Tomorrow at 7 I am officially done with my 5th Quarter. Really scary! I can’t believe I only have three more now. Things have been so crazy busy, but I promised myself I would post more work on here and especially since I need to desperately update my website. So here goes, new stuff!
Molly and Matt’s E-Session
To see my favorites so far, check them out here.
Some of my favorite images from the quarter.
Check out this cool shoot Rachel Anscher art directed for her Small Bites Magazine. I love this shot!
Some images from my great class with Michael West.
Here are some of my favorites from Zach’s Location Lighting Class. I had some great classes this quarter.
I really do have so many I could post, so I will try and post more over the break. But for now, those are my newest pieces. I am off to bed, I am lacking sleep this week and I have critique tomorrow.
Farewell
Today I photographed some Sea Glass for my friend Jani’s book. I was honored she asked me since it is going in her final portfolio. Jani has been collecting all kinds of sea glass and other found objects from the shore since she was little and it came in handy for her project. I had so much fun this morning photographing all this interesting old glass.
This shoot made me want to go to the beach really bad.
I really haven’t posted anything since Easter! Yikes!!! I am way behind and have lots of catching up to do. I guess I will start with why I am so behind on posting new updates.
1. I have a great internship this quarter and when I am not interning, I am going to class, shooting, or babysitting and trying to hang out with Matthew in between all that
2. I am shooting, shooting, shooting. I have been shooting so much I can’t keep up with editing and retouching. 
3. I had my very first engagement session yesterday in Athens which was great. I will post more of that later.
4. I was in a wedding the day before my 26th Birthday
5. I am also in another wedding in August
6. I have been putting my design skills to use with creating invitations, koozies, logos, all kinds of stuff. Which is why I think I might start a small design business on the side. I have so much stuff that unless you go to the wedding to get the koozie or get the invite, all my pretty designs never see the light of day. Anyone have any ideas for a business name?
7. I have been able to travel a little for weddings recently. I went to Charleston with Matthew for a wedding and I got to go home for a few days to Knoxville.
8. I went on a hike with my dad and took some pretty cool nature pictures
9. I feel like I am starting to understand still life photography now
10. I am pretty excited to be finishing my 5th quarter at PC and starting my 6th one pretty soon
Fortunately I am pretty lucky and I get to babysit for some great families in Atlanta. I have always loved kids, and when I get the opportunity I try and capture a few shots here and there when I get the chance. Here are a few cute ones I have taken lately.
Audrey
Maggie and Charley Weeks
Julia’s Wedding weekend in Knoxville was a blast and full of fun events. Here is a photo of all of us girls from Julia’s Bridal Luncheon at Carson’s house.
Here are some of my favorite shots I got while I was in Charleston. These were taken with my cute little Canon Power shot camera.
Last but not least, if you want to check out the nature shots from my hike, click here. Any hike is worth it to me if I can get some cool photographs along the way.
I will try and post more later, but I at least wanted to post some new things. Later alligator!
This year I stayed in Atlanta for Easter and I have to say it was a really nice day. It was perfect weather and so relaxing. I love this time of year when the colors are so beautiful and everything starts to bloom. Thankfully it was a nice day Sunday and I could take advantage of the weather and get some Easter shots. Matthew’s neighbors gave me the sweetest Easter Basket full of goodies and it was so cute I had to take a picture of it. Thank you Chris and Oscar. 
How cute is that!
Another Easter Shot!
Spring at the Carter Center.
The walkway at the Carter Center.
All the Flags.
Last, but not the least important, my favorite image I got of Matthew the other day.
Hope everyone had a fantastic Easter Day!
Sunday I had the pleasure of going back to Rutledge to work on a photo essay for my Location class, and on my way home to Atlanta I saw this huge cloud of smoke pouring over 20 West. I didn’t even think twice about it, I just stopped to see what was going on. There were no firetrucks or any police officers yet, and I just waited and watched as I saw flames go up everywhere in this one lot. I stayed for a few minutes to see what it would be like to document the event. These are the images I was able to capture of the fire.
Timing really is everything with photography. I was never able to find anything online about the fire, so hopefully no one was hurt. But I have to say, I wouldn’t mind being able to capture events on a daily basis, I think it would be a great opportunity to meet all kinds of people and travel all around. Next week I am really going to try and go to the Livestock and Rodeo Show in Perry Georgia. Wouldn’t that be a great event to photograph!
2009 has treated me well so far, I have nothing to complain about. I work part time babysitting here and there when I can, I go to class (I have never missed a class), I go home and edit photos while I watch a movie or listen to Sex and the City, and if I am not doing those things I am usually out shooting. I am trying to stay creative and inspired this month, and reading other blogs, websites, magazines, books, etc is just not enough I have decided. No matter how much I read and try to learn, the only way to learn is by doing. So therefore I have decided once a week or more I am going to do something completely not me, something random, and just shoot it. I have no idea what it is, it might even be something in my house. But I am finding that I am really only shooting when I have a photo shoot for a project, or if I really see something cool and I have to take a picture. But the truth is, I need to be shooting all day, every day, all kinds of things and maybe I should even continue the sunrise/sunset assignment on my own. This is so far my goal for 2009. I am really going to work on that this month. Sometimes it helps to write it down because then I feel like I will hold myself to it.
