I've only just begun.

Recently I feel like I’ve had a lot of defining moments in my personality. Maybe this is something that every 23 (almost 24) year old goes through at this age. If they haven’t, I hope they do.

A few months back I read this quote by Steve Jobs and it has stuck with me since: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

I think I’m finding it, and it’s exciting. I know I am on the right path, because when I was finished working with the image below, I felt giddy as a school girl. Couldn’t hold it in, couldn’t wait to share it with the world. Couldn’t wait for Colleen to see how beautiful she is! I loved every second of it. I think I’m onto something. Now I just have to be patient while I continue to find it and not worry. If you know me well, this will likely be the biggest challenge of all, but if it means I get to make things like this every day in the future, I’m convinced I will overcome it. None of it seems to matter when I have a camera in my hand. Dramatic? Maybe. True? Absolutely.
All that being said I would LOVE to take your photo. Don’t be shy. To be honest, I’m probably too shy to ask YOU (working on that too, personal growth here we go!).



Here are some other photos from the past month that have also given me similar giddy-ness and excitement. I hope that one day you (whoever you are reading this) can inspire me just the same and get a photo out of it that makes YOU feel good. It doesn’t take a lot, just your awesome self and my lens.

Arkells @ PCH - Nov 28, 2013

Said The Whale @ Brass Taps - Nov 14, 2013

Said The Whale @ Brass Taps - Nov 14, 2013

FIN.

That time we climbed a mountain and almost died

Here he is again; Bukowski on my blog. I just can't help it. He speaks to my soul!

I took this photo of Jodi this past summer when we had just finished climbing Mount Carleton in New Brunswick. We had gotten there a day earlier, and it was the first campsite/park stop of our 3-ish week long trip (unless you count the weird christmas-themed with discoteque campsite in Quebec. I do not.). It had been raining all night, everything was wet, and we only had one tarp so when we wanted to sit by the fire and eat we had to use one hand to hold the umbrella (a good preview for the rest of the trip, little did we know). That morning we woke up and debated climbing the mountain like we had planned because it had been raining all morning. When the rain had stopped for multiple hours we were all like: "Heck yeah! We're going to climb this mountain!". So we did. On our way to the top we got distracted by streams and rocks, and mist and our imaginations convincing us we'd likely see a gnome or fairy or something, and it took us a lot longer than we had hoped.

Jodi read that you could see 10 million trees from the top of Mount Carleton. We saw like, 20, because the clouds were so thick. Not to mention the fact that it was freezing, and the winds were picking up, and it was dangerously close to sunset... as much of a sunset there could be with all the clouds and actual lack of sun. We didn't spend much time at the top. There isn't much to see when you're above all the layers of clouds. There was a separate path to lead to the bottom of the mountain, the only problem was that we had to find it, and we were the only ones at the top of the tallest mountain in the Maritimes.

Because Jodi has a level-head, we found the path alright and reached the bottom just before dark, and just before park staff probably would have come looking for us (we saw them come to check the sign-in sheet at the bottom literally 5 minutes after we reached the bottom). We had talked on the way down about what survival instincts kicked in while we were up there. I was nearly convinced we wouldn't find the exiting path and instead have to be stuck up on the top of this mountain during some crazy thunderstorm and get hypothermia and perish. Like, who starts climbing a mountain at 5pm on a rainy day in essentially the middle of nowhere (with zero cellphone service)!? People who die, that's who.

But we didn't.

We just were living such an awesome, adventurous life that day that instead, the grim reaper was all like: "Yo, these girls mean business." TAKE THAT, DEATH! ...Knock on wood.

FIN!

Inspirational Monday

I'm in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, and I'll admit it. It's unfortunate that more often than not I find myself worried about the future, rather than excited. I don't have a complete, structured out plan, and that scares me. After reading these words by Dale Carnegie, it became (more) obvious that the days I feel worried, are days that I am not working on particular skills that are going to get me where I want to go. I feel excited on the days I feel determined and immerse myself in making beautiful things and feel convinced that one day, I will make photography a life. 

This is going on my wall to remind me to keep going. For the days when I feel tired and want to retreat back to my bed. For days when daydreaming seems easier than actually running towards a goal, and for days when I'm scared that if I put myself out there I'll be less than awesome. 

Everyone has been frozen by failure, the difference between those who thrive and those who fall is the and drive to keep going (my drive is fuelled by passion and the desire to create). Even if that road seems to stretch so far into the distance that you can no longer see it.

Feel me? If you do, I think you know what you need to do: Something. Action. Whatever you want to call it. Laziness can feel great (occasionally), and easy, but making something great feels even better.

And a big ol' props to Dale Carnegie for the words to spice up another one of my landscape shots. I dove into the summer archives for this one. Jodi and I were somewhere on the road in New Brunswick... but let's be honest, that's where most of my beauty landscape shots have come from.

Fin.

Friends and Hot Toddies!

Today I'll let some photos do the talking....

1. Shea is a Beaut!!

2. Delicious hot toddies, candles, friends, lovely chats.

 Love this one:

Fin.

Autumn Beauty

As cold as it has recently gotten outside (and it has; I'm writing this wearing mittens with the tips cut off so I can use my fingers because I refuse to turn the heat on yet), this quote is just one of my favourites in the world. It makes me want to stand on a mountain and spread my arms really wide and smile at the sun, or clouds, or whatever is closest to me. I try to remember it when my bed seems comfy and the wind is frigid and the TV is playing friends and I don't want to take part in physical activity.

I took this photo on my walk home a couple of days ago while it was raining and this autumny-leaf tunnel was extra vibrant. 

 

I've also decided (again) that I need to start treating my camera like I treat my pants.... never leave home without it. This saying won't catch on due to it's unfortunate grammatical nature, but I'd say it's a good one for me to live by (not that I often forget my pants... to be clear. hahaha).

