AIM to the E Photography

Jenni Beth & Malcolm.

2012-01-19T18:59:00.000-08:00

I was asked by my sister in law to help her shoot a wedding a couple weeks ago, and it was such a great experience! Weddings can be pretty stressful when you're taking photos, because there's so many moments to capture. It made us more at ease to have two of us shooting all night. It also always makes the job easy when a couple is as photogenic as Jenni Beth & Malcolm are. :)

Thank you Jenny, for having me assist you. And congratulations to Jenni Beth & Malcolm! ♥

The Scott Family.

2011-12-03T16:04:00.001-08:00

I feel so blessed to have repeat clients. This was my third year doing holiday portraits for the Scott family, and they're always so much fun to work with. It's so crazy to see how much the girls have grown since our first session back in 2009, last years session, to now. I also took some fun shots of just the girls this past August. Time really does fly by quickly.

Thank you, Scott family for another fun session! ♥

The Mitchell Family.

2011-11-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun with this session. From the adorable family of course, with the props, the location, and the editing. Even though it was a cold day up at Mount Charleston, everyone was a trooper and I'm so happy with how everything turned out.
How cute are these 2 little girls!?

Thank you to the Mitchell's for a fun afternoon in the mountains! :)

The Yurovchak Family.

2011-11-11T20:17:00.001-08:00

Going through these pictures, I decided that the Yurovchak's look picture perfect enough to be the family that's in a picture frame you buy. It's hard to believe how quickly little Peyton has grown since the last time I took his pictures! This is the first official photo session they've had as a family of three, and I was happy to be the one to do it!

I just love this family! ♥

Tim & Zara.

2011-10-23T14:10:00.001-07:00

Tim and Zara were so much fun to work with, and such good sports to be out in the hot weather were still having in Vegas. Tim even missed some of Sunday football! :) I've known them for going on 6 years and have seen their relationship from the very beginning. Can't wait to see these love birds tie the knot in the Spring. ♥

Thanks for being so great guys, love you both!

Heather and Logan ♥

2011-08-09T16:25:00.001-07:00

I love photographing these girls because they're so photogenic and fun. I had such a hard time picking my favorites because there's so many so I'm posting a lot from this session :)

Enjoy!

Love you girls!

My Trip To Illinois.

2011-07-23T17:28:00.000-07:00

I've been back from vacation for 2 weeks now, and I wanted to share some pictures of my adventures. My sister and her family live in a suburb of Chicago so we spent a lot of time in the city, as well as around their town. We did a lot, and I had such a great time. The kids are convinced I should move there, and I must say.... it's tempting.

The first day we just hung out at the house after they picked me up from the airport.

The second day was my niece Chloe's birthday at Chuck E. Cheese. Can't believe she's 9!

Mossimo's cake face :)

In their town, they always do fireworks on the 3rd which works out nicely because it's a great way to end Chloe's birthday celebration :)

The next day my sister gave me a haircut and we swam at my brother-in-law's sister's house.

The following day we swam again :) It was hot and humid....

That night we went to a U2 concert in Chicago at soldier field. Such an amazing show/venue/stage. By far the biggest show I've ever seen.

The day after that my sister, the kids, and I went into the city to Adler Planetarium. There were amazing views of the skyline from where it's at too.

I got the kids some suckers and astronaut ice cream and we had a picnic lunch :)

Nearby the planetarium, there ended up being a cool beach to hang out at. (12th street beach)

We improvised and the kids swam in their clothes since we weren't prepared for a beach day.

Then we went for a walk so the kids could dry off and saw more pretty view of the city.

The next day we sent to Six Flags Great America. So much fun! I loved it.

The following day we drove into the city again. This is Lake Shore Dr.

We went to Millennium Park...

And saw "the bean" with the most amazing views of the skyline.

I LOVE all the buildings.

The park even had some water for the kids to play in...

After that we went to North Ave. Beach for the rest of the afternoon.

The next day was my last day.

We went downtown in Morris and I got to see a couple of their local bakeries. Very cute.

Then they took me to the airport and I came back home to reality :(

It's always hard to come back home after a vacation, but it's even harder to leave family members you only see once a year. I'm so thankful I was able to go and spend a whole week with them though. Can't wait for the next time! ♥

Carol & Jazlyn.

2011-06-13T21:26:00.000-07:00

I think it's so sweet when people give the gift of a photo session to their loved ones.... so when my friends Mom asked me to do a shoot for Carol (her son's girlfriend) and her daughter as a Mother's Day gift I was so touched! The Pyatt family are great friends of mine and they hired me to do their family pictures a couple years back (my first official session!) They have always been so supportive of my photography and baking aspirations... especially you Kris! :)

So even though we dealt with annoying windy Vegas weather, we had fun and let little Jazlyn lead us around the park for an adventure :)

Kisses to the camera :)

Thanks for being such good sports in the crappy weather. Love you guys! ♥

The Burton's.

2011-05-20T21:08:00.001-07:00

Kylie and Drew were the winners of my spring photo session giveaway... although I probably should have named this a summer giveaway since it was super hot last Saturday.... Oh, Vegas. Anyway, their adorable son Luke is about to turn the big ONE so it was a perfect time to have pictures done.

The morning was full of balloons, bubbles, balls, water, sun, and fun. Meet the Burton's!

This one reminds me of Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh!

Poor guy didn't see the water coming... it was painfully adorable.

I'm loving these bi-annual giveaways. Looking forward to another one in the fall!

Addison. Part two!

2011-05-09T20:36:00.001-07:00

Remember beautiful little Addison? Well I got to take some more photos of her recently when she was blessed with her family in their church. I could take pictures of this little girl all day every day! She's just SO precious :)

Such a cute little family ♥

Giveaway Winner!

2011-05-08T09:24:00.001-07:00

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful Mother's out there... what a fitting day to give a gift of a photo session to a Mother :)

With that said, I used a random number generator to pick a number for me and this is what I got.......

Number 5! That means that Kylie, you are the lucky winner!

Kylie and Drew said...

Amy! I entered your contest in the fall. This is Jerilyn's sis-in-law Kylie. :) my baby is turning the big ONE
at the end of May and I am excited to have his pics taken to display at his party as well as some updated family pics. Cant wait to hear who wins! Crossing my fingers... :)

May 1, 2011 12:09 PM

Please contact me at amyhendersonphoto@yahoo.com to schedule a session!

Also, a BIG thank you to EVERYONE that entered - it means soooooo much to me to have such supportive friends and family, and to have supportive followers of my blog. As a thank you, I'd like to offer $25 off a session to anyone who entered. Most portrait sessions are a $75 value, so I would do it for $50 instead!

I'm still running my referral promotion as well, so if you've referred anyone to me that booked a session, you can get a 25% off discount as well.

Thanks again to all you lovely ladies that entered... I'll do another giveaway again in the fall!

Spring Photo Session Giveaway!

2011-04-30T10:12:00.001-07:00

Last fall I gave away a free photo session and had so much fun with The Walsh's.

