This semester has been quite the challenge, but I’ve learned so much about photography and enhancements. Here are some of my favorite photos from the past few months. Thanks to everyone who was able to make this possible! ...
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Idaho winters are long and the novelty of snow quickly loses its appeal. Fortunately, the beauty of Spring here makes up for it. I took most of these photos the morning of Memorial Day, when the streets of Rexburg were quite and the sidewalks were lined with American flags. I had some time to kill so I went for a wonderful walk around town photographing flowers and Old Glory. I’m no gardener, but I can certainly appreciate those who are. By the time I took these Memorial Day photos the tulips had already gone the way of all the earth, so I’m really glad I snapped a few photos of the tulips outside of my apartment a couple weeks earlier. Most people would argue that dandelions aren’t flowers, but they’re so cute… The new Brigham Young University – Idaho Spori building, where I spend most of my time. Tulips and pansies....
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On our way home from our last excursion for Professional Imaging, the group I was riding with was levied a challenge to find the most interesting photo spot in half an hour. We ended up finding this dilapidated house out in the middle of nowhere. The sun was coming through it at such a neat angle. My classmate Max had the brilliant idea to toss dust up into the rafters to catch the sunbeams. ...
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For my second excursion with me Professional Imaging class, we stayed in Sis. Esplin’s lovely cabin on the river. Our focus this time was macro and fashion, but the scenery was too beautiful to resist shooting as well. Before getting to the cabin we took a small detour to shoot in an awesome field of daisies. I’ve never seen wild daisies before, so I was shocked at their size and vibrancy. Dotted among the daisies were cute little dandelions. Did you know that the white puffy top of a dandelion is called the tock? We arrived at the cabin a little before sunset, and the lighting was just gorgeous. This is a shot of the river through the trees. After the sun had gone down I went out with Sis. Esplin to lightpaint at a horse barn a short while away. This handsome old machine made a good subject. I thought sunset on the river was beautiful–I was in for a treat when I saw the river in the morning! I accidentally took the first picture with a tungsten white balance, but I ended up loving the surreal blue tint. We stopped for lunch in a small town en route to Virginia City and we were given free time to roam around scouting the little place out. I used the opportunity to do a lot of experimenting with angles and my camera settings. I was particularly enamored with a tiny yellow house that was apparently considered a rich residence in its heyday. Virginia City is a well-preserved little piece of history. We had arranged to do our fashion shoot in the old-fashioned town, and before the shoot we were told to get a feel for the city. Before heading in each evening of the excursion we stopped to light-paint various curiosities. The first was this old train near Virginia City, and the second is the “Rue Inn” not far from Rexburg....
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My first photography excursion with my Professional Imaging class took me through little Idaho towns, a beautiful lodge viewing the Tetons, through Yellowstone National Park and finally to a tiny resort town called Victor. Along the way I got to see an array of natural wonders and an old-fashioned gas station by a railway. I’m not much of a connoisseur of old industrial things, so figuring out how to photograph diesel pumps and rail cars was a challenge for me. The sky was murky at the time, which seemed pretty suiting. I’d gotten my new lens right before the trip so I did some experimenting with the zoom. We stayed the night at the lovely Sky Mountain Lodge. We’d arrived at night, so I had no idea just how pretty it was until the sunrise broke. I was so tired, but I couldn’t miss the chance to shoot the amazing scenery. Here are a few of my favorite shots! We’d planned for some specific stops in Yellowstone National Park but found that many of them were closed off for bear watch. Fortunately, there is nowhere in Yellowstone that isn’t interesting to see, and I was able to get these shots of a majestic waterfall, a billowing geyser, and a mysterious shallow pool shrouded in steam. Our last stop was Victor, a little resort town on the edge of Yellowstone. Victor is overlooked by a tall stone pillar that’s sort of the opposite of a stalactite or a stalagmite. Instead of being formed from the residue of water dripping down, this pillar is made from the minerals brought to the surface from the geyser beneath. Not many years ago it still bubbled and oozed, but now it seems to be dormant. Nearby, a still active geyser spills its steaming water in fascinating cascades. We used flashlights to light paint the structure after the sun went down. We had to be cautious not to move to much while our cameras maintained their long exposures because we were standing on a boardwalk that vibrated whenever it was walked over. ...
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I’ve lived far away from my extended family most of my life, so it was a huge treat to spend time with them at the first annual “Cousin Camp.” All the girls on my Mom’s side of the family that could come gathered at my grandma’s cabin for a weekend of crafts, games, and hanging out. Some of the girls I got to spend time with I hadn’t seen since they were babies, and some were little enough that I’d never met them before! I was so glad I brought my camera to capture these special memories. Uncle Jon and Aunt Allie’s girls Lacy, Avery and Ari: Aunt Leslie and her girls, HallieKate, Bailey and Lucy: Bailey made a treasure box that she was very proud of. Four Generations – Grandma Doreen, Aunt Melanie, cousin Kimberly, and her daughter, Adria. Aunt Melanie with her grandkids, Brenna and Adria: Adria–too cute! Brenna playing outside with the bubbles: Cousin bonding time! And, though technically not cousins, they’re still family–Grandma’s dog Rascal and Aunt Melanie’s dog, Toto:...
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I had the opportunity to spend 4th of July weekend with my aunt Bonnie. Amid fireworks and homemade rootbeer, I took the chance to snap some portraits of her three youngest girls, my cousins, Ashlee (18), Heidee (15) and her twin, Haylee (15). They’re growing so fast! Posing was a challenge at times since they were far more interested in talking and giggling, but I liked to watch them interact as sisters. I hope I managed to capture that bond in some of the candid shots. ...
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On the edge of Jackson City, Wyoming, there’s a new restaurant called the Lift. It overlooks a mountainside and is appropriately themed with old ski left chairs and recycled whiskey bottles. My photography class visited the Lift at the end of our last photo excursion to photograph (and eat!) their beautifully plated food. You can find my Lift restaurant food photography here. The place was so neat I couldn’t resist snapping a few shots of the restaurant itself, as well! Exterior: Interior: Here’s a shot of my photography class on the upper deck of the Lift! This was taken by my classmate and friend, Rex...
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Not long ago my cousin Kimmy Wright contacted me to ask about taking some photos for her daughter Bethani, who just turned two. Over the course of the discussion we decided it would be way more fun to do a full family shoot. We couldn’t have been more, well, Wright! *rimshot!* Daymon (five), Cori (four) and little Nini certainly gave me a run for my money as they scampered all over the BYU-gardens. I loved capturing candid moments of these cuties exploring. Our main man, Daymon: Our little princess, Cori: Nini, cute as a button: Exploring: Mom and Dad: Fun with Dad: All together, now! Five years old and Daymon’s already working the GQ pout. “Auuuuugh! MOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!”...
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