Alright, alright, you can say it… I’m terrible at keeping up with this blog. But yahno, when you have like seven different social media’s to keep up with (on top of real life), the blog no one actually reads really takes a back seat. Either way, I’m here now, and I’m ready to fill you (the person who, for whatever reason, finds my life to be in some way entertaining or important) in on the life going’s on of me.
So 2017 ended. But not before a thrilling trip to NYC to visit my fabulous cousin Russell (& meet his equally fabulous boyfriend Matt, both pictured below) and chit chat with some wonderful scad grad photogs to try and figure out how I’m going to make the whole post-grad situation work.
I had a marvelous time galloping around the city, daydreaming about my potential future in the magical boroughs that make up New York City.
Eventually, it was time to return home, where I got to see plenty of snow, spend time with my family, and celebrate a wonderful Christmas.
Soon enough, it was the new year, and I was headed back to sav to finish out the last five months of senior year. I ended 2017 with a terrible cough, and to this day (a month and a half later), I’m still sick. I’ve made jokes about how this quarter will go down in history as “The Quarter I Was Sick”, but tbh, it’s really starting to look like thats going to be the case. (Incase you were wondering, I finally did go to the doctor, and they so kindly informed me that all of my symptoms point to “allergies” or “asthma”, both diagnoses I refuse to believe, and have fully retreated to my I-Will-Get-Better-Eventually-Without-The-Help-Of-Modern-Medicine mentality… It’s going really well… obviously)
I’m currently enrolled in a Business Entrepreneurship class that dominants most of my schedule, a Photo History class that almost seems like a joke at this point in my education, and my Senior Portfolio class. For my senior project I decided to test my limits a bit and shoot nudes – self portrait nudes. Now, this has been quite the exploration so far, and I won’t say I wasn’t nervous on the day of the first critique, however, I have become so much more comfortable with the entire situation… So much so that I actually hung prints (of my own naked self) on my wall in my room.
Who am I
While I have obviously become frighteningly okay with this concept, I’m still not sure it’s a good idea to share these photos digitally, so, they will not be posted right now….. but I did get new glasses and took some nice selfies that you can see !
I’m planning on writing more photo-based posts from the past month or so, and hopefully doing a better job keeping up with this blog in the upcoming months (lol let’s be real, it’s not gonna happen). Until then, I hope you’ve enjoyed this brief update and my hilariously unprofessional writing style !!
Somehow, I kept the promise that I made to myself in August to continue shooting for myself and not simply be consumed by projects and deadlines.
With the help of my wonderful friends who encouraged spontaneous adventures and consistent inspiration, I created work that wasn’t for any reason other than the sake of creating… and I loved every second of it.
To my surprise, this blog receives one avid reader (my apparently-devoted sister, who informed me that it had been far too long since I had updated said blog).
So here we are. The end of the beginning of my final year of school, and boy was it a whirlwind. I feel like I shot more consistently this quarter than any other quarter at SCAD, and for once, I’m content with the results. The quarter began pretty slowly — I produced my first successful video montage, titled “Stronger” ,
and the first set of photos for my commercial lighting class which were photographic recreations of tear sheets from a food magazine:
This was a pretty slow start to the first four weeks of the quarter, the last 5 were much more eventful.
One night, at around 11:00pm, I had the idea that became the concept for my final video project and the 18 photo series for Studio Lighting. I contacted six of the most wonderful girls I know, and luckily they all agreed to be a part of my project.
Over the course of the next four weeks, I set up six studio shoots, six individual location shoots, a group shot, and six video/interview shoots, to produce the final set. It was a blast hauling around a lighting kit (with stands, soft boxes, etc), a B1 strobe kit, my camera bag, and another bag with miscellaneous other items all over the city of Savannah. I couldn’t be more thankful to the girls who put up with my crazy, occasionally completely lost, exhausted self and set aside time to help me to create this work.
I hope that this is only the beginning of this project, and eventually I’ll be able to expand to and even broader range of women.
This quarter helped me to grow and learn and hopefully get one step close to the reality of my future that is fast approaching…
Starting now I am going to make a conscious effort to dive into myself. I am going to focus in on photography (pun intended), learning what makes me happy, exploring the things I see, and enjoying the freedom I have in my life right now.
Today I started the day slow, made my way down the streets of DC, snapping pictures as I went, realizing that while I may hate how they looked in my camera, I was on a mission to transform them completely.
I sat in Bourbon Coffee for three hours playing around and this is what I’ve created so far…
I can’t believe there’s only one month left of my final summer as a student… Naturally it flew by (as summer always does) and I am in complete denial that I’m about to start my senior year of college.
Terrifying.
Anyways… In a last ditch effort to get the most out of this last month, I have decided to start my own little shooting project. Most of the photos I’ve made this summer have been for other people, and while I am happy to be getting “real life” experience, summer is usually the time I spend shooting for myself, and I wanted to make sure this summer was no exception.
Living with someone (specifically a significant other) is a truly unique experience. I feel like I take for granted the time I spend with someone I am so close to. I wanted to capture my experience living here, with Anja - the little candid moments that we share, and the things I notice that no one else gets to see (until now, I suppose). In a way, this is me chronicling my life, through her. So every day, I take out my camera in hopes of capturing at least one special moment With Her.
(I plan on posting these photos day by day, so hopefully by the end of the month this post will include the full collection of photos)