Since Spring is in full swing I wanted to give away another photo session before summer hits and the heat becomes unbearable!

To enter is VERY simple, so tell all your family and friends and spread the word for me :)

First step is to "follow" my blog (you don't have to have a blogspot in order to follow me). It literally takes about 3 seconds and you don't have to sign up for anything. All you need is an email address. Just click on the "follow" button to the right of my page and it will direct you from there. It's easy, I promise.

The second step to enter for a FREE photo session is to leave a comment on this post and tell me who you are, and what type of shoot you'd be looking for. Also, if you live out of state and/or want to give a photo shoot as a gift to someone else you can let me know in your comment as well.

If you're already a follower of mine, you're halfway through the entering process :)

I'll choose a winner at random next weekend (May 8th) and will update a new blog post announcing the winner!

Good Luck! And thanks for supporting AIM to the E Photography!

The Burnson's.

2011-04-24T18:14:00.000-07:00

Janis and Pete were married a few years ago, but had a small ceremony with limited photos. So they got dressed up in their wedding attire last weekend and we did a fun session out at Lake Las Vegas. We also did some more casual couple shots for some variety as well. Between Janis being one of the most beautiful, photogenic ladies I've ever photographed... and Pete being a knowledgeable photographer who helped with great ideas and input, I had so much fun with these two and I'm so happy I was able to do this for them.

Thank you Janis and Pete for being such a blast to hang out with, and for letting me capture these moments for you :)

Addison.

2011-04-08T16:58:00.001-07:00

Words cannot describe how much fun I had taking photos of little Addison and her parents. I loved capturing their family together, especially witnessing first time parents who cherish their daughter so much.

Addison just turned 1 month old and she is quite possibly the most beautiful little girl in the world. See for yourself..... :)

I love that this shot of her feet was Randy's idea. So sweet.

Congratulations Randy and Nicole!

And welcome to the world little Addison! ♥

Robin and Maria.

2011-04-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

Robin and Maria were married last fall, and their wedding package included a photographer. Unfortunately the photographer was using a corrupt memory card and lost all their photos from their wedding! So devastating! Maria contacted me about recreating her and Robin's special day by getting her wedding party together all dressed up for some photos. I loved the idea and I'm so glad I was able to capture these memories for them. Even though this wasn't their actual wedding day or location, I'm glad they have some keepsake photos of their loved ones. That's the most important thing in the end. :)

One of my favorite couples :)

Brotherly love!

Makes my heart melt.

So precious!

One of my favorites.

Congrats Robin and Maria! I had a lot of fun with you guys :)

Peyton.

2011-02-26T09:30:00.001-08:00

I had so much fun taking photos of Peyton... he was such a good sport and modeled for me perfectly. I think it's because he's used to having a camera in his face by his Mom everyday :)

Stay tuned for a part II shoot of this little guy...

Such a little man. Love you Peyton!

Promotion!

2011-02-20T15:44:00.000-08:00

Since I have been so blessed in having so much business based on referrals, I would like to say Thank You by doing a new promotional discount.

Anyone who has referred someone who booked a session with me will receive 25% OFF their next session. So that means someone like Kitty Scott has at least 4 photo sessions owed to her at the discounted price. :)

I appreciate anyone who refers me to their friends and family, so this is the way I'd like to reward all those who have done so or who will in the future.

THANK YOU!!! :D

Kane's 16th Birthday.

2011-02-17T16:32:00.001-08:00

Kane turned 16 and had quite possibly one of the coolest parties I've ever witnessed for a teenager last Saturday. I felt like it should've been filmed and broadcast on MTV's "My Super Sweet Sixteen". It was complete with a dance floor, professional DJ, and my friend Liz bartending (non-alcoholic beverages of course). They ate, drank, and danced and we wrapped up at exactly 10 pm before the neighbors could complain about the noise. The kids definitely had a good time and I'm glad I got to capture all the fun moments.

Just like my last session, I didn't want to deal with collecting over 30 model release forms for the under-agers... so I'm only posting photos of the decor, and then a few I took with a slow shutter speed that don't show faces. Enjoy :)

Me and the "bartender"

I baked for the occasion of course :)

Oh, to be young again..... :)

Last Weekend.

2011-02-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I had a different kind of shoot.... 30 teenagers at once. It was for their annual Sadies dance where the girl asks the guy, and they dress in the same outfit. So I met all 15 couples at a park in Henderson and to be honest I was a little intimidated by the fact that it would be such a large amount of people. But thankfully my good friend Khaye came along to assist me (her younger sister was the one who hired me for the shoot). I definitely would have been a lot more overwhelmed without her there since she helped by carrying my camera bag, keeping track of time, and giving ideas for poses for the couples that weren't so comfortable in front of the camera.

Unfortunately I won't be posting any of the photos from this particular shoot since I wasn't really up for the challenge of handing out model release forms to be signed by all the minor's parents. There would inevitably be those who lose it, forget to give it to their parents, etc. And I'm sure they wouldn't mind me publishing the pictures but I'd rather be on the safe side.

I do, however, have some lovely images of my dear friend Khaye who stuck around with me after the session wrapped up so we could chat and catch up. So I snapped a few photos of her before we left for the day.

Isn't she a beauty?

Stay tuned for my next blog entry where I'll announce a new promotion. Also, another photo shoot give away will be coming up for the Spring.

The Flores Wedding.

2011-01-17T18:58:00.000-08:00

I'm so thankful for networking and building a client base from referrals. It's so exciting to meet new people and to have the responsibility of capturing memorable moments that they will cherish forever.

Ann-Marie and Josh were married on 1-11-11. They had a small ceremony with family and close friends. I love their story, because they've been together for 14 years and have 4 beautiful children together. It's nice to see a couple stay together for so long these days, and I could tell to officially tie the knot meant so much to them.

Congrats Ann-Marie and Josh! It was so nice meeting you and your beautiful family :)

The Davies Family.

2010-12-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of fun with this family last weekend taking their family photos. They were all so easy going and comfortable in front of the camera which made my job super easy!

I thought it was fitting to post these on Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thank you Davies family for letting me take these pictures. I had a blast :)

I'm officially back!

2010-12-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my Christmas gift from my parents, my best lens is repaired and good as new! I was also able to use some of the money I earned from holiday photo shoots to get a new 50 mm lens which is one of my dream lenses. I got a great deal, and I can't wait to use it.
Merry Christmas to everyone! Be sure to take lots of pictures to capture your holiday memories and traditions :)

The Scott Family.

2010-12-18T21:15:00.000-08:00

This was my second time shooting this lovely family. I did their annual family portraits last year as well. I love how it's so easy to capture moments of them, and how fun-loving they are together. Such a sweet family, and such gorgeous kids!

Thank you for letting me take these photos, and thank you for all the referrals you've given me Kitty! You are all the best! ♥ ♥ ♥

The Harris' and the Casey's.

2010-12-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

I had a great time with these two families over the weekend shooting photos for their holiday cards. They were so much fun to photograph and the kids were all so cooperative and adorable. Meet the Harris' and the Casey's!

