365 Days of Photography

Day 188 : Alison Wonderland

2012-01-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

Self Portrait taken while exploring a local park in Arlington.

Day 187 : Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

This is definitely my favorite part about this holiday. The candy corn. So tasty and delicious. Needless to say, after this mini photo shoot, they didn't last for very much longer. Nom nom nom!

Day 186 : In Her Eyes

2011-07-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

My favorite model, Mylie. I've known this girl for 5 years now and I am so happy to call her one of my best friends. This girl is amazing.

Here is one of my favorite images taken during her boudoir session.

Day 185 : When Casey Smiles

2011-07-10T13:29:00.001-07:00

This was an impromptu photo session. Casey was a backup model for the Lubbock Drawing group and while I do not draw.... I brought my camera in hopes of having a chance to work with her. She was a doll and I'm really happy with how the photos turned out. Thank you to Cranston Reid who offered up his studio to me for the evening.

Day 184 : Why Can't You Just Hold Me?

2011-06-08T23:08:00.000-07:00

My sister came over with an idea and this is one of the results from the shoot. I'm very happy with how it turned out. Actually, I'm crazy happy with how it turned out. I love my sister.

Day 183 : Blue Pinhole

2011-04-27T14:24:00.001-07:00

So, I've been playing around with my new Pinhole DSLR that I made by drilling a hole in my camera's body cap and placing a sheet of paper with a needle hole over the drilled hole. It's quite fun - frustrating because it's all trial and error, but I think that I finally figured it out and came out with something I really like. This is my first attempt at self portrait using pinhole. To get the blue effect, I used a blue post-it note instead of a black piece of paper with a needle-hole. As a result, there is a blue cast to the image that I brought out a bit in photoshop. I'm going to try it out with the other color Post-It notes I have (green, purple, red, orange, pink). Can't wait!

Day 182 : Be...

2011-04-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

I was having a little bit of fun with my paint this evening. If you can guess what this means, you get tons of brownie points from me. :)

Day 181 : Looking For Bugs

2011-04-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

Chillin on Tech Campus while I waited for my Senior to arrive! Checking exposure I had to find a willing model. :) These birds are EVERYWHERE!

Day 180: Getting Beautiful

2011-04-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

Lately I've started a Paint Series where I allow my models to paint themselves with tempra and/or acrylic paint. I give them a lot of freedom and then I photograph them. One of my favorite parts of each paint session is watching my models get ready and paint themselves up. This is where I get my ideas on how to photograph them. I approach each session with an open and ready mind - allowing my ideas to come from the model, and less from preconceived researched ideas. Here, Allison gets ready for her paint session inspired from her Japanese heritage. I think she is just beautiful!

Day 179 : Collection de Sophistication

2011-04-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

Spring Cleaning my pantries and came across all the bottles of wine I have saved. Don't ask me why I saved them. This sort of thing just happens every once in a while with random things and me. In total, I have 23 (some are duplicates) though, there are a few bottles I do plan on saving. Meeker Merlot for one. The hand print bottle is too cool to toss!

Day 178: Watching You

2011-03-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

As it gets later in the afternoon, it's getting prettier. The sun feels nice today so I took a quick walk around my apartment, enjoyed the afternoon breeze and caught the gaze of this bird. He didn't like having his picture taken though.

Day 177: Whatever The Weather

2011-03-29T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is my submission to my photo-adventure group's new challenge: Whatever The Weather. I couldn't help but remember the rhyme from theater in high school and so, I combined the rhyme with a little creative interpretation and my photomerges. I like. it. Check out all the submissions on http://photoadv.wordpress.com/

Day 176: Why Didn't You Call?

2011-03-23T22:22:00.001-07:00

I hate the idea of drinking alone.

Day 175: Spring Flowers

2011-03-20T23:05:00.000-07:00

In the 8th grade I did a wildflower project for my science class and found a new appreciation for all the "flowering weeds" out there. I also stumbled upon, in my extensive research, one of my favorite quotes that I have held on to all this time.

"A weed is but an unloved flower." - Ella Wheeler Wilcox

And so, every flower I come upon now I look at and appreciate it for its unique beauty and for that moment of appreciation I hope the flower may feel wanted and lovely as any flower should.

