||One of Those Days||

You know those days when you'd rather just be driving listening to some really good music. Or exploring some place new not thinking about responsibilities, drama or the future. Just being satisfied with what's happening in the moment and the people your with. I've been blessed with many of those days but today is not one of them, which is okay. It's okay to have a day of being tired with lots of work that needs to get done. That's life.

||Shoes||

Shoes distinguish people and show style. Try to imagine who these belong to and what it would be like to be in their shoes for a day. Happy Thursday! 

||V.M.||

Valerie Martinez and I have known each other since middle school. She's always been incredibly smart, kind and of course beautiful! Valerie is one of those people who are so easy to have a conversation with and has one of the best laughs. She's gotten many acceptances to colleges already and I know she's got a very bright future in front of her. While we were in the car driving to the location where we took her portraits I asked her what she was planing on doing after high school and in college. She tolled me she wanted something to do with helping kids which would maybe include being a social worker. It warmed my heart to hear her say that where in our world now a days, becoming the next entrepreneur or celebrity is a very popular career choice. We need more people like you Valerie, it was a privilege to photograph your effortless beauty and hear about what your plans are.

Love // The Truest Kind

Love is an extraordinary thing. Our culture has distorted our view of love telling us  that the only way we can get it is through "Prince charming" or receiving the most expensive gift for Christmas, making it almost impossible to obtain. And that if you were once in love it's also possible to fall out of it therefor making divorce okay, because there's always someone else. I'm sorry but if you believe this then you have not truly experienced the selfless act of love. This love is the kind that when you put even the slightest effort in you'll never want to leave. It's the kind that when you truly experience it will suffice your chaotic mind and calm your uneasy heart. I'm 18 and have never even been in a relationship but what I have seen is  Christ's love and I wholeheartedly believed there is NOTHING greater. We could complicate the concept of this topic but when it comes down to it, it doesn't get much simpler. Accepting God as your Savior is the first step and then growing with Him in this world is the rest. Ladies, He doesn't expect you to wear make-up before coming to Him, Men He doesn't care how much you can bench press. There have been many situations in my life where I don't know how I would have survived with out His Holy Spirit in me, encouraging me and reminding me that I have a purpose for being in this world. You are loved and you have the chance to love a God who is outside of time, this world, our insecurities, our fears and whatever else we struggle with. Think about the person you love most in this world, and then times that by ten million, that doesn't even scratch the surface of how much our God loves us. Remember that.

||Not Hungry||

Lately I haven't been hungry which is NOT normal for me but this is still one of my favorite pictures I've taken. Enjoy staring at this burger 

||Great Weekends||

Some adventures don't require pictures. It was a great weekend and getting out of Carp was refreshing and much needed. Lodi probobly isn't the first place you would think to go for a roadtrip but that's where Tab, my friend Aaron and I ended up. And I can honestly say I had the best laugh in years, encountered the living God of the universe and got closer to some of the best people out there. I hope you guys had a wonderful weekend and if not make the next one memorable. 

||Refresh||

Your news feeds on Instagram and

Facebook arn't the only things you should be refreshing. Break habits and routine because doing something new and different is refreshing to the mind and soul. Go out and search for places you've never been and things you've never done. What have you got to loose?

 

||Finn||

Today, as Tabitha and I were driving to Ventura for a new born shoot I said, "I wonder what it's like to have a baby." Lots of people have babies and I've always wanted one but then I realized just how life changing it would be to actually have a real baby. And then I was thankful to be single and unmarried. One day, when the time is right I might get my own precious, cutie just like Finn. I mean come up look at those eyes!

||Just Living||

Our lives are made up of seasons. Some are endless amounts of fun, some are sad or painful and some are just boring. Routine is a safety net, it's easy to get comfortable even lazy but it also sucks out the spontaneity in life which is something I've been craving desperately lately. Almost four years I've been doing this high school thing and it's been a wild ride but I'm ready for a new adventure. New weather, new scenery, new streets to photograph. I'm sure one day I'll wish I was back in high school when I didn't have to pay for food or rent but right now I'm ready to force myself to learn how to cook and do my own laundry. I want to learn and I want to grow. June 13th needs to arrive sooner. 

||Shells and Such||

Shells have always been something I've liked to look at. They make great pieces by themselves and as decoration on frames or anything else. 

Feet

 

 Some people are really bothered by feet. They don't bother me.

A Sunset To Remember

This evening while I was watching a movie feeling way too full after dinner, I looked outside and with out even thinking twice, new I had to see the sunset. I was going to leave my camera when instead I ran upstairs and grabbed it in fear that I might regret not bringing it. And I'm so glad I did because although a camera could never quite capture the perfection of the Lord's art work it did get a glimpse. I've always been in awe of sunsets but this was by far one of the most beautiful ones I've seen in a while. I don't throw out the word "beautiful" often because I believe it's a bit overused but in this case I think it is appropriate. I like to think I'm a good artist but even that is a title I'm no where near worthy of especially when I get to experience evenings full of color like this. Don't forget to look at nature in life, Instagram and Facebook have NOTHING on the real thing.

|| Adventure Is Out There ||

Yesterday Tab and I went to the beach. For the first time in a while it wasn't sunny it was nice and cloudy. The waves were HUGE and Tab got soaked because she played in the waves for too long and mis-calculated how high her boots were. I wish we had more careless days like these, take advantage of free time and go out and adventure! 

Rain, Don't Go Away!

God's timing is perfect. He also takes care of every detail of our lives and this earth. So it just makes sense that He has given us rain at the perfect time when we need it the most. Can't get enough of this weather!