Katie. [Marlow senior shoot.]

I've been truly grateful. I've told people for years that someday I'd be a professional photographer. Occasionally I'd get someone who would smile and say, "Oh that would be cool." They were the ones that thought I was talking about a hobby, you know, something you do on the weekends for fun. Something you did when you weren't doing your "real job." But, like I said, I've been truly grateful. Most of my friends and family believed in me from the very beginning, and with knowing eyes never doubted me. They'd watched me for years- painting, drawing, writing, modge-podging, cooking, exploring- always delving deep into a pool of creativity. And as I'm nowhere close to the photographer I hope to be, I look at where I am, and can't help but smile. I have a long way to go, but want to thank all of you, who always knew that photography was going to be my "real job." And better yet, it's not my job, it's who I am. Besides, it's not a job anyway if you enjoy it this much.

Katie was one of those people. I met her a year and a half ago. And although we didn't say much, we had a common interest that fell somewhere between the camera and a good photograph. She contacted me last fall after seeing senior pictures I had taken and said, "I want you to do my senior pictures." I was excited, and asked, "Okay, when are you available? How about next week?" She replied, "Um, how about next year? I'm still a Junior."  :)

So, here's to Katie. A girl who loved my photos (before I really even knew what I was doing), had faith in me, and waited a whole year and a trip to Montana and back until she could get them.

Katie, thanks for the pleasure. And thanks for believing in me. 

home.

Hope everyone had a good holiday! I had to dust off the ole' blog today, in preparation for a new post. I don't think I've ever neglected it for this long before! I love blogging. It gives me a reason to write, to photograph, to be creative, and share myself with the world. After getting home and finally getting the internet hooked up I spent a lot of days just catching up with my mom and dog, and just being. I made a ginormous to-do list (that for some reason keeps growing as I check things off.) The first couple weeks were hard. I felt lost, but at the same time surrounded by things that were comforting and familiar. I didn't take a lot of pictures, and didn't feel like I was getting much done. Then a couple weeks ago I finally woke up one day and felt like me again. I started taking pictures every day, and working every day on getting at least one thing done. And if I didn't get something done I made sure I was fully immersed in something that brought me great joy without feeling guilty, even if it was something simple. Sleeping in, taking my dog for a walk, cooking, going for a drive with my camera, catching up with old friends, or treasure hunting for antiques downtown... If there's one thing I've realized after school it's to have patience. Patience for everything. I wasn't very patient at first, and now that's what I'm focusing on more than anything else. And it applies to everything in my life. In the end, being home has slowly been everything I needed it to be. And for that, I am so thankful.

Here are some photographs I have taken,

and some quite treasured moments I've had.

enjoy :)

a simple Thanksgiving.

 my love.

fall walks.

treasured moments.

sweet sweet Oklahoma.

I'm very excited about my next couple posts. I did senior pictures last week for a very lovely lady in Marlow and a bridal session with one of my dearest friends this past weekend. Shoots like this are what get me going and I can't wait to share them! I'm just trying to get caught up on my editing, and then I'll post them. Here's a sneak peak!!......

 have a fantastic weekend

:)

the home stretch.

So last week, the open road spread it's arms to me and these huge skies welcomed me home. It was a weird feeling, to be surrounded by such nothingness again, in contrast to the mountains of the west that seemed to reach out with a familiar, but different hug.

I felt like a little girl again in the backseat of my mom's mini van on vacation. Every time we'd enter new terrain my eyeballs would open wide and I'd sit, my nose to the window, watching it speed by, trying to soak it in. I've lived in Oklahoma my entire life. Then I leave for 6 months and driving back in I couldn't stop gaulking at everything spinning by me. There wasn't a cloud in the sky that day. I saw rolling fields of hay bales, cotton, abandoned barns, and a whole lot of beautiful nothing.

My mind was going crazy, wanting to stop and photograph everything. But I was flying by at 75 miles an hour and by the time something caught my eye it would be gone. I didn't want to be behind the wheel, I wanted to be behind my camera.

Here are a few I did manage to get. I was blown away by the cotton. Looks like I caught it not a day too late. It reminded me of the snow I had left behind up north.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

p.s.

It would be an understatement to say I'm in LOVE with my new Canon Macro 100mm 2.8 with IS... if you couldn't tell.

:)