Blair High School: Prom 2011
I’ve realized my baby sister makes appearances on my blog quite often. The reason? I’m so incredibly proud of her. She’s grown into a beautiful woman, and I’m so happy to call her my sister.
Saturday night she attended her senior prom. When she stepped into her dress, I about lost it. Where has the time gone? I still remember pushing her around in laundry baskets for fun. Now she’s about to enter a new chapter in her life. Wow.
Abby got ready at our house with a few friends. Her beautiful hair was done by the mom of one of her good friends, and I absolutely LOVE the flower.
I was most impressed with how my sister coordinated everything. Her hairpiece, the boutineer, and her corsage complimented each other perfectly.
I was never good at putting on the boutineers, and Abby had some trouble, too. Maybe it runs in the family? Mom had to jump in and save the day. Note to self: learn how to pin a boutineer.
Yep, they got a limo. Let me be the first to say that I was jealous. I never got to ride in a limo for prom. I don’t think I’ve ever actually sat in a limo! Another note to self: add that to the bucket list.
Abby, you are gorgeous. Beautiful on the inside and the outside. I love you. I hope your night was everything you ever dreamed it to be.
Lincoln Portraits – Melissa
Sometimes, you just have to try new things. And I absolutely love people that are willing to let me try new things. Melissa is one of those people. And I love her for it. Well, that, and the fact that we can talk business for hours. And we did.
Melissa and I met our freshman year of college, and then ended up being roommates our sophomore year. She’s super fun – always laughing, talking, full of life. She is a fellow entrepreneur herself, starting up her own cut floral farm. She absolutely loves everything about plants. And let me tell you, that girl knows them all. So smart.
So, I wanted to try something new. And Mel was totally supportive when I told her I wanted to try using a reflector for her session. OK, so I totally don’t have a legit reflector right now, but I wanted to see if it was something worth investing in. And guess what. Foam board isn’t too shabby. Granted, it’s super light, and was a little hard to handle without an assistant, but I made it work. Sort of.
I just absolutely love the catchlights that reflectors produce. One of my favorite photographers, Michelle Moore, uses reflectors for almost every shoot. So, of course, I had to try it.
This is seriously, one of my most favorite photos. To date.
So, this was a different day, but I decided to try using some off-camera lighting techniques. It was super fun to experiment with, but I don’t think it really fits my style. Still, it is a good thing to know, you know. Just in case.
Happy Friday!
Double Diamond Ranch – Blair, NE
On Tuesday, my roommate and I got the heck out of dodge. Well, okay, mostly just outside of city limits, busy streets, and the constant hum of traffic. We needed some air. Catie is an equine major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and got in contact with Scott at Double Diamond Ranch in Blair, Nebraska. He ropes with Corey’s folks at clinics and competitions and has a huge ranch where he breeds and raises Azteca horses.
Catie thinks she wants to get into breeding and foaling and the like, so we went out there to watch him do his thing. It’s pretty amazing. And horses are just simply beautiful. I couldn’t tell you everything he talked about, as I’m not as much of a horse person as Catie, but it was great to watch him work. Oh, and I got a few photos, too.
Those are their two cattle dogs, Buster and Abby. They were hilarious to watch. Very eager to round up the filly.
Happy Thursday!
Where I Come From
Last week I was going through some old folders on my computer and found some really fun work that I’d forgotten. Seriously, I have tons of folders of photos I downloaded and forgot about. Like, I just uploaded photos from my trip to Ohio last summer this past week. Hello?! It’s ridiculous, I know.
Anyway, during that trip to Ohio, I photographed both my cousin and my sister’s best friend for senior photos. Those were the files I cared most about so I didn’t really do much with the others. Except forget about them. But I had some time on my hands last week and I decided to go through them. I’ve said that already.
While both of my parents come from farming families, I didn’t actually grow up on a farm. My dad got into engineering and my mom into the medical field. These photos are from my grandparents’ place. I spent a lot of time here growing up, and now that I’m older and my grandpa has passed away, I cherish the memories even more.
Part of the reason these photographs were taken was because my dad and uncle were putting on new siding to my grandma’s barn. Metal siding. And I really wanted to capture the character and history the barn had before it was all spiffy looking. I like the old look. It’s like it has a personality.
There is so much history here it’s not even funny. This barn has seen rain, snow, sleet, ice. It’s seen the good times and the bad. And it’s more than just an old barn to me. It’s Grandma’s barn. Grandpa’s barn. It’s family.
This is what happens when the family gets together. We work. Because, if you live on a farm, you know that something’s always got to be fixed.
