Babel

I thought it was more than necessary to share my piece of mind on the monumental release of Mumford & Sons' new album, Babel.  Now, I've always been a fan of Mumford & Sons and the way their music always seems to leave me speechless, but after hearing only a few of their songs from their new album, I'm pretty sure I made the transition from just a fan to a complete fanatic. My iTunes has been set to replay the album on a full rotation for the last two days, and I have yet to get the least bit sick of any of their new songs.  I have never bought a full album on iTunes. I usually pick 4-5 of my favorites, but, for the first time ever, I spent the $14.99.  A few of my favorites are Holland Road, Ghosts That We Knew, I Will Wait, Babel, Hopeless Wanderer, and Lovers' Eyes.  I hope this inspires you all to at least buy a few of their songs, because I promise it's more than worth it.

New Addition to the Family

For the past few months my family and I have been involved with a dog rescue organization called K9 Angels.  This shelter saves dogs from another pound called BARC, which is a kill shelter-meaning that if they are not adopted by the 90th day, they are euthanized.  Every weekend, K9 Angels allows adoptions, but during the week, the dogs need a place to go.  Most dogs need to find a home for a week, and this is called fostering.  My family and I have fostered 4 dogs now, and have found each of them homes with great families.
We fell in love with each dog as we took care of them for weeks at a time, but when it was time to say goodbye and pass them off to their new families, we knew that it was the best thing for them.  But just 2 weeks ago, my mother got a call from K9 Angels asking if we could foster one more dog.  Our plan was to take a break from fostering for a few weeks, but when we heard this dog's story, we simply couldn't let her go.  Someone had found a 3 month old, lab mix puppy on the side of the road on Gessner.  Gessner is a very busy and dangerous street in the middle of all the action in Memorial.  She was taken to Bark and was going to be put down because she was sick with a very severe cough and other health issues.  We decided to take her under our wing and nurse her back to a state of health in which she was good enough to find a new home.  However, that plan changed only after a few days of knowing her.  My whole family had instantly fallen in love with this puppy with soft, white fur and chubby cheeks.
I had wanted a new dog for quite some time, and was hoping for a lab or retriever of some sort.  When we got the news that they needed a home for a baby lab, I knew it was a sign.  This little puppy has been an angel sent from Heaven.  We decided to name her Bessie-Bess for short-and only after a few days with her, we realized how smart and sweet she was. We had to nurse her back to health because she had been sneezing and coughing non-stop. It has been two weeks since we first got her, and she has almost completely recovered.  My whole family has decided that this one would be too hard to let go of and that we have all formed a connection with her. I am now a proud owner of two dogs, a cat, a bunny, a hamster, and a fish.  Bessie's life has taken a turn for the better, and she has made an imprint on my family's lives that we will never forget.
And of course, here are some pictures to follow:

Into the Wild

The title says it all pretty much.  The summer after junior year, all those who participate in YoungLife are given the opportunity to sign up for the much heard of trip to Wilderness Ranch.  Now, Wilderness Ranch is just the name of the base camp.  This is where the groups are formed and all who go attempt to shove and squeeze all their necessities and belongings for the week into a heavy-duty hiking backpack.  Here's the thing though; this backpack will be going everywhere with you for the week, so the objective is to take the right amount of clothing and equipment but not to pack too heavy of an amount for your spine to handle.

The "wilderness" part comes into play once one of the workers from the base camp has dropped you and your group off an hour away from base camp at a trail head, and let me tell you, I don't know what I was expecting, but this was definitely harder.  The week consisted of hiking to new campsites daily with a heavy pack on your back (which is carrying everything you will be living off of the rest of the week).  In my pack I carried my clothes, my sleeping bag, my sleeping mat, the tarp for our tents, the heavy fettuccine alfredo dinner, and other necessities like a headlamp and tooth paste.

I went into this week with a positive attitude and hoping for the best.  And although it was probably the most difficult week of my life, it was the most life changing and amazing as well.  I got to know all the girls in my group so well as we all told our life stories throughout the course of the week.  We all cried--some from the difficulty of the trail, and some from emotional pain.  In the end, though, it was so rewarding.  We all decided that the 31-mile hike was painful and grueling, but 100% worth the bond we had all made with each other.  Long story short, I had the best time of my life on that trail.  Those who know me don't exactly pin me as the "earthy" and "camper" type, but I am proud to say and not ashamed to brag that I survived in the wilderness, slept on the ground, and lived off hope for a week in the wilderness.

