Just sharing some photos that have been snoozing in my camera for a while.
October, you are awesome.

new mantra.

Just a little mid week inspiration for ya. I have had this little phrase stuck in my head these last few weeks as I slowly start to learn how true it really is. xoxo.

photo session: stephanie.

This is my beautiful friend Stephanie. We met on the set of our high school musical back when I was a Sophomore and she was a Senior. We've kept in touch ever since, and when we made plans to get together one last time before she goes back to school in Wilmington, and I go back to Asheville, she had the wonderful idea to do a little photo shoot. She suggested the idea a while ago, but schedules and life and my terrible forgetfulness got in the way and we never really got around to it.

But I'm so glad we did eventually. Stephanie is one of those incredibly kind and inspiring people who make you wonder how there could ever be any cruel people in the world. She's got a big heart, along with one of the most photogenic smiles I've ever seen, so this little photo shoot was a blast. I am beyond thankful for the practice, and I can't wait to get my hands on more opportunities like this. I desperately want to get back into photographing people and friends, because it really is my favorite thing.

bedroom update: gallery wall.

This weekend, my dad helped me hang a gallery wall in my bedroom at home. I wanted a place to store some of the many, many pieces of art I've created and accumulated since high school. I also wanted to display a few gifts/souvenirs(rose print, sunset print, and Bob Dylan poster) that I've gotten over the years in a way that seemed intentional and thoughtful. I love the way it turned out. It's definitely NOT a traditional gallery wall with matching frames and synchronized pieces, but it feels very "Liz" to me. At a single glance, I can see years of memories and better yet, years of practice and improvement within my own art.

Some quick tips for hanging your own gallery wall:

• Plan it out on your floor or a big table before putting it up on the wall. This final format you see here is probably the twelfth combination I actually tried.
• Use pieces you already have and/or accumulate more pieces over the years. Buying a ton of pieces all at once from discount places can make your gallery wall seem kinda forced and stiff, rather than homey and personal.
• If you find yourself stressing about positioning each piece, keep it super simple like I did and create two rows of prints, aligning the bottoms of the first row and the tops of the second row.
• Consult Pinterest. (Duh.) There are pretty much billion resources available online for creating your own gallery wall. It's kind of a thing now.

my work: blooming.

In the spirit of the end of the semester and grades being posted, I thought there'd be no better time to actually share some of the work I did this past semester. The following video is my last project from my new Media class this semester. I was very hesitant to post it, because I don't feel comfortable with animation at ALL, but I've been thinking a lot about this blog and where I want it to go, and I want it to be a place where I can feel free to learn and grow and show my own progress. I had a professor once say to the class, "You are students. You have the luxury of being wrong; of not knowing." And I find that I have to constantly remind myself that it's okay to not be 100% perfect at everything I do right now. I'm a student. I'm learning. Here's my work. This is what I've learned so far.

(sidenote: I definitely prefer Vimeo, but I had to use Youtube because my file was too large. whoops.)

A little background: We had two other projects in the class: one in Flash and one in Toon Boom. This project was created using Illustrator and After Effects. I'm really into graphic, clean design. Nothing too organic or sketchy, so this project is an example of me pushing my comfort zone a little bit. I also tend to make my animations move way to fast, so I tried really hard to slow this one down and take my time with each scene. Watching how slow this short video progresses makes me pretty uncomfortable, if I'm being honest.

Our assignment was to create a project about life. We could explore stages of life, life itself, living things; whatever "life" meant to us. I came up with the idea for my project while thinking about the idea of self-love, which was a huge theme to my own life this past semester. I wanted to illustrate the feeling of self-love and self-growth. I am also very fascinated by morning rituals and how different people spend their mornings. I find that my morning routine is absolutely necessary for my day to be successful. I believe that the tasks I perform to get ready in the morning are a way that I improve my relationship with myself and allows me to “bloom” further. Taking that precious time each day to take care of myself is the way that I express self-love, and I tried to illustrate the importance of that expression through this project.

How appropriate is it that the first project I have the courage to share is about loving oneself and loving the process of one's growth? ;)
I hope you enjoy.

taking a breather.

Life has been so, so, so crazy these last few days. I went from exams to packing up my entire dorm room to moving all my things back home to a job interview and then finally to a working schedule in a matter of....about 3 days. My life is boxes and sore feet and tired eyes.

Back when I was still in Asheville finishing up exams(which feels like eons ago), I spent one of my last days walking around campus and shooting the blooms before they were all gone for good. I'm so glad I did. It was so nice to get out of the dorm room, breathe some fresh air, and take a minute out of my busy schedule to appreciate the fleeting springtime. Looking back on these photos lets me relive it all again and reminds me to take moments of peace for myself in the midst of all the craziness.

home.

I'm home on Thanksgiving Break. I don't have to be back at school until Thursday, so I'm staying home a little longer than most.

Since being home, I have celebrated my birthday with my family. This includes eating a fantastic coconut cake my dad made and receiving my first new lens(!!!!!!!!). The lens is this one. These pictures are some test shots I took around the house. So far, I really love it.

I have also been eating (a lot), relaxing by the fire, shopping (and wishing), and spending time with family. I have not been preparing for finals. However, the next 3 days are completely dedicated to projects with deadlines that are swiftly approaching. It's surreal that this semester is already almost over. It's surreal how fast this year has flown. I am already looking forward to next semester and, more importantly, Winter Break(which starts just 6 days after I'm back at school on Thursday. Crazy.).

a fall hike.

Finally getting around to sharing photos from the hike I took back in mid October. 