Grandma picks these apples every year and makes the greatest applesauce you’ll ever eat. I can’t eat applesauce from the store anymore.
Got the scaffolding in the back of this one, but I think it sort of adds to the geometric-ness (yes, I just made up a word) of the shot.
This is so special to me because it’s my grandpa. His words. His handwriting. I see this, and I see him. And I miss him.
Feelings of Success, But Mostly Just Coldness
First of all, I’m SO EXCITED that I had so many blog hits yesterday! I am not entirely sure where they came from, but I love it! Total page hits were 117 with 52 of those on the For Photographers page. And not only that, but there were 95 links clicked from the resource page. Wow! I can’t even tell you how excited that makes me feel. I hope you think it’s good stuff to read and that you’re learning helpful stuff!! :)
And, if you have articles to contribute, feel free to leave them in the comments section, on my Facebook Page, or send me an email. I’m constantly looking for new things to add, but would love your help! And if you like what’s there, spread the word. There’s nothing greater than helping other people!
So, yesterday we had an ice storm of sorts. It was exciting. Not. I had to scrape my pickup FOUR times. Not fun. But I did learn a fun trick. Bring a towel or sheet with you and drape it over your windows. Then you just have to pull that off and a lot less scraping. I haven’t tried this trick, but I’m definitely going to!
So, I braved the ice, pulled on my Carhartt (ok, ok, they’re off brand!) bibs and coat, and went out to get some fun shots. Here are some of my favorite. Enjoy :)
Happy Tuesday! I got a snow day from class!
Lincoln Family – The Kollars
This past weekend I had the pleasure of photographing one of my favorite families in town. I first met Missy through Campus Crusade for Christ on campus and then really got to know her when my best friend and I led a Bible study in the dorm and we met with Missy every Sunday night. She helped me through some really rough times last year and I’m forever grateful. Bill also mentored Corey for a semester. These people are so awesome.
Bill and Missy, thank you for believing in me and giving me a chance. You have no idea how much it means to me. I love you all so much. And I swear, you are such a beautiful family!
The love that runs in this family is astounding. I guarantee they would do anything for each other.
Bill and Missy recently adopted a little girl, Luci, from Ethiopia. She is seriously their pride and joy.
Muchos gracias to La Brisa Photography for this idea :)
What else do you do in fall? Play with leaves!
![](http://lh5.ggpht.com/_qEBej_ohet0/TMi7yDNYZUI/AAAAAAAAAo8/Pm5-Jvyxx9M/s0/kollars07.jpg")
I think this shot definitely represents where this family currently is. Luci is the baby of the family, so naturally gets a lot of attention. But guess what, the older kids don’t mind. They give her the most attention, and each one takes so much pride in being her older sibling.
And because all families have their goofy sides:
Happy Wednesday (evening)!
Abstract Nature
Photographers are often asked to “define their style.” I’ve never really been a fan of this question because I don’t know that you can always describe your style using words. Besides, I really believe that the images themselves should be enough to answer that question. However, when it comes to the nature stuff I’ve been shooting, I’ve noticed a running theme: abstraction.
Is that a word?? Maybe not in the way I’m intending. But I’m finding that (with my new lens, of course) I’m absolutely loving getting in close and throwing all but a tiny piece of the subject out of focus. Why? Maybe because I’m obsessed with bokeh (blurring in an image). I don’t know. But I know that I love the feel for these images even if you can’t necessarily tell what they are.
And I’m not a plant expert, so you probably shouldn’t ever expect names for things ;)
Happy Sunday!
Blair Senior – Abby
I’m not gonna lie, I’ve always been a little bit jealous. When we were younger, some lady at my mom’s work commented on how big, bright, beautiful and blue my sister’s eyes are. “I have blue eyes, too!” I stammered, and the lady tried to make me feel better, but I knew it was true. Her eyes are so beautiful. And blue. Mine? Gray. Not even kidding you.
Then my sister got older, and started rocking clothes that I could never pull off. And I was jealous again. I think it boils down to the fact that she’s just braver than I am when it comes to fashion. She’s daring. I like comfort ;)
I was so blessed to photograph my sister on Sunday. It was so fun because she is, as Tyra says, so fierce! I just love it. Photo after photo. Just wonderful! We spent our day in the Haymarket here in Lincoln. She wanted to go to the Old Market in Omaha, but with her school and my schedule, it was just easier to do in Lincoln. I’m pretty sure she loved it. Things always have a way of working out :)
There was even enough of a breeze to get her hair blowing!