This saying somehow ended up being our motto for the week, we would always say it when we needed a good laugh to push us up the mountain.

Although sleeping on the ground was a difficulty for all, we were a bit sad to leave our camp site to begin our next day of hiking each morning.

Getting though the week was made a little easier we found out by just putting big smiles on our faces and pretending like we weren't in pain.

This is a picture from the day we woke up at 3 AM to peak a mountain top.  It took us about 5 hours I would say, but it seemed like forever while hiking up in the rain and sleet.

Once we got to the bottom, we were frozen and most of us couldn't feel our fingers.  We decided to make a huge source of body heat by huddling together. It was a success until we were forced to get our packs back on and hit the trail once more.

The beautiful San Juan mountains of Colorado always rewarded us with a gorgeous sun-set at the end of our days of hiking as we sat at dinner and told stories and enjoyed our time to rest.

In the end, I am so glad I went on this amazing trip with such amazing ladies.  Getting on the bus to head back to Houston was such a difficulty as we had to leave our 3 beloved guides behind.  Tears were shed, but we promised to find a way to stay in touch!

Summer Nights

School was let out and my not-so-chill summer started without warning.  From basketball, to YoungLife Camp, to Colorado with friends, this summer has been hands down the busiest of them all.  Also, when everyone said the summer before senior year is the craziest time for getting ready for college, they weren't lying.  So here are some photos in chronological order of how my summer has been so far.  Not gonna lie, it's been pretty great! I hope to do some more in-detail posts on the more key aspects of the past few months, but for now this is all I've got!

A lovely tradition at MHS is that for the last week of school, the incoming seniors dress up each day.  This day's theme was "señoritas".  We thought the color coordination for the rainbow effect was a nice touch.

Another theme day of that week was "country club".  This has nothing to do with the fact of being the new seniors, but it's just how Memorial does it; with a little preppy style.

And end of the school year pool parties are a must.  They just start off the summer on a good note.

And a summer just wouldn't be the same without a few selfies with some of my closest friends!

Then come the bitter-sweet grad parties where we bid our older friends goodbye.  This one was for my good friend Melanie.  We are all going to miss her so much!

My mom and I went on a quick road trip to some of my favorite possible colleges.  This one included Dallas for SMU and Fort Worth for TCU.  Both schools were so amazing!

A great Father's Day with the family!

 

 
 
One of my most recent adventures(literally) was with YoungLife to Wilderness Ranch in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.  I spent the week in the wilderness, with 12 girls, my leaders, an extra change of clothes, and God on my side.  It was definitely the most difficult week of my life, but at the same time the most incredible and rewarding.  More to come about that week later! I promise!

 
 
 
 
I spent the 4th of July with some good friends and their family in Colorado.  We went on some good hikes and saw the amazing Darius Rucker in concert!  Coming back to the Houston heat and humidity was tough, but it's nice to be back with my family and in my own home.  I'm surprised to say, I missed it here in H-town!

Photo Essay

Today in photojournalism, my class was given an assignment; to create a photo essay over the next couple of weeks.  Having no idea what to expect or what a photo essay even is, I did some research.  Turns out, it's pretty self explanatory.  A photo essay is a series of photos, usually including supplementary text, meant to tell a story and portray certain emotions to the viewer.  Photo essays, usually show emotions.  The photos are meant to be shown in a certain order, symbolizing the sequence of events.
For my photo essay I will be taking pictures of an organization I volunteer for on Sundays.  Its called The Challenger Buddy Program, and it is to help children with disabilities play baseball.  It is an incredible experience, and I hope to portray the joyful emotions and the idea that everyone should have the opportunity to be involved with sports.

