First Days...

For some reason, the song "Stop and Stare" by OneRepublic has been running through my head for the last week and a half. I would say it was the theme song for the beginning of my time here at Liberty, except that it doesn't really relate to how I've felt...but it's a cool song anyway =) Just not one that expresses my combined excitement about being here and sadness about leaving PHC and my wonderful friends there...so take that as you will =) Go listen to it if you want...it's a good song!

Anyway, this is really more of a personal post than a photographic one...since these aren't particularly exceptional pictures =) But I just had to demonstrate my neatness (some might call it over-achiever-ness/control-freak-ness) in packing up all my stuff...I was extremely proud of myself...and here are the results:

Boo.Yah. ALL MY STUFF. (except my favorite jeans that I accidentally forgot. but ignore that). And look how neat it all is! Aren't you proud of me, too? 

Here's another view, just so you can better see my achievement =)

We had to kill time on our way out (so Mom could pick something up at the library), so we stopped at Market Street and Tropical Smoothie (both of which I highly recommend) for our "happiness in a cup" to help us stay awake--hey we had to get up at like 8 am!! That's pretty early, when you've been on break for three weeks... =) 

Rachel already had her HAPPY cup from home...so neither establishment can take credit for that...

And that's the extent of my pictures from the day...I think my mom took a few more, but these are the only ones on my camera...

Oh, except the view that greeted me my first night in my new room! We had a beautiful sunset, after a gross day of cold rain...

I do believe this was a promising start...

So Much For "Tomorrow"...

Yeah...well...let's just say life got busy. Or maybe I discovered the "Hunger Games" series and spent like all my free time reading them and now really, really can't wait for the movie...which comes out in like less than two months!!! Maybe. Or, you know, maybe my internet was down...for ten days. Because you know, I would never give in and actually read a really popular series of books just because all my friends like it...which would of course be why I didn't read "Harry Potter" this summer. Mmhmm...

Follow all that? =)

Anyway. All reading aside...I've been adjusting to living on campus here, and so I haven't had much time to take pictures =P But I still owe you the photos from winter break, that Claire and I took...she needs to get on my blog, after all =) I don't think she's made it on here yet, which is ridiculous, since she's one of my best friends.

So without further ado...here are Claire and I =)

When we have free time and don't have to do school or go get a smoothie or something, we pretty much always bake something. So, presented with a morning of nothing we had to do, we made awesome apple oatmeal cookies. They were even healthy! (which was good, 'cause the boys ate tons of them).

The other thing we always do is listen to High School Musical. So we did. =)

Almost finished...

Our beautifully cookies and my beautiful friend =)

We've also decided that we have far too few pictures of us together...because it's true. So we took more!

Self-timers are wonderful things. Random pieces of grass that stick up in front of my face are not.

I think this one's my favorite =)

We like living on the edge...this should not be attempted at home without expert photographic supervision...taking pictures in roads requires great skill and ability to get out of the way quickly =)

Ask me how I know...

I think this is our epic "Chariots of Fire" picture...or something =)

So that's us...I've got a few pictures from the beginning of my epic time here at Liberty, and those'll go up shortly! So after starving you, you're gonna get two posts in one night! Excited? =)

Changes...

A lot of things are changing in my life right now...off to live on a college campus for the first time EVER. It's exciting, and a little nerve-wracking, and very sad as I leave my friends from PHC...but God is good, and I do believe He orchestrated this change...

Anyway, I'll have some more photos soon, hopefully, but for the moment, here are the fun photos from our trip to North Carolina--the "behind-the-scenes" view of what we really did for most of the weekend... =)

How many people can look at one computer? A lot, we discovered =)

Rachel and Abby were...having fun. I'm not sure what they were looking at, but most likely they were reading each other's chats. That's what we did most of the time...

I love my sisters and my friends, and I also didn't mind the lighting in this hotel...for not having photographers in mind at all, as I'm sure was the case, it wasn't bad.

And yes, I realize that I talk about lighting a lot. But there's a reason: lighting is one of the most important elements of a photo, and so often, I just have to work with what I've been given. In places like this hotel room, I could have turned on different lamps and turned the overhead lights off (in fact, if I had, these photos probably would have been better...but I didn't think of it at the time). Other times, like at the wedding, I really have no control...but manipulating my camera and the way it lets light in is really a huge part of getting a good photo. Anyway. Enough photographic rambling...

Yes, Sarah's devious look is most likely because that is not her phone. And who knows what she is doing with it =)

As for Grace...........I don't even know what caused that expression. 

Oh, I just remembered--I have a few photos from a trip to Claire's house to share, so those will come soon! Hopefully tomorrow, since I need to get caught up before classes start on Monday =)

Get Excited!!

This is a special occasion for my blog, as I got the chance to take a few photos at a wedding! Though I mostly take portraits and cover events right now, I'd love to branch out into wedding photography at some point, and the opportunity to take a few photos at a friend's wedding was super exciting! Since I was not an official photographer (and we were sitting in the back, where I couldn't get a good view), these are mostly from the reception...between being sick and not being allowed to annoy people to take photos, they're not awesome. But they still make me smile =) So now you know what you're getting =)

My family has known Zach for 4.5 years now, and we love Annie as well, so this was an exciting day for us! Two wonderful, godly friends able to finally celebrate their marriage...it was a beautiful and joyous occasion.

These are the few ceremony photos I did get...I love the smile on Zach's face =)

The grand entrances at the reception--the happy parents of the groom, our dear friends =)

And the happy couple themselves!

A few details...by the way, have I ever mentioned how happy my 1.8 85mm lens makes me? It took the flower shot on the right...and it's wonderful =) 

These little girls were so excited to talk to Annie...it was adorable to watch them =)

Annie looked beautiful...it was so sweet to see her laughing with and leaning on her new husband...and yes, that's sappy. It's a wedding post. Deal with it.

=)

Toasts...

 

This next one is one of my favorites from the day...the laughter that fills these pictures exemplifies their relationship, but it was punctuated by tender, quietly joyful moments...

 

Watching their son and new daughter-in-law...one of the most generous, fun couples I have ever met =)

Cutting the cake, while the wedding party decorated the car and piled it with, as I like to say, a million and a half balloons.

  

A few more details...my happy lens again =)

Just a random thought: every bride should choose such a well-lit area for their reception...it was sooooo wonderful as a photographer to not have to worry about flashes or grainy photos...it was awesome =)

And so concludes the second wedding I've ever taken photos at...sometime I'll post my favorites from the other I did--where I was, in fact, the official second shooter.