expression.

Throughout my life, I've always had a passion for the arts and a sincere appreciation for those daring enough to make themselves vulnerable enough to share such of themselves; from the artists to the editors and engineers. There's so much I've learned through sharing of experiences with others that I can't help but desire to acquire more encounters of creative artistic personalities, as intimidating as it could be.

I've discovered upon photography, just as much as in writing lyrics to a song, as a form of connection with emotions and personality. I love that there's so much you can capture in a freeze frame.

These are just a few of my favorites I've taken thus far:

To the Moon & Back

2009-03-22T20:39:00.001-05:00

"I find myself sitting at my desk in my bedroom a lot lately with the lamplight shining from behind me, just gazing in wonder at the shadows of objects scattered around on the bare walls. What secrets do they keep and where does the mystery unfold? Still images are beautiful even as I sit and watch nothing happen. These objects shadows somehow cast an illusion that seems to entail a thought of, 'If I blink, I might miss the cup dance.' The moments I’ve captured are those I consider simple but yet intricately subjected. Most times the images are left as it stands and I work around it with my own movement of where to capture its stillness, changing the face of the image itself and manipulating the course of its shadow. I sought to seize the objects in a manner that will allow my expressions of how I feel about the image as a whole rather than the object itself."

This is where I find myself
No lips crooked enough to break or hands too rough to hold
While simple footsteps flutter across the sand
You can see they're all each their own
And through each frame you seize
I assure no beauty can escape intrinsic eyes

Journey, and shall we see
To near the galaxy and homebound
Where reality and dreams awake after all you've ever known

To the Moon & Back