I'm 22!

So the 4th was my birthday! It was a Monday, so my friends and I all went out that Saturday. Last year I took some studio shots of Brian and myself before we head out, so I had to do it again this year. I took some selfies and some silly ones of ourselves. Most notably, the prom pose. I even took about five minutes and did some jumping shots. I got one photo from it that I really loved. Here's some of the photos from that night!

Fashion Self Portrait

Nice, Simple Self Portrait

Birthday Present

So, my boyfriend is the best and got me the limited edition CMYK Diana F+ lomography camera! It's so pretty and I'm so pumped to shoot with it! It takes 120 film, so I'm a bit nervous, because the first roll is bound to be a throw away roll. So far, I've just taken some photos of my dog, Lola. She's a wonderful model haha. I'll scan the photos and post them once I go through this roll! Stay tuned!

New Toy!

Brian got me an Oh Flash from Photo Jojo for Christmas! Well, part of my gift anyways. We played around with it a little bit last night. I like it! It has a really interesting and cool effect to it. I'm excited to use it more!

Causing trouble in the dark | Lookbook

I started packing for London today and while figuring out what to take, I couldn't resist trying on a few things. I hadn't posted a look in a while and figured now was as good a time as any! I love these tights! They look like garters.

Tonight I'm not takin' no calls | Lookbook

My friends and I went out tonight dancing! My boyfriend got me this dress, because he knows I love galaxy print and I've been waiting to wear it out! It's so cute and such an easy outfit.

Sunday Funday | Lookbook

Brian and I are going out on a date tonight! We're going to one of my favorite restaurants in Peoria, Jim's Bistro. We're going to get oysters Rockefeller as each of our meals and just have an appetizer night. I can't wait! I'm obsessed with seafood, especially oysters Rockefeller!

My Bedroom

I thought it'd be cool to give you guys a little peek into my personal life. My room is definitely a collection of everything I like: zebra print, pink, studs, sparkles, etc. Although there's not nearly enough purple, but that's okay, because when I redecorate there will be plenty. This was also a good experimentation with my new Sony Nex7 and 50mm 1.8 lens!

Lola

Pillow Pet

Friends

Dreamcatcher

❤❤❤ | Lookbook

I just got some new sweaters and cardigans from Forever 21. I felt like being cute and girly today, so hearts and bows it is! And some combat boots to toughin' it up a little bit.

I Finally Made a Lookbook Account

I finally got around to making a Lookbook account. I've been meaning to forever. I figured in the winter it'd give me another reason to use my studio and take photos of my outfits. Click here and fan me!

New Camera

So, I just got these bad boys from Peoria Camera today. I've been playing with them for a while now and all I can say is, wow! It's definitely different than my Canon 60D, but I'm loving the capabilities. 

 Sony NEX 7

 50mm 1.8

I love my 60D, but while I'm studying abroad this January in London, I was wanting something a little smaller. Once I learned of Sony's Learn 2 Earn program, it was a done deal. It's such a compact, but powerful camera! I absolutely love it.

Finally Got a Proper Backdrop Stand

I finally got a good backdrop stand from work last week! My 4 foot wide paper roll looks so puny now! I plan to hit up Hobby Lobby at some point and get some fun fabric to experiment with. My days of shooting outside is definitely numbered. It just keeps getting colder and colder. Can't wait to use this more this winter!

Brian and Me II | Couple Session

I braved the cold this past weekend and took some photos with my boyfriend, Brian. We only got a handful before I gave up. It was a bit colder than I expected. He was a good sport, though, and let me at least try. Next time, I need to remember to do it when it's a bit warmer out!

I am the Halloween Queen | Self Portrait

For as long as I can remember, my favorite holiday by far is Halloween. I wanted to get into character this year and busted out some of my (p)leather accessories all at the same time. Crazy makeup, dark lips, crosses, spikes, and studs were all needed to complete this look. It was a ton of fun getting ready and these two ended up being my very favorite.

 

Happy Halloween, everyone!

New Job at Peoria Camera Shop

So, I have some good news: I got a part-time job at Peoria Camera Shop! I'm pretty excited! My goal in life is to find a job that doesn't feel like work, which is why I chose the creative field and more specifically photography. I am so glad I'll get to geek out a little bit more about cameras and help others with their photography needs. Please like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

New Internship at Radio Peoria

 

I recently got hired as an intern at Radio Peoria - a Cumulus Affiliate! I'm so pumped! I listen to one station in particular a lot, so I can't wait to help out. I'll be doing normal intern stuff, but also going to radio remotes/events and helping out, attending concerts, taking photographs, doing graphic design, blogging, and anything else they can throw at me! All the people working there are super awesome and just chill. It's great. I love the environment.

Check out the station websites for 105.7 the X, Power 92.3, River 97.3, and 95.5 GLO!

I Won 2 Categories in the BU Photo Festival

I'm so excited! Bradley put on it's 1st annual photo festival. The theme was 'faces' and we could submit 3 photos total into the 3 categories: portraits, self-portraits, and animals. I chose to submit one of my photos into each category. The BU Photo Festival created a Facebook page and then had people 'like' the pictures to vote. My photos got the most votes in 2/3 categories. Thank you, again, Facebook friends! It was greatly appreciated!

 

This was what I submitted for the self-portrait category. I was a little disappointed that there were only 2 entries total for this category.

I submitted this photo of Diego for the animal category. I'm SUPER proud of this photograph. Why? Well, for one, I shot it in film. Yes, your girl does occasionally shoot film! I was so pleased with how this turned out. It was what I was going for, but even better! I love the composition, the blurred background, and the expression Diego was making. I mean, the theme was faces and I though this just fit.

Again, thank you so much to anybody who liked my photos! I hope next year it's not based on Facebook likes, though. I'd rather a judge compare the photographs and decide which one was the best in each category. Regardless, I will definitely enjoy my two $25 Amazon gift cards that I won.

Well, Hello 2012

Hello, everyone! I haven't blogged on here in a while and I wanted to change that. It's the colder months, which means it's pretty slow since I only shoot outside right now. I do have some exciting news to share, though!

First off, I have upgraded my camera body! I've gone from a Canon Rebel XS to a Canon 60D. I'm in love with it already. It was a much needed upgrade and I'm hoping that my newer work will show this positive change.

Another upgrade I am currently working on is a small home studio! My parents are graciously letting me use some space in the basement (we never go down there anyways). My new camera can wirelessly trigger my 580EX speedlite, so I'm hoping to improve my strobist skills and be able to do some quality indoor shots. With my luck, I'll probably have it all put together and ready to go when warm weather hits. At least I'll have an alternative for rainy days, though, and cold weather is sure to come again.

I'm really considering doing a 365 or a 52 week project. I'm going to be practicing on myself for lighting for a while, anyways. I have a tripod and the 60D's screen flips out and has live view, so that's the plan. I ordered a wireless remote trigger, so hopefully that comes in the mail soon!

All in all, I'm really excited to get back to shooting and I hope to improve along the way. Thanks for reading!