"Whatever you do in life will be insignificant, but it's very important that you do it." - Gandhi

I heard this quote a few weeks ago and it really stuck with me. I think that most things that have been fulfilling in my life have been things that are insignificant alone, but contribute to a bigger part of something. It humbles me by making me see that I cannot do things alone. Many times when I feel I have accomplished something great or done something amazing and "significant" I am most likely looking from a very egotistical viewpoint and in the long run it's very unfulfulling.
Here are the pictures from my 365 day challenge. It's been over a month and I'm still having a lot of fun with it.


37/365 These were cupcakes at a friends bridal shower. It's funny how much I needed a night out like this without even realizing it. It also sometimes surprising who is there for you when you need it most.

38/365 Train tracks. I love rainy days. Minus lightening.

39/365 My lovely niece. This is the only time that having only two teeth is the most adorable thing I've ever seen...along with the slobber. ;)

40/365 This little girl is probably the happiest baby I've ever met. I was with her for only a couple of hours...but she smiled for most of that time.

41/365 Super moon light. I was sleeping outside this night next to the river. It took so long to wake up because it was so bright. I didn't mind a bit.

42/365 This picture is nothing special. One of the clients that came on the river trip pointed it out. He stared at it for the longest time. I thought it was awesome that he saw this little beach flower so special.

43/365 This was the second night on the river. As you can see the moon didn't settle down at all. The stars weren't too bad either.

44/365 One of the bonfires we had on the river trip. One of my favorite parts of the trip. Roasting marshmallows and telling cheesy jokes. It was good to see some clients laugh that I haven't seen even smile in a while.

45/365 From one of my favorite stores in Moab. So much pottery and wooden crafts. I don't think I blinked the whole time I was in there.

46/365 I'll have the fish on tap. So...we ate at Ray's Tavern. The burgers were awesome. I just thought this added some personality to the tavern. ;) haha

47/365 Two of my very favorite little people.

48/365 My sister pointed this out to me...and she was exactly right. I loved it. For some reason my very favorite part is the legs and how she only has one foot. It made me smile.

49/365 I recently discovered that I really like taking pictures of old cars. Not sure I have a reason...but I do. "When rich people own old cars they're considered collectors items. When poor own old cars they're considered junk." -My sister.

50/365 This is a creeper shot. One my sister Melissa might like. ;)ha.

51/365 Mmmm. Best looking flag I've ever seen. Thanks Melis.

52/365 I kept telling myself I wasn't going to pull over and take any pictures. I failed. This was the result. Not bad Great Salt Lake.

53/365 So this one is typical...but I like that it showed where I had come from along with where I was at the moment.

54/365 Heber Creeper. Fun train. Fun night. Fun friends. Fun conversations. Nothing more needed.

55/365 Another shot of the train. Colorful.

That's all I got for now. I'm hoping the rest of this summer I can see some pretty cool stuff. I leave for D.C. in less than a month, and have a few more travels ahead. I can't wait. I feel I need some change and vacations always give me a great perspective and my mind seems to clear. I'm hoping to make some good decisions.

A Quote Here...and A Picture There

"HAPPINESS IS THE NATURAL FLOWER OF BEAUTY." -PHILLIP BROOKS
I haven't been the best at posting. Could it be because I'm too busy adding tally marks on my family's dry erase board? hehe. I'm still editing a picture a day, it's just the posting once a week that is getting me into the commitment corner that I always hate. Another discovery this week is that my camera is broken...and continues to break. Maybe, my sister touched it...my sister or some strange hiker lady that decided she knew just what to do to fix...that thing that wasn't broken. Either way...I will be purchasing a new camera tomorrow. Wish me luck.

"WE AREN'T FLAMINGO NUTS, BUT WE ARE FLAMINGO CRAZY!" - Marian Woods

"WEEDS ARE FLOWERS TOO, ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW THEM." -AA MILNE

"BUY THE TICKET, TAKE THE RIDE." -HUNTER S. THOMPSON

Lizard. :)

"ARE YOU UPSET LITTLE FRIEND? HAVE YOU BEEN LYING AWAKE WORRYING? WELL, DON'T WORRY...I'M HERE. THE FLOOD WATERS WILL RECEDE, THE FAMINE WILL END, THE SUN WILL SHINE TOMORROW, AND I WILL ALWAYS BE HERE TO TAKE CARE OF YOU." -CHARLIE BROWN TO SNOOPY

"ME? I'M JUST AN OLD FASHIONED COWBOY." -SPIKE

"AGE DOES NOT DIMINISH THE EXTREME DISAPPOINTMENT OF HAVING A SCOOP OF ICECREAM FALL FROM THE CONE. " -JIM FEIBIG

"MY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK." -JOHN HEYWOOD

"THE HELICOPTER IS EVIDENCE OF HOW MAN'S IMAGINATION CAN BE GIVEN PHYSICAL FORM." -WHEELER

"EVEN CATERPILLARS COULD FLY, IF THEY WOULD JUST LIGHTEN UP. " :)

"FIRES ALL GO OUT EVENTUALLY."