Fin.

This work by Wendy Shepherd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Find what you love and let it kill you

"Find what you love and let it kill you. Let it drain you from your all. Let it cling to your back and weigh you down into eventual nothingness. Let it kill you and let it devour your remains. For all things will kill you, both slowly and fastly, but it is better to be killed by a lover." - Charles Bukowski

I like a lot of the words I have read by Charles Bukowski. Making me feel polar opposites so strongly in the same sentence is an incredible feat as a writer. His words push my comfort zone and make me feel calm. They lift me up while silultaneously reminding me that the world, as beautiful and as great as it is, will always have darkness, similar to the way in which it will always have joy. That's why it is so important to see and create happiness whenever you can.

But while it is important (for some) to live a passionate life doing what they love, it's also important not to lose sight of that darkness (whatever that may be: anxiety, struggle, failure, of ourselves and others). Without the challenge, I think we lose our drive to better ourselves and the world for other people. I am best driven by my desire to create in a way that will bring good to somebody, somewhere, somehow.

These words also really jump out at me because I've been chasing my passion. Capturing moments and inspiring others is definitely what I'm running after, but I'm still hoping to find it. Once I do, what better way is there to go about living and being great than by doing what you love and being consumed by it? Not just in your occupation or your passion, but in any form.

"People think of heaven as a paradise garden, a place where they can float on clouds and laze in rivers and mountains. But scenery without solace is meaningless." - Mitch Albom

Fin.

Wedding Numero Uno

I did it. I dove in, and did something I never thought I would. I got to assist shooting a wedding for the first time.

A beautiful wedding: A farm setting with paper lanterns and string lights. Sounds lovely to me :)

 

FIN.

My first shot at surrealism

Surrealism in photography (I'm not even sure I'm on the right track to the correct term, but this about sums it up). I'm hooked. I love it. And yesterday, I took my first shot (haha, see what I did there?). I have been thinking for a long time now about how I wish I could make images as crazy and beautiful as the ones I see on the inter-webs (side note - why would anyone use the word "internet" when they could say "inter-webs"? so hilarious and not at all grammatically correct. Anyway...). Yesterday I decided it was time I try. So I busted out my tripod and played around. (might I add I had to shut my bedroom door for the right lighting and turn off my fan so my hair wasn't too cray-cray, and I just about melted in the process).

 

I wish I could say I planned it. I didn't. I kind of worked backwards. Truth be told, the original image came from a negative mood that later seemed to turn into something kind of uplifting (to me, anyway). I won't give it any more of a description than that unless someone asks. I wouldn't want anyone to influence what I felt while looking at a photo, so I will stray from doing the same.

I think I'll do many more self-portraits like this. I'm also going to get a library card and read ALL THE BOOKS on surrealism.

Happy Thursday! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BEAUTIFUL BEST FRIEND SARAH FAIRMAN!

FIN.

Alex Ricci & The Still Nothing release their debut album "Imprints"

On June 20th I got the pleasure of photographing Alex Ricci & The Still Nothing's performance at the eBar in Guelph for the release of their debut album, "Imprints". I had a fantastic time climbing around on the stage and capturing them from all angles, and at times, found myself plesantly singing along to their beautiful sounds ("No Expectations" is my favourite, something about that trumpet just grabs me).

Did I mention how awesome it is that Alex shares the same love for black&white as I do?? Not only did I have a fantastic time shooting these photos, but I learned to overcome some boundaries in editing. I'm not kidding when I say that the red lights in eBar are so bright that it looked like I was shooting on the surface of the sun. But that just made it more fun....

Victor (right) was hiding in the shadows all night... but finally... GOTCHA!

Gotcha here, too.

Couldn't resist my typical foot-setlist shot. I love details, and therefore I love these kinds of shots.

Love that disco ball

 MAKE SURE you check out and 'like' their Facebook Page, or click here to stream Imprints for free and to purchase!

Thanks for having me guys, it was a blast!

FIN.

Emily and Matt are Engaged!

What many would argue is the couple of the century are ENGAGED. Woohoo! I could not be more happy for them. I've known Emily and Matt for a long time, so when I heard the news that they were finally engaged I was super excited.

 

I knew immediately that I wanted to take photos for them, but admittedly, I was nervous to ask. I was worried: What if they want someone with more experience? What if I ask to take photos for them and they don't turn out? What if I'm awkward? (Mind you, I worry about this one every day, so for that to come up was expected) etc. It didn't take me long to realize that these were thoughts everyone gets but with the progress I made in the past few months, I had no reason in the world not to try. Baby steps toward some big future goals that I myself have not even fully developed.

When I got the courage up to write Emily a message offering to do so, I wrote it and then let it sit. Even though they're friends of mine, I was still providing them a service. I wanted to make sure it was just right. I wanted them to be happy and confident choosing me. As it turned out, in the end, I didn't even have to worry. I got a message from Emily asking me to take their engagement photos on the exact same day. She beat me to it. I was so excited I did a little hop and yelled "wooo!" out loud... okay okay, I don't exactly remember doing this, but I would imagine it was something to this effect.

Here are my favourite shots from the day. Maybe we will have another shoot in the future... WITH a rowboat this time. :)

That pesky branch was in the way, but I still love this one!

Just some casual serenading.

Em's a beaut, even out of focus.

I cannot put into words how lucky I feel that I know these two. If there is anything in my life telling me that things are timed out and happen the way they do for a reason, this was it. I hope that everyone can see just how much love these two have for each other, and if you don't believe it from my photos you'll only have to wait 3ish more months until you see it for real! Congratulations Em and Matt! ....and THANK YOU!

FIN.