Day 174: Bluebonnet Bug

2011-03-20T23:00:00.001-07:00

I don't know exactly what kind of bug this is but it looks like a parody cricket. Honestly, I don't even know if that's a legitimate name for an insect, but I'm naming it that because this bug looks like it's trying so hard to be "King" of the bluebonnet. Almost Lion King-esq?

Or this is just me talking to myself in blog-world and acting crazy again? Yeah, it is.

Day 173: Super Moon

2011-03-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Tonight, according to Yahoo! News and every other online source I could find, there is a "Super Moon." Most of my photographer friends and non-photographer friends have already spammed Facebook with their unique and not-so-unique takes on the Super Moon in their night sky. Well, my sky tonight is pretty cloudy, so I improvised. I'm set up under a flightpath to the San Antonio Airport and managed to snag a plane making its descent into the city.

Oh by the way, I'm in San Antonio tonight. I'll be back in Lubbock tomorrow for a day full of editing from an engagement session I had today with two amazing people!

Day 172: Cooper

2011-03-16T18:41:00.001-07:00

Cooper is the most awesome dog ever. He hates the mailman but will kill a friend with affection. He is also a pretty chill character.

Day 171: Bouquet of Daisies

2011-03-07T21:12:00.001-08:00

These flowers are just so pretty. For my "By The Numbers" photo, I wrote on a few petals with a sharpie, but while I was at it, I had to photograph the flowers without the writing too! The window lighting was just so yummy!

Day 170: By The Numbers

2011-03-06T11:38:00.001-08:00

A few photographer friends of mine have decided that although we are not in the same city, we can still have "adventures" with each other. So we came up with a bunch of ideas and every 2 weeks we have a new "themed" challenge. You can view all the photos at the website HERE.

This one is mine. The theme was "By The Numbers"

Day 169: Santana

2011-03-01T12:45:00.001-08:00

Alex is such a joy to be around. She needed a photo and liked my magic, so naturally we met up and made it happen.

Day 168: Yummy Carrot

2011-02-21T13:39:00.000-08:00

Such a delicious carrot! You can tell this prairie dog is loving his afternoon snack! Drove up to Makenzie Park yesterday and visited Prairie Dog Town for the first time.

Day 167: Flying In For A Kiss

2011-02-21T00:25:00.000-08:00

This is just too cool not to share everywhere! Fun shoot today with the cutest couple, Lauren and Brandon. They were just amazing!

Day 166: Be My Valentine

2011-02-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

Day late posting for Valentine's Day, but that's okay, my whole day was just so busy and full of love. I hope yours was too.

Day 165: Cell Phone Craze

2011-02-11T10:50:00.001-08:00

Okay, I have a rant. It's a pretty big rant but I'll try to spare you from the full force of it. While I was home visiting my parents and seeing my dentist, I accompanied my mother to the Family Math Night at her school. She, the art teacher, was required to go and help out (even though none of the other teachers are ever required to attend her art shows... *cough*BULLSH*T*cough*). I had just arrived in town and rather than sitting on my butt and doing nothing, I joined her and photographed the madness. Elementary school on it's own is madness. Schools are lucky to have such dedicated teachers - but I digress, that is another rant for another time.

One thing that really bothers me is shown in these pictures: Children with smart phones. Now, I didn't get a cell phone until I was 18 and moving off to college and the only reason for that was because dorm phones no longer existed and my parents needed to stay in contact with me somehow. Did you hear that? I WAS EIGHTEEN BEFORE I EVEN OWNED A CELL PHONE. It was a Razr, and then that broke so I got a temporary phone from WalMart, and then I got a cool slide-phone which was awesome until the speakers went out and I couldn't hear a thing from anybody calling, so I went back to the temporary and now have the cool slide-phone I use now. I have never owned a touch screen. Also, full keyboards confuse me. (I did have a pre-paid cell phone my senior year but once the minutes ran out, it didn't work anymore. You had to conserve those minutes.)

I have promised myself when I have kids, they won't be getting cell phones until they can drive - that means SIXTEEN. Not this elementary age crap! A cell phone at that age stunts the growth of a child's imagination. I attribute my creativity to the fact that my parents always kicked me and my sisters out of the house every day to play outside. We had to figure out things to DO to entertain ourselves - not stare at an electronic device in our hands.

