Count Your Blessings...

Man, what a crazy couple of weeks it has been. From school to work to church to sending off our winter missions team to Ecuador, the holidays, friends visiting, and finishing up some senior requirements, it has been a tough couple of weeks for me to get in my updates... So here we go!

Story of my life, it's been tough getting the chance to pick up my camera. Back in late November, I approached by a good friend of mine, Michelle Leonardo, to photograph her 18th birthday party. I figured this would be a good way for me to practice and start charging for my services. Charging services, for me, is more about building up the confidence necessