What have I been doing?

I've been so super busy with school and homework that I haven't had hardly any time to work on pictures or blog, let alone take pictures. So the past couple weekends I finally brought along my little digital Lumix camera.
Documentation:

Jessica, Caitlin, Teri, Me, Caitlin

Me, Stephanie, her husband Drew, Caitlin, Mitch, Skyler, and his wife Caitlin



Me and Emily




Jan, Sarah, Me





Girls day out for ice cream before Sarah left for her mission on 10/27



Megan, Stephen, Me



Model of the Salt Lake Temple; located in the South Visitors Center

 



 

Stephen, Me, Josh

Can't Stop Won't Stop

I'm famous (at about 1:10). You know what this means? I can get free burgers for life. Not really, but that would be neat.

Partner Stunt

Who are we?

At institute last night we were talking about true character. With every person there are 3 different rings of our lives, first is the public ring. Everyone can see this ring and see what we do throughout our days/weeks/lives. The second is the personal ring. And the third is the inner side (I say that because I can't remember what President Savage named it). This final ring is how we truly feel, it is the ring that will produce what is seen from the outside.
We also talked about hypocrisy. This really stood out to me because I hate it when people are hypocritical. In the spiritual sense of hypocrisy we usually have examples where the person doesn't really believe what's true and right and maybe, when the person is with friends, will act how he or she feels, maybe not doing the greatest of activities if you know what I mean; and want people to think that they are good, maybe he or she goes to church but doesn't really believe it. In chapter 6 of The Manhood of the Master, Harry Emerson Fosdick points out the other side to hypocrisy. Maybe the person is great on the inside, believe everything that is true and good, but doesn't act it, doesn't stand up for it.

"The secret of hypocrisy is the desire to appear well without paying the price that being right costs. We love to by highly regarded by men; we make their approval our standard; and we learn that we can meet this standard, for a while at least, by outward appearance. It is of this that Jesus is thinking in Luke 16:15, "Ye are they that justify yourselves in the sight of men; but god knoweth your hearts." Think frankly of ways you have deliberately tried to cover the real truth by outward appearance, for the sake gaining approval in your family, in your college classroom, in your church." -Harry Emerson Fosdick

This was so interesting to me. We need to be good, need to act well, be humbled, and not act below us. We need to stand up for what we believe in. Let people glorify in our Father. We can just point the way. Let people come unto Christ. We are so blessed by our Father in Heaven, we get to point to Him and say we have been blessed by Him and you can be too.
What would you do if no one were watching, or rather if no one cared? Would you do what you do? Be who you are today?

I Need You...

In order to build my portfolio there are a couple of projects I would like to do free of charge. Please comment or email me if you are interested in being part of one:

• Young adult group (men and women between the ages of 18-30)
• Young children (ages 2-7)

If you want to be in these groups all I ask is that you provide either a disk or a thumb drive for me to put your pictures onto so you can have them.
When I have enough people for the groups we can start coordinating a time and place that is good for everyone. If you comment, please don't leave any information that you don't want seen on the internet. Your privacy is important to me! I'll either message you back if it's on facebook, or email me at shayleephotography@hotmail.com and I will respond ASAP.
The only disclaimer is that you will have to drive yourself or your children. My little car can't hold very many people. Also, if you want your child photographed, please accompany your child or, if you cannot attend, send another guardian.
Share this with your friends!

So long!

It has been a while since I have written on this blog! So sorry! Things have been so crazy busy for me. During the days I have school, during the night I am either doing ward things or get togethers with different friends, and in between I eat, sleep, do homework, edit pictures, get ready for my best friend to move out of the house and get married to the best friend I set him up with, etc. Things are crazy and my emotions are not consistent. One minute I'm so happy for my brother to get married, the next I'm stressed realizing how much I'm actually doing day to day.
My Great Aunt June died last week, her funeral is tomorrow. I've known her since I was born. She is my Aunt Juney. I'm a little sad that she is gone, but more than anything I'm so happy that she is in such a great place right now. There is a fantastic talk given by a man a few decades ago that gives great insight to a few things about the Spirit World. I don't know the name of it or him right now, I'll have to check with my Dad and post again about it. If someone close to you has died, or you just want to simply increase some understanding, you will want to read this. It is kind of long, compared to most talks, but SO worth it.