We found this awesome alley that a sweet random chair and a blue wall that totally brought out those eyes that I covet.
Then we went over near Haymarket Park to get some photos in the trees.
Abby, you are so beautiful, and I’m so thankful to call you my sister.
Happy Tuesday!
CASNR Homecoming Concert
Last Thursday night was the night I’d been waiting for since last spring. So much went into that night. Much more than booking a band, organizing the advertisement, etc.
There was so much more. We had to do a lot of research, including surveys of the students, and go in front of the council that organizes and funds campus events. Essentially we had to prove to them why East Campus needed this concert (which we shouldn’t have had to go to such lengths, but that’s another story altogether). A lot of heart and soul and emotions went into it (at least on the CASNR end). In the end, we got it. And it was a great time.
A big thanks to our Burr Hall guys who worked security for the event!
The John Hale Band opened and did an awesome job. I absolutely adored his boots.
Of course, Kelly Garrett and Hoss Michaels from KX96.9 were there to pass out free goodies!
And one of my favorite country artists ever, Lee Brice!
So technically, you’re not supposed to jump on people’s shoulders or crowd surf, but this is a pretty sweet photo..
I was most excited to photograph the concert because I.LOVE.LEE.BRICE, but it was also great because I was able to experiment with different types of flash. I definitely prefer the natural lighting, but it was fun to practice!
Lee was totally rocking a Nebraska shirt and glass! :)
Oh what a great night.
Block & Bridle Steak Fry + CASNR Prairie Stomp
Why should you be in CASNR? Other than being the greatest college on campus, we have the coolest events!
A couple weeks ago the Block & Bridle club hosted their annual Steak Fry at the Animal Science complex, and let me tell you, the steak was amazing. There was lots of socializing and food, and what more could a college kid ask for??
After the Steak Fry, Cactus Hill set up in the Nebraska East Union parking lot for the annual Prairie Stomp dance. The last two years it had been moved inside due to bad weather, and we thought it would be this year again, but luckily it wasn’t!
There was lots of line dancing…
And of course, swing dancing…
And Cactus Hill totally rocked it out through the rain!
Capital Humane Society – Tails+Trails
This past Sunday I volunteered my time and talents. And I feel so rewarded by the experience. I learned so much, saw new things, and simply had a blast.
The local shelter in town, Capital Humane Society hosted their annual Tails and Trails fundraiser event. It’s basically this big festival held in Haymarket Park where dog lovers from all over come to meet other people, connect with different organizations and services, and, most importantly, walk to support the shelter.
There were lots of vendors, selling everything from in-home boarding to homemade dog treats. I brought my roomie and puppy with me, and we got lots of free goodies!
There were also lots and LOTS of dog lovers. I was pretty amazed because I’ve never really been part of that group before, but hey, I’m a changed woman.
Look! Puppy caricatures!
And of course, there were loads of dogs. Dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes. I’ve never seen so many different breeds before! God sure is amazingly creative!
Hey, that dog on the right sure is cute! Ha, I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to photograph my baby. She did really well given that she’s not really a fan of other dogs or other people! :)
Look at that blue eye! Love!!
The did have some pretty amazing activities for the furry friends to do…like painting!
A photo with the Lincoln Salt Dogs mascot!
Water!
Don’t forget agilities!
And the awesome guy who taught his dog a ton of frisbee tricks!
It was so refreshing to get out of my comfort zone and attend an event I normally wouldn’t give a second thought to. Plus, the ladies who put this thing on, Donna and Alisa, are super amazing! Yay for new friends!
My challenge for you this weekend…get out of your comfort zone! It’s so worth it! :)
Happy Thursday!
The Good Life
Our state motto is “The Good Life.”
I never believe it to be so true except when I’m out west. Past the big cities. Past the flat land along the interstate. Into irrigation. Into sand. Into God’s country.
Most people say Nebraska is boring. That it’s all flat. I beg to differ. We have such a beautiful, diverse state. And this past weekend, I found a love in documenting that beauty. Someday, I hope to have a Nebraska Collection. To prove all those people wrong. And to make them see the beauty that surrounds us.
Take a look at the makings of the some-day collection:
I spy…do you?
The Beauty in Imperfection
Indiana Senior – Jenna
On my trip back to Ohio recently, I was totally blessed to photograph my cousin for her senior photos while they were in town from Indiana.
And you can’t tell me this girl isn’t gorgeous. She’s pretty much amazing. But what makes her even more awesome? She’s a runner. Cross country. That just blows me away, considering I can’t even run up the stairs to go fetch something from another room. In my book, she’s a superhero. Because she does it for fun.
