SNap.

Sitting here, getting so excited and ready for this class, for college, for pictures in new places... I thought of this picture, one of my dear friends. It's pertinent to this class - photography - as well as the feelings I have right now. Missing my friends that are gone, anxious to meet new ones, looking beyond, trying to focus. 

Let Down Your Hair!

Camera shot! Didn't turn out too bad, eh? 

A little about me - I LOVE love LoVE Disney princesses. Well, Disney in general, but the classics the best! The movies, the princesses (Belle is my absolute favorite!), the amusement parks, you name it, I'm lovin it. So that they are coming out with a new somewhat "princess-y" movie gets me SO very excited!! I love the animation. And the sappy-romantic-over-played story line of boy meets girl and they go through some difficulties and then fall in love by the end.... Something about it just makes me happy, like peanut butter and Harry Potter. It's a little quirk about me that you just have to just know, like the fact that I am only five feet tall. It's just part of me, and this picture helps to describe it. Most people would walk on by in the movie theatre without a second look. I (having already seen the trailer multiple times on youtube) know the upcoming movie, take a picture and use it on my blog. Yep, that's me! 

Double.Take.

Accidentally shot as I walked down my road today, this shot turned out differently than I expected. Double-take for sure after I uploaded it. It caught my eye not only because of the motion it captured, but the images I could pull from it. It looks as if I could be running, skipping, jumping. The road could be anything, shooting stars (yes, I am now imagining myself running on the skY!), a piece of art, a concrete floor, a blanket. This is my life right now - it's open for the taking. I am so ready to do things that make my heart do a double-take, make me push the boundaries and skip through the sky. I also picture myself running towards something in this picture, towards a new beginning and place. This photo reflects my mood and my day, the dim subdued colors of rain and grayness. I am somewhat behind other friends already busy with college, so this could also be me running towards that new future. 

SpuNK.

As I was explaining yesterday, my sister and I are very close. The best of friends. So, the idea of me leaving in exactly one week from today weighs heavily on both of us. Knowing that Rachel's first game of the season (today) would be the only one I could see all year, of course I signed up for the two hour car ride and craziness involved with every soccer outing. I love it all - the screaming fans, the parents freaking out that their darling little girls (who definitely aren't darling out on the field and who are now seniors in high school) will get hurt, the drama/politics that come with every school sport. But most of all, I love watching my sister play and being there for her. I've done it since I can remember, when we both were running around on the field thinking only of the oranges at halftime. We are partners in crime in everything we do, whether it is side by side or with one of us on the sidelines cheering the other on. Rachel is my hero and one can see from this shot how awesome she must be. She goes into life with full force, getting after that ball like it's the only thing that matters in the world. That's how I want to go into college, into this new journey. With the spirit and spunk (do you see that ponytail!?) that my little sister has. May both of our lives, together or from the sidelines, be full of that love and fun spirit we both have, especially when we're together. <3

Down the Town.

I am starting to realize how with each CliCk I make, each day that goes by, I get closer to college but farther from those I know and love. Yes, I cannot wait to get there - I'm honestly afraid of hurting my family's feelings because I'm so excited - but I do know I will miss them all dearly. Above all my sister, Rachel. Today we were able to spend some quality time together, just giggling and goofing off and shopping, a favorite past time for both of us. Our downtown has this special aura that just makes me love my hometown more than any place on earth. Everyone smiles, walks by and says hi while looking you in the eye, it just has this feeling of comfort for me. This shot was taken with that comfort in mind as well as an appreciation for where I live. The cute boutiques (pictured is the most adorable kids clothing store ever) with their unique storefronts just make the tasteful buildings complete. Just like time with my sister completes me, a walk down Main Street fills me up. And the two combined is just a blast! I take these everyday activities for granted, so it was nice to CliCk them today and appreciate them. 

Side By Side

Okay, this is not an everyday sight so I decided to cliCK it. I have these fake wooden deer in my front yard, meant to add to the scenery of our landscaping, I guess. Ever since my mom brought them home and put them on the porch, I was confused to why we needed them. For me, the endless trains of LiVE deer that pass through our yard everyday suffice, and are much more beautiful. 

But the other night as I was running through my house I glanced outside and saw this scene. And I was just stoked. The live deer among the fake ones. What could be more contradicting yet complimenting? I stealthily ran up to my room to grab my camera and sneak a picture from the upstairs windows - I didn't want to scare the real one away! (I wasn't too worried about the others) What wasn't captured in this shot though was the live deer's fawn hanging around, too. Memorable moment, for sure.

From Japan, With Love

So I first must admit that this picture is not at all my favorite. I took it only because a young girl who touches my heart would not leave me alone until I did. But taking a second look at it later on my phone, I realized how cool it actually is. Both because of its content and its little kid style. Jhazmin, who's name you can read at the top, lives in Japan. She speaks and understands both English (because of her American mother) and Japanese (since she's lived there for the majority of her seven-year-old life). On top of that, she can understand some and speak a few phrases of Urdu, her Pakistani father's language. I, being an absolute language fanatic ever since my semester abroad, am always newly fascinated with these cultural family friends we have. We were lucky enough to spend a few days with them during their American summer trip to Montana and Wyoming. Here pictured is Jhazmin's depiction of herself and "decorations" around her, a friend my age and her own drawing, and mine - trying to be witty with the Hannah banana picture. Next to each of our sketches are our names scribbled in Japanese by this giddy little girl. I love the different cultures represented, Elise drew a cobber corn to represent Concordia College where she's off to in two days. The Japanese symbols, english, bananas, stars.... it's all so eclectic and different. The coloring of the photo seems little kiddish and somewhat distorted, which is fitting for a sketch that would not fit perfectly within any one category. Oh the people you'll meet around the world and within your own home town!

