1-29-15, 1-30-15, 1-31-15

 Double exposures with my roommate, and getting lost on dirt roads in Oklahoma = great roommate bonding time these past couple of days

1-29-15: More double exposures for today, but using my roommate as a model instead of myself :)

1-30-15: After having our fountain on campus turned off for more than a month, they finally fixed it and turned it back on. I love doing homework by the fountain when it's warm

1-31-15: My roommate and I decided to go on an adventure this afternoon, on the dirt roads of Oklahoma. We drove past Mosley schools and their baptist church, ended up at New Life Ranch and then back in Siloam Springs, AR all without ever taking a major highway or road.... We like adventures. Just not ones with crazy rednecks with a blownout headlight.

1-27-15 & 1-28-15

Being slightly sleep deprived over the past couple of days has made me very creative and artsy. So these pictures reflect that weird mood of mine.

1-27-15: While down by the creek the other day,  I saw this beautiful white feather, laying perfectly still on the surface of the water.

1-28-15: My camera has a double exposure feature, and before today, I hadn't been able to get it to work in a way that I liked. But today I figured it out. Silhouettes are the key to getting good double exposures. 

1-24-15, 1-25-15, 1-26-15

So this week has been a little hectic. I started my social documentary project this past week, and fine art photography is fixing to start off big time this week. I was told by a friend that I should share the adorable office cat from my social documentary project. So everyone, meet Leonard. He likes to drink from toilets and running faucets. :)

Now for the real project 365 pictures. 

1-24-15: While helping a friend with her photography assignment, I stumbled upon a whole bunch of fresh water oyster shells at the edge of Sager Creek. I thought they were really pretty with all the river rocks around them.

1-25-15: Both of these pictures are the same piece of stained glass, but different views of it. This stained glass isn't normal. It is just frosted and etched pieces of clear glass put together in a mosaic pattern.

1-26-15: Today was rather uneventful, but it was such a pretty day that I spent almost all my free time in the swing under this big ole pine tree.

1-26-15: Today I also joined the unofficial club for glasses wearers. I've already been told I look  smarter and more professional and adorable........ hmmm. What do you think??

1-22-15 & 1-23-15

I have discovered that I have a problem picking a favorite picture from that day.... So I often end up with two depending on how the day went. I need to learn to focus on one thing that day and just enjoy everything else even if I don't take a picture of it. My day-brightener this morning read "God puts each fresh morning, each new chance of life, into our hands as a gift to see what we will do with it". I think this is 100% true. What if today was your last day and you don't get tomorrow? Wouldn't today be better if you didn't focus on planning tomorrow? Think about that.

1-22-15: The sunset and a silhouetted tree

1-22-15: This picture takes a little bit of explanation. It's basically an abstracted pathway. 

Now the process for making this image is a bit confusing. It is a 3-image HDR that I told my camera to take. Because it was overcast this day, properly exposed was near 1 second, so during that initial 1-second exposure I zoomed my lens a little bit, and then let the camera finish with the other two images, and combining the three images into one image. The result is this image that has ghost-like trees and a time travel feel.

1-23-15: A sunset picture of a pinecone. I used the reflection off of my lens to bounce a little bit of the light back onto the pinecone.

1-20-15 & 1-21-15

This week has been a whirl-wind of activity and assignments and life and everything in between. But despite all this chaos, I still found some interesting shots and photographic moments to take pictures of and made some great memories along the way. There were some pictures I wish I had gotten these past couple of days (like a selfie with Tim Ernst, the wonderful photographer from my home state of AR) and a better picture of the sunset yesterday (which was spectacular).

1-20-15: Chasing the sunset and finding beauty in the simple.

1-21-15: The waterfall in downtown Siloam Springs.

1-18-15 & 1-19-15: Bless the Lord O my soul

Have you heard the song "Bless the Lord O my soul" (aka 10,000 reasons)? It's one of my favorite songs. Here it is on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXDGE_lRI0E

Did you know it's also a Bible verse?

"Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities: who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies." Psalm 103:1-4 KJV

These few verses serve as a constant reminder that no matter what it is that you are facing in life, God is always there for you. It reminds us that God has forgiven us of all our sins and healed us of all our diseases. Remember that as you go through the rest of the week. Better yet, get that song stuck in your head so then you'll be singing about God's grace the whole rest of the day. :)

Here's the past two days pictures!