B&W Plus One

Long time no blog!  Its been a while, I know.  I've been taking pictures for the J1 issue of the newspaper and learning new things to do on photoshop, but finally our class got assigned another blog post!  The most recent thing we have learned how to do in photo shop is taking a photo; making it black and white and picking one color to stand out.  The assignment was called black & white plus one(for obvious reasons). Adding this technique to my list of skills on photoshop was an exciting one because I have always wanted to know how to do this.  This was so fun and actually a lot simpler than I expected it to be!  I chose the picture below of fellow blogger, Stephanie Hillin (http://ilovephotoj.blogspot.com), because I loved the look of her denim shirt against the black and white.  It was a nice pop of color and her smile is so big, it's impossible not to smile when I look at it!  I hope you enjoy this picture as much as I do.
~Thanks for reading!!~

{I love this picture of Stephanie.  It is so happy and the bright pop of color in her denim shirt made this the perfect picture to use my new technique on}

Iconic Photo

Hello bloggers! My class has been busy learning about iconic photos and their impact on the world.  For this assignment, each student randomly picked an iconic photo from Life Magazine and was given the task to learn about the photographer, the location, the subjects, and why it is considered iconic.  As you may have guessed, the photo above is the one I was given.  From this assignment I learned about the Birmingham Protest for Civil Rights and African American rights.  The subjects in this photo are high school kids who were involved in the protesting and are being hit with a high pressure water hose.  The use of a water hose as a weapon in symbolic of dispersing and ridding the area of the African Americans.  This photo was taken by Charles Moore in 1963.  After all this happened and this photo was released, the municipal government was pressured into changing the city's discrimination laws into being more fail and equal.  This photo is considered iconic because it showed people the unfair treatment of African Americans and people started believing it needed to stop.  Each student did a presentation on their photo.  Some other photos that really stood out to me and opened by eyes included the photo of the 6 soldiers raising the flag at the battle of Iwo Jima, the Afghan Girl photo, and photo taken by Kevin Carter of the famine struck child next to the bird.  

I had already seen this photo before many times, but learning more about it was so interesting and eye-opening.  It is such an incredible picture capturing the strength of America and the courage of our soldiers.  This photo definitely deserves to be called an iconic photo.

I had never seen this photo before, but it was so interesting to learn of the story behind those incredible eyes.  This is a 12 year old Afghan girl.  This photo is a symbol of the conflict going on during the war in Afghanistan.  

This photo is very famous for the controversy with hunger and the starvation of children.  This photo was taken by Kevin Carter in 1993 and really sparked a lot of conflict on why he did not do anything to help the child get to the food and water only a short distance away.  This photo is very emotional and is known to be very ethically controversial.  

Top Ten Tips (7-10)

Finally! Today we learned the final 4 tips and techniques for photography.  These were all pretty basic tips, but definitely good ones to know.  Below are what I thought were some good examples of these tips, so without further adieu...here are the last 4 techniques!
*Move it from the middle-This technique was one I was already familiar with.  It pretty much the same concept as the rule of thirds technique.  The idea behind this is just to move your subject, object, or focal point slightly to the right or left.  This is a good way to show the viewer a new perspective.
*Know your flash's range-This is something that is very important to know about your camera.  Different cameras have different flash capabilities and this can determine ultimately how the photo turns out.  It is good to know the distance that your flash is able to produce light so your subject is able to be bright and defined.
*Watch the light-This is a tip for making sure another objects shadow doesn't affect something in your photo.  It is important to be aware of your surroundings so that your photo isn't dark or in the shadows.
*Be a picture director-A photographer should always arrange the subjects in the photo to what pleases them and what looks the best.  Rather than just having a group of people stand in a line, have them bunch together or stand on different levels.  This will overall create a less boring picture and give you what you want.