Even though I'm really busy, I still love to and want to take pictures of people. In fact, to build my portfolio I'm wanting to do family and group pictures. My girlie cousins, I want you guys as a group next to some neat buildings in a commercial area, let me know if you are in and I'll give you a call. (email your cell to shaybabe904@hotmail.com). I'm also wanting to do a "friends" group, ages 18-30, location will depend on the number. I'll inform you all of what type of clothes to wear. I will give out the pictures if you bring a thumb-drive. Please tell your friends, they may want to come!
(I'll be posting something like that again so people don't have to scroll through a soap box section)

Yuba Lake 2010

My singles ward went to Yuba Lake July 15-17, it was such a blast! Great boating all day, great food (thanks Steve, Jan, and Krissy), and great friends to spend time with. I drove down Friday and Saturday morning and left in the afternoon on each day. Saturday my dad and I drove down together on his Harley, so fun! Then we stayed to help pack up the site, we ended up being the last people to leave the lake.
I don't have any pictures of me wakeboarding on my camera. Friday I tried to do a "Hang-10" on the wakeboard. For those of you who do not know what this trick is, let me explain... A "Hang-10" is where the person on the board stands at the very front tip of the board and rides behind the boat. To do this trick on a wakeboard most people start with their feet out of the bindings and then walk to the front of the board. However, my feet are small and most bindings on the boards I use are quite big, so I tried to slip my feet out of the bindings and then walk to the front. I had my right foot free and I was working on my left foot, I was nervous because I didn't want to fall with one foot still in the bindings risking serious knee injury. Well, my left foot couldn't get out and I fell. No worries, my left knee twisted funky in the water, but the moment I stood up all was well. Now I just have a bruise on the side of my knee and it pops more than normal.
That turned out to be a longer story than intended...
Here are the pictures!

I got my first ticket on the way down there. I'm still a little peeved about it.

 

It was so hot while we were cleaning up so we would do some stuff, jump in the water, do some more stuff, and jump in the water. Repeat.

New Spice

For those of you who have seen the Old Spice commercial (click here, or here, or here) you will love this. It's brilliant how these college students put together this awesome commercial!

Fast Lane

My aunt Kaye sent out a couple funny YouTube videos, so you may have already seen this. I think it is awesome that they did this, letting people live a little!

Just a Reminder...

Just a reminder that I am privatizing my blog later this week. So for anyone that hasn't already sent me their email and wants to follow my blog, please email me! You can always comment on my photography blog and I will add you, this is not a last chance type of thing.

Love you peeps.

Private Blog

Hey all, I will be putting this blog on private. Please send me your email so that I can put you on the safe and able-to-view list. You can send it to either shayleephotography@hotmail.com or leave a comment with your address. I will delete the comment as soon as I see it so your email has a much less likely chance to be seen (I check my email and blog everyday, obsessive?). This privacy setting will be happening near the end of next week to ensure most people who want to can send their address to me.
I have so much that I want to document, not only about me, but also about the people so close to me. And I don't want to put other people at risk on the internet. I love you all and hope to hear from you so soon!

New Blog

Hello everyone! I have created a new blog for my photography. The blog you see here is my personal blog (my musings, thoughts, ideas, poetry, basically anything happening in my life). But as for my photography, there is a new blog for that. There is a link to view that blog to the top right of this page, or you can click here.
I'm really trying to get my name out there so that I can do pictures for people, companies, families, etc. So please, if you like my work tell your friends, give them the web address (shayleephotography.blogspot.com), or even my phone number (for those of you who know me will know what that number is, I don't trust the internet that much).
Thanks!