1-18-15: I called this piece "Soar". 

I have a fascination with the sky and everything in it.

1-18-15: sometimes at the end of the day, you just need to lay in the cemetery and look at the clouds.

1-19-15: I spent as much time outside today as I possibly could. Here is our beautiful Cathedral of the Ozarks. 

1-16-15 & 1-17-15

First week of classes are done and that seems to be bringing warmer weather (for a while at least). I seem to have the problem of not being able to pick a picture that I really like (which may or may not be a bad thing). You may be seeing a lot of my social documentary class projects appearing on here because those days, I probably won't have time to take a different picture that's not for class.

January 16: a self portrait. It was so nice outside that I couldn't help but go out for pictures

January 17: my goofy friends and I have an odd fascination with this particular headstone in the cemetery. We have lots of "GOFORTH" jokes.

January 17: my friends and I under our favorite homework tree in the cemetery near school.

1-15-15 - The art of seeing

Today, I was very un-motivated to take pictures, so I went on a photo walk, hoping for inspiration to strike. And now I can't choose which one of today's pictures I like best. What do you think?

When I saw this rock, sitting un-moving in the creek near school, I immediately thought of how God never changes throughout all our seasons of life. He's constant and he doesn't change, kinda like this rock. The creek around it may rise and fall or even dry up, but it will be a long long time before this rock is moved.

I saw this tree as I was leaving the creek. It was soo white against all the other trees around it, I immediately thought of how interesting it would look as a black and white photograph with high contrast.

Both of these images were unknowingly inspired by my daybrightener's verse today: 

sing unto Him a new song.. for the word of the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth... the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. -Psalm 33:3-5

God made both the rock and the tree. I like to find daily reminders of God's presence everywhere I look. After all, photography is the art of seeing.

(Dayspring stores http://www.dayspring.com/books_and_journals/365_day_perpetual_calendars/) 

Favorite 365 Websites or blogs

http://captureyour365.com/

Check out this lady's website. She has some great ideas on what to shoot for your 365 project if you have run out of ideas.

EDIT: 1-17-15

I saw this hilarious video of church appropriate dance moves. Check it out!

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=02M9MJNU&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=fbpage&utm_campaign=gtupdate

January 8-14 : Week 2

Week two is over and complete. It takes 21 days to make a habit right?? 2/3s of the way there :)
Today was the first day of classes, and I wasn't going to post until tomorrow, but I needed to unwind and give my brain a rest before I tried to fathom and contain all I was told today. HA! So I hope you are having a good week and keep watching for more updates!

Now for the pictures.. :)

January 8: after some failed attempts at astro-photography (it was just too cold!), I settled on doing some abstract work featuring my piano.

January 9: a thin sheet of ice over running water

January 10: out for a drive with my mother

January 11: an abstract selfie 

January 12: a self portrait out in the woods behind my house. 

January 13: Got back from school and went for a lovely sunset stroll through the neighboring cemetery, and was reminded that Jesus is always there, even if you can't see Him. 

(two crossing jet plane trails in the sky)

January 14: got up really early this morning to go to workstudy. I was glad I had my point-n-shoot camera with me, or else this photo op would've been missed.

Back at school

Here I am, starting my 2nd semester of my junior year. I'm excited to be back among my friends (but I miss my hometown friends). I am planning on posting at least once a week with an update and that week's pictures :) . I am feeling confident that I will be able to complete this project. God loves you! Have a great day and thanks for stopping by my blog!

January 1-7: week one :)

(click on the pictures to see them bigger)

January 1: a selfie with my bestie

January 2: an HDR of our woodstove

January 3: Driving across Greers Ferry Lake

January 4: a super macro shot of a leaf in the front yard

January 5: a picture of Sugar Loaf Mountain by the light of the full moon

January 6: a super macro shot of my little Stormmi's nose

January 7: a long exposure of the plasma ball my aunt gave me

the begining of something amazing

I've tried to do the project 365 for two years now, and I haven't ever finished it. But this year I am determined to finish it. I may not get to post every day, because I am a student, but I will at least post once a week. Please read and share this blog with others, and if you are doing a 365 project this year, please don't hesitate to contact me via email or comment!