Leah

Saturday, January 18th was sunny with highs in the upper 50's. Days like these are one of the reasons I love living here. I've been wanting to take pictures of Leah pretty much since the day I met her. How perfect it was that the day we were able to finally do it was the most beautiful day of 2015! She has a heart of gold and a smile that can add warmth to any weary soul, and this is one of the reasons I wanted to capture her with my camera. She's also an incredible singer/songwriter!

I've been shooting every weekend of 2015 so far. I've been trying to push myself more than ever before - I've been practicing, brainstorming, studying the work of others that inspire me, and I'm also working on getting a website up! I'm proud of this series of photos I took. In just a few weeks I can already see improvement in my work, and that is such an encouragement! I often struggle with comparison, feeling like I'll never be able to obtain my goals or that I'll never be as good as others. "Comparison is the thief of joy," and I have known that all too well, but I refuse to give up doing this thing that I love. <3

The grocery shopping experience.

This morning I was sitting with my roommates trying to come up with an idea for a photo adventure, but with it being cold and rainy there weren't a whole lot of options. Katie started talking about what she was going to be making for dinner and what she needed to get from the grocery store. I proceeded to come up with the ridiculous idea of going with her to Kroger and documenting her grocery shopping experience. Call me crazy, but sometimes you just gotta go along with the weird ideas that come to ya…

The beginnings of 2015

I have been living in Nashville for just over 6 months. One year ago I was here visiting friends, and when I arrived back in Wisconsin I knew that I was going to be moving south. This last half of the year has been full of dancing (SO much dancing!), delicious food and drink, developing relationships and community, laughter, and learning how to be patient and trust God with all things - two lessons I will surely be working on for the rest of my life.

I have big plans and goals now that I've settled into my new home and life here. I would like to continue to learn, grow and develop my photography. I want to explore more of the Tennessee countryside. I hope to write more letters, journal, and better my poem/song writing. I want to love the people around me better, and to take more opportunities to give or lend a helping hand.

The following are some photos I took last weekend. I decided I needed to be proactive with developing my photography and went out with my friend James to capture whatever I saw that was interesting, inspiring, and at times maybe even a little humorous.