Chico Hot Springs!

Paradise Valley, Montana. One of the most incredible places on earth! Imagine hot springs with friends, full moon, stars, laughter and fun... enjoying those last few days of freedom in the sunshine. Life is going to get crazy once school starts and everyone just wants to live it up :) Tonight's highlight was spending that time together. This shot of the old (established in 1872, I believe?) Chico Hot Springs sign with the bright new flowers struck me.

Apples To Apples

Board games have become a daily activity with our friends this summer... and Apples to Apples is one of the favorites. This round was hilarious because the category was "Feminine" and NONE of the cards worked within that group. We laughed endlessly at these six cards. I like this shot because of the hilarity as well as the coloring, the cards whiting out into one another. 

Moon//LIGHT.

Camping, Bridger Mountains, Moonlight. 

I took this shot yesterday while camping with a few friends in the mountains. I loved the full moon behind the gnarly up-rooted tree, the embers from the fire and dust floating through the air. Laughter and yells from my friends met my ears as I let the moonlight fall over the trees, dead and alive.

Here's the second for today, a picture taken yesterday as well. I love the movement of the fire, dancing freely. The log across its flames contains so much texture. Combined, the heat and its source are full of life, just like the friends enjoying it. 

Golden!

Walking along Sourdough, a street right by my house, I am inspired not only by my best friend making me laugh and fall as I'm trying to take pictures, but my breathtaking surroundings. The glow of the sun over the wheat fields, hay bales, distant mountains and even in my friends' eyes fills me with pride. A pride of where I come from and the landscape around me; pride of the friends I have and the thankfulness I feel towards it all. This picture captured the moment's glow that enveloped everything around me and within me, a golden light that brightened this Montana girl's day.  

MusicOnMain.

This is MoM. Music on Main in Downtown Bozeman, MT. Every Thursday in the summer Bozeman locals gather for live music, dancing and socializing in the three main blocks of downtown. I took this shot with my phone, trying to stand on my tiptoes (making me a full 5 feet and one inch) to include as many bystanders possible. The nights are full of drinking, laughing, somewhat awkward conversations with people you haven't seen all summer, but always interesting times. The music blares, the colors flare, and people smile. . . Summer times just CliCK. 

Brightness!

So far most of my pictures have been taken outside, with subdued colors, and far away focal points... 

This one deals with an image inside - both my heart and home.

 The colors are so bright and vibrant in this photo, similar to my relationship with the focus. I love my little kid stuffed animals surrounding a guy that doesn't exactly treasure the childish toys. Yes, I forced him to pose for this picture. Though, it turned out not as I had planned. He still retains that casual pensive expression where I had expected a dorky "I'll play along" smile. The picture evokes a sense of withheld playfulness which makes me want to play along. It's fitting for today's entry as he moves away to college and really becomes a "big boy" in his next journey in life, much like most of us college freshmen. The future is full of this brightness for all of us!

"Good night"

Sunsets seem to have a mystical quality, that sense of liminality that creates lighting breathtaking to the photographer. Only during that limbo period between day and night can the soft colors of flowers, grasses, clouds, smiles, really be emphasized and experienced. The history, too, of this tree post is clearly conveyed as the sun sets. Its old wrinkles of time are ruggedly defined against its gentle surroundings. Our whole days are summed up in those few moments of the setting sunshine, good night to the day and good day till tomorrow. 

TOgether.

Seven best friends, one absent for our 'end of the summer reunion.' But with us, when you're physically not there, it doesn't mean you aren't there in spirit. Our friend Margot was still included in this self timed picture, just a quick depiction of the crazy girl we missed last night. Happiness is present everywhere in the photograph, from laughter to smiles to silly expressions. It is obvious we are all so comfortable and perfectly content with simply being together. Friendship is a feeling of elation in this shot.  

SummerDaze

These moments are few and far between. Laughing and jumping off of a floating dock, a warm breeze blowing through your hair, water swirling around bare feet, blue skies - moments like this need to be enjoyed, experienced, remembered. Take a deep breath and let the summer daze envelope you as the picture takes you into that contented place. 

Beyond.

I love this shot. After traveling through part of Europe this summer, this photograph always struck me as appealing and significant. The obvious idea of moving from dark to light, but beyond that, the cultural aspects of Germany {Munich, here} are apparent. The cobblestone streets, older ornate architecture and shorter buildings strike me as beauty commonplace all over Europe, but real wonders to us Americans :) 

Chained.

Chain link fences. This picture makes me realize how I sometimes focus too much on what is in my way, what my obstacle is, what is chaining me down, when the splendor beyond is already in sight. The day was bright and full of life, tennis being played behind me, people running and picnicking on the other side of the fence. Summertime! 

Prairie Dog Town.

Prairie Dog Town. Greycliff, Montana.

I dare you to drive until something like this pops up on side of the road in Montana. Honestly it would not take very long. Forty-five minutes away from my home town, five Montana residents went on a journey through a town full of little land squirrels. The scenery captured in this image, though, is what makes this picture 'click' for me. The beauty of the golden grasses, the motion felt by the wind blowing in our hair, the clouds dancing in the sky - it all portrays that summer moment that made us feel so alive.