Most of these views were found after hiking a short trail that was right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The place is called Black Balsam Knob. I went with my school's Photo Club. The way we went was a pretty short hike, which was perfect for us because we could run around off the trail and take pictures when needed without falling too far behind. The mini hike was also perfectly timed because we went in the afternoon and got back to the cars in time to snap a few photos of the sunset on the way home. As a non-hiker, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to go back once it warms up again.

taking a breather.

On one of our school's student-run Facebook pages, a professor was quoted saying "October is one of the most stressful months. It is also the most beautiful."

I am totally feeling it.

And if I'm being honest, lately I haven't really been doing that well. Every week, I am struggling to complete projects. Every week is filled with its stressful, freak-out moments. Every week, I don't think I'm going to make it to Friday. But every week, I always do make it. I get the projects done, and I'm doing my best.

But then I look at my calender and realize that the end of October is in 2 days. I realize how quickly these days are passing. I realize how I'm not paying much attention to anything that isn't due on Thursday.

So this past week, I've been really making an effort to look around and enjoy the moment. To step away from a project, take a breather, and live for just a moment. Sometimes, taking time out of a hectic day to go on a photo-spree on the Quad to capture the maple leaves is just as necessary as homework. Especially since homework will always be there. These beautiful colors will not.

Side note: I took these pictures using only the Manual setting on my camera. I've used Manual before, but I've never really pushed myself to use it as my primary setting. I've always been afraid to just go out and do it. And even though these pictures are a little over-exposed (I haven't quite gotten used to it yet), I'm pretty proud of myself for taking the jump and just doing it. If any of y'all are wondering how to make the switch to Manual, the best advice I can give is just to go out and take a few play shots, like this. I was just walking around campus, so there was no pressure. It really helped me!

self.

“One day I decided that I was beautiful, and so I carried out my life as if I was a beautiful girl. I wear colors that I really like, I wear makeup that makes me feel pretty, and it really helps. It doesn’t have anything to do with how the world perceives you. What matters is what you see. Your body is your temple, it’s your home, and you must decorate it.”

- Gabourey Sidibe

I am absolutely in love with the above quote. As I've grown, I've grown to really love my body and cherish it. When I stop to think about the human body and all the magical, wonderful things it can do, I'm amazed. When I'm feeling down about myself or when I'm picking out all the flaws I may have, I find it's important to remember that I've been blessed with a healthy, strong body and that is all I could ever ask for. I was lucky to be able to do dance for 13 years and to have a body that never failed me once (besides a wobbly knee, but that's a story for another time.) I definitely think of my body as a machine and I'm a big fan of the concept that my body is "my home." I mean, my body is the only one I'm getting, so I might as well embrace it, right?

I took some self-portraits to play with light direction for Photo. I also really needed a new Facebook profile picture. I used to hate black and white images, but I've been going through this phase where I am really drawn to them. I'd love to get my hands on some black and white film. I think that film grain on a black and white image is just so yummy. I love it.

Also, this song has been playing on repeat these last couple of days. I can't get enough of it. I am so excited to see what Andrew McMahon has up his sleeve in the future.

river arts district.

Lonnie and I took a photo walk around the River Arts District so that I could get photos for my first Photography project. The project was about line, but I was more drawn to color. Oh, the woes of being a painter at heart.

But in all seriousness, I think I did a decent job at the point of the project. These aren't all the pictures I used in my project, and I didn't use all of these pictures: these are just my favorite ones.

The River Arts District is basically a hub of super old buildings that are spray painted and falling apart which all sorts of artists have turned into studios. There are painters, sculptures, glassblowers, ceramicists, you name it. Lonnie and I walked up and down a street with mostly restaurants and bars, so we didn't explore many studios. Last semester, Samm had an interview with one of the artists who works in a studio in the District, and I went with her then to see it. It was an incredible experience and I wish I got pictures of it.

The River Arts District is so unique that it's hard to describe in words. It's just full of art and color and noise and inspiration. I'm not one for shooting urban settings, but I was non-stop inspired while working here. I was wide-eyed and I couldn't stop finding things that caught my interest.

It was the perfect day, too: sunny and really warm for February. I ditched my winter coat. Lonnie and I stopped in this bar/restaurant called The Junction for a mid-day snack. We split an order of fries and the best cinnamon bun I've ever had in my life. I'm not kidding.

I'm so happy to just have gone out on a day trip with Lonnie to explore a new place, because it's my favorite thing to do together.
I'm really excited to see where the rest of my Photography projects take me.

downtown excursion.

I join Photo Club at UNCA. I am so happy I did. The gals who started the club are super cool and definitely fit in to my category of people. I've already learned a lot and I hope to learn a ton more. That being said, I'm not happy with this batch of photos. I thought taking a ton of pictures with a group would be better, but I think I prefer to shoot alone. Maybe I just need learn how to get in the zone where there's nothing but me and the image. I always just get so shy when I take pictures. I'm afraid on-lookers are going to judge what I choose to shoot or the fantastic looking group of old ladies gathered around and sipping champagne during book club are going to be offended if I ask to take their picture. It's also difficult to get the right shot when you have to work around 14 other people. I constantly felt like I was in someone's way or someone was in my way. One of the group members made a comment about feeling like a tourist. I think that was part of it, too. Feeling like a tourist in the city you live in is not fun. But the thing is, I do still feel like a tourist in Asheville. One of the best things about the excursion was having the opportunity to see Asheville from the eyes of some people who have been here a while. I ate chips and guacamole at this fantastic restaurant that I haven't even heard of before and I definitely got a better feel for the layout of the city. All in all, it was a good little trip and I'm looking forward to more with this group.