{This picture is an example of moving your subject from the middle.  My subject, McKenna, is walking into the frame and by putting her to the right shows what she is walking towards.}

{This photo of morgan is an example of knowing your flash's range.  By getting closer to him, the flash lit up his face and caused all shadows to go away.}

{This is an example of how to watch the lighting of the photo.  I had to move the subjects out from under the overhang before taking this photo.  Before their faces were too dark and had to many shadows.}

{This picture is an example of being a picture director.  Rather than them standing in a straight line, I moved my subjects closer together.  This overall made the photo more compact and more interesting.}

Top Ten Tips (4-6)

Continuing on from the last post! This week my class began to learn of 3 new techniques.  We went on another couple of photo walks and tried capturing new things with new techniques.  Below are my examples...and now for techniques and their definitions:
*Move in close/Fill the frame-This technique is pretty much the same as the fill the frame technique in my past blog post.  This is to get rid of any excess background and focus in on one subject or object.  Move your feet to get as close as possible to your subject, then(if necessary) use the lens to focus in closer.
*Blur the Background - This is another technique used to focus in on one main subject.  Blurring the background gets rid of any distractions and leads the eyes of the viewer to what you want to be the focal point.  This can be done by focusing on an object to the right or left of the subject and then moving the lens back to what you want to be the focus.  This will provide a cool effect and direct the eyes of the viewer to your subject.
*Horizontal-This is a good technique to use when you are trying to capture a tall or long subject.  Sometimes just the simple rotation of your camera can create a different perspective for the viewer.  Just rotate your camera to be horizontal and it may give the picture a new meaning.

{This picture of Carter is an example of filling the frame and moving in close.}

{This is an example of blurring the background.  By blurring the background the color of the rose really pops and stands out to the eye.}

{This picture of Hannah Hays is an example of taking a photo horizontally.  By taking this horizontally I was able to get her feet in the picture rather than cutting her in half at the waist.}

Top Ten Tips (1-3)

Recently my class began learning of some very important ways to take our pictures to the next level.  Over the next couple of weeks we will be adding onto this list of tips and taking photos of our surroundings, either at home or school or etc., to provide evidence of our understanding and show how to use these tips.  Slowly but surely, over time I will have learned and blogged about all ten tips that every photographer should know and try to incorporate in their photography.  I will be defining all ten tips here as time passes and will be sharing the examples and photos I have taken(the three pictures below).  So here's the first three:

*Eye Level- by getting down the the subjects eye level makes the picture sharper and makes a more personal feeling.  This also adds a new perspective for the viewer to take in.
*Use Plain Background- try to find a less distracting background that isn't cluttered or busy. This means no trees or poles sticking out from people's heads.  This focuses in on the subject of the photo. *TIP: Blurring the background may be useful.
*Use Flash Outdoors- there are three things to consider when you use flash outdoors, 1. use when the subject is in a shadow, 2. use when the subject is backlit, 3. ask yourself "will your flash reach the subject?". The outcome of the photo depends on the time of day.  Sometimes this can brighten your photo and create a better picture over all!

{This lovely picture of Shelby Hoyt is an example of the eye level technique.  Although it took me laying on the ground in blue hall, it ended up creating a better picture than if it were taken from above.}

{This photo of Madison Miller is an example of using a plain background.   Instead of a busy background, there is a solid colored wall behind her, which focuses the viewer's eyes on the subject.}

{Molly Neyland was a fantastic model for my "using flash outdoors" photo.  Without the flash there were dark shadows on her face.  Taking this photo with flash ultimately brightened the features of her face and eyes.}

PhotoJ Photowalk

Hello to all my loyal readers! Last week in my photojournalism class we started looking at various photography techniques. After learning these techniques we got the chance to walk around campus with our friends in hope of using our new knowledge of photography to enhance our photos. Our assignment is to define all the techniques we learned and to provide examples through the photos we took on our photowalk.  Fun right?! Hopefully that is what I captured in the photos below.  So here are the techniques:
*Rule of thirds- The basic principle behind the rule of thirds is to break down an image into thirds (Vertically and Horizontally). You should never center the subject of your photo exactly in the middle of the frame.  Move them slightly to the right or left.
*Anticipate the moment- Always know about what you are trying to capture with your camera. (ex: sports) Know where to stand to take a picture so you can get the right shot at the right moment in time.  Wait it out so you can capture the most action.
*Find a different angle- Examples of this are worm's eye or bird's eye view.  Taking a photo at a different angle can create a completely different perspective for the viewer than just to see something straight-on.
*Leading lines- Try to use a natural line to point to the focal point of subject in the photo.
*Fill the frame- Zoom in as far as possible, trying to have as little "background" as possible.  You may have to move yourself to get the best picture. TIP: Feet first, then zoom!
*Framing- This is used to highlight the element in a photo or to emphasize the subject.  To really frame your subject, find objects to create a "frame" around your subject to guide the viewer's eyes to what you want them to see.
*Repetition- This is the repeating of more than one of the same subject/object, this is usually to focus on one subject rather than the rest of what is in the background. Ex: A line of a sports team in uniform
*Let the mug shot tell the story- This is taking a photo of someone's face which describes something they are feeling are going through.

