i am on the alert for the first signs of spring.

henry david thoreau, walden.

we are always afraid of change. afraid of what it will bring, what it will do to us. but what we don't realise is the world always changes. always. we'd probably only fully understand it if there was a time lapse video of all the four seasons. the world is always changing, right before our eyes. we only pay attention once we look back and see how much is different. so this is me making an effort to look closer, to be silent and listen to the birds making new nests and the leaves sprouting on tree branches. happy, happy march to all of you.

xx,

jocee.

{pea ess: the original was accidentally deleted. sorry about that. i fix it.}

because it's me; because i am present.

i like this picture. i like it because my unmade bed is peeking out in the corner and because the outlet is begging to be noticed just behind my left elbow. because the stack of books, CD collections, and vinyl records are 'photobombing' on the bottom left. i like this picture because my shirt is poorly tucked in, because my hair is horribly combed and not curled under, because the bedframe is too saturated and and the pillowcases don't match the sham, and because there's a bit of marshmallow creme creeping through the corner of my mouth.

i like this picture because i'm not in a studio, i'm not wearing clothes that i wouldn't buy, i'm not giving you pouty lips or smoky eyes, and my hair isn't perfectly crimped, blown back by an enormous fan. i know these things are all too stereotypical, but i like this picture. i like it because it's me in a skirt stolen from my mom's closet, with a necklace on my forehead instead of my neck. i like it because i'm present, because there is no underlining theme or art, but because i'm sitting on my calves staring out the window like i always do (stare, that is), wondering if anyone out there has stopped to stare back. 

xx, jocee.

a short story about my opinions on snow

would you like to know something?
I actually, kinda, really, hate snow.
I don't know what it is about it.
it's probably the hassle of traffic where you slowly inch forward like caterpillars along the road
or and slip of the ice, that coats the driveways so thin you can glide in your sneakers.
personally, I think that this planet would do better off without it

on Sunday, I endeavored to take a few macro shots in my yard with the flakes drifting onto bushes and in the cracks of the bark on the trees.
I learned that this is no easy feat in a sweatshirt and moccasins during twenty-some degree weather. I came out with 3-7 decent shots before quickly rushing inside to snuggle by the laptop, cover myself in a blanket sip my hot chocolate.

so here, I present to you stephanie's 2013 snow pictures:

Enjoy them while they last my honey bunches there ain't gonna be more where that came from this season.

in the end,
I guess I can tolerate the snow in exchange for some pretty pictures.

the end
xx.
Stephanie

you are my sunshine

we have this one lonely little sunflower in our front yard. every morning it greets me with it's sunshiny yellow, making waking up in the morning worth it.
hello, little happy-day-maker, where have you been for so long?
xo
gracie

polaroid

this is my newest camera. one that I'm not even sure works. it was a $1.75 at the thrift store, and as soon as I saw it I knew it was mine. maybe one day I'll buy some film and try it out. when I got home that day, I sat on my bed figuring out all the awesome stuff about it - where the film goes, how to change the flash, how to push the shutter. things have changed so much since then. if a photo doesn't turn out, you can simply delete and try again. though digital allows me to do so many things, sometimes I wish we all had film cameras. the concentration that goes in getting that shot - you only have a few, the anticipation in waiting for the film to be made, and the thrill of looking at the aftermath. though that way is longer, more tedious, and, I know, at times much of a nuisance. but something about old fashioned and cameras makes me wish I could experience it.

xo,

abby

typography.

-my recent obsession with images and typography. same fonts, I know. I've got a ways to go with mixing up font, words, and photography, but still... I love this.
xo
katie

this is what photography is.

you flip the lens-cap off of your camera and stuff it in your pocket. as you flick the switch of the power button upwards, you run a few paces to keep up with your family that's walking on the bridge just to your right. you set your camera on continuous shooting, and snap snap snap. 

this is what photography is: as you click the shutter, it's like you're tapping into the time and space continuum with the world turning and clock ticking and scientific discoveries being made and teenagers having their first kiss for the twenty-ninth time and saying, let me have this moment. i want to remember this for a little while. maybe just for today, maybe until tomorrow, maybe for the rest of my life. but let me write this down in the big book of memories in my head with a sharp stone. because this? this is special.

and it is.
xx,
jocee

Oh, Glorious Golden Hour!

^ Isn't she gorgeous? That's my amazing friend, Nina.

It's a well-known fact that Golden Hour is my absolute favorite time to shoot pictures. It turns every color to its most vibrant state. In fact, it makes everything so spectacular that it's hard to edit a photo to something more beautiful than the original. Sunflares and bokeh, of course are added benefits for anyone like me who describes such things as 'delicious.' 