I think parents have gotten to lenient on their kids. "But mom, everyone else in school has one!" I can hear my future daughter begging and I will just look at her and tell her, "Yes but I don't care. You know the rules - not until you're 16." (At sixteen she will be able to kiss and go on her first date too).

Cell phones are such an easy distraction. When I was in elementary school, I played "Indiana Jones" in my backyard and dug a hole that my sister eventually fell and got stuck in. That hole was awesome. The sand had crystals in it and every now and then we would find that Barbie that had been missing or spoons we had previously used and forgotten in the sandbox. We had a swing-set, a playhouse, a trampoline, a garden, a pool! We spent very little time indoors and I am so grateful for all of those memories with my sisters.

So, with that said, every time I see a child with a cell phone in their hand I get the angry shivers. "You're missing out on so much," I think. Sure, technology is cool, I love it, but when it comes to a child, there should be consideration of the developmental process that is occurring in their heads and cell phones should be treated not as a toy but as a tool.

Day 164: Uncertain Painting

2011-02-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

Ever been stumped about what to create? That's how I feel right now. I've got all this energy inside me, I just need a willing subject.

Day 163: Waiting For Something New

2011-02-07T13:43:00.001-08:00

What are you waiting for?

Day 162: Morning Coffee

2011-02-07T12:38:00.000-08:00

Enjoying my morning coffee while watching the world outside my apartment.

Day 161: Sitting Pretty

2011-02-04T20:40:00.001-08:00

Kimberly sitting pretty at La Diosa down in Depot District.

Day 160: Lindsay at the Shack

2011-01-30T20:50:00.001-08:00

Before my sister Lindsay had to leave for work I asked her to do a quick pose. She's so pretty. I do love both of my sisters.

Day 159: Lunar Eclipse

2011-01-23T22:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know... I'm really late with this and my excuse is that I've been in a period of transitioning cities/homes/lives and finally have found the energy to get back to this thing called "blogging". Good news is that I am back! New Year means new adventures!

I've seen a lot of people post their photos of the lunar eclipse that occurred on the winter solstice and they are great and while I did take a lot of photos of the moon that night, this one turned out to be my favorite because of the moon and the stars. I'm just hoping the interwebs don't screw up the black too much (That always seems to be a problem).

Click photo to view larger. :)

Day 158: Christmas Snow

2011-01-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

This is the second Christmas in a row that my family in Arlington has seen snow. It was nice. I am a firm believer that cold weather is legitimate if there is proof of it - i.e. SNOW.

Day 157: Breaking Confidence

2010-12-30T16:01:00.000-08:00

I'm in the process of going through a bunch of old photos, tossing the bad and keeping the good. With 2011 quickly approaching, one of my new years resolutions is to get more organized. I figure it's better to get started NOW while I have the time than wait for January 1st before I get working on this project. You can start your resolution early and it still count, right?

Day 156: At Attention

2010-12-22T20:23:00.001-08:00

My father likes to think he's the smartest and funniest guy in the world. From the looks from my mother and Fat Kitty, perception is not reality. Regardless, I still love him.

Day 155: Fragile Poodles

2010-12-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

My mother is an elementary school art teacher and one of the mothers of her students gave her bag of beads and other things to possibly use for art projects. I don't know how these poodles ended up in the bag but they did and the moment I saw them, they screamed for a photo-op. How could I resist? They were just so cute.

Day 154: New Phone

2010-12-17T21:50:00.000-08:00

This is my mother trying to figure out how to set up her new phone. It's not an iPhone or anything, it's a simple Samsung flip-phone. Easy, right? Not for the technology challenged. Did I mention I taught this woman now to shortcut copy and paste (Ctrl + C, Ctrl +V)? Yes, this is my mother and I love her. So much.

Day 153: Star Silhouette

2010-12-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

So the terrible thing about living in the DFW metroplex is that you've got to drive a LONG way to get away from any city. Even then, there was still the issue of light pollution along the horizon. What do you do? Use it to your advantage to get some awesome silhouette action with the stars! This was my favorite shot from the evening. (FYI - this is straight off the camera, I just tagged and re-sized it for web)

80 sec. exposure, ISO 200, f/4.0
Canon Rebel XTi, 18-55 EF-S @ 18mm

Venus, TX 12/14/10 at 12:06 a.m.

