My First Tutorial, Awe.

Hello lovely people!

 This is my first photoshop tutorial on something I really love to do. 

Retouch!

 This is a very basic skin retouching video--but it shows how easy it is to do, how to make things look natural and accomplish a lot with a little. 

I hope you enjoy it and like I say in the video--PLEASE give me some feedback! Let me know if I am moving too fast, too slow, not conveying enough information, etc. :)

Now that I've uploaded this first one--what do you really want to see? 

xoxo

I'm A Photographer.

All of you know (or should know) that I am a photographer. I attend the Art Institute of Seattle where I am earning my Bachelors Degree in Commercial Photography.

For my Marketing Class I will be integrating some of the things I have learned either on my own or in school. But what I need from you is what you would tips or techniques you would like to see!

Lighting?
Photoshop?
Posing?
Equipment?

I currently shoot with a Canon 7D and my favorite lens is my 50mm 1.4--it could be my favorite because I got it for Christmas so I'm still in that "it's brand new!" stage...or because I really love the quality of photos I get when I use it. Only time will tell, but I think it might be both. ;)

I just completed a course in which I shot and developed my own black and white film. That class seriously changed my outlook on photography. Sure, I love digital SO much and I loved shooting film before--but developing it all on your own and making your own prints is a different story.

All of my personal work will more than likely be in film and on my iPhone. That's one reason why most of the photos I post on here are from my iPhone. It's something that I always have on me, can upload immediately, and don't have to edit afterward.

I know there are so many aspiring photographers out there--so what is it that you want to know? I'll try to answer any and all questions you might have! What is it that you may want to learn? Please comment  and let me know!

xoxo

Bullies

A few days ago someone I know accused me of being a bully.

I know.

I'm not going to use this blog post to tell defend myself because everyone that knows me knows that is the furthest thing from the truth. But it did get me thinking--maybe there is someone in all of our lives, that seems like our own personal bully. What do I mean? I'll explain.

A bully is a person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the bully is mean or that the bully even does these things intentionally. I think there is someone in all our lives that is stronger or more powerful that seems to intimidate us.

Bullies can come in all forms--sometimes we perceive people as bullies because our own insecurities are highlighted in their successes. Maybe the characteristics you see in the bully are actually the things you lack.

Maybe your bully is that person that always seems to be one step ahead of you.
Maybe your bully is that person that seems to have it all together.
Maybe your bully is the mom that is the head of the PTA, goes to all of her kid's games, works a full time job, makes dinner every night and still manages to go to the gym every day of the week.
Maybe your bully is the new employee that is already climbing the corporate ladder to the top when you've been there two years and are in the same position as you started.
Maybe your bully is a fellow student that always seems to come out on top.

Maybe your bully is yourself.

My bully is myself. I am my own worst critic. I have a constant anxiety over my grades, how others perceive me, how I am doing at work--I am almost always questioning myself instead of going with my instincts. I want need to be the best in everything I do, and when I'm not sure that I will be I have a tendency to shut down. I'm a perfectionist in the worst way. I would rather not try at all than to try and fail.

What is important is that we realize why we think this person is a bully. After we identify it--we can overcome it.

Words can also be a source of contention when it comes to bullying. Not everyone hears things the same way. We often misinterpret things when we already have a preconception about the person saying them. Our attitudes and feelings are playing into every word they say, every action they do, every look they give. Therefore a neutral statement may be misconstrued as a bullying remark simply based on how we view the person saying it--or even by what we may be going through at the time it is said. We might be overly sensitive to a subject, and unless that is known someone may upset us without knowing it.

This post isn't to say that bullying isn't a real issue--because it very much is so. I'm a huge anti-bullying advocate, I'm just saying that as an adult the way we see bullies has changed from when we were younger. Bullying is a very serious issue in the world today--especially with the internet being easily accessible and anonymous. If you know someone that is a victim of bullying, please be sure to report it. Without proper action--it cannot be stopped. Verbal bullying is the most common type of bullying--with 77% of students being verbally abused. If you don't ask questions, you may never know.

Join in on the pledge to end bullying, here.

xoxo

Bridesmaid Boxes!

In my last blog post I introduced y'all to my bridesmaids. Well, now here are the boxes I sent them to ask them! :) 

Everything about the boxes reflected my wedding--the colors, the theme, the sentiment of it all. We are going to have a very "down-home" feeling wedding, travel themed, vintage with the colors pale aqua, blush, and oatmeal with gold touches. I really wanted that to be clear in the boxes I sent them.

These shipping packages are just from the post office! 

Supplies:

Plain wooden boxes with a gold metal clasp from Jo-Ann's Fabric

Pale aqua paint

Pink tulle

Oatmeal colored doily

2 packs of scrapbook papers (travel themed and vintage flowers)

Pearls

Plain David Tutera cards

Burlap 

Washi tape

Hot glue gun

Paint brush

Scissors

Paint pens (black and white)

WHAT I DID:

I folded the tulle and wrapped the doily around it. 

 I painted the inside of the boxes/trim and added the vintage flower scrapbook paper to the inside top with hot glue. I then cut out pieces of paper from the travel scrapbook pack and wrote on that and glued it as well. Then I hot glued the pearls all the way around the inside/top. 

I also hot glued the travel scrapbook paper to the top of the box and then wrote their name with a black paint pen.

I also made little burlap bows that I put a "happy" in for each of them. I gave my bridesmaids a neutral colored lipgloss and just slid it inside the bow. :) 

I also "made" the cards I sent them--I took plain cards and cut washi tape to fit over the front cover, and used a paint pen to draw the first letter of their name. 

And then on the inside I wrote why I wanted them to be a part of my wedding day and how much they all mean to me! 

If you did something special to ask your bridesmaids--what was it?!

Also, if you were to get a "happy" what would you want? I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to send them. Nail polish? Earrings? Lip gloss? Let me know!

xoxo