Colleen & Baby Number Three | Family Portraits
My beautiful sister is getting ready to welcome her third child into the world. Although he’s not here yet, he’s already so incredibly loved!
Letting Go | Fine Art Photo
I don’t typically share the meaning behind my images, partly because I believe everyone will see something different in my work and partly because I’m a huge recluse when it comes to sharing what I’m dealing with. This image is one of the most personal I’ve ever created, it sums up a large part of my life that is over now, as much as it saddens me. In sharing all of this personal crap I hope that some of you can relate and even find comfort. If you have no interest in getting a glimpse into my personal life now is your chance to abandoned ship while you still can… because seriously, it’s about to get real…
Letting Go…
Recently I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal pain. Two months ago my relationship of five years came to a screeching halt and I was forced to move on from someone I once saw my future in. I went through a range of emotions hoping to find peace but only found pain. It was as if all of these thoughts and feelings were pouring out of my mind but instead of leaving me in peace and letting me heal they still lingered around me. I’ve come to see that healing is a process that requires an active and consistent effort. I’ve also come to realize that if God has shut a door in my life it’s because he has something a whole lot better in store for my future. So here I am… letting go. Letting go of a lost love. Letting go of a dream that I’ve carried inside of me for five years. Letting go of a part of myself. Letting go of someone I once held dear. Realizing that I have nothing left to give and being oddly relieved by it. I’m learning to let go and it’s the best thing I’ve ever allowed myself to do.
The behind the scenes process…
This image started out as me being totally weird in an abandoned parking lot. I wanted my pose to convey how it felt to be at a loss for words and at the end of my rope. The ground is scattered with flour because I originally thought I would be surrounded by flour instead of smoke.
I added this image to the background to get rid of the buildings and to give the photo a more secluded and organic feel. I took this photo in Montana during my road trip to Seattle earlier this year.
I knew that I wanted to incorporate smoke into my image somehow because of the way it lingers, a lot like the pain I was dealing with. I found smoke bombs at a small gas station a year ago and held onto them until the opportune moment… which ended up being for this image! I found that the green bombs produced the most smoke so I used them and changed the color of the smoke during the editing process. The wind was not working in my favor which is why the smoke is only in the left corner of the photo 😛
Letting Go
The Release of Knowledge | Fine Art Photo
I haven’t talked about it much but in October I had the incredible opportunity to attend a 3-day photography convention hosted by none of than Brooke Shaden… the awe-inspiring artist who is the entire reason I began expressing myself through conceptual photography. To say that I was thrilled would have been the understatement of the century. For months it was all I could think about, I was completely consumed by the idea of being surrounded by so many other creatives like myself.
The weekend of the convention came and it was so much better than my mind could have prepared me for. I met friends who I connected with on a level unlike any other and heard testimonies from artists that still bring tears to my eyes. The entire weekend was one filled with love, laughter, and learning… so. much. learning. I learned things about photography, things about life, and most importantly things about myself. It’s been two months since I took that trip and I’m still sifting through the tides of information that met me there.
I created the image above during the second night of the convention. The subject is a dear friend and fellow photographer who represents the embodiment of knowledge and how often times it can be both beautiful and chaotic.
Baby Bennett | Newborn Portraits
Bennett was exactly one month old during his session and he could not have been more adorable! He was wide awake the whole time except when his momma was holding him and he fell right to sleep. I loved photographing this little peanut!
Grace | Senior Session | Greensburg
This gorgeous lady is graduating in the spring! Grace and I grew up in the same church so her session was especially sweet to photograph. We took our time finding different locations and happened to stumble upon a field full of Queen Anne’s lace… it was magical and so is this senior. Enjoy!