Day 152: Square Nose

2010-12-11T21:45:00.001-08:00

Today was a full day of family time and I absolutely loved it. While I was going through photos I had taken of my sister, I took the camera and snapped a few photos of myself just for fun. Suddenly it hit me.... the tip of my nose is square! Why haven't I noticed that yet? I suppose I've been so focused on my stubborn bump on the bridge of my nose that I have neglected to truly notice and appreciate the tip of my nose. Oh Alison, what are you going to do with yourself? Take more pictures? Good idea!

Day 151: Pretty Bored

2010-11-25T20:37:00.000-08:00

I got bored and I felt pretty tonight. This is what happens.

Day 150: Police

2010-11-23T15:33:00.001-08:00

My friend, Ricky, came over the other night and was patient enough with me to let me play with my flash on him. This is a 5 second exposure (ISO 200, f 5.6), a reflector in front to bounce light back from the flash popped behind him.

Day 149: Handsome Pin

2010-11-18T22:22:00.001-08:00

Macro shot using window lighting to photograph a shirt pin stamped with the word "Handsome." I thought it was unique and had to share. Enjoy.

Day 148: Window Lighting

2010-11-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

I am such a fan of window lighting. This self portrait was taken using a mirror and widow light. It's all about the angle when you're holding the camera yourself. Also, inhale, exhale, squeeze the trigger, because holding a camera one-handed, can get a bit tricky.

Day 147: Field Mouse

2010-11-12T06:14:00.000-08:00

"Little Bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest picking up the field mice and bopping them on their head. Down came the magical fairy and she said, 'Little Bunny Foo Foo, I don't want to see you picking up the field mice and bopping them on their head. I'll give you two more chances and if you don't stop, I'll turn you into a goon!'"

This is a little mouse the cats caught and tortured. I saved him for a while (long enough to take his picture) and then I gave him back to the cats.

Day 146: Necklaces

2010-11-09T20:57:00.000-08:00

If you couldn't already tell, I am in love with squirrels and my new squirrel necklace.

Day 145: My Love

2010-11-08T17:27:00.000-08:00

My Love.
My love.
Photography.
Writing.
& You.

Day 144: Aww, Seriously?

2010-11-08T17:12:00.000-08:00

This is a self portrait I took while working at the store on Saturday. I was feeling pretty and sassy, so I walked up, faced the window and got snap-happy with myself. *Snap*

Day 143: Triston Plays Nice

2010-11-07T16:54:00.000-08:00

Triston and Petey were playing outside one day, and Petey was being just the sweetest little kitty to him. I love these two.

Day 142: Native to the Badlands

2010-10-12T18:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Wyman's first Photo Safari and the attendees got to go out and shoot with Wyman and learn a heck of a lot about shooting Wild wildlife on some of the most beautiful landscape around. This is one of the rattlesnake Wyman caught while out on an adventure.

Day 141: Mentoring Mentor

2010-10-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Frankie the Mentor loves Blue (BooBoo) and I catch them together all the time around the veranda. Sometimes it feels like I'm intruding on a private moment, other times I get the feeling they want me to watch them. Strange cats, but sweeties. I'm learning to love these animals.

Day 140: Windmill in Water

2010-10-12T18:32:00.001-07:00

This was too good of an opportunity to miss. Wyman and I jumped out of the truck and braved the sticker-littered grass to get just the right angle. This is my shot and I like it because of the moon in the sky.

Day 139: Appreciation Pics

2010-10-12T17:53:00.001-07:00

I just bought a ring on Etsy from Vintage and Glam Jewelery and I absolutely LOVE it. :) I was looking for a ring that was flat and wouldn't knock into anything and also let me show off a bit of personality. Sure enough, Etsy had it. The artist who designed this ring was also fabulous to talk to and to show my appreciation, I took a few photos and came up with this! Sent it to her with some very positive feedback. I love that about the website, it allows you to put up "Appreciation Photos" of the gift you purchased to the seller.

These images are straight off the camera, 8x10 crop and -10 desaturation and then tagged with my logo!

Day 138: Goodnight Flower

2010-10-09T14:34:00.001-07:00

As the sun slipped past the treeline, the flowers closed up to say goodnight.