It feels SO good to be shooting again :)

Lake Tahoe - Nov. '10.

2010-12-01T22:22:00.000-08:00

I love landscape photography because I think it's nice to not only capture memories and moments of people, but also the beautiful places I visit. I went to Reno last weekend to see my older brother, and while I was there we visited Lake Tahoe. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

On a side note: I CANNOT believe December is already here. I always get so nostalgic around the end of the year, and this year is no exception. It seems like 2010 has just flown by. But I'm hoping 2011 will bring new and exciting adventures with my photography and everything else in my life.

Semi-good news

2010-11-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

Well, the good news is that my camera is repaired! The bad news is my favorite (and most expensive) lens needs repaired as well.
I don't really believe in "luck" but if I did I would say that I have NONE when it comes to technology. I have a horrible track record with past cameras, and most of the time it's due to reasons beyond my control. I'm a big fan of Canons and I never really hear about anyone having trouble with theirs but I guess I'm the exception. :(
It's just hard not to get down about these types of things when I'm already so short on money nowadays. I'd rather be saving money towards an upgraded camera model, but it's a set back to have to put money into repairs on my older model instead.
I am able to do shoots again though, even before I get my best lens repaired. I have other lenses to use where I can still get great shots. So if you or anyone you know is interested in having holiday photos done, please contact me! I'll give you a great deal! :)

Bad News :(

2010-11-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

My camera's been acting up lately when it comes to focusing correctly. It started out by just happening randomly.... but now somethings officially wrong and my camera needs repaired. I'm hoping it will be a quick fix, but I have to send my camera to Canon to attempt to repair the problem and I'm hoping it's something covered under warranty (crossing my fingers... and toes.)

But the thing I'm most bummed about is..... until I get it back, I won't be able to do any photo shoots. :(

I will keep everyone posted when I have my camera back and will be able to schedule sessions.

The Walsh's.

2010-10-30T13:10:00.001-07:00

Antonia was the winner of my fall photo shoot give away. She chose a family shoot at a nearby pumpkin patch and park. I had so much fun capturing candid moments with this cute little family. Prepare to have your hearts melt with their adorable children, Noah and Jayden...

I left my heart in San Francisco.

2010-10-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

San Francisco is my favorite city that I've visited thus far in my life. This was my second time going, and I can't wait to go back again. I love cities that have culture, diversity, and history. Maybe one day I can live there.... or at least near by.

Yeah, I could live here.

Until next time San Fran....

The Hacco Wedding.

2010-10-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

I love seeing people in love. There is no denying the love these two share, and I'm so happy I was able to capture these moments for them.

Guy and Linda were married at The Ritz on October 9th, 2010. The ceremony and reception were both beautiful. Here are some of my favorite shots from the day.

Congratulations Guy and Linda!

What a wonderful day/night to remember.

Kali's 4th Birthday!

2010-10-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

Kali is one of the sweetest/cutest 4 year olds you'll ever meet! I'm glad I got to celebrate her birthday with her and her family :)

(Black and white photo by Range Larson)

Such a beautiful little girl!

Happy 4th Birthday Kali!

Contest Winner!

2010-10-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who started following my blog, and thank you to those who entered my photo shoot give away!

I used random.org to choose a number for me, and the lucky winner is........................

Anonymous said...

Amy... its Antonia.
Im excited your doing this:) i would love to have a session with you. I would like to take our first family pictures with the new addition, lil miss Jayden and i know you would love to take pictures of "ur future husband" Noah. lol. aww so excited hope i win!!

October 3, 2010 6:40 PM

Congratulations Antonia! Please contact me at amyhendersonphoto@yahoo.com to schedule your FREE session!

Also, to everyone who entered: if you book a session with me before the end of the year, I'll give you 10% off!

And be sure to check back in the spring for another photo session give away :)

Fall Photo Shoot Give Away!

2010-10-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

Fall is officially here and now that the weather is getting nicer it's a perfect time for outdoor photo shoots. With that said, I'm giving away a FREE photo session for the month of October, and to enter is really simple!

First step is to "follow" my blog (you don't have to have a blogspot in order to follow me). It literally takes about 3 seconds and you don't have to sign up for anything. You'll simply be alerted by email each time I update my blog. :)

Right now I have 8 followers and in the blogging world that's quite pathetic. So please start to follow me and help me feel more loved! ;) Just click on the "follow" button to the right of my page and it will direct you from there. It's easy, I promise.

The second step to enter for a FREE photo shoot is to leave a comment on this post and tell me who you are, and what type of shoot you'd be looking for. Also, if you live out of state and/or want to give a photo shoot as a gift to someone else you can let me know in your comment as well.

If you're already a follower of mine, you're halfway through the entering process :)

I'll choose a winner at random next weekend and will update a new blog post announcing the winner!

Good Luck!

The Trumans (Aug. '10)

2010-08-22T15:21:00.001-07:00

I was so flattered when Jerilyn approached me about doing photos for her and Brandeis' wedding. I was also extremely nervous since this was my first wedding shoot. But once I started going, my nerves calmed down and I had a lot of fun spending the day with these two lovebirds and their awesome familes, documenting their memories.
Jerilyn and Brandeis Truman were married in the Las Vegas Temple on August 14th, 2010.

It's hard to pick favorites out of so many photos!

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to shoot this lovely couple and have the experience of shooting pictures for a wedding. Can't wait for the next! :)

For more of the bride's favorites go to: http://www.facebook.com/amyhtown?v=app_56988796213#!/album.php?aid=195201&id=506524712

July '10.

2010-07-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures I took of the kiddos from my sister's visit last week. It was so so sooooo good to see them all. But 6 days out of 365 is just never enough :(
I wish they lived closer.

I miss them so much.

Val and Mia (May '10)

2010-06-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm good with kids, I always get kind of nervous doing shoots with kids I haven't met before. You never know if they're going to be shy, or freeze up, or not want to cooperate. Thankfully I haven't run into that problem yet and all the kids I've done shoots with have been super fun and outgoing. Mia was no exception to this. Such a cute little girl!
We had a fun morning at the park... Mia played, I followed her around, and then we did some cute Mom/Daughter shots. Val had a great idea to finish the morning by utilizing the water park and Mia had a blast getting soaked. Those turned out to be my favorite shots of the day, so I'm glad we were at that park =)

For a few more of my favorites of these two lovelies, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157624135487617/

Andrea and Josh (April '10)

2010-06-19T15:29:00.001-07:00

I had a lot of fun on this shoot - for one because Andrea is one of my best friends and two - her younger brother Josh is hilarious. I was so happy when Andrea asked me to do the pictures so she could print and frame them for her Mom for Mother's Day. I love sentimental and thoughtful gifts like that. Her Mom was very surprised and even got tears in her eyes... that means we accomplished our mission! =)
I have to admit, I was a little dissapointed with my photography skills on this one. I don't know if it's because I was distracted by Josh's witty comments, or the fact that in between takes I was catching up with Andrea because it had been a while since I'd seen her, but for whatever reason I accidentally had my ISO setting way too high for the outdoor shooting we were doing. So unfortunately you'll notice quite a few of the shots are way too grainy and I don't have as many photos to post as I usually do. =( But, I definitely took a lesson learned with this shoot and we still had some good takes. I just won't ever be so absent-minded when it comes to checking my settings first!

