Wanderlust…c’est la vie

My sincerest apologies for not posting in ages, the end of my sophomore year and the beginning of the summer holiday was a whirlwind of stressing over finals, traveling to Minneapolis for a week, and now, here I am, sitting in a hotel room in Stratford-upon-Avon. Yes, the place of Shakespeare’s birth. Yes, I am in England. Why, I’ve been in Europe for almost two weeks now in fact, and that’s what this post is to be dedicated to.

Traveling for me is not only just “fun”, it’s an incredible learning experience and there’s nothing that I love more than it. (Besides photography and skittles and a few other things). It’s not just about seeing the famous and touristy sites. For me, to experience a new culture and indulge in it is more worthwhile than sightseeing. Actually immersing oneself into the culture of the new place is such a brilliant experience, and all I want is to do it as often as I can. I’m so passionate about traveling and  as I type I am struggling immensely to come up with the right word or sentence to describe my passion. I guess this will have to do. If you read all of that, you’re wonderful. If not, you’re still wonderful.

Allow me to entertain you with some photos (that remain mostly unedited) of my European adventure.

Arc du Triomphe, Paris

Fabulous street art in the heart of Paris

The beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral A different look at the Eiffel Tower

Gorgeous sunset over Omaha Beach, Normandy

Hopefully at least someone found these photos interesting to look at, wherever and whoever you are! If you’re hungry for more of my terribly exciting European adventure photos and notes, fear not! I plan to post a “Wanderlust Pt. 2” as soon as I physically can!

Goodnight/good morning/good afternoon to all of you lovely people. xoxo (And just a side note, I’m not sure if any of you are French speakers, but “c’est la vie” translates to “that’s life”).

Why Photography?

I love photography because, well, it’s my passion, and I love it with all my heart and soul. It’s like my baby. Photography is the one thing that I feel as if I can completely express myself with. There are so many tangents one can go off on with a camera, and there are so many beautiful things that can be discovered. 

With photography, boundaries can be tested, and I can create works of art that I am truly proud of and dedicated to. Photography is unique because a single moment can be captured forever by just the click of a button, and the photographer can shoot that moment any way they deem fit. 

Myself, I’m proud to be who I am, and although I sometimes hide behind my camera because I’m scared, or want to escape the world for a little, I’m not ashamed of who I am, and I think that my photos show that. 

So here I am, doing what I love most. 

The World As We Know It

I continue to ask myself daily why there is so much hatred in this world, and I constantly struggle to understand why. In fact, my struggle has gotten me nowhere, except to the conclusion that I, and I feel as if I can speak for many, many people when I say this, am completely fed up with the amount of havoc that this world has seen. 

I do understand the petty kind of hatred that everyone feels during everyday life, but not the kind that drives men (and women) to bomb annual events, or to attack a school full of little children. I also understand that there is scientific evidence that states that many tragedies and crimes are committed by those who are mentally unstable, which is a tragedy in itself. However, I don’t see that as a good enough reason as to why these kinds of acts are committed against humanity.

I truly believe that humans are overall good, but when things like the Boston Bombings of today (April 15th, 2013) happen, I begin to question people as whole.

My questioning as lead me to the decision to act upon my thoughts, instead of only feeling sorry and remorse for those suffering. I believe that actions speak a whole heck of a lot more than just words and feelings do, and I wish that more people’s actions were noticed. 

I’m only a 16 year old girl from Montana, and it will be very hard for me to make my voice heard. But I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that it is heard, because the world as we know it can only benefit from those who act on their thoughts against the horror and terror that we have known for so long. 

RIP to those killed in the Boston Bombings of today. 

I pray for a speedy recovery of those who were injured, and my thoughts are with those who were effected in any way, shape, or form. 

Empire State of Mind

It has been raining continuously for almost 2 days now in my town, and dreary weather tends to put in me in a sour mood. To avoid this, I try keeping myself in a golden state of mind, while making the most of the grey weather. 

I often go out and take photos on a cloudy day, and sometimes they can turn out pretty well. I also listen to music that makes me think of dancing in the sunshine and summer. Both of these things help me aspire to an “empire state of mind”. 

Below I have a few links to songs that help me through the weather, and a few photos that I’ve taken during the rainy season. 

Always Spring – I’m From Barcelona

Daylight – Matt & Kim Cloudy days make for cool long exposure shots. This was taken in the San Juan Islands, Washington after a full day of rain. 

En Plein Air

One of my very most favorite artists, Claude Monet, or “the father of impressionism”, was known for his successful paintings of completely natural light. I find shooting in the great outdoors completely fascinating, and it is my goal to capture natural light to the best of the ability with my camera.

A few of my “en plein-air” photos are posted below, enjoy. 

A Golden Afternoon

Capturing the fascinating beauty of glitter has always been a goal of mine as a photographer, and let me tell you firsthand, it is not easy. I attempted to take a series of artistic photos throughout a 15-minute time period with glitter before giving up with only a few successful photos as proof of my struggle, face and hands coated in the stuff.Throughout my youth and continuing into my teenage years I have been conquered mercilessly by glitter. It is the herpes of art supplies, once even the smallest amount is on you, it’s on you for good.

Here are the few images that I am moderately pleased with, I hope that you, whoever you are, enjoy them.

 

The Path Less Traveled By

Doing what I love most.