We had some awesome locations for our session, and I have to give credit to the wind. That’s right, it was so windy we had to find really sheltered areas (and even that didn’t help sometimes), and the locations totally rocked…like an alleyway and the middle of the woods. I’m going to have to keep those ideas in the back of my mind for later days.
Didn’t I tell you she was gorgeous? I wish the Good Lord had blessed me with arms like hers! ;)
I told you Jenna was my cousin right? Well, technically her mom is my dad’s cousin. So I really have no idea what that makes us other than some form of cousins. But here’s our other cousin (Jenna’s first cousin – am I confusing you yet??), Katie, who joined in the fun! :)
Jenna wasn’t sure she could rock out the non-smiley look. Well, you did, girl!
Ohio Senior – Erin
I’ve known Erin forever. Or almost forever. Growing up, I was best friends with her older sister. So naturally, my little sister became friends with Erin. And although we don’t live in Ohio anymore, we still love to visit and a few weeks ago I was blessed with the opportunity to photograph Erin for her senior portraits!
Enjoy the beautiful Erin :)
Here’s the two best friends ;)
The post I wasn’t intending…
So, I totally meant to sit myself down and post the super awesome photos from a family session I did a couple weekends ago. But instead, I cleaned. Dishes took almost an hour and a half. Then, the counters needed a deep clorox clean. Then so did the cupboard doors. And if you only knew how dirty that floor was.
So by the time I was done with that, I was exhausted! My bff came home and we decided to have our Jesus Time out on the deck because it was storming. And then since the lightning was awesome, I got out my camera. Jesus totally provided this blog post tonight :)
I still have a long way to go with this whole lightning thing…it’s a lot harder than it looks (like how my buildings are completely out of focus..)! But enjoy checking out my first attempt! :)
Happy Thursday (night!)!
And happy thunderstorms!
Lincoln Portraits – Catie
Wow. I’m sitting here and I don’t even know how to begin this post. Did you ever have a friend growing up that you just couldn’t spend enough time together? Like every waking moment you were either talking to that person on the phone or hanging out in person? Well, Catie is that person in my life. We even live together and we can’t seem to spend enough time together.
She was lucky enough to have the day off of work yesterday, so when the weather was looking pretty overcast, I suggested heading outside for a fun session together while she was still in her Sunday clothes. All was well until we got to our location. It was noon. And SUNNY. Any of you photogs out there know that this is the absolute worst time of day to shoot. And it was. But we found some shaded areas and waited patiently for those few moments when the sun would slip behind those glorious clouds.
And Catie rocked it. How do I live with someone so fabulous? It’s hard. But I love it :)
She just had to have a photo of her boots. Signed. By AARON WATSON. Yeah, he’s a big deal. At least to us (we’ve seen – and met – him 3 times!).
She calls this her “attitude” pose :)
Happy Monday!
Tripods are the bomb!
So, I’m officially in love with my $30 Target tripod. Wow. Went out tonight to try some cool shots with it. Here are some of the results! What do you think? :)
A beautiful lake of glass :)
Lincoln Portraits – Nick W
I can’t remember the first time I met Nick. Or what my first impression of him was. I probably thought he was a lunatic (because he is!). All I remember is that somehow he became my “favorite.” We lived in the same dorm our freshman year of college, and it was always fun to go over to the boys’ side and hang out with Nick. He became sort of like a confidant; we’d talk about everything.
After that first year, Nick moved off campus and our sophomore year we made it a point to have lunch together every Friday. I always looked forward to those. This past year, I think I saw him three times. Maybe. Next year, I’m going to make it a point to see him more. So for now, enjoy these photos from our session a week or two ago!
And just so you all know what I was working with, Nick is a theater major. So I had to deal with his maniacal laugh, crazy facial expressions, and overall silliness. But it’s okay. He makes me laugh!
Omaha Portraits – Bailey
A couple weekends ago, I went home to visit my family, and decided to meet up with Miss Bailey for a short afternoon session on her family farm. This girl loves horses, and she’s really good with them. So we spent time wandering around in fields, near some really cool barns, and just walking along the road that runs right through their property. It was so nice to get away from the hustle and bustle, and be out where the only sounds you hear are birds chirping and the wind blowing.
I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!
Lincoln Portraits – Anthony
I know, I know. It’s been a week since I’ve updated. I wish I could use the excuse that it’s finals week and I’ve been pouring over books in the library, but that’s definitely not true. Actually, the reason was because I didn’t realize my trial period of Adobe Lightroom was almost up, and I didn’t expect the Computer Store to be out of stock. So, this is the first of three sessions I have to get up on the blog. And I have another one tonight. Whew!