This last one is one of my favorites.

For a few more photos from this shoot go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157623828787055/

Stefanie and Mia (April '10)

2010-06-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

This was by far one of my favorite shoots, definitely as far as results go. It was so hard to pick out my favorites! But I think a big part of that was due to the fact that Stefanie and Mia were so easy to shoot, especially little Mia who was so cooperative and easy going about everything.
It made me realize how much I enjoy photographing kids and babies. Those are my favorite types of shoots for sure. I'm hoping to start doing some newborn photography soon... I have so many ideas!
Here are some of my favorites from our Easter mommy/daughter shoot back in April.

For the rest of the photos, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157623630255219/

Kill the Masses (Feb '10)

2010-06-04T22:07:00.001-07:00

I feel so blessed that even doing all this photography as an amateur I've been approached to do so many different aspects and really have some great experiences come out of it.
Band photography is something I'm very interesting in but I'm definitely new to it. This shoot was a blast, and the boys were so much fun to shoot and hang out with for the evening. Special thanks to my friend Andrea for introducing me to these guys in the first place (and for being my "assistant" for this), and another special thanks to Elden (the drummer) for asking me to do their shoot.
Now meet Kiernan, Christian, Elden, Jason, and Nick aka: Kill the Masses.

For the rest of the photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157623433873698/
The bands website: http://killthemasses.com/
The very last picture was also featured in this Action! Shot Revolution blog: http://actionshotrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-happens-in-vegas-action.html

Oh, and just to clear up why they are randomly dressed differently in the last picture - the shoot was at Caesars Palace and the guys wanted to do some funny pictures of them dressed up as tacky tourists. Those outtakes are in their (and my!) private collection. But that was also my first official attempt at a JUMP picture. It's much harder than it looks to accomplish by the way! Timing is everything.

Lauren Randolph (aka Lemon) sure knows how to take jumping photos though: http://www.flickr.com/photos/renolauren/sets/72157605153925743/

Ok, I think I'm done with all the links =)

Spenser and Jessica (Jan '10)

2010-05-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

I had a fun filled day back in January with two back to back shoots. First, I did Ashlee's bridals (as seen in previous post) and then I did an engagement style shoot for two of my best friends, Spenser and Jessica.
Engagement shoots are something I want to do a lot of, but I hadn't gotten any contacts for that style of shoot yet and I wanted to practice. So I approached Spense and Jess to help me out and they were kind enough to let me use them as models.
It was easy to capture the love they exude to one another through photos, and they were a very fun couple to photograph.
We were all very happy with the results! And I'm sure it's only a matter of time until I'll be able to do a REAL engagement shoot for these two lovelies. =)
Here are some of my favorites from the day.

For the rest of the photos, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157623061360319/

Ashlee Bills-Hoyt (Jan '10)

2010-05-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

Sara Bills and I go wayyy back, so when she contacted me about taking some engagement photos for her younger sister I jumped at the chance!
Ashlee was such a trooper... you can't tell from the photos but it was actually a coooold winter day out at The Ritz Carlton at Lake Las Vegas for this shoot.
Her wonderful Mom, sister, and cousin joined Ashlee and drove from Mesquite to help out (and to supply a jacket for her to wear in between shots!) We had a fun morning wandering around and finding some cool locations for pictures.
Ashlee was married to Adam in February in Mesquite, Nevada.

More pictures of the beautiful bride found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157623363609439/

Diaz Family (Jan '10)

2010-05-15T07:55:00.001-07:00

Such a beautiful expecting Mommy and fun family to shoot... which included one of the most outgoing four year olds I've ever met.
I love the appeal of natural shots, and you'll never hear me saying "say cheese" during a photo shoot. The Diaz's made this process very easy. =)

It was so hard to choose my favorites on this one, there are so many more shots.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157623148561424/

Gruenenfelder Kids (Dec '09)

2010-05-12T17:15:00.001-07:00

This was another holiday shoot I did back in December.
The Gruenenfelder's definitely have their hands full with four kids ages 2 and under... but they were so well behaved and fun to shoot. It was so nice of Jon and Jen to invite me into their lovely home to capture these moments of their children.

Adriana, Adia, Adrik, and Adley ♥

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157623082747744/

The Scott Family (Dec '09)

2010-05-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy I had the opportunity to take holiday photos for this wonderful family.
This shoot has been one of my favorites to date. I love how natural they were in front of the camera, and all so photogenic!
I also was extremely happy with how the pictures turned out, because they show the fun dynamic of the family. They were so easy to shoot and kept everything super natural rather than posed and stiff. Even the dogs were pretty cooperative! =)

For more photos from this shoot go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157622958118391/

The Pyatt Family (Dec '09)

2010-05-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

I decided to officially make this a photography blog, so I'm going to backtrack and post previous shoots I did.

This was my very first official photo shoot, and I'm so thankful it was this family. Bryan and Spencer are two of my best friends and I've been around their family often for quite a few years now. This made me super comfortable and at ease so that my nerves didn't get the best of me. We drove out to Lake Las Vegas and Bryan found a cool area with a bunch of variety for backgrounds and scenery. They used the photos for their annual Christmas card.
Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

For the rest of the photos from this shoot go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157622958138113/

To blog or not to blog?

2010-05-01T15:54:00.001-07:00

I kinda realized I'm no good at the personal blogging thing. My life isn't too interesting, and the little parts that are usually aren't things I want to write about.
But I think I may start using this as a photography blog instead... and post pictures from the photo shoots I do. I'm going to cancel my photography website because I'm really not that happy with it and frankly, I don't want to spend the money each month anymore. So utilitizing a free blog makes a lot more sense to show case my work. We'll see.....

Picture Post.

2010-04-06T20:10:00.000-07:00

Missing Pam =(

Milk mustache dudes!

ACTION! Shot Revolution.

2010-03-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

This blog featured one of the jump shots I took of Kill The Masses from a while back. So exciting!

http://actionshotrevolution.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-happens-in-vegas-action.html

Also, more of the pictures I took can be found on the bands website.

http://killthemasses.com

Or, my flickr account =)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/sets/72157623433873698/

My new business venture =)

2010-02-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

Click on the image to read the text more clearly. It got kind of pixelated when I had to size it smaller.
Pictures to come soon!

Time.

2010-01-28T06:53:00.000-08:00

Why is it that work days and weeks go by sooooo slowly but the month as a whole feels like it flies by? I can't believe it's already almost February!
I just need to stay motivated, driven, positive, and get things done!

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010.

2010-01-01T22:37:00.000-08:00

I've got an optimistic outlook for 2010 and I'm ready for a fresh start. It's kind of cheesy and cliche to think of a new year as a new beginning, but that's exactly what I'm doing because I feel it's exactly what I need. In reality, "a fresh start" could happen any day of year that constitutes significance. But the timing just happened to work out that I'm starting over on this day January 1st, 2010.

