jessica / trent [seniors 2012]

..You remember Jessica from part one of her senior photo shoot, don't you? Well, last Monday we were able to finish up where we left off with an urban + country mix. We picked up a few friends just to come and watch and headed out in the glowing late afternoon sun.


Needless to say, we filled the memory card to its entire capacity, talked a lot, laughed a lot, gasped a lot (we're an extremely admiring bunch when it comes to photos), pigged out on Chinese food at 9:00, and ended up some sweet shots (Jessica is just a little photogenic). Her cousin, Trent, is a senior this year, too, so I also got some shots of him and then the two of them together. 


Only problem? Deciding which out of the 200-and-something "boom, baybayyy!"'s to show y'all. And I think Jessica's going to have a trying time deciding which ones she's going to pick as her main senior pics. 


(oh, and by the way, she has really cute outfits. She also gave me chocolate for doing the shoot. And is a fellow lover of Kinfolk. And might start a blog soon. Keep tabs on this girl, y'all...) 

..and then we headed out to the country fields around my home, just as the hour was turning golden..

..altogether, I would say the shoot was a success. And this is only a little over half of the amazing shots we got--I'd say there was only one or two that didn't turn out the whole evening. Sometime's it's annoying working with beautiful people. ;)

///

...and to end this post, a shot of the group by the end of the evening (taken by a very considerate water box):

left to right: olivia, rachael, jess, me

Engagement shoot coming up next. And then my little secret that I announced I hadso long ago.

xo,
lucia


ps- guest posted today at the marvelous Jess'. go check it out. she's British. makes it all worth it. ;) hehe just kidding Jess. love her & her blog to pieces!  

art in the everyday. and randomosity.

I don't know why we always think of "art" as the oils and watercolors and pastels hanging in the museums. Art isn't restricted to a painting or a statue. These are indeed "art," yet are in many ways only the imitations of art. After all, statues and paintings are merely copies of the real world. Perceptions of the art around us--in the sky, in the fields, in the places the artist went and the people the artist saw. 

I like striving to live an artsy life. And by "artsy," I don't mean making my home in a greenhouse, surrounded by boxes of paint and eating baguettes + cheese (though give me that and I'll take it, I suppose). I mean living with eyes that are always perceiving and appreciating the colors and patterns and contorted emotions on the faces of those around me. 

I guess you could call it a hobby of mine. 

---

...I've been a little MIA for the past week or so, thanks to the general emotions and excitement and upheavals of existing. I've been helping out at a local VBS every night for the past four days, helping lead the music up front (did you know I could dance the Ten Commandment Boogie? Me neither..), playing the piano, doing skits (eek, I have a main part tonight that I have yet to finish memorizing), and assisting in herding dozens of little cuties to their various activities (I have to admit I've become a sort of beloved celebrity among the kids, despite the fact that I am constantly forced to order them about... how that happened I have no idea. But I love them all to death). 

And then there have been four hour study parties at Starbucks with Sarah (yes, we are both still experiencing the joys of schoolwork), year-end testing yesterday morning, 6:30 a.m. runs with Olivia, and hectic packing for  our week-long camping trip to Idaho (we're leaving tomorrow--guest posters, ahoy!). 

When I return, I have a second senior shoot with Jessica planned, an engagement shoot with a lovely couple (my first! Eee!), giveaways to post, a certain photo challenge to start up again (many apologies for never posting the winner of April's, or starting up the June one as planned...in case you didn't see the poll on the sidebar, our winner was Lauren), a milk maid braid tutorial to post, another vlog for y'all, and a random video of me singing. 

Yep. Only because I have gotten at least twelve requests in the past month for a video of me singing--why, I have zero idea (have I ever even mentioned singing on here??). But, I complied--let's hope you aren't too disappointed. =] I love to sing, but certainly have no claim to boisterous vocals. Whatever--you asked for it! 

Wow. I have used a lot of parentheses in this post, rambled a little, updated too much, and dawdled from my original subject reprehensibly. But, it is good to be back, though I am leaving once more--until next week, friends! And just for a spontaneous ending, because I will not be here to wish you it: Happy 4th of July. 

xo,

lucia

 Also:

..Bekah is having a pretty exciting event over at her lovely blog! Be sure to go check it out. 

&

..I guest posted at two blogs this week, if you want something extra to read! 

Anna Gray: Self Portraiture 101

Camera Girl: Seven Tips to Better Friendships

children of summer // portraits

I am a child of summer. Born there, grown there, left there to stay.

