Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday: Walker Ranch - South Boulder Creek Fly Fishing

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Happy day after Thanksgiving everyone! I was able to spend yesterday with most of my family, enjoying some precious time with two of my nephews, and eating lots of food of course. I hope everyone had a day filled with loved ones and delicious food. 

It is time for another round of images that have been sitting on my hard drive for close to two months! I've been telling myself lately that because I am awful at posting here on a regular basis, it makes the posts more treasured and worth viewing. Hopefully there is at least some truth to that. 

Back at the end of August, Scott and I went fly fishing for the first time in Colorado. Scott of course did all the fishing, as I was perfectly content wandering around photographing the stunning setting. I actually had to admit to a new friend (who is an avid fly fisher, and I met at a fly tying event) that I have never fished on a fly rod before. I always get sidetracked and distracted by the opportunities to photograph, and haven't even taken the time to learn somehow. 

On this particular occasion, we ventured to Walker Ranch, to fish in the South Boulder Creek. Scott had read the fishing reports, and it looked extremely promising. I was excited, since we were going to a new location, and it ended up being amazingly beautiful.

Unfortunately the fishing report ended up being quite wrong for us that day. We didn't so much as see a single fish. Scott progressed downstream, hoping to get some bites, with no luck. I, of course, was still more than content, but he ended up fairly frustrated towards the end of the afternoon. 

Next up on the blog: images from my current favorite location in Colorado. Expect to see some mind blowing light, quirky portraits, and movie like landscapes. 

Flashback Friday: Driveway Creations

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How far into the past does something have to be to be considered a flashback? It has been just shy of two months since I had my last day as a nanny in Manhattan, KS, and I still think of that family often. It seemed appropriate then, that this post be dubbed the next "Flashback Friday" post. 

I absolutely adored the creativity and imagination these kids have. I would generally have a rough idea for a craft or game, but they always managed to turn it into their own thing. I loved sitting back, and watching them come up with their elaborate games and scenarios. 

Unfortunately, these are the last images I have from my summer with these amazing kiddos. It was an incredible summer before moving on to this new adventure I am on, and I will forever be glad I was able to spend that time with them.

Next up, more mountains! My first weekend in Colorado was spent on a grand adventure with my best friend and her puppy, and I cannot wait to share those images. Check back soon!

Flashback Friday: Summer Rain

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This summer has been a bit unusual in Manhattan, as we have had quite a bit of rain. This morning, in fact, I was woken up early by a little thunderstorm rolling through. Any time we get random thunderstorms and rain showers here, it reminds me of my time in Kentucky. It was a fairly regular occurrence to get afternoon thunderstorms during the summer there, and often it involved pouring rain while it was still sunny out. I absolutely loved it, and would generally run outside with my camera as soon as it started. I would have my camera in a rain sleeve to keep it dry, though I would end up completely drenched with a smile on my face. 

These images are from one such storm. I remember it absolutely down pouring, but soon after it started, the sun came out, making all of the puddles and raindrops richly golden. Even though these photographs are pretty simple, they represent a very positive time in my life and bring back lots of wonderful memories. To this day, I absolutely adore standing out in the pouring rain during summer storms (something that elicited confused looks and protests from Scott the first time I pulled him outside with me). 

Happy Friday, and have a wonderful weekend everyone! Don't forget to hit the "Subscribe" button on the left, and feel free to share, via the links below. 

Flashback Friday: Smoke Screens

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This week's Flashback Friday is once again focused on self-portraits. As I hinted at in last week's post, I used to photograph self-portraits on a very regular basis. Self-portraits were hugely important even after finishing the 52 week project and outside of the Forward series. So, that said, I have loads of them that either haven't been shared at all before, or at least have not be shared here. I'll be sure to not just post self-portraits in these Flashback Friday posts from now on, but I do want to share these two images, titled Smoke Screens, as they are relevant to my life currently (and will probably remain so). 