I made a few New Years Resolutions last year ( Found Here) and completed about 1.5 of them. haha. Resolutions have just never really been my thing. Or maybe it's the fact that I've been lacking in the motivation/drive department. I plan on re-attempting all the resolutions I made last year along with a few more personal ones.

2009 definitely had some ups and downs for me. But I learned some life lessons along the way. I met some great new people and have realized who my true friends are. I've concluded that I should only be spending my time around those who make me happy and encourage/support me. And that's exactly what I'll be doing in 2010.

Here are some of those people (in no specific order):

Spenser DeWees: My true best friend. I may not see you or talk to you as often as we'd both like but I know you will always always be there for me. I can't even begin to explain how thankful I am for that. You've always been the best shoulder to cry on (literally or figuratively). You have an endearing way of telling me like it is without hurting my feelings, no matter how brutal the truth may be. You know I have issues when it comes to keeping long-lasting friendships, but I'm so grateful that you've been one to stick around. You're my big "little" brother, best friend, and advice giver. I love and cherish you so much.

Jessica Wilde: I'm soooooooo thankful to have met you this year and grown so close so quickly. We are so much alike that it's almost frightening. I love how silly we are and how we end up in our own little world together. Nothing would be the same without you. Thank you for all the laughs, conversations, and memories. I can't wait for all the memories we have to come, and I look forward to getting to know you so much better.

Liz Pena: I don't know how I would have survived this year without you. You've been there by my side for every up and down. You're the most caring, genuine person I know. Words can't even begin to describe the gratitude I have towards you for never getting sick of my venting (or at least not showing it. haha) and always listening when I need someone to talk to. I love that we can be around eachother all day at work, hang out on days off or after work, and yet I still can't get enough. Thank you for being you.

Kim VanBeveren: Never a dull moment with you! I always have so much fun when you're around and you bring out an even sillier side of me. I'm so happy that we can relate to eachother so much when it comes to our experiences, I think it's brought us much closer. You've been a big part of the memories I have of this year and that makes me happy!

Bryan Goni: Ohhhh Bryan. If I would have never met you my life would be sooo much different now. You've introduced me to so many people that have turned into great friendships (yourself included of course). Even though we have a love/hate relationship (you love to love me, and I love to hate you. haha!) we always remain close. We have our little "fights" and then move on like nothing happened. I cherish our friendship because it's so different than a lot of others. You're definitely one of a kind. Thanks for always being protective over me, even when I hate it. I know you always mean well.

Spencer Pyatt: You're one of the kindest, biggest hearted people I know. Thank you so much for always caring about me. I think of you as a little brother and I'm so glad you're comfortable coming to me for advice and talking to me about personal things. You're the best.

Karina Lopez: My partner in crime! I love looking back at all the laughs and memories we share. And our conversations... the best ever! I adore your sense of humor and constant optimism. You're never one to complain or dwell on negative things and that's been such an influence on me. Thank you... for everything.

Andrea Gudiel: My little Andrea. Oh how I adore you. Thanks for always listening to me when it comes to things I can't really talk about with others. You're always so understanding and non-judgemental. I think of you as the little sister I've always wanted. And with that said, please know that means I'll ALWAYS be here for you.

Eddie Tolentino: Mama Eddie! We've gotten a lot closer this past year and things definitely wouldn't have been the same without you! You're so smart and good hearted. Your amazing attitude always makes me happy to be around you and gives me a better outlook on things. Can't wait for more memories to come!

Sarah Long: I miss you SO much. We don't speak nearly enough, but I know you're always there for me. And I hope you know I'll always be there for you as well! I need to plan a trip up to Reno so we can create some good times, and great memories. I love you!

Megan Yurovchak: It's so funny to think back to when we first met and how we didn't speak at all. Now, 6 years later we're great friends and still co-workers. I look up to you so much and am so proud of everything you have going for you in your life. Even though we're in different phases of life, I know we'll always be good friends.

Kira Larson: We were close, drifted, and got close again. I'm so thankful to have you in my life. You're like a "little sister", but I look up to you at the same time. Even though you're younger than I am, you're always understanding and can relate to things I'm going through. Thanks for being there, and thanks for being you.

Mike Sanchez: You're the most down to earth person I know. I've never ever heard you say a bad thing about anyone. And definitely never heard a negative thing said about you. Thank you for being so neutral and not taking sides when it would have been very easy for you to do so. I love when you make me laugh and smile, but I also have a soft spot for our serious one on one convos. Thank you for all your kind words and gestures.

There's so many more friends that have added to my year to make it more memorable, so please don't be offended if I haven't mentioned you. These are just the key people that stick out in my mind. I've been wanting to write something like this for a while, but never really got around to it. This feels fitting now though.
I just want everyone in my life to know how thankful I am to have them in it. Life is too short to not say how you feel. I love you all, here's to 2010 and making a million more memories together!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T23:09:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! I always get so nostalgic around the holidays. I can't believe another year is about to pass. It's so crazy how time flies!
Here are a few shots I took today at my parent's house.

He's like a mini model.

My parents bought Brandon a REAL bow and arrow for Christmas. He loved it, and is such a natural! Kinda frightening actually. haha

Uncle Toddy and B.

Me and B.

Cheeeeeese!

My parents are seriously the cutest.

One year I hope we can have a Christmas with ALL my brothers and sisters and ALL my nieces and nephews. That would be the best.

Website up!

2009-11-28T22:27:00.000-08:00

So I finally made a website for my photography... and even though it's at the beginning phases and it's not much to look at right now, I'm really excited about it.
A lot of my friends and family have always asked why I don't do something with my love of photography and I never really have a good answer. I guess I'm just afraid of not doing well. But I decided I need to practice more to get better, and I figure a good way to start is by shooting people I know. At least I'll be more comfortable that way.
Then maybe eventually it can turn into a more thriving business. My plan is to always have it be something I do on the side, a hobby to have, and a way to make a little extra cash which is nice. And who knows, maybe one day I can become successful enough to have it be my full time gig! =)

Check it out when you have a chance. Like I said, not much... but I plan on adding to it and making it more appealing once I figure it all out.

http://www.AimtotheEphotography.com

Schmap Tour Guide.

2009-11-15T16:07:00.000-08:00

I have a published picture! One of the photos I took in Chicago this past summer at the Lincoln Park conservatory is going to be used in this company's tour guide. I was contacted by a Schmap representative about a month ago asking if they could use a photo they found on my Flickr account.

http://www.schmap.com/chicago/tours_tour4/#p=10730&i=10730_36.jpg

Nothing too eventful, but it's still exciting. I don't get any money for it, but they publish it with my name for credit. I'm happy with that. =)

Fisheye lens!

2009-11-10T20:08:00.000-08:00

I love the fisheye lens my friend Spencer got me for my birthday. I've been really anxious to use my camera again and get creative, and I finally went out and got some shots the other day.
I have a whole list of photo ideas I want to create and I'm so excited to make them happen. Here are a few of my favorites from the day. More to come soon!