{This is a picture of my friends/team mates, Madison Miller and Margaret Tran.  This is an example of the "fill the frame" technique.  Notice there is very little background and their faces are the biggest focal point in the photo.}

{This is a good example of the repetition technique.  I like this photo because of the unique angle and how the photo gets less sharp as the cookie dough goes further back.}

{This picture is a good example of the worm's eye view.  The different angle allows the viewer to see this sign from a different perspective.}

Portraying Emotion Through Photography

True emotion is hard to capture, but if you are able to capture it at the right place and time, it can create an affect on all of those who view it.  Today in photojournalism, our class was shown how emotion is able to transform a picture.  Emotion is what allows a picture to become something more that just a picture, but a work of art.  You may have taken an emotional photo without even knowing it because of its many surroundings.  Emotion can often be lost in a busy setting.  Zero in on what the focal point actually is; the main subject conveying the emotion you are attempting to capture.  As opposed to recreating an emotion, it is best to let the emotion show itself to you.  Trying to recreate or stage an emotional scene can often look fake and although you may not be able to notice it, it is most likely noticeable to others.  To get the best shot possible, it may be helpful to set the camera down and observe your surroundings.  Waiting it out to find the perfect shot is well worth it.  

{Source: Pinterest}

The photo above is one of those pictures that hits you right in the heart.  My first reaction to this was the instant feeling of sympathy.  Although I have luckily never had to experience the feeling of having a loved one at risk, I can only imagine what it must feel like.  This picture conveys the soldiers feelings perfectly and gives me an idea of what it must have been like to be far away from someone you love.  This is a great example of an emotion picture because it is obvious the two subjects were not aware of the photo being taken.  It gives off the emotions of remorse, sadness, relief, love, and more.  This picture stuck me personally because of the incredible look on the woman's face.  Even though I don't know this woman personally, I am able to make a connection with her and understand her feelings.

All About Me

{My first Photoj assignment: All About Me collage}

Last week my class was assigned a project; an All About Me collage consisting of photos we took of objects, people, etc. that represent us and represent what is important in our lives.  I made this little collage through Photoshop.  Being completely new to the world of photoshop my photoj teacher was a great resource as she taught our class the basics and how to work the software, such as customizing the tint, saturation, re-touching, and color balances of our pictures.  After adjusting all that and fixing the size of my photos I was ready to make my first collage!  First off, probably the biggest thing that influences me is my family and friends, which is why I had to include all the photos of the people in my life.  I have always believed that one should surround themselves with positive people who believe in them, love them, and inspire them.  The #1 supporters I have in my life are my mom, my dad, and sister(to the right of the b&w picture of me and bottom right corner).  My mom is always there for me and somehow always knows exactly what to do.  She inspires me to be my best and I hope to only be a fraction of how amazing of a person she is.  My sister, Chloe, is the crazy component in our family, which always keeps me smiling and although it may get annoying, she's one of my favorite people in the world. My dad is the one who has inspired me to be who I am.  He has made me the hardheaded person I am today.  Somewhere in-between all those forced basketball clinics I started to love the sport(picture of basketball on the left).   My dad took me to numerous UT games beginning at age 3 giving me burnt orange blood instantly, and most importantly he inspired my faith. This brings me to the picture of the cross I keep in my room at all times(next to picture of my mom and I).  My faith makes me, me and always reminds me of the right choices to make.  My dog, Kyla(top, center) follows me everywhere and I absolutely love her.  Somewhere in this collage I just had to include food, so I took photos of the Sprinkles logo and some s'mores I made for a close friends birthday because, well, food is great.  So that's it!  This is the final product of my collage and hopefully it captures who I am.