Nature's fireworks....

"HUMANKIND HAS NOT WOVEN THE WEB OF LIFE. WE ARE BUT ONE THREAD WITHIN IT. WHATEVER WE DO TO THE WEB, WE DO TO OURSELVES. ALL THINGS ARE BOUND TOGETHER. ALL THINGS CONNECT."

"CELEBRATE WHAT YOU WANT TO SEE MORE OF." -THOMAS J. PETERS

"WE DON'T JUST MAKE A KILT, WE BUILD IT." -HARRY LINDLEY

"TALENT WINS GAMES, BUT TEAMWORK AND INTELLIGENCE WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS."

"HOW DOES ONE BECOME A BUTTERFLY, SHE ASKED. YOU MUST WANT TO FLY SO MUCH THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO GIVE UP BEING A CATERPILLAR."

"THOSE WHO DO NOT HEAR THE MUSIC THINK THE DANCERS MAD."

"CULTURE IS THE WIDENING OF THE MIND AND OF THE SPIRIT." -Jawaharlal Nehru

"REMEMBER THAT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN THE WORLD ARE THE MOST USELESS PEACOCKS AND LILIES FOR EXAMPLE."
That's the bunch. Unfortunately because I took so long to post them they are in no particular order. My main goal is to improve in my editing skills. I am doing another engagement shoot, so I'm keeping my finger crossed that everything turns out how I have planned it all in my head. ;) That never works out though...does it... :)

2nd Batch

I didn't mean to go for the whole night theme...but apparently that's what happened toward the end of my week. The project has been different this week. I thought this whole thing would help me with editing, and that I would learn a lot from that. So far, it's been everything BUT that. :)
I've learned a lot from taking opportunities when I see something that I find worth taking a picture of. Here's the week at a glance...they aren't super amazing...but hopefully I can work on my editing skills and keep having this much fun taking the pics.
15/365

I drove up by the Draper temple with a friend and we got this amazing view of the city lights. The sky was pretty awesome too.

14/365

I've been messing around with my shutter speeds, and snagged this one of the moon.

13/365

Yep...another shutter speed photo. This is probably old news to everyone, but I just barely learned how to take pictures like this. My niece and I stayed outside for at least an hour writing secret messages to eachother with my flashlight. It was entertaining, but the best part as always was hanging out with my niece and just seeing her face everytime she figured out the message she was going to write.

12/365

This was on one of the rainy days...that ended with a cool sunset. It was perfect.

11/365

This is Callaway the horse.

10/365

This is the fence that keeps all of the prisoners in at the jail. Okay that's a lie...but it is right outside the jail, and it caught my attention.
9/365

I love this picture purely because it's so simple. Nothing to do with how I took it, or edited because all of that is lacking...haha obviously. I love it because it is my niece smiling because she is happy to be swinging...and that's it. It's anything but complicated and it bears as a reminder to me that this is what a smile should be about...little things. I forget this sometimes.

SNAP

8/365 7/365

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3/365

2/365

365 DAYS

My sister-in-law told me of this 365 day challenge. Everyday you take a picture. Just one. Normally I would have thought it to be a good idea, but at the same time I would have shied away from the commitment. However...I've been reading a book that is called "Beauty and the Soul." It talks about the Power true beauty holds, but how we have forgotten, in our day, how to recognize absolute beauty.

I admit, during my busy weeks I feel rushed a lot of the time, sure I feel accomplished at the end of the day (most of the time ;))...but when I take time to recognize something beautiful that crosses my path, when I stop and actually look, and not just pass by, I feel more at peace.

"If we develop an original, honest, courageuos capacity for perceiving beauty, we will have found a value we can always trust. In a night full of snares and demons, we will rely on a friendly light to comfort us and show us the way."

I feel I have always struggled with words. Expressing myself verbally never came without a lot of effort. Even when I was really young. I thought this was a bad thing, until recently. Of course I can still strengthen this, but maybe I just had to find the way I communicate naturally. Not that I'm this amazing photographer, by any means. Hopefully I will get better this year...but I won't make any promises. ;)

So...Here's my first pic. 1/365.

*"We never know where and when we will find beauty. If we look for it where we have been told to, if we already know, or believe we know, where to find it, the search becomes a predictable ritual. But if we are ready to discover it in the most unexpected moments, if our attitude is such that we have no preconceived idea of when the decisive moment will be, then the range of our possibilities becomes immeasurable."