As I was designing my senior portfolio album a week or two ago, I realized that out of all the sessions I’ve done, only one was a guy! I guess girls are just more willing to model than guys. So, and I can’t even remember how it got set up, Anthony and I headed out to the Haymarket last weekend for a super fun session.
I think it’s pretty important to mention that Anthony is a grad student at UNL (well, not anymore…he graduated today–with a Doctorate in MATH!), and used to by my Differential Equations teacher. Rannndom! Long story short, I was failing his class, along with my other math class, so I dropped them. I figured I should email Anthony and let him know that I was SO over math, and was looking at pursuing my photography career. He was very supportive, and quite often you’ll see his encouraging comments on my Facebook page. So now, it’s his turn to be the star!
But before I jump into the photos, let me just say that it is hard posing and photographing men. Don’t get me wrong, I lovelovelove men. But obviously, it is natural for my posing and composition ideas to be catered to a woman. Mad props to my boyfriend, Corey, for tagging along and helping me out. Hopefully I’ll get the hang of it! And thanks, Anthony, for totally rocking it out even when I had absolutely no idea! :)
I think this one is probably my favorite. I have no idea why, but I like it. Lots.
Hmm, maybe this one is my favorite…
If you look closely, you can see me in the reflection of his glasses. Woo!
Puck, Todd, & Copper
Last week, I was talking with a close friend of mine who is hoping to get engagement photos done before she leaves for Africa for the summer. I’m super pumped to do them. The problem? She hasn’t gotten the ring yet. So, while we wait for that day, we did a short session with her babies. I would tell you what kind of dogs they are, but I can’t remember all of them.
As it turns out, pet photography is a LOT harder than I thought it would be. I follow Emilee Fuss on facebook, and she makes it look so easy. Well, it’s not. I’m glad I got these shots. And I’ve had someone else offer to let me take photos of their dog. So maybe I’ll get more practice soon.
And maybe someday soon I’ll do a repeat of these three guys. For a first-time-ever thing, they’re not too bad. But I feel like I could do way better. I think from now on, any dog I’m photographing needs to be exercised for like four hours prior to the session. Wow, do they have energy.
Until then, enjoy!
Puck.
Todd.
Copper.
**Edit** Kristen informed me that Puck is a Border Collie, Todd is a Basset Hound, and Copper is a Yellow Lab. For those of you who wanted to know :)
Pet Photography Sneak
So, this is technically a sneak peek at the pet photography from tonight. However, what I learned tonight is that photography insanely hyperactive dogs is hard. And not quite my forte. So, there may or may not be a full post later! We’ll just have to see how the rest of the images turn out! So for now, here are Kevin and Kristen’s dogs, Copper, Puck, and Todd.
Half Box I Branding
Springtime is full of new life. The trees bloom, the grass is finally green again, and on ranches outside of city limits, calves are born. Each ranch has its own brand, and George and Sondie’s is no different. So early Saturday morning we hit the pastures to vaccinate, castrate, and stamp that pretty little brand on the bundles of joy. Or pain, depending on if you got stepped on. Or head-butted.
I forgot a belt, so I got to wear George’s with a sweet buckle from 1994!
Those mamas know exactly what’s going on, and they’re not happy about it.
This is why they call it “roping and dragging.”
George and Sondie. They’re so great :)
For those of you out there who think this is cruel and traumatizing, this is just shortly after being branded. He’s fine. And just as rambunctious as before.
These clouds were looming in towards the later part of the morning, but never really let any rain fall. It started sprinkling as we were cleaning up, but nothing came about.
Oh ya, this is my best friend. And the dog that used to hate the two of us but now she loves us. Whatever. :)
2010 Hog Roast
CASNR Week continues with the annual Hog Roast. In previous years, the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity hosted it themselves. But this year they teamed up with their sister sorority, Sigma Alpha. Five dollars paid for all-you-can-eat barbecue pulled pork, cheesy potatoes, baked beans, cookies, and pop. The proceeds went to the Farmers Crisis and Rural Response Hotline, which provides counseling to individuals or families in rural Nebraska who are overwhelmed with stress, depression, or other mental health related issues.
If you didn’t make it last night, here’s what you missed!
Raise your mug, Mr. Skip Hecox (he always has coffee in his hand)!
Tallying up the tickets, maybe? I heard an unofficial count of 500. Way to go!
