Shooting Practice

How lucky I am to have so many willing models to shoot.

Stills

Stills aren't my favorite kind of photography, but sometimes you snap that perfect shot that truly shows the beauty of something that most people overlook and it's pretty amazing. Here's a few stills from various travels, both color and black & white. 


Black & Whites:

Color:

Locations: Charleston, SC. King Family Vineyard, Crozet, VA. Cobh, Ireland. Blarney, Ireland. Dublin, Ireland. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland. London, England. Brighton, England. Barcelona, Spain. Edinburgh, Scotland.

10 Things You Should Do Before You Graduate College

Since graduation and real-world freak-outs are a very real thing in many lives right now (including my own), it only made sense to think back to all the things I believe were instrumental during college in making myself who I am today. Some of these things are scary and little high school me would probably cringe looking at this list, but that's what makes it so important. You learn so incredibly much about yourself in those four short years and sometimes it takes sitting and reflecting to really recognize what transformed you. So, here's my take on what I believe are some important things to experience before walking across the stage and beginning the next freak-out part of life.

1. Fail. Yes, you read that right. Fail at something. Something big. Something small. Anything really. I failed at a lot of things throughout college and that's okay! It helps you realize that not everything you want in life (or in the moment) is meant for you. Not getting what you want but learning to move past the pain and let go of what's not meant for you is instrumental. You learn to cherish the things you do have and actually find a peace in not getting what you want sometimes.

2. Succeed. Opposite of the first point, but succeed in something so big you never would have dreamed it possible. Succeed so big that it brings you to tears and you see the full power of your potential. It's so unbelievably growing to find yourself in a position of accomplishment that you never expected. So, dream big, risk big and eventually you'll feel the rush that comes with the end result.

After successfully planning and completing our chapter's first recruitment!

3. Cry. Cry hard. Put your earphones in, grab some chocolate and sit in the corner hall of your dorm at 4am and let it out. Break down in a meeting with your fellow exec members and spend the next hour hugging each other. There's something so renewing and "human" about feeling emotions so intensely that your eyes can't help but fill themselves up. Personally, I always bottled emotions up until I just went numb. Once I learned that it's okay to feel so sad or so happy that you ruin your perfected winged eye look, I became a much happier person. It reminds you that you're human and things happen and you can allow yourself to feel those feelings you so desperately want to bottle up. Just make sure to pick yourself up, throw some water on your face, and go for a walk afterwards. Life happens and it helps to recognize and accept this!

4. Embarrass Yourself. and be okay with it! Slip and fall in front of a tour group, twice. Dress up in guy's clothes and film a clip for a club while walking around campus. Take goofy selfies with your roommates and post them online. Walk backwards at Relay for Life at 5am when your feet feel like they may fall off. Snapchat in public. Wear sandals when it's freezing out and you forgot to check the weather. Procrastinate so effectively that you have to strap on your tennis shoes and iPod armband to run to class with just a pencil (while trying to pass it off as a workout). Do anything that draws attention to yourself in a way that reminds you not to take life so seriously. Yes, you'll be embarrassed at the moment, but remind yourself to laugh! Nothing is better than realizing you look silly and just accepting it! You'll embarrass yourself countless times and that's a great thing. Life isn't meant to be serious 100% of the time. So, relish the moments where you wear different colored shoes, sprint across campus to class, or get caught social media stalking. Everyone does silly things they wish they hadn't, but if not for the learning experience, remember it will be something to laugh about later!

5. Put yourself out there. Do something crazy! Maybe you have the sudden urge to go to a new club, go through sorority recruitment, interview for a leadership position, join a random intramural team, talk to that cute guy in class, or go to an event solo, so do it! Learn to say "yes" more often and take risks! It's better to be honest and put yourself out there than look back and wish you had. College is all about taking chances and learning about the person you really are outside the comfort of your hometown. You may surprise yourself.

Exec that became family

6. Binge watch a whole series on Netflix. Because why not? Sometimes it's refreshing to make the choice to be lazy and lay in bed all day on a Saturday.

7. Change your major or add a minor. If I hadn't changed my major sophomore year I never would have had to take a sociology course and never would have fallen in love with a subject matter. Changing your major or adding a minor or another major is transforming. You become such a different person from high school and making a new big decision while in college like this is one more step in becoming the person you want to be.

8. Give people the benefit of the doubt. Yes, first impressions are important, but sometimes they're misleading. Always be willing to give people a second chance. You never know who could surprise you.

9. Call your family and friends from home. When I went away to college my parents made it clear that they wanted me to spread my wings and not feel obligated to touch base every day. Sometimes I got so wrapped up in my new life that I would forget to call them for weeks at a time, and even though that was okay, but I wish I had tried to call more often. The times when I got random calls from my brothers or walked home in the dark alone and called my mom were some of the best little moments because they remind you that your family is never too far away. Best friends from home are also some of the most precious and long lasting friends you'll find. Make sure to keep in touch when you can, but even if you struggle, know that when you come home things will fall right back into place. 

10. Keep up with freshman friends. Yes, you'll make so many more friends after you move out of your freshman dorm and embark on the next 3 years, but remember who those friends from freshman year are. The ones who made you cry because you were laughing so hard, and the ones who let you hang out with them whenever you felt like dropping by. Those are friends worth keeping (and are probably still some of your best friends). Schedule weekly lunches, take the time to catch up when you run into each other, sit together in the library when you're both there, schedule a random class together. Great friends are hard to come by and more than deserve of your time and effort!