Great News!

2009-08-09T13:02:00.001-07:00

I've been putting off re-purchasing my DSLR for quite a few months now... but I finally gave up the funds and found a great deal for a used one on Ebay. I was worried about my old memory card being water damaged as well, and I kind of prepared myself for the worst in thinking that I lost all the pictures that were on there. But the great news is that the memory card read fine in my new camera which means I have all the pictures I took from the beach that day back in February! I was so ecstatic when I found out. So here are some of the photos from my little beach adventure about 6 months ago!

Sigh.... I just HAVE to live in California someday....

Chicagoooo.

2009-07-17T07:09:00.001-07:00

I went with my parents to Illinois last week to visit my sister Pam and her family. I haven't been out there in about 7 years, and I haven't seen them since they were here in Vegas about a year and a half ago. It's always so bittersweet to see them, because even though I love seeing them I know it will only be a short visit and then a long time before I see them again. It's hard not to get attached to the little ones every time and even harder to say goodbye.
When I was younger, everytime they'd leave or if I was visiting and leaving I'd literally cry for hours. I hate that we don't live close to eachother. It's so hard. But we had a great visit and did a lot. Here's some of my favorite pictures from the trip...

The first day we just kind of hung out around the house and took the kids for a walk to a park down the street.

A view from the park.

To the side of Pam's house, on our way back from our walk.

Love this picture!
This is from the next day when we went to Chicago and visited the Lincoln Park Zoo (this picture is in the conservatory section which had tons of cool flowers!)

Ciara's feet =)

We also went to Navy Pier that day and rode this HUGE ferris wheel! You only go around once, but it's 7 minutes long because it moves super slow which gives you plenty of time to see all the views of the city. It was pretty overcast that day though, so it was hard to get any decent pictures that include the sky.

A couple days later we went back into the city and went to Sears Tower. The weather was PERFECT and the sky was clear so we saw some awesome views.

After Sears Tower, we walked around a little bit and ate lunch.

Mossimo found some birds to chase =)

For the rest of the pictures from the trip, go here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=28143&id=1024259010&l=7dd84d78c8

Crossroads.

2009-05-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

Soooo I'm seriously debating about moving to Reno. It's funny because I've never been super fond of Reno, but then again I don't think I've ever given it a chance... and last time I was there I was probably about 18 so who knows?
I just feel like I need a fresh start... in so many ways. I could use some new scenery, a new beginning, and all that good stuff. And to really "start over" I feel like I would need to do something drastic like moving away in order to do so. Reno isn't too far, so I wouldn't feel too distant from the ones I love, but it's just far enough to feel some independence which is what I feel I need.
I was talking with Sarah lastnight about this and I actually feel really good about it... which is weird for me. I'm such a creature of habit and I HATE change. And I'm definitely going to have to weigh my options and figure everything out... like if I could afford this (big deal obviously!), where I would live, where I would work, etc. This isn't a definite decision, just in the planning phases at this point and if I do go and it doesn't work out, I know I could always come back. So what's the worst that could happen? I really think this would be a good step for me.
I think it's time for me to grow up and get my life together. The only thing I'm wishing is that I would've done this a few years ago. But then again... everything happens for a reason. I sure hope so anyway.

Camera dilemma.

2009-04-02T11:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of my nephew Austin from last weekend. He cracks me up the way he's always posing for the camera. He's definitely not camera shy.
I'm trying to save up to re-purchase my SLR camera... Canon won't repair it because of the water damage not being covered under warranty. I really miss that camera! Especially when it comes to taking pictures of the little kids... it's so much easier to get snapshots because I can shoot from a distance and they don't even know I'm taking a picture. But with my point and shoot camera, they see me and they see the flash so they instantly pose! It's still cute of course, but I prefer the snapshots that are more natural and not posed. And also... the shutter is so delayed, by the time it takes the actual photo then they're no longer in the same position they were when I wanted the picture to be taken! With my SLR, I can just keep taking photos within seconds of eachother with no delay. It's suuuper frustrating so I'm just going to have to suck it up soon and spend the dough. I did find a really great deal online for the camera, but it sucks buying something again that I only purchased about a year ago! I swear, I really have the worst luck when it comes to technology. Oh well...

Happy Birthday, Hailey Bug!

2009-03-31T07:00:00.001-07:00

Today my niece Hailey turns 9. I feel OLD. =)
I went with my parents up to Cedar City last Saturday for her birthday party. I miss seeing my sister and her kids on a regular basis, but I'm glad they're happy there.
I just can't believe how fast everyone grows up. I never understood when I was younger and people would say "you're getting so grown up!", or "I can't believe how old you are now!"
I would always think... what's the big deal?
But now I know! It seriously seems like just yesterday Hailey was born. I remember holding her in the hospital. I remember what I was wearing even! And it's the same with all my nieces and nephews. Sometimes I just wish time would slow down a bit, especially when I don't see them all as often as I'd like. But since that's not possible, I guess I just need to savor these times now.

What a weekend.

2009-03-01T17:07:00.000-08:00

Liz, Aaron, and I decided to go on a quick road trip and visit San Diego for the day yesterday. We started off at the beach, and spent the afternoon at the zoo.

Good news: We had a blast, and it was fun to be a little spontaneous and get away.

Bad news: When we were at the beach in the morning, the tide came up really far and damaged my SLR camera. I'm hoping I can get it replaced, but I'm not sure what my options are yet.
Anyway, at least I was left with my cybershot (which was in the same bag but didn't get damaged) so I was able to get a few snapshots of all the beautiful animals. It just kind of sucks looking at these photos, because I know the ones I could have gotten with my Canon would have been sooo much better. But oh well I guess. :/

This one's for my Mom.... Giraffes are her favorite animal. =)

Soooo cute.

They were cuddling really close together... it was so sweet!

Chimps are my favorite. And this one was such a show off, swinging from all the vines and practically putting on a show for the crowd. It was pretty amusing.

They let a peacock wander around the streets of the zoo. I wasn't expecting to see an animal so up close!

To see the rest of the animals go here: http://flickr.com/photos/aimtothee/

Tulips.

2009-02-18T17:18:00.000-08:00

Daisies are my number 1 favorite flower mainly because I find them so friendly looking. :)
But tulips are definitely a close runner up.

And once I uploaded this I realized the way the petals are out of focus really makes it look like a watercolor painting! Or at least I think so.

Happy Birthday, B.

2009-02-12T08:09:00.000-08:00

Today my nephew Brandon is 7. It's crazy how fast time flies!
This picture was taken at his birthday party last Sunday at Wildfire Lanes bowling alley.

Boulder City/Lake Mead.

2009-02-10T14:29:00.001-08:00

I really wouldn't mind moving back to Boulder City one day. I can see myself living in a little house with a little family and being content. I've always loved Boulder City just because you have all the benefits of a small town atmosphere, but all the conveniences of a big city just minutes away.

