Not Necessarily To Be Taken Literally

"Not Necessarily To Be Taken Literally". This was the name of my latest photography assignment. And I sure had fun with it! My professor assigned me 22 things to take photos of ranging from my biggest fear to something I don't understand. The best part of this crazy list was, you guessed it, they didn't need to be taken literally. This allowed me to stretch my imagination and really push the boundaries of my own creativity.

Bellow are just a few of my favorites that I took for this project. Enjoy!

"Your best friend"

There's something about these games that has really stuck with my throughout my life. They are something solid I can always turn to and rely on. Although they are not literally a friend of mine, I think are pretty dang close for being inanimate objects. I know that I can turn to this simple game when I'm feeling down and it will brighten my mood. In some ways Pokemon is as real to me as you or I.

"A fleeting moment"

I can't think of anything more fleeting than the last few moments of a leaf's life in the fall season. As a side note, the sky in this photo isn't edited. We had some amazing coloration in the sky that afternoon and I just had to capture it. (Nature is freakin' cool!)

"Something timeless"

 Classic books. The value and culture locked within the pages of these masterpieces will forever remain a wonder and pleasure to read. Reading is one of my favorites hobbies and reading a classic piece is always a thrill.

"Your favorite place"

My favorite place has to be the outdoors. There is so much peace and tranquility you can find stepping out into nature. The fresh air is such a relief in contrast with my stuffy dorm room.

"Somewhere you've never been"

This photo was actually taken at an arts festival. The gondola represents Venice of course, someplace I've never been. I would actually love to see Europe. It's one of my dreams for the future.  



In no way an I a professional photographer but I feel like with each new assignment I am gaining a little bit more skill. I already feel like I have a good grasp on composition and lighting. I want to keep pushing myself to get better at this. Next semester (my last semester of college) I will be taking a photo editing class. Hopefully this will help with the quality of my photos. Who knows, maybe I can even find a career in it if I'm lucky!

Photography

There's something about photography that really gets me excited. It's hard to explain the thrill that I get when composing an eye catching composition right before taking a picture. I can definitely say that it is a passion of mine.

I have always been a fan of taking pictures ever since I was a little kid. I would beg my mom to let me borrow her camera and I would go outside and take pictures of the trees and flowers and bugs in our yard. To me, it's one of the most relaxing things to do (besides yoga).

This year I am taking a semester of advanced digital photography. Even though I'm the only person in my class (besides the professor of course) I couldn't be more excited. I really hope that I can hone my skills and produce an impressive portfolio.

With the completion of my degree I will have a Bachelors in Arts with a concentration in video game art and design. I am not entirely sure what I want to do with my life when I get out of school but with an arts degree I feel as though my choices are wide open.

My current internship is with branded digital entertainment. I'm a designer with a little app company. Although this is a great job, I can't see myself doing it for the rest of my life. I used to get scared about finishing school. I was always worried that I wouldn't be able to get a good job and that I wouldn't be successful in a career. No longer do I feel that way. I just remind myself every day that I should stay positive because I'm a hard worker, a quick learner, and have great organizational skills. Those are all great skills every employer is looking for. Not only that, I have some really amazing people in my life who will support me no matter where I am.

I'm ready for what ever experiences life has to throw at me. Some will be great and others not so much, but in the end I know that it is through these challenges that I will better understand myself and learn to appreciate the good times even more.

So if you ever find yourself in a situation where you are afraid like I was, just take a minute to write a list of all the things you're good at. This can be anything from being a good listener to being a reliable friend. You'll be surprised that even the simplest skill can be turned into something astoundingly helpful in your future.

New Experiences

 

New life experiences can be tough. Being my mother's only child gave me a disadvantage when it came to experiencing new things in life. I was quite sheltered growing up (and still am as long as I live under my parent's roof), to the point where it was almost unhealthy. For example, I couldn't walk home from the bus stop until I was 15. By that point it was almost time for me to start driving myself to school so it didn't really matter anyway. I understand that I am her baby and she wants to protect me but now I am struggling to deal with simple things in life that people normally find ordinary. 

The first time I had to ride the train into work I was petrified. Sure I rode the train with friends before but never on my own. I never had to be the one to count the stops or remember what you had to do with your ticket once you bought it (and don't even get me started with the subway). I'm embarrassed to say that I did fumble around with my phone a bit once I got seated to figure out more on what in the world I had to do. Do you buy your ticket on the train or before you board? What platform do you have to get on to get home? I was pretty much a mess that morning. My anxiety was through the roof and I hardly ate anything all day because of it.

 

Cities are much different than the country. I grew up in a small farm town; population = more cows than people. It wasn't until college that I finally got a small taste of the city life; the hustle and bustle, having to watch for traffic when you cross the street, the noise of cars and sirens all night, and the incredible light pollution. It wasn't hard to adapt to, being protected by the boundaries of the campus (even if the campus was plopped down right in the center of a neighborhood). But there was always something empowering about taking a walk to the comic store with a group of friends or finding a cool new restaurant to visit. It was invigorating making my own decisions, a true sign that I was growing up.        

 

Now that I'm getting older I've started telling my parents what I'm doing instead of asking (ok well I still ask a little bit, but that's only because I don't want to ruin any of their plans they might have, plus my mom is sick and if my dad can't bring her to her doctor's appointments I want to make sure that I'm here to do it). I still text my mom as soon as I arrive at my destination so she doesn't worry but I don't think that will ever change. 

 

My next big adventure (I hope) is to take a plane without my parents. I want to travel and experience all that life has to offer. I want to break out of this shell and experience the true beauty of living.