Day 137: Exotic Yellow Flower

2010-10-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

I love the details. Macro photography is a niche I enjoy and here is yet another example of my love for it.

Day 136: Sexy Petey

2010-10-09T06:49:00.001-07:00

Petey is awesome. It took me a while to realize I was falling in love with this purring fart machine but once I did, I learned about a new kind of happiness. When I was little, I had a severe allergy to cats. That was an allergic reaction from hell. This allergy made me shy away, avoid at all costs and become slightly phobic of having cat hair and dander on me for too long. I was the epitome of an OCD freak when it came to my post-cat-touching ritual. Then when I was in High School, my baby sister adopted a kitten without us knowing about it and my allergies while the cat was in the house didn't change at all. I was terrified to test those waters but I did. My allergy, while still present, was not severe but mild. It was the same as my allergy to dogs. (For those who don't know, I'm allergic to basically everything that grows on this planet and breathes on this planet).
My hesitation towards cats has definitely decreased and Petey is just so sweet. I still have a reaction toward him but it is very mild in comparison to what it was when I was five. Petey will sit on my lap and fall asleep there, purring the entire time. He likes to follow me around when I'm outside. He likes to perch himself on my shoulder and kiss my nose.

Now do you see why I have fallen in love with Petey?

Day 135: Mantis Lesson Two - Intimacy

2010-09-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

I was intruding on a private moment, but they didn't seem to mind.

Day 134: Mantis Lesson One - Copulation

2010-09-27T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hello children, today we will start our lesson about copulation using the photograph as our example. Copulation is...

Oh I feel I am failing miserably at making this tactful. I shouldn't be blogging when I'm so sleepy. I'm just gonna say it, my favorite part about this photo is that they are both looking right at me while I photograph them in the act. You caught me, I'm a dirty bug pornographic photographer.

Day 133: Coolest Spider Ever

2010-09-27T20:41:00.001-07:00

Coolest Spider Ever. That's what I'm going to call this guy because he's wearing my favorite color in the world. Green. Green is fabulous. Green is magnificent. Green is Beautiful! Not only do I like bugs, I like the color green and that means I double like this photo. *happy sigh*

Also, check it out....

Day 132: Hungry Spider

2010-09-27T20:35:00.001-07:00

This little guy was enjoying his meal on the edge of my door. I had to chase him over to the wall because my door is black and I wanted him to really stand out and not fade into the background. I really like this image because, while I've shot many spiders being spiders on their web, I've never shot one with such a big meal in his grasp.

Day 131: Pondering Mantis

2010-09-27T20:32:00.001-07:00

She was such a good little model for me and her curiosity for my camera lens really made this shot. Did I mention before I love bugs?

Day 130: Hopper, Grass

2010-09-27T20:24:00.001-07:00

The bugs were incredible out today. It is as though the Autumn weather has sparked a sudden increase in their population. The next few posts will be of bugs. Bugs, bugs and more bugs. I love bugs. They're a challenge and they're also so fascinating to photograph.

Day 129: Cheer Tower

2010-09-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

The cheerleaders for Knox City High School are spirited ladies. In a small town, everyone does a little bit of everything. In this small town, one of the cheerleaders was also a saxophone player in the marching band and went out on the field with her instrument and in her cheer skirt without a second thought. It was an entertaining game, and these girls sure were excited about their football players.

Day 128: Football Fan

2010-09-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

I went out to watch the Knox City Greyhounds and while I was there, instead of focusing on shooting the game, I looked for the fans reactions. There were so many kids running around and they were all so cute, dressed up in the colors of the team they were rooting for, I couldn't resist.

Day 127: Too Much Tongue

2010-09-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

Sweet Sue just can't keep her tongue to herself!

Day 126: Chewing on a Pig Hoof

2010-09-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

Sam was really getting into chewing on his pig foot. I shot this with my 300mm out of respect for the moment Sam was having with his snack. :)

Day 125: Blue on the Prowl

2010-09-13T17:10:00.000-07:00

Oh no, it's a picture of a cat. But this is a photo of Blue! He's on the prowl through the jungle of foliage in pursuit of the juicy snail I was positioning on a rain covered leaf!

