Alexis

We're going to take a throwback to when I first started trying photography.  I had a friend, a few years ago, who worked as a model.  I thought it would be a very cool idea, as well as a challenge, to try to do a photo shoot with her. Going into it I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.  Good thing she was patient enough to deal with me.  I had my little photo shoot area set up in one of our spare rooms, brought in some lighting, had my new camera and we were ready to roll.  I art directed her, and she did a magnificent job of following along (thanks to a wee bit of experience.)  It was the first planned shoot I had ever done.  I am much more into journalistic photography than organized photography, but it was a fun experience nonetheless. 

I'm going to take this opportunity and introduce you to my family!! I have 2 younger sisters and my parents.  Kayla and Emma end up being the subjects of a lot of my photos (probably because they're around and are both a little full of themselves...), but it works out well for me.  They usually have no issue "modeling" for me.  My parents are a bit different.  My mother refuses to take a picture, so unless I capture her without her knowing, I don't get too many pictures of her.  My father doesn't really care about anything, so he'll sit there and let me take his photo, but he is not quite the best model.  By far, however, the most photogenic in my family would have to be Roxie, the dog.

Bugs

Not to be weird but I have a low-key obsession with photographing bugs.  Man oh man,  I wish I had a telephoto lens so bad.  I love the look of a shallow depth of field.  I finally invested in a no zoom micro lens, which photographs beautifully, but requires me to literally be an inch from my subject.  It can be a pain in the butt.

I love bugs.  I love their vibrant colors, and the fact that they're so small, not too many people actually get an opportunity to see them up close.  Perhaps that's why I like to photograph them so much; it's something new to look at.  

West

For any of you who have not traveled out west yet... do it.  Honestly.  The West > The East.  West side for life. Sure, the majority of the west consists of miles and miles of flay, endless land, but it is a landscape that is so extremely diverse and ever changing.  You won't find too many forests, but what you will find is Earth that is at a magnificent scale.  Canyons that stretch miles and miles, mountain ranges that tower into the horizon, gorges carved out by glaciers over millions of years ago.  It truly is a sight for sore eyes.
Nobody really thinks about the west too often.  I mean, truly, there is not much "industrialization", not too many people except a few cowboys here and there, and your typical hiker going off the trail. But it is a land of the free.  It's where people go to fulfill their passion, to be "one with nature." To embrace their wild side.  Perhaps it is simply residual excitement, but after my trip out west, my wanderlust is at an all time high.  It is all so grand.  Traveling to Utah, we visited two of the famous national parks; Arches and Canyonlands.  Take a look on the map of Utah.  The two parks take up a tiny section of the south eastern side of the state.  Yet standing there, on the edge of the canyon, looking out for miles and miles and miles of land in this national park, makes one realize how insignificant they are,  That;s not necessarily a bad thing, but there is so much more to life than what you see looking out your window.   There is so much to be seen, so much to be explored, and so much to be discovered.

jake

This is my boyfriend, Jake.  He's my guinea pig when it comes to all my photography attempts.  Whenever I want to try something new, he's there to model for me.  Whenever I want to travel somewhere for the opportunity of capturing an amazing shot, he's my camping buddy.  He's my support and my confidence.  And he grows his beard out long because he knows I like the lumberjack look.  He's perfect. 

Utah

I have always had the strongest desire to travel.  Ever since I was a little girl, I had always wanted to get out and go.  I got bored staying in the same place for too long, I got bored of my home. After we moved to Charlotte, it only took a few years for me to get bored of that place too.  I never wanted to sit still, there was always someplace else to go and something else to do.  There was one location though that I did imagine myself finally settling down in.
When I was about 12 my friend went to Colorado and sent me a different picture every hour for the week he was there.  Just from those images I fell in love with the state, and knew that I belonged there.  Since I got older, it had been my goal to travel there.  Now, I finally have the opportunity.  This Spring Break, I'm going on a camping trip to Colorado and Utah.  My boyfriend and I bought plane tickets last minute, flying out to Denver and driving to Arches National Park in Utah. This is basically a dream come true to me, something I have wanted to do since I could walk, and now I have the opportunity to do so.

I'm bringing my camera and my gear, ready to capture the beautiful landscape of these amazing places.

On my trip to Haiti I met this beautiful little girl named Jericah.  The village she lived in didn't have much, she didn't wear underwear, didn't have anything but a tiny little dress that barely covered her bum.  But she was the brightest, happiest little girl.  She was always excited to meet new people, and opened up to you so easily.
























When we first met Jericah she had a pink little dress on that said "Princess." She took on the nickname princess for the rest of our time there.