A couple weekends ago Brittanie Jones and I went on a mini photoshoot at Lake Mead and around Boulder. It was lots of fun. These are a few of my favorites from the day.

New Year's Resolutions.

2008-12-30T13:15:00.000-08:00

I never do these, but I think 2009 calls for some resolutions.

1. Lose some weight and become much more healthier.

2. Find some direction regarding school/a career and get on a set path towards it.

3. Read more. A lot more.

4. Work more on creative projects and improve on the art form, like photography.

5. Get over him.

Snow in Vegas!?

2008-12-24T18:46:00.000-08:00

I meant to post these sooner, but I've been crazy busy lately.
It actually snowed last week here. And not the typical Vegas snow that consists of a few light flurries that don't even stick to the ground... but actual legitimate snow! Everyone was going crazy because it snowed allllll day long. I felt like I was in a snow globe and someone just kept on shaking it! I was playing in the snow like a giddy little girl.

It was so beautiful. On a side note, I find the image of palm trees and snow so laughable and redundant!

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

2008-11-13T11:58:00.000-08:00

Everything is changing. Nothing ever stays the same.

Such a simple fact of life, yet such a hard concept to grasp. At least for me...

Just a thought.

2008-10-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

My best friend said something the other day that I feel is so true.

"When you have something great sitting in front of you, you take it for granted and don't appreciate it. Then its gone. Then you realize how great it was, and you want it back.... too bad the reality of everything is: you always want exactly what you can't have."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Integrity.

2008-10-17T09:18:00.000-07:00

I get really annoyed when people have to constantly "announce" the good duties they do.
It comes off as being purely egotistical.
It should be about the things you do, not who knows about it. Sheesh.

I remember in the 4th grade we used to write in these class journals everyday to practice our writing skills, spelling, etc. Then our teacher would check our work and sometimes ask questions to expand our ideas and elaborate on our writing.
One day I had written about how my friend and I had found some money on the playground, and we turned it in to the lost and found instead of keeping it. So he looked at me and said, "Amy, you have integrity." Naturally, only being 10 years old I asked what it meant. In which he responded, "Doing the right thing... even if no one is watching."
That has stuck with me for a really, really long time.

On my Starbucks cup this morning...

2008-10-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

The way I see it
Isn't necessarily
The way you see it
Or the way it is
Or ought to be
What's more important
Is that we're all
Looking for it
And a way to see it

-Desi Di Nardo
Author and poet

Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets!

2008-10-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

I somehow forget to mention the best part about my birthday.... my new pet hamster Lola! I love her! My friend Leo bought her for me and it was so thoughtful of him.
We used to have hamsters all the time growing up. As soon as one would die, we would literally just replace it with another one. They were so much fun. I remember we would build mazes out of books and put little treats at the end, and put a bunch of toilet paper rolls together to make tunnels, and of course the ever so famous exercise ball. That would entertain all of us for hours!
Lately I've really been wanting a pet. And since I don't have time/space for a dog or any larger pet, a hamster seemed the way to go. Lola's a dwarf hamster, so she's even smaller than the regular ones.... and also cuter!

Here she is just hanging out.

And peaking through.

And eating her favorite treat, raisins!

Awwh... too cute. She looks exactly like the hamster Bella my niece Hailey use to have. She's so entertaining to watch. I could just sit and gaze at her for hours. :)

Dissapointment.

2008-09-29T12:34:00.000-07:00

I think the worst kind of dissapointment is when you dissapoint yourself.
I hate to complain, but I feel like nothing has been going my way lately. They say bad things happen in three's..... but for me it has been in like eight's!
I guess I have to stay optimistic and hope that things just get better from here on out. I've always been a believer of Everything Happens For A Reason. I guess it'd just be nice to know ahead of time why things are exactly the way they are.

24!?

2008-09-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

My oh my, how time flies...

Spenser Blaine.

2008-09-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

I took some headshots for my dear friend Spenser a couple of months ago and was really happy with how they turned out. He's going to be moving to LA the beginning of next year to pursue his acting career and I couldn't be more proud of him. I honestly have no doubt in my mind that he can make it big, and it's not just because I have a friendly bias. :)

Spenser's one of the best friends I've ever had. EVER. He's literally like a little brother to me. I look out for him, he looks out for me, and he never lets me down. He's always there for me to make me laugh, keep me company, have a good conversation, or to put me in check! He's the type of friend everyone longs for and only some people actually find. I'm really going to miss not having him around.

There's quite a few more, but these are the ones we picked as our favorites. Now, everyone watch out for Spenser DeWees name to be in lights, cause it's only a matter of time. And I can't wait to say I knew him before he was famous!!! :)

"I'm Amy, nice to meet you."

2008-09-12T13:34:00.001-07:00

I think it's so interesting to think about how people perceive you. Without even trying, everyone sends out a perception of who they are to others. Some may be fake, but even through the fakeness most people can decipher what's real and what's not. So how exactly do we come up with descriptions on who/how people are?

And what about first impressions? I pretty much always get a little anxious meeting new people. For one reason, because I wonder what they're going to think. But in all reality, if you really just act like yourself and have nothing to hide, then people will perceive you exactly the way you are. Such a simple concept to grasp, but complex at the same time because it isn't always that simple. I mean I still don't even necessarily know "who I am" so how do I portray a self image I have in my head to someone else?

... Just something I've been thinking about.

Sigh

2008-09-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Analogy:

School: is to: Me
as
Restriction: is to: Teenagers

If I was really into school than I probably wouldn't care or feel like I was missing out on so much. But I get so bummed just not being able to spend as much time with my friends and be care free.
My classes are interesting and I love learning about new things, but I hate the structure of school. And I hate all the work involved in upper division classes. It's not that I'm lazy, I just enjoy the learning aspect without the working. Ok, that sounds lazy... nevermind. I don't even know how to explain it, other than the fact that all my peers in my classes actually enjoy doing all this work because they actually want to be there, and they're actually sure that this is what they want to study and do for their life.
Sooooo what does that tell me? That most likely this is NOT what I want to do. Because I'm polar opposite of that. Surprise, Surprise.

My biggest fear.

2008-09-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

"We are terrible for eachother, and yes, we are a disaster.
But tell me your heart doesn't race for a hurricane or a burning building.
I'd rather die terrified than live forever."

I constantly feel like I'm not where I'm supposed to be.... in almost every aspect of my life. School, work, living situation, and most of all: relationships.
I've always been behind the times, like when I was in high school I never had a boyfriend like all the other girls. And yes, most high school relationships are petty, juvenile, and purely for show... but then again it can still be important to go through that phase of life. I didn't have my first boyfriend until I was 21 (almost 22), even though I've been told my whole life that I'd be "such a great girlfriend." Now that I've been single for almost a year again, I just have myself questioning where I stand. Why am I a single (almost) 24 year old?
It's hard to even depict my feelings on this topic because in general I'm content, I am. I've always been pretty independent and therefore I definitely don't need a guy in my life to make it complete. I don't need anyone to make me complete, but it would be nice to have someone rather that could compliment me. And me compliment them.
I always seem to have a prospective male in my life, but it never seems to be an ideal situation. And for something to work I don't feel it should be this complicated. It should just be easy and flow and feel right. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't... but most of the time I'm just confused and feel like I'm wasting my time. And that goes back to the whole feeling of being "behind the times". It still feels like I'm in the high school phase of relationships when I should be far past that. I'm definitely not ready for marriage or anything like that, but It'd be nice to at least be in a serious relationship where I knew it was headed towards something.
I'm all over the place, but my thoughts on this subject are scattered and unsure. I try to stay optimistic on things because I know that pessimism is unattractive. But I've never been any good at pretending. So to be real, I'm scared... in fact terrified that I'm doomed to spend the rest of my life alone. My biggest fear.