Day 124: Snail in Evening Light

2010-09-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

Sue was trying to figure out just what this little snail was about the other day and out of curiosity I wandered over to visit with her and saw it lying in a pool of wolf drool. I may have rescued him from Sue, but I'm pretty sure Blue got to him later. You may be wondering, "Why would anyone save a snail?" My answer - I've never shot a snail in good afternoon light.

Day 123: High Contrast Portrait

2010-09-10T13:04:00.001-07:00

I am exhausted and it does not help matters that today is a warm day. I really like high contrast images of myself because I am crazy in-love with my eyes. Honestly, I believe everyone needs to have such controlled high opinions of themselves. Confidence is key. Yeah baby!

I've been off in my head a lot lately, trying to figure things out, and while for the most part I do know exactly what it is that I want to do, the process of getting there is still a little foggy. There are so many paths to take but which road will I choose? I can't help but be thinking it over.

Day 122: Little Dancer

2010-09-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Jordan is such a beautiful lady and such an incredible person to be around. A group of us loaded up in a car and drove down to Abilene, TX to swing dance for the evening. It was hot, but the place was gorgeous and while the scene was small, they were very inviting. Before we left, I took a couple of pictures of Jordan (literally, these are the only 2) and while the lighting was terrible, I took it as an opportunity to get a bit artsy in my post-processing of the images.

Day 121: Mushrooms Overnight

2010-09-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

After the rains came through these mushrooms popped up all over the yard. I shot this with my 75-300mm at f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/320.

Day 120: Rusty Plastic

2010-09-08T19:49:00.001-07:00

How dangerous does this look? It was just sitting around the store waiting to give somebody tetanus. Eek. As terrifying the thought is of getting poked by this thing, it's still pretty cool.

Day 119: Portrait Session with a Praying Mantis

2010-09-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

This little guy was just chilling on my door, so I threw on a 10x filter and caught a few shots of him giving me his best "Praying Mantis" look. I think he did a good job for his first time modeling. :)

Day 118: Benjamin Lightning

2010-09-02T06:40:00.001-07:00

Believe it or not, this was my very first time to ever photograph lightning. I don't know how I have gone this long as a photographer, with beautiful West Texas skies around me without, but it was exciting and frustrating.

At first when the storm rolled around the lightning was staying in the clouds but then as the storm moved over us the lightning began to break out of the sky. Walking down the road a bit was all I needed to get this shot.

There's supposed to be another storm tonight. Hopefully this one has an even better light show.

Day 117: Knock Knock

2010-08-31T12:01:00.001-07:00

Who's there? Old towns have old doors and old doors have old locks and things like this fascinate me.

Day 116: Keep Me Dry

2010-08-31T11:54:00.001-07:00

While I adventured around Haskell, I made sure to keep my eyes open so I didn't miss anything out of the ordinary. While I was walking down their main road toward the town square, I happened to look up and see this. The texture makes me smile. *Smiles*

Day 115: Rusted

2010-08-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

This was the hinge on the safe I just posted. I couldn't get any other details shot of the safe since it was outside, facing a wall and these things are HEAVY. I thought about trying to move it, then I thought otherwise because since getting out to this area I have been warned time and time again of snakes....and this seemed like a pretty cozy place for one to be around. I do love the detail and ornateness of it though.

Day 114: Safe

2010-08-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was able to walk around the city of Haskell, TX with my camera while Sylinda was at the Dentist. Unfortunately for me it was around 1:30 p.m. on a partly cloudy afternoon when I started my adventure. I figured I had an hour (dentist appointments usually take that long) so I searched for shade, interesting stores, interesting people, etc. These safes were pretty sweet to stumble upon and they had a small companion between them.

Day 113: Not Afraid To Get Close

2010-08-31T11:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not afraid of spiders. As long as they stay on their web and off of me, I'm totally cool with them. Respect the bubble, spider and I'll respect your bubble too.

I used a 10x multiplying filter on my wide angle to get this shot. It's pretty overcast today, so the light was nice and diffused. I've got several friends in mind who would prefer not to look at this shot, but you've gotta admit, spiders are beautiful creatures.

Day 112: Crystal Heart Ring

2010-08-27T14:44:00.001-07:00

I absolutely adore window lighting. This is another one of the rings for sale in Santa Fe On The Brazos in Benjamin, Tx.