Freedom

What is freedom? What does it mean to you? How are you free? What makes you free?
Freedom, to me, is knowing that I can do what I want, when I want, as long as I cooperate with the consequences whether good or bad. For instance, if I want to drive across the country I can, if I stay within the speed limit I won't get pulled over by a police officer. If I want to voice my opinion, I can, as long as I don't create a riot. If I want to own a gun, I can, for my protection and the protection of my family (and for target practice).
I am free because I live in a country with laws created by our forefathers for the benefit of the citizens of the country.
As for what makes me free, there are a few things that I have photographed but have not yet digitized. Once I do, which will be soon, I will post them with explanations of why those things make me free.
Being that it is Independence Weekend, I wanted to post an Independence Post. I am so proud of all those who have served for our country and for our God. Because they are the men and women who have made it possible for me to be where I am today, free.
When I was 15 I wrote a poem for my history class. It then was published in the October or November '06 issue of Teen Impact, a magazine published for high schools in Utah. I figure this poem is appropriate to share on Independence Weekend.

The Soldier

It was a lovely Wednesday morning,

And everything was great,

Although no one knew what was to come,

With our breakfast made, we ate.

Our T.V. shouted “News flash!

A soldier is captive in Iraq.”

We were stunned there with wonder,

Knowing our brother hadn’t come back.

I had not seen the face on the screen,

My sight was still quite dazed,

But when I looked down at my sister,

Her eyes were huge and blazed.

“Is that him?” I heard her whisper,

“Sarah?” She turned to me,

“Sarah, can you see it?

Is that Michael on T.V.?”

I felt the pain rush in,

It smacked my eyes stone cold,

I did not want to hear it,

Though the horrid truth was told.

“We now have name of this soldier,

That is captive in Iraq,

Michael Anderson has great courage,

We only pray they send him back.”

“Isn’t this against their law?

It is nothing but cruelty,

They cannot murder him,

 He deserves to be free.”

The newscaster was right,

Michael did deserve to be free,

But why could they not see it,

The ones chaining him in misery?

A soul is missing from the earth,

A body is left alone,

His spirit lies inside of us,

But Michael Anderson never came home.

What is Love?

Love is one of those things that not many people in this world fully understand in their lifetime. Love, some think, is something so deeply felt in the heart that one could only love very few -if only one- people, objects, possessions, animals, etc.
Love, in my eyes, is not something that happens for one person, one possession, one of anything. Love, in my eyes, does not need to be proclaimed from housetops, posted on billboards, written on paper, or even declared aloud.
Love happens for many, if not all, people, objects, animals, nature, etc. Love means you care about it in some way. Love can be felt for sisters, brothers, parents, children, friends, teachers, leaders, co-workers, neighbors, acquaintances, and even strangers.
Love is the only tangible feeling or concept that cannot be seen as an object.
Love is the only thing that will never change in an ever changing world.
Love is powerful and can save lives.
Love is gentle, yet strong.
Love is for everyone, in everyone.

"[Love] comforts, counsels, cures, and consoles. It leads us through valleys of darkness and through the veil of death. In the end love leads us to the glory and grandeur of eternal life.”  Joseph B. Wirthlin

Look to the Sky (Pictures)

These pictures were taken June 17th around 8:45 p.m. from my front porch and back deck with the Canon 30D (digital), ISO 100.

Berries and Cream!

I know this came out several years ago, but I am just so in love with it. I think Lindserloo and I have the skit down near perfect. We will be performing it at the next family reunion talent show, coming soon. Light and breezy!

Skyler and Caitlin Engagements

Sneak Peek of Caitlin

Future Photo Shoot

I get to do the engagement pictures for my brother and his fiancee. I am so excited that they are letting me do this! I'll post some pictures once I'm done editing them.

Tulip Festival 2010

For one of my birthday wishes this year Caitlin, Lindsay, Kayla, Lauren, and myself went to the Tulip Festival. And we brought a camera...

Like I said in previous posts, I LOVE capturing personality; so for most of these shots, they didn't know I was watching them!