Since we are on the topic of goals, these are my goals for 2009:
1. Get my promo pieces printed
2. Actually read an entire book
3. Join a club/organization in Atlanta
4. Learn to cook something other than frozen foods
5. Cut down on the carbs
6. Call a friend once a week that I don’t get to talk to very often anymore, that way I can stay in touch more
7. Continue my letter writing, I love sending thank you letters and birthday cards to people. It makes me smile.
8. Call my grandparents once a week to chat and catch up. I would want my grand kids to call me.
9. Make a running wish list of everything I need to start buying for my future business (it might take a while, but at least I will have the list)
10. Be more confident in everything I produce.
Having made my list of goals, I should be good to go. Now, here are some of my latest inspiration shots I found. I have a folder just for inspiration shots and I am constantly looking for more.
I love all these shots because they are something I would never think of and I would probably never try to do, and they are really different. They help me think outside the box.
I am going to post some of my latest work this weekend, but for now have a good night.
A few weeks ago on the 16th I photographed my friend Chris Talley for some of his music promotional pieces. I remember the exact day because that was the craziest week ever for me, and two because I actually had two photo shoots outside that day and it was I think a high of 25 degrees. It was freezing. I felt like I was back in Maryland that day. But despite the cold weather and not being able to feel my toes or hands, the shoots actually went quite well. Chris is an amazing musician and song writer and I was honored he asked me to photograph him.
Here is one of my favorites I shot of him that day.
Be sure and check out his site. I would write more tonight, but I have to go study food photography for an upcoming project. Good night!
I have not posted anything in a while, so I figured I would take a few minutes and do a recap. It’s already practically the end of January, almost half way through my fourth quarter and almost half way done with school. Weird yet scary. January, the first week of school I was so bored, I mean I actually drove around and organized I was so bored. The first week is always good to lay low and relax because you are getting acquainted with your classes, your teachers, and your upcoming assignments. I guess I have just never had that much free time since I started PC. But then, the next week it sure did pick up and it has been constant ever since. Constant and busy in a good way. I am always trying to learn new things, new tricks, meet new people, try out new lighting systems, anything I can get my hands on to learn I do it.
So as a recap of 2009 so far, here are some things I have been up to:
• I went to Knoxville for my friend Julia’s engagement party
• I was given the opportunity to design my friend Jessica’s “will you be bridesmaid cards
• I was asked to be by Jessica’s side on her wedding day as a bridesmaid
• I saw Carla Frank speak on the launch of the Oprah magazine, and then I got the opportunity to photograph her
• I took pictures of my friend Beth’s husband for his musician promo pieces
• I have learned all about bidding and estimates for photographers
• I have learned I want to learn more about still life
• I really want to see like 10 different movies out right now
• While I didn’t get anything into PDN this time around, I did get a photo in th Art Director’s club competition
• Slumdog Millionaire and Benjamin Button are my two new favorite movies
• I worked with a stylist for the first time ever and figured out things go much more smoothly with a stylist
It’s been a good start to 2009 so far, and hopefully good things will keep on coming.
Happy New Year!
This year I decided I wanted to go to Cades Cove and take some shots at Sunrise over the holidays. I really have not been there since I hiked with my KRC Swim Team which was about 12 years ago, so I talked my dad into going with me on New Years Eve to venture around and get some shots. Well let’s just say I ventured around, my dad is in far better shape than I will ever be and he ran around the whole loop which is about 11 miles. Here is an overview of the area.
If you have never been to Cades Cove it is truly beautiful. It is right in the Smoky Mountains and it is so peaceful. Here are my favorite shots I was able to capture that morning.
And last but not least, my favorite one.
On a side note, I started my fourth quarter today at PC. Wish me luck!
Well it is officially January 3rd, 2009! I can’t believe it. Happy New Year! Over the Holidays I tried to be as productive as I could be and at the same time rest and relax before school starts back again. I normally do not take too many pictures over the break, but I did this time. I practiced with some lighting on my dad’s friends, I went to Cades Cove at sunrise, and I went to my grandparents house in Big Stone Gap Virginia. It was a jam packed Christmas break this year, but a fun one.
Visiting my grandparents every year is always an adventure and there are certain things I will always remember. This year I decided to try and capture the small things I see every year, things I have seen since I was probably 2 years old. I know it sounds weird, but I know there will be a day when plans change or I have Christmas at my home, and I don’t want to ever forget what makes Christmas so special at my grandparents house.
My grandmother collects teapots. She loves all kinds of teapots, and every time I go to Virginia I see a different one.
My grandmother also collects perfume bottles.
And, she collects porcelain baby dolls.
This is my lovely grandmother, Kathleen Gillespie.
This is my very sweet grandfather, Paul Bentle Gillespie. We call him P.B. though.
The stairway I used to play on when I was little.
The Christmas Tree
The Winter Wonderland figurine house
It is crazy how you can see the same things every year and not think twice about it, but for some reason this year I really wanted to make sure I have the chance to remember those memories when I am older. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and has a wonderful start to the New Year!