I drink the warm scent carried upon the balmy breezes of a summer day like a woman drinks her perfume--the scent of freshly mowed grass and drying leaves scattered in the wind, pale roses releasing their petals in soft showers, and blackberries ripening in their homes.

I revel in the long nights, the twinkling stars in a clear sky, and the sun-spotted mornings; the dappled shadows, the deep greens of a shaded grove, and the pure white and gold of daisies sprinkling a yellow field.

---

The past few days have been weather bliss. I took advantage of the lush greens and sunny skies and took my camera and tripod out back. There is this lovely little place behind our woodpile that I have had my eye on for some time--a patch of green woods, dappled and leafy. I have been wanting to try some self-portraiture, and this seemed the perfect spot to do so.  

It was hard. And patience-trying. But I emerged from that leafy bower with much learned, much gained, and much happiness that I am not (nor ever could be) a model. 

A little while later Olivia volunteered herself as a model for the benefit of myself, much to my happiness (bless her heart. I can only stand taking photos of my own awkward face for so long). And thus we both reveled in the forest as children of summer. 

Summer, pass ye by slowly. The days are long yet short, and I want to make one hundred daisy chains before you fade.

xo,

lucia

ps-the shirt I'm wearing? handmade. my dad got it for my aunt when he was a journalist in cyprus 37 years ago. she passed it down to her daughter, who wore it for years, and now it's in our family. sweet little relic of history, eh? 

also: braid crowns are my new fave at the moment. video tutorial, anyone? warning: many.bobby-pins.needed. 

a revel in june

June began without my knowledge. It was May the last I checked, and then--all of a sudden--it was the new month. The month of sunshine, roses, kittens, weddings, starlit nights and constant change. It arrived quietly, yet I believe it will go out with a crash and a bang. So I want to revel in it for awhile--because I know it will be a good month. 

This last weekend I attended the wedding of a sweet long-time friend, Nicole. It was a beautiful wedding (the lovely bride hand-made her beautiful dress! Now that takes some skill, friends. Trust me.), and amidst the dancing and sunshine and talk I had the opportunity to be a sort of "third-shooter." I was in heaven. Truly. 

As I got in everyone's faces and stood/sat/knelt/belly-flopped everywhere, clicking away, something whispered inside of me, I would love to do this, always. And just like that, I had a full-blown argument inside my mind: 

"I could do this!" 

"No, you couldn't. You don't have the gear." 

"I could save!" 

"It would take you years." 

"I know I could do this. I love this. This is me."

"You're fooling yourself. You need so much more than ideas. It would take hard work."

"Everything worthwhile in life takes hard work."

I prayed about it, right there. I said, "Lord, if it's in Your plan for me to somehow, someway become a professional photographer, despite my lack of knowledge and funds at this point...will You show me?"

And the next day, something happened. Something I never expected to happen for years. Something really exciting. I can't tell you about it right now, but as soon as it's settled I will. All I can say is this: God. Is. Good. 

..And that, plus the fact that all of the little seeds I planted in our garden are growing up splendidly, there is French Bread in the kitchen, ice cream in the freezer,  kittens in the woodpile, and a giveaway from this amazing shoppe brewing on the horizon, is why I know June is going to be a good month. 

So let me revel in it for awhile. 

xo,

lucia

our mornings

Our mornings look like

coffee spills and coffee steam and coffee cups on the coffee table,

sleepy eyes and early mists, 

shower races, wet hair, 

scraping the plastic yogurt carton for the last of it,

topping your breakfast with last summer's berries.

Our mornings sound like

"hurry up!" and, "where's my toothbrush?"

"you took it all!" and, "grab the cat!"

then

"don't forget, the faucet's broken--

never mind. I'll clean it up."

Our mornings are 

nothing special.

But, they are

our mornings. 

What are your's?

jessica

This lovely lady is Jessica, a friend of mine whom I was honored to shoot some senior pictures with this week! Not only is she amazingly photogenic, but she has perfect hair, too.  No joke. 

Our shoot was just forty-five minutes, and the sun was still a little bright, but we got tons of great shots (and had a horrible time deciding which ones to keep and which ones to delete..I'm the type of photographer who snaps dozens of the same thing just so I won't miss one unique expression), and are planning another more "urban" shoot in the near future. So keep a look-out for that! :)

ps - the giveaway winner and photo challenge finalists will be announced in the next post! sorry about the delays.. :/

pps - i have gotten a lot of questions this way, so i should inform you that: i am still using my stock 18-55 lens for all photos. however, i ordered a 35-mm which will be here monday!