When is your favorite time to shoot photos?

xx.

Lindsey

from the ant's perspective.

what the world is like from their eyes.

xx,
jocee

adventure is waiting

did you know that an adventure is waiting for you in your own backyard?

instead of dreaming of foreign places, why don't you open your back door and head outside.

just grab your camera, a notebook and pens, or whatever makes you happy, and go document your ordinary adventure. make note of all the little flowers around your house, the dew drops in the morning, and capture the messy and boring things that make life beautiful.
xxxxx

“I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens, but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”  ― L.M. Montgomery
xxxxx
xoxo,

gracie

four steps to creative self-portraits

have you ever wanted to take a self-portrait without using a mirror or having your messy room in the background? have you been inspired by pinterest to have an amazing photo shoot but there aren't any willing models and you aren't old enough to drive? 

well, this post is for you.

today i am going to share with you some tips that have really helped me take creative selfies, which is usually how i get my creative juices flowing.
xxxxx
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
a camera (point & shoot or slr. it doesn't matter)
a tripod (or a stack of books)
your lovely, beautiful, amazing self
access to the great outdoors

STEP ONE: become a scout

the first step to taking original self-portraits is to go somewhere away from your bathroom mirror. walk around your house/neighborhood/park/city and look for something interesting. pose in front of a colorful wall, sit on a table or on the ground, stand next to a fence, ect... just look around, you never now what's out there!

STEP TWO: become snap-happy

having a photo shoot with yourself isn't nearly as easy as having a photo shoot with another person. you aren't going to be able to click the shutter button over and over like you would if you were behind the camera (unless you have one of those fancy remotes...). so when you're taking self-portraits, make sure to turn your camera's self-timer on and give yourself enough time to run to your spot and fix your hair. you are definitely going to take a ton of pictures, but not all of them will turn out. i normally take around 400 pictures on a normal session and around 200 of them will turn out, but when i'm taking self-portraits, i'll take around the same number of pictures depending on my mood and how much light i have, and only around 10 will turn out.

STEP THREE: embrace the imperfect 

in the photo above, i was trying to get one of those cool jump shots that everyone loves, but i jumped too soon, so i ended up getting myself in that weird position. the reason i kept this photo and why i am sharing it with you is because i thought it was more true to me than any of the others. it is a candid shot of me being my awkward self after jumping before i was supposed to, and i liked that about it.

STEP FOUR: have fun!

the final and most important step is to just have fun! don't stress out about yourself, what you're wearing, or your hair. as you can see, the outfit i'm wearing in these photos is never going to make it on the runway, but i was inspired and didn't want to waste that inspiration on worrying about my clothes. i just grabbed my camera and went outside. i had fun while doing it, too. it was a lot less stressful than trying to get my sister to do it, and i had more freedom to do whatever i wanted to do with the photos.

xxxxx

now it's your turn. grab your camera, a tripod, a bottle of water and head outside! have fun and get those creative juices flowing!

xoxo,

gracie

still motion

i like the shutter of a camera. it's telling me something. tells me that i made a memory. whether just one, or continuous, it captures life. life, that doesn't stop it's motion. but to be captured is to be completely still. and when i pull back from the camera, life is still going on. then i examine what i've just captured, and it's a statue. like still motion. photography is a gift that i will cherish, because it contains the things i don't want to let go of. never to take for granted.

what sort of things do you like to capture?
xoxoxo,
jocee

old photos

 For the past few months, my parents have been scanning in old slides.  We've laughed at all the pictures and smiled at all the memories my mom has from her childhood.  It's so cool to think that these things happened years ago, and we can still "re-live" them through photographs.  It makes me happy to think that the pictures I take now will bring back memories later on.  It's just one of the reason photography is so cool.

xo,

abby

(p.s. - sorry we're so late today!)   

Oh, how I love spring walks

I love spring. I really do. The budding trees, green grass, and busy, red-chested robins always make me open my eyes and gaze upon the beauty all around. My favorite spring morning pastime is walking around my neighborhood, usually with my dog, and sometimes my camera. I walk, think, snap pictures, tangle myself in my puppy's leash as she attacks some innocent stranger, and apologize to the strangers who are covered in mud and asking about my rambunctious golden retriever.

But my favorite part of my walk is when I venture to the far end of the neighborhood to see my favorite piece of eye candy: an old volkswagen kelly green beetle. Cutest. Thing. Ever. I have to laugh at myself for walking so far, just to see the old thing, but it's worth it every time.

[sorry these are a bit blurry. . .  I try not to look too conspicuous when I pass by]

What's your favorite spring pastime?

xo,
Lindsey