I Got the Blues...

I'm entering Mandy Stansberry's Friday Photography contest. This week the theme is "I Got the Blues". Originally I had planned on posting a photo I recently took during Ice Storm 2010 in OKC. But I'm tired of ice and snow and nasty weather in general! It's getting pretty old for all of us Okies who are not equipped to handle this winter weather! So, I'm reverting back to a picture I took in New Mexico last summer. It makes me feel warm just looking the big blue sky and adobe style building. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh....I'm ready for warmer weather!!

An Explorer of Moments...

I am an Explorer of Moments.

I seek out precious moments in time waiting to be discovered, waiting to have their story unfold.

What each moment reveals, well...that's really not up to me. Each one is revealing something unique to each individual.

My job as The Explorer is only to find those moments that are crying out, capture them with my lens, and unveil their mysteries to the world.

It can be simple or profound but each moment has its purpose...each moment is important.

It's in these moments that we discover what is beauty...sorrow....joy...hope...pain...forgiveness...

And it's in these moments that we learn what it truly means to be alive.

I've been exploring recently with my camera and I'm curious to know what this picture portrays to my readers. I hope it can reflect different feelings for different people. I can't wait to hear your comments...

I Heart Faces - Texture Photo Challenge

I've entered the I Heart Faces photo challenge this week. The theme is right down my alley: "Textures". If you know my photography, you know I love working with textures. They can really change the look and feel of a photo and for me, this is the art behind my photography. The photo I'm entering is one I took at a photo shoot with the Linden family in the spring. Their daughter Evey was a real doll in front of the camera and we all had a great time together. I added a few filters to this besides using textures. A few of them were actions I downloaded from Pioneer Woman. The texture I used was a picture of little bokeh lights. I felt it gave the picture a dream-like quality, especially with her expression she has on her face.

mmmm sushi...

Isn't sushi so pretty? Seriously, it's like art wrapped up in rice. Full of color and intricately designed. Maybe that's why I absolutely LOVE this stuff and can't get enough of it. Or maybe it's because it just tastes so stinking good. Given the opportunity, I'd eat sushi 3-4 times a week. Unfortunately it's not the cheapest habit to have, so I resist my cravings often. I've tried 3 restaurants in the OKC area...Kang's, Okura and Fuji. So far Kang's tops them all because the atmosphere was so swank. Red walls always make me swoon and they highlighted them with great contemporary art. I have yet to try the other ones I keep hearing about: Tokyo Japanese Restaurant, In the Raw, Sushi Neko and Saii Asian Bistro. Trust me, I will try them all at some point. I even would like to attempt to make my own sushi sometime. But it looks like a lot of work and I've never been great at cooking rice, especially sticky rice. It could be disastrous.

Favorites: Spicy Tuna and Philadelphia rolls...mmmm my mouth is already watering. I've yet to try any Nigiri sushi...anyone have an opinion? I always order edamame but stay away from sake...that stuff is nasty...

How sweet is this lens?...

Taken with my new Nikon lens...I'm loving it already :)

My 2009...

I saw this on my friend Ann's blog and I thought I'd fill out my own for fun :)

HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR?
It's hard to pick any specific moment but getting into photography a lot more has to be one of the greatest things I've enjoyed. Whether taking pics of people or nature or experimenting with different effects in Photoshop, photography has become a huge passion for me.

LOW POINT OF THE YEAR?
Having another surgery on my right knee for a torn meniscus and having to come to grips with the fact that I'll never be much of a runner again.

LESSON LEARNED THIS YEAR?
Sometimes it's necessary, even if it's painful, for God to place us in the wilderness.

BEST HOLIDAY?
Thanksgiving in San Antonio

SONG(s) FOR 2009? (I can never just have one of these!)
Happy by Leona Lewis
Give Me Your Eyes by Brandon Heath
Here Comes Goodbye by Rascal Flatts

BEST MOVIE(s) OF 2009? (ya, I can't have just one of these either)
The Blind Side
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Invictus
Avatar

BEST BOOK OF 2009?
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

BEST TV SHOW OF 2009?
The Office!

ANY REGRETS?
Giving up on a few goals because I couldn't really see the end in sight.

BEST DECISION(s) MADE THIS YEAR?
Taking up Spinning...now I'm hooked!
Buying reusable shopping bags...a seriously great investment!
Entering photography contests and actually getting in a show!

BIGGEST CHANGE OF THE YEAR?
Moving into my own apartment and living without roommates for the first time in my life.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR?
To continue with my passion for photography, travel when I can, and seek more of what is God's will for my future.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR NEXT YEAR?
To learn to listen to God more, to seek His will in every big decision I have to make, and to follow my passions and dreams without letting Satan get in my way.

Am I a Christian everywhere?

"If a man cannot be a Christian in the place where he is, he cannot be a Christian anywhere"
-Henry Ward Beecher

I wish I could say that I show the example of Christ 100% of the time, that my life is completely transparent and I'm the same person in "the world" that I am with my church. However, as I'm sure other Christians can relate, there are many times where I do not act or talk Christ-like. Whether it be with certain people or in certain circumstances, the world gets the better of me and I slip. And it's this hypocrisy that eats away at me.

"I want to do what is right, but I can't. I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway." -Romans 7:18-19 NLT

Can you relate? I've been there time and time again. It's the curse of temptation and sin. It's Satan eating away at us, telling us we can live dual lives. He slips in that way...making us think we can be who we want to be, whenever we want to be. That (and this is hypothetical) we can party hard on Saturday and pray hard on Sunday and nothing is wrong with it. But, as even Satan knows, there is no dual life with God. There is no little switch we can just flip on and off. The Christian life is meant for total devotion.

Sometimes people think that if they just changed their circumstances, picked up and moved to a new place, or got a new job, that things would be different. That they'd be a better Christian. I'm here to tell you that your sins follow you wherever you go. You have to meet them head-on instead of running from them. We're not told that it's going to be easy to be a Christian. In fact, it's probably the opposite, as I've learned even more this past year. It can be stinking hard to try to be different. "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor. 4:8-9 NIV) But the rewards will be far greater than the pain or trials we may suffer here on earth. Our sight cannot be fixed on this world...it will only depress us. Our sight needs to be fixed on Christ.

My hope and prayer for all Christians is to live an authentic and transparent life. I know we'll all need a little help from God on this one...

My Review of Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Wide Angle Auto Focus Nikkor Lens - U.S.A. Warranty

Originally submitted at Adorama

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Wide Angle Auto Focus Nikkor Lens - U.S.A. Warranty

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Wide Angle Auto Focus Nikkor Lens - U.S.A. Warranty

LOVE THIS LENS!

By Snickerson21 from Edmond, OK on 1/7/2010

4out of 5

Pros: Easily Interchangeable, Consistent Output, Durable, Sharp Focus, Lightweight

Cons: Slow Focus

Best Uses: Portraits, Travel, Landscape/Scenery

Describe Yourself: Semi-pro Photographer

Do not hesitate if you're considering adding this lens to your collection! It's seriously a great lens for a great price! I love using it indoors...it's perfect in low-light settings. I like using it for portraits, though because it's a fixed lens, it takes some getting used to if you normally use a zoom lens. You definitely have to move around a lot more. I would give it 5 stars but the AF-S could be a bit faster... it's not insanely slow but definitely slower than I'm used to. This lens will probably stay on my camera most of the time. I really couldn't be happier with this purchase.