Day 111: Cowgirl Ring

2010-08-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

This is one of the cowgirl rings in Sylinda's store, Santa Fe On The Brazos. This ring is a "one-size-fits-all" because it's got an elastic back. I had to photograph these rings in groups in a bucket (see website HERE) and while I had the rings out, I also photographed them separately.

Day 110: Ashton Boots

2010-08-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

These are a new pair of boots we got in to the store today. If you're not driving through Benjamin, Tx anytime soon, that's okay, just check out the website Santa Fe On The Brazos or specifically click HERE for the boots above.

I love having the opportunity to photograph everything in the store. Sylinda has good taste and fills her store with all kinds of fun stuff.

Day 109: When Sue Fights Back

2010-08-26T19:38:00.000-07:00

Here is Sue fighting back with Sam. They love each other, but like most siblings, they can get a bit too rough sometimes. They're just so enjoyable to watch and to play with. They are part of my experience while in Benjamin, TX.

Day 108: When Sue is Submissive

2010-08-26T19:35:00.001-07:00

When Sam is mean to Sue, she'll either go on her back and be submissive or she'll fight back. It's not pretty when you see her fight back, because it sometimes gets vicious. What is funny to watch is when she tries to establish dominance with Sam.

Day 107: Sweet Sue

2010-08-26T19:30:00.001-07:00

Sweet Sue, she's a darling and one of Wyman's wolves. After dinner I ran outside with my camera and put the wide angle on her nose. She's such a darling.

Day 106: Little Addi

2010-08-24T16:56:00.001-07:00

This is Triston's sister. She's a sweetheart, but she gives the fiercest looks. I can't wait until she gets more familiar with me and starts opening up more. She got to ride Chigger after Triston was done and that's when I caught her giving me this look. :)

Day 105: Butterfly Hinge

2010-08-24T15:17:00.001-07:00

I keep staring at this image and seeing a butterfly. I think it's gorgeous and I especially love it black and white.

Day 104: A Wild Soapbar

2010-08-24T15:14:00.001-07:00

One thing I love besides the smell of this natural soap, besides the fact that it's green, and besides it's just so darn delicious feeling on my hands, is the type on it. This is lit by the window that faces North so there isn't any direct light, but plenty of soft light.

Day 103: Texas

2010-08-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

One of the pendants in the store. I love this combination of silver and gold and it's quite an appropriate piece of jewelery for any Texas lover.

Day 102: Stone Reflection

2010-08-19T20:54:00.001-07:00

I adore this shot because of the color and design in the polished stone. This was a fun shot I managed to snag while I was at the store.

Day 101: Turquoise Beads

2010-08-19T20:50:00.001-07:00

These beads used to be a beautiful necklace until the plastic wire broke. Now the beads simply sit in a pile, waiting for the day when the chaos it now is becomes the order it once was. Oh personification, I love you.

Day 100: Wicker Model

2010-08-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today I did several product shots of jewelry for the Santa Fe On The Brazos website and while I had my camera out I decided to take some fun shots too. This was one of them. This wicker model was laying against the wall and I propped her up, turned her toward the afternoon sun and photographed her. I liked the image in color but I decided to turn it black and white to create a more artistic feel to the image and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Day 99: Triston

2010-08-18T20:26:00.001-07:00

I just met Triston today. He's a Meinzer and quite the sturdy cowboy too. Sylinda and I went to go see him ride his horse, Chigger, and he was handling himself quite well. =) If I were him, I probably would have fallen off and gone to find something else to do. He's becoming a pro at this though. I'm sure that as time passes and he gets more comfortable with me being around he'll warm up to me and my camera.

Day 98 : Jerry Hudson

2010-05-09T18:46:00.000-07:00

This is the Dean of the College of Mass Communications and is a wonderful man. I was asked by the college to photograph the Student Showcase for Public Relations, Advertising and Video Production. It was quite interesting. I enjoy shooting events because you're bound to learn something from them.

This is one of my favorite shots of the event. Dean Hudson has such a genuine and welcoming smile. Also, he a man who is very easy to talk to.

