slowing down

I know it's true; that slowing down life is better than constantly going.  But the actual doing it - that's harder than the knowing.  I have less than a year to spend as much time in this place and with these people as possible.  And the only way I've learned how to do that is slow down and take it all in.  My sisters and I went on a hike on the first day of Fall Break, and it was good to do something other than school.  With senior year classes and the fall busyness of photography, there hasn't been much time to slow down.  But the rest of October holds some (crazy awesome!) exciting things, and I intend to enjoy all of it to the fullest.  And as a photographer, the best way for me to remember and enjoy moments is to take photos of them, so there will be much more to come!  

Anna | Indiana Senior Photographer

Oh this girl...she is wise beyond her years with an honest humor that people are drawn to.  It's the perfect combination, giving her a character that is so real and genuine.  She's definitely no girly-girl.  She spends her summers in Haiti, often traveling by herself.  And right before this shoot, she changed the oil in her car with her dad.  But seriously, look how gorgeous she is!

This shoot was full of glowing evening light and all that Indiana landscapes have to offer.  I couldn't have asked for nicer weather.  There was suffering involved too.  We both got bad poison ivy from laying in the grass.  :)  It was so completely worth it though.  I love this girl and this shoot.  Thankful she chose me to take her photos!

one frame | september

"I firmly believe it's the reaching for things we have no business reaching for, that makes the human experience so beautiful.  The reach for the sky when we've got no means to touch it, still we reach."

-Tyler Knott Gregson

Tanner & Hannah | couple photographer

Two good friends, an evening with gorgeous light, challenging locations (which equals fun in a weird, photographer way), and a set of couple portraits that I love.

july in all it's glory

At the beginning of June, my computer crashed, and with that, the possibility that I could have lost all my photos.  (Because I'm lazy and forgetful and hadn't backed up anything.  Bad idea.  Don't do it.)  It took me a month and a half to finally get a new computer.  (Once again, because I'm forgetful...it's summer ok?)  During that month and a half, I wasn't sure if I would get back some of the photos I took (that I really loved) because I had never exported them from Lightroom.  So to make a very long and crazy story short, I did get those photos back, I did get a new computer, and I'm finally blogging.

It's a beautiful thing how a month can change a person's outlook on art.  How something I took for granted became so precious.  Every shot mattered.  I slowed way down, used my camera more as a tool to observe than a tool to capture.  And when I saw what I wanted, I clicked the shutter.  And I realized too, that I need to take more frame-worthy photos, and if that means the typical "look at me and smile" shot, then so be it.  Because that smile is so worth remembering, that place and that time and that moment that means so much now, will mean even more later.

So, these photos are some of my favorites from the month of July.  I lost my presets when I re-downloaded Lightroom.  I'm having trouble finding the edit I want again (which is both good and bad), so these probably look a little different than my previous work.  I have more posts coming of some recent work, and I'm excited to share it with you!  :)  Also, that last picture.  You're welcome.