I left my heart in San Francisco....

2008-08-31T20:18:00.000-07:00

.... Literally.
I completely fell in love with the city, just like I knew I would. It was absolutely amazing. There wasn't one ounce of me that wanted to leave and come back to reality. It makes me hate this artificial city I live in even more than I already did. The weather, scenery, atmosphere, everything about it was beautiful. And I can't wait to go back some day.

Here's a few photos I took while we were there...

San Fran here I come!

2008-08-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the time has come! I leave for San Francisco on Friday for the weekend!
Leo, Mike, and I have been planning this for MONTHS and the time is finally almost here. I know it's going to fly by but I'm so anxious to get away, even if it's only for a little bit.
I've never been to San Francisco but I already know I'm going to fall in love with that city.
Expect LOTS of pictures when I get back. Can't wait! :)

EDIT: 8/21/08
I feel like I'm getting sick and I am NOT happy about the timing of this AT ALL. My thoat hurts everytime I swallow and my ears are ringing and aching. I started feeling it last night so I've been packing on the vitamins but I think it might be too late. I'm trying to psyche myself out of it but that's not really working either. Guess that means I'm stuck being sick for my weekend getaway...... honestly though, I don't think anything could ruin this for me at this point. But still! Talk about a bummer!

Ewww.

2008-08-12T07:34:00.001-07:00

I HATE the smell of cantaloupe.... soooooooo bad!
And the annoying old lady that works in front of me has been eating it the past 2 days. The smell consumes this whole side of the office and it's literally making me sick. Gag me.

Thinking, thinking, thinking.

2008-08-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

There is one constant thing on my mind (well there's actually multiple things, but this one's up there)... I've discussed it with anyone I see on a regular basis for probably the last 5 years, and yet I still have no clarity.
It's that whole question of What am I doing with my life? Where do I see myself in the future? And What do I WANT for the future?
The answers haven't changed... it's I don't know, I don't know, and I really don't know.

Everyone I've talked to about it has a very similar answer. "Everyone goes through this", "You'll figure it out", "You still have plenty of time", "You're still young", etc. etc.
Well, yes, everyone goes through this... but it sure seems like everyone else has figured it out by my age. And yes, I'm still young... but I'm sure not getting any younger so that answer doesn't really suffice anymore either.

The realist in me thinks the true answer is more along the lines of "Maybe you're never going to be happy with any decision you make". Now there's something I can agree with. I honestly don't think there's anything out there that I can make a living out of and be truly and completely happy and content. What a depressing thing to say, I know, but I really believe this is true for me.

It's kind of ironic seeing as how my whole adolescence I would make a point to say that I never wanted to be one of those people who wakes up hating going to work everyday. That has been and still is one of my biggest fears in life which is why I have been so decisive (and picky) about thinking about what I want to do for the rest of my life. But in doing so, I've become almost too picky to the point that I'm completely indecisive about any commitments regarding school, career, future, etc. resulting in no movement forward!

Sure, I've got an associates degree. Sure, I'm back in school now. But then what? I'm really just in school because I don't know what else to do and I figure I'm at least working towards something. But that's the thing... what's the something!? I'm really terrifed that I'll spend the rest of my life living one of my biggest fears of hating what I do. The scary thing is I think I'm even more terrified to buckle down and really question what I want to do with my life, because that would mean that it's real and definite and grown up. And ultimately what I think this all boils down to is I just really really don't want to grow up. So I guess the longer I drag out these decisions, these life altering decisions, the longer I drag out the reality of growing up.

Wow, I think I just psycho-analyzed myself through a blog. Interesting.

Fresh start.

2008-08-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm making a fresh start in many aspects of my life right now. So I figured a new journal would be fitting. My old live journal was getting (or always was) a little boring and trite. I wish I would have written more... it's pretty funny to look back at entries when I was 19 and the only thing I had to talk about was boy troubles, boys, and more boys. It's also funny how much reading it brings me back to those times. And it makes me laugh because I still feel like I go through similar situations. Then again, that's kind of depressing because I should be over that stage of life by now!
That's a whole other issue... which I'm sure will come up in a future blog entry because I have a lot of thoughts to depict on that subject. A lot of thoughts that are constantly crossing my mind. But I won't dive into that quite yet... another day, another day.

AIM to the E Photography

Jenni Beth & Malcolm.

The Scott Family.

The Mitchell Family.

The Yurovchak Family.

Tim & Zara.

Heather and Logan ♥

My Trip To Illinois.

Carol & Jazlyn.

The Burton's.

Addison. Part two!

Giveaway Winner!

Spring Photo Session Giveaway!

The Burnson's.

Addison.

Robin and Maria.

Peyton.

Promotion!

Kane's 16th Birthday.

Last Weekend.

The Flores Wedding.

The Davies Family.

I'm officially back!

The Scott Family.

The Harris' and the Casey's.

Lake Tahoe - Nov. '10.

Semi-good news

Bad News :(

The Walsh's.

I left my heart in San Francisco.

The Hacco Wedding.

Kali's 4th Birthday!

Contest Winner!

Fall Photo Shoot Give Away!

The Trumans (Aug. '10)

July '10.

Val and Mia (May '10)

Andrea and Josh (April '10)

Stefanie and Mia (April '10)

Kill the Masses (Feb '10)

Spenser and Jessica (Jan '10)

Ashlee Bills-Hoyt (Jan '10)

Diaz Family (Jan '10)

Gruenenfelder Kids (Dec '09)

The Scott Family (Dec '09)

The Pyatt Family (Dec '09)

To blog or not to blog?

Picture Post.

ACTION! Shot Revolution.

My new business venture =)

Time.

Goodbye 2009, Hello 2010.

Merry Christmas!

Website up!

Schmap Tour Guide.

Fisheye lens!

Great News!

Chicagoooo.

Crossroads.

Camera dilemma.

Happy Birthday, Hailey Bug!

What a weekend.

Tulips.

Happy Birthday, B.

Boulder City/Lake Mead.

New Year's Resolutions.

Snow in Vegas!?

Ch-ch-ch-changes.

Just a thought.

Integrity.

On my Starbucks cup this morning...

Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets!

Dissapointment.

24!?

Spenser Blaine.

"I'm Amy, nice to meet you."

*Sigh*

My biggest fear.

I left my heart in San Francisco....

San Fran here I come!

Sigh