I'M AWAKE!!!!!

I can't sleep these days! It's so annoying. All I want is sleep. A nice peaceful rest. But because of work being so busy and the new semester looming I am too stressed. My mind wont shut off. Ugh.

On the bright side, I have come up with so many photoshoot ideas! I have a huge, detailed list of things that I want/need to shoot. And these ideas are coming from the strangest places such as a documentary on Pompeii or reading about an unsolved crime. Most of the ideas are about women. The pain of love, madness, death and the choices that women make. I am sensing a theme here. That might actually be good for this coming semester. I had to add a whole bunch of new models on Model Mayhem so that I can use more that just the lovely Hayley. We will see how that works out.

Anyway, stay tuned.

I can't sleep!

I don't know why but for some reason I have really been drawn to these songs lately. They have been stuck in my head. I just love them. They do something to me. And because of that I feel alive. I remember things. I dream. I create. I feel like a super being!

Anyway, music is a beautiful thing, especially music without lyrics. Lyrics tell you what to feel and think. And Lord knows that I am a rebel and that I hate to be told what to do! But this, this is something that pushes you off a cliff and helps you to fly. At least to this crazy lady...

Trust me, each song is wonderful. Listen to them. They might change your life and if not your life at least your day. There is magic in the music....

Wonderful!

Sometimes I check the traffic to my blog to see what people are reading and how often. Today I saw that THIS post that I wrote about adoption has been a big hit lately. I don't think that I finished writing like I said that I would. But I just now felt inspired to write more. Stay tuned...

Nothing awesome

Nothing really awesome happening these days. Just work and school. I can't believe that it's the end of the semester already! I am being lazy and not putting that much thought into my assignments anymore. Terrible, I know!

Documentary has slowly become my LEAST favorite class. Which is sad because I was so excited about it. Remember? I am glad that I took the class though because it has taught me a lot about my personality and what kind of photographer I am. Some photographers were just born to be journalists and others were born to be artists. Pretty sure that I am the latter....

Anyway, look at my most recent pieces for Photoshop. Nothing fancy. The second one sucks. But whatever. I am too tired to be creative and awesome these days.

I like this one.


Blah! I did a crappy Photoshop job on it! Oh well.

The Turner Family!

Today I took family pictures for Tyler's lovely sister Lindsey. It was freezing! But they were awesome!

I always get a little nervous before I do a shoot for someone other than myself, even more so if I am shooting for the people that I love! I always feel as though the ones that I love and care about deserve nothing but the best. And I strive to give them that and more! At the end of the day I just hope that they are happy with the pictures that I have taken for them. If not... well that's a perk of being family or close friends, I am willing to re-shoot!

Tyler Stillwell Gray

Today I thought to myself, "I feel good." And then I thought that maybe, just maybe, that was a gift....

It's been 7 years and Tyler is still so loved and in the hearts of many. For some reason I think that he is doing wonderfully wherever he is.

My photo assignments this semester!

These are not in order at all. But the best ones are obviously the most recent. Ha. There are some assignments that I haven't posted because I can't find them or they really suck. Anyway, I have learned a lot this semester!

Photoshop (My least favorite class! Seriously, I could just hire someone to do this crap for me.):

Composite #2 with text


Composite #1


Color adjust. I changed the color of her lips and made a flower orange.


Headswap. Audrey on the far left went from weird eyed frizzy girl to somber.


Panorama


Portrait adjust. Cleaned up Hayley's face and changed her jaw line!


STUDIO:

Light painting #2 with flash.


Light painting #2 with flash.


Light painting #1 without flash.


Colors gels #2


Still Life #1


Still life #2


Color gels #1


Documentary:

Meet a stranger


Environmental Photo series








Sports

When will the day come?

I am so SICK of watching wonderful, beautiful lives be washed away by drugs, by heroin. There is so much love in the world. So much love for you. I just wish and pray and hope that one day you will see this and know that YOU ARE LOVED. You CAN break free. Don't let the ones that you love know the broken heart that I know. Don't let them know what it means to lose.... you.

Oh, the potential that you have... it is special and priceless. Just hold on. Hold on for one more day. And when tomorrow comes, hold on just a little tighter. If you are reading this, I love you. I believe in YOU. You are wonderful. Don't give in, not today. Not ever.

Imagine that my love is holding you tight. My love is never going to let you go... If you are reading this and need help, I am here for you. The ones that love you are right by your side. Don't give up on them, don't give up on yourself. You are special and mean the world to someone...

Just hold on for one more minute, one more hour, one more day. I believe in you!

My buddy Keaton (and Ashlie!)..

..REALLY helped me out by letting me interview and photograph him for my Documentary Photography class. I don't know much about skate photography so I did the best that I could. I like them. We'll see what my instructor thinks.

An 8 am photo shoot with beautiful friends!

Dreamy, sad, youthful and lovely. That was the overall theme today. I love these! I have such gracious and beautiful friends!

Just a random, fun shoot!

Something amazing and scary has happened to me...

I have found my life's calling as far as photography is concerned... Photojournalism. I walked into my Documentary Photography class and instantly fell in love. I never want the class to end.

Susan Cohen is my instructor. I have to admit, I feel intimidated by her. Yet, I can't help but want her to teach me and show me all that she knows about the world of photojournalism. I know that I belong in THAT world. Every day after class I reflect back on what we have talked about and I feel it in my bones that it is right.

I love to take beautiful photographs and I think that I do a pretty good job. I know that I am artistic and that I have vision. But at the end of the day whenever there is something that might be newsworthy in any shape or form I am there with my camera. Eric can attest to that! He hates it when I walk down the street at 1 am with my camera toward the flashing lights. And in this neighborhood it happens more times than not.

Anyway, I am determined. I know that I am shy and like to hide out in the back but I think that maybe sometimes that works to my advantage. And maybe it works against me. All that I really know is that I want to be out there photographing things that people turn a blind eye to. I want to photograph the world and all the people/places/animals/things in it!

The scariest part is getting out there and just doing it...

Me and my husband and my camera!

Life is amazing!!!!

Liana

My sister Liana and her 3 kids came down for a quick visit from Idaho this weekend. I really do miss her and the kids. And it's always so much fun when we get together! It would be amazing if all my siblings lived closer. Anyway, I am determined to take photos of all my siblings. 2 down, 3 to go!

This is my sister Andrea

She is just so beautiful. I have been begging her to let me take pictures of her and we finally made it happen! Now if I can only get the rest of my sisters out to Utah and use them as models too!











On a side note, I just love taking pictures. I love having an idea that I can bring to life. I am excited and nervous for school to start.

*As always you can click to enlarge.

We got bored last Sunday...

So we went for an adventure under the house! Crazy, I know.





I can't help but be sassy in a photo, even with dirt on my face!






We found some old LDS magazine thing under the house.







Anyway, there's your update for now!

PS you can click to enlarge any photo!