Day 97 : Mark VII

2010-05-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

Justin sold him saxophone on Ebay this week for $1600 to a guy in Washington who fixes up vintage horns and sells them. Pretty awesome in my mind. I took pictures for the listing. This was one of the closeup shots of his Selmer Paris Mark VII.

Day 96 : Painting Photographs

2010-05-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

For about 2 years at Tech I decided I was going to be an art minor. I got halfway through the program and then called it quits. Taking anymore classes, I thought, would be focusing on harnessing and perfecting my skill. Truthfully, I did not want to be a painter or a sketch artist or an designer or anything really in the art department. I just loved art.

One project we had to do in my very first art class, Design I, was take a photograph from a magazine or one you took yourself, posterize it to 8 levels and paint it. I took a photo of my boyfriend's sunglasses on his face while we were driving from Austin to Lubbock. In the reflection you can see the entire road. I chose the color blue, and began to measure, grid, sketch and then paint. I loved how it turned out. He didn't. He liked the color red better.

Anyway, long story short, this lanky band nerd Facebook stalked my art and fell in love with the idea and asked me to paint him a picture just like that. We picked a photo, set a price and I spent my summer painting a 36"x48" canvas for him. This was the result. I used a scarlet red, posterized the image 8 levels but combined the 7th and 8th level in the painting to create a deeper contrast. I loved how it turned out. So did he.

Day 95 : Jordan Loves Books

2010-05-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

This is Jordan. Jordan likes to read books. She loves books. Classic books. Romance books. Horror books. Teen books. Funny books. Picture books.

Jordan is silly.
I love Jordan.
I love books.

Day 94 : Wild Woman

2010-05-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

I have friends all over the United States. Katie, for example, is from Clearwater, FL. She's is an incredible lady. On my last visit, she and I and our friend Jenny went out to do a photoshoot for fun, because it was a beautiful day and it was a "Girls Day Out."

Katie is someone who will always be someone I love. I know this for a fact because the same fire I have in me to help victims of sexual abuse, she has for foster kids. It is incredible just to be in the room with her, you feel that power and you can see how it lights her up to be such a beautiful empowered woman. I am so happy to know her.

Katie, I love you. I wish you the best with everything you do.

Day 93 : Contemplating Cullen

2010-05-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

Cullen is a good kid. I'm also pretty sure when we first met I scared the crap out of him with intimidation. I do that to people, and honestly it amuses me.

I'm going to go off on a tangent. I have a crazy obsession. Big noses. Not bulbous noses, but strong, angular noses, much like the one Cullen possesses. Maybe it's the fetish my eye has for abuse during kisses, or the fact that such a dominant feature is sexy on a person, maybe it's both. I like 'em. I'm drawn to men who have them. I should probably seek therapy.

Okay, now to get back on track. This is my favorite image from the shoot we did. Cullen was so nervous and tense! We did silly faces and wiggly arms and then he opened up to me and relaxed. That's when the true magic happened in the studio. I suppose that's why I love this shot so much - the memory attached to it. Always makes me smile. =)

Day 92 : Baby Bird

2010-05-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

While I was waiting for my Economics class to start, I was sitting by the window in Holden and saw this little guy perched and resting. I took out my phone and snapped a quick photo of him. He looked like he had taken quite a tumble from a tree or something because he had lost a couple of feathers on his back. This was one of those moments where I wish I had my actual camera with me. I do like how he's looking right at me though, and it's too sweet not to put out and share to the world.

Day 91 : Equipment Manager

2010-04-29T14:21:00.001-07:00

Josh is awesome. This semester he's been lucky enough to see me almost every day with a silly request to check out equipment or just to chat. Without him, most of the Mass Comm department would be lost. Truly.

Day 90 : My Angel

2010-04-26T08:31:00.001-07:00

This is an old edit from last year when I took Studio with Jerod Foster. Great class. I learned so much and really got comfortable using the equipment downstairs. This idea came from Rob Peinert. I really enjoyed this shoot because it was different and it taught me a lot about reflections using Plexiglas and how to achieve them.

Day 89 : Nontraditional Student

2010-04-24T23:18:00.000-07:00

Debra Chapman is an incredible woman with incredible stories. She is a nontraditional student working toward her degree in Journalism here at Texas Tech. This is a portrait of her with her son, Tommy. They are an incredible team, and I can only hope I have another chance to photograph them together.