I would love to be able to shoot a similar concept at some point, though finding an empty, light filled room, where I can light smoke bombs, is rather tricky. If anyone happens to have such a space and would let me use it, that would be wonderful. :)

And on that note, happy Friday everyone! Have a safe, and festive Fourth of July!

Flashback Friday: Forward

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Welcome to the next installment of the Flashback Friday posts! This is a fairly long one, since there is some background information necessary, and lots of images to share. I considered only selecting a few images, but I think sharing nearly the entire series here is important. As mentioned yesterday, self-portraits have long been very significant to me. They have been important in terms of my photography, and have also been hugely valuable for personal reasons.

I began taking self-portraits in November, 2009 as part of a personal 52 week project. Every week of the year (or that was the goal at least) I photographed a new self-portrait. It was intended to challenge me creatively, but was also used as an outlet for what was going on in my life and in my head. My tendency is generally to keep everything bottled up and held in, and so those self-portraits (as well as current ones) were a way for me to get some of those emotions and thoughts out, in a mostly subtle way. It was a strange thing for me to start taking pictures of myself, as before that I hated being in front of the camera. But as the weeks went on, it felt more and more natural, and self-portraits started to become more significant and impactful on my life. 

During that 52 week project I essentially fell in love with self-portraits. I have to admit that I feel a bit vain saying that, though the reason I fell in love with them wasn't because I loved seeing myself in photographs. In fact, I always feel quite vulnerable when posting self-portraits, something I don't particularly enjoy. However, self-portraits became nearly essential to my sanity and emotional stability at various points in my life. When I was struggling with something, my instinct was to plan and shoot a self-portrait, and generally speaking it would feel like a small weight was lifted off my shoulders. Seeing a visual for those things I was working through, even if it didn't come across in the photographs to other people, helped me process them and start to make sense of it. 

One summer during undergrad I opted to take an independent study with a favorite photography professor of mine. For that class I decided that I wanted to create a series that was much more personal than anything I had done before, and in order to do so I felt it necessary to create a series of self-portraits. That project is perhaps one of the most significant series, at least for personal reasons, that I have completed. The process of working through and developing the concept alone was a process of great self-discovery. When I started the project, visually I knew what I had in mind, and I had a rough idea for the concept behind the series. And yet, as I took the early photographs in the series I began to realize some fears and worries I hadn't even fully admitted to myself yet. 

At the end of that summer I ended up with a series of photographs that were compiled into a book. Titled Forward, the series depicts the process of growing up, transitions, and gaining independence. This series seems especially relevant to me now as well, as I try to figure out my next steps after finishing graduate school. 

Below you will find a selection of images from the book. Not all images in the book are contained here (there has to be some element of surprise if you order the book!), though these are the main images.

It has been interesting re-evaluating this series lately. With the current state of flux that I am dealing with after graduating I don't feel as though I have yet reached the point of that last image, despite making this series years ago. In fact, it feels like a long ways down the road (no pun intended). Viewing these images again also gives me ideas to continue, or perhaps revise, the series. I am at a very different point in life as when these were shot, and though much of the original ideas hold true today, my growth and experiences have given me a new perspective on what this journey is (and yet there is still much to figure out). 

The book will soon be available for purchase, in various forms, here on my website. If you have any interest in the mean time, just let me know! 

Happy Friday, and have a great weekend!

Flashback Friday: Red River Gorge (Part 2)

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The longing for a visit to the Red River Gorge continues. In fact, re-editing these photos has made we want to go back that much more. These images were from a separate hike from the last post, which ended up being kind of a unique hike with very diverse landscape types. There had been a fire on the ridge at the start of the hike, so the landscape there was a bit harsh and desolate. The branches were twisted, and almost grotesque looking at times. 

After hiking for a bit, the view really opened up, and things became green once again. The photo below isn't the highest in quality (these were taken back when I had a lower quality camera, unfortunately), though it does a nice job of showcasing the green landscape, and the vastness of the forest in the area.

The image below was a favorite spot of mine, and was one I photographed more than once. In fact, one of my favorite images from my undergraduate film photography classes was of these trees. I ended up making a large print in the darkroom, and one now hangs on the wall in my parents' home. Unfortunately I don't have quality documentation of it (scan or photograph), so this digital file will have to do for sharing.

After walking along the top of the ridge for a while, the trail heads down and follows the bottom of the gorge, providing a dramatic change in scenery. Trees towered over me; the leaves so thick that sunlight barely filtered down. The air was much cooler and more damp, and a creek flowed along much of the trail if I remember correctly. It was difficult to photograph without a tripod since there was so little sunlight there in fact.

This will likely be it for the Red River Gorge posts, at least for the time being. I hope to be back there for a brief trip this fall, so maybe new photographs will surface then. Be sure to click on the "Subscribe" link on the left to keep in touch, and feel free to share!

In the mean time, happy Friday! Happy Father's Day in advanced to all you dads out there, and have an excellent weekend!

Flashback Friday: Red River Gorge

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It has been a few (okay, more than a few) weeks since the last Flashback Friday post. But, I am hoping to get back on track with them starting this week!

Every so often I find myself feeling extremely homesick for Kentucky. I lived in Lexington for four and a half years while I went to school at the University of Kentucky for my bachelor's degrees. Lexington and the surrounding areas took a piece of my heart during that time. The feeling of missing that area comes in waves, but for the past week or so I have found myself deep underneath one of them; this post is a result of that. 

One of the (many) great things about Lexington is that it was only around an hour and a half drive to the Red River Gorge. The Red was one of my favorite escapes when I was feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or just needed a break from people and the city. It is such a large area that when I went on my hikes, depending on the trail I chose, I would rarely see more than one or two people, if any. That fact, combined with the tall cliffs, vast forest, and towering trees made me feel small, and often helped put things in perspective as I hiked. 

I was obsessed with the trails there, and ended up with enough photographs of them to do an entire (and lengthy) series on that alone. They were often narrow, and would twist and turn allowing me to only see so far ahead before it disappeared into the woods. Perhaps as would be expected, they were quite symbolic for me. 

It was almost always incredibly humid in the summer, which I normally cannot stand. However, the past few days I have found myself even missing that heavy, moist air that I was bound to encounter on my summer hikes. It was also always incredibly green in The Red during the spring and summer months. The light that filtered down through the dense leaves had a sort of green tint to it, and everything was lush and filled with life. Ferns and moss are some of my favorite plants, and there would be expansive areas filled with both of them, much to my delight. 

I have many more images of the area (both The Red and Lexington) that I will likely be posting in the coming Flashback Friday posts, so be sure to check back next Friday to see another piece of what I have been dreaming about lately.

And with that, happy Friday and have a wonderful weekend! 

Flashback Friday: Windy Pasture

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Welcome to the third installment of my Flashback Friday series! Today's post comes from September of last year. Scott and I went to his parents' farm to do some dove hunting on the first weekend of the season. It ended up being an absurdly (though typical for Kansas) windy evening, with the grass of the pasture whipping around us. There weren't many dove near us, so I ended up photographing more than looking for birds. 

This week essentially marks the end of the semester for me, which is also the end of my graduate school career, and my time in school as a student in general. It is hard to process that this fall won't involve me getting ready for classes, for the first time in 23 years essentially. It does mean that I may have slightly more time for photographs (hopefully), so I can finally get to some projects and images that I haven't had time to get to yet.

Also, I will be cutting the prices of prints this weekend, so if you are interested in purchasing any, this weekend would be a great time to do so! All money from prints currently goes to help fund my trip the the United Kingdom this summer; any and all help I receive would be greatly appreciated. You can also donate and receive a 4x6" print via the link below. 

Happy weekend to you all!

Travel Fund

Flashback Friday: Plant Collection

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This week's Flashback Friday is a brief one, comes from September of last year. 

I have a problem. I am a bit of a hoarder when it come to plants. I have an end table that is just for plants; it doesn't actually function as an end table should. Basically every surface in my apartment that gets light is occupied by plants. This little table is my favorite though. It sits right next to the window, and so when the sunlight comes in, light is bounced around all my little planters, making beautiful patterns and designs on the table. 

I also have a garage sale coffee table that I spray painted silver in my undergrad days (I know, a questionable decision). It houses a few plants as well, of course, and on the same evening as the images above there was a perfect little spotlight on some of the plants there.

In case you haven't noticed, I have opened up a store here on my website! I finally got the store set up in order to get together some money for a brief trip to the United Kingdom this summer. It is my first real chance to travel abroad, and I cannot wait! I don't have set plans as of yet, but I will likely be in Dublin for a few days, and Exeter for a few days as well. So, if you would like to see some (hopefully) stunning pictures of those areas, consider purchasing a print to help me get there (and eat while I am there). Just click on the "Purchase" link on the left to see what I have listed. There aren't many images up as of yet, but essentially any image you see on my website is for sale. If there is an image you are interested in purchasing but don't see listed in the store please let me know. Also, the sizes listed in the store are just some of the options available. If you have another size in mind, please email me. Below there is also a link to donate, which will get you a randomly chosen 4x6" print. Thank you everyone for any and all support. It is so appreciated!

Travel Fund

Flashback Friday: Tiny Jubilations

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This post marks the start of a new series! Since I switched over to this website I have been trying to figure out a way to organize my blog, specifically thinking about themes for regular posts. If you are an Instagram user (or really any other form of social media), you likely have seen the hashtag for flashback Fridays, which is the theme for these posts. As the title implies, I will be pulling images from the archives that I haven't posted anywhere before, and occasionally some that have been posted quite a while ago (usually from past 365 projects). These will likely involve stories or thoughts on how my view of them has changed since taking the photograph, which is the case for today's post.

The past few days I have been digging through my hard drive to clean things up, and find things that I never got around to sharing. I took the images below back in July of last year. These tiny bottles have been the subjects of photographs before as part of past 365 projects. For the most part the bottles had some conceptual purpose in those photographs, but I shot them this time with no real purpose other than to take advantage of the last light coming through my bedroom window. However, when I came upon them this week, they took on new meaning for me. 

That new meaning comes from two different places, though I am only going to go into much detail on one of those in this particular post. While I was doing research for the written component of my thesis, I was recommended an essay called Tiny Jubilations by Johanna Burton. Her essay is a review of photographer Peter Fraser's work, but some of the phrases she uses, along with the general ideas conveyed in the essay, are beautiful and inspiring (as the title alone should hint at). Essentially, through talking about Fraser's photographs, Burton highlights the importance of noticing the small things and taking joy from those things.

That essay wasn't directly on my mind while working on these images, and yet, as I thought of what to title them, the phrase Tiny Jubilations kept popping back into my head.

The second influence on the change of meaning is as a result of photographing a fellow graduate student's thesis show. I will be posting images of her show on here soon (hopefully), so I won't give too much away, but her show was partially focused on the importance of noticing the small things. She filled the gallery with tons of objects, creating an installation that invited exploration and discovery. Photographing her show reinvigorated my desire to capture these types of moments, and reaffirmed my love of them as well. 

Seeing the light come through the string in these little bottles, and the shadows it produced on the windowsill, was (and is) beautiful to me. It seems like a perfect definition of the phrase Tiny Jubilations. Being able to notice these small, and seemingly insignificant moments, is such an incredible thing; being able to get joy from them is even better. It is one of the reasons I love being a photographer.

These Friday posts won't always have such a message attached to them (in fact they probably rarely will), but today I want to advise everyone to take a moment to slow down. It's pretty easy these days to rush through your routine, stay distracted by your phone, and not really pay attention to your surroundings. But this weekend, make it a goal to take some time and just look. I have to remind myself that from time to time, but it is so important to do. It will make your day so much more enjoyable. 

That said, happy Friday everyone! I hope you have a beautiful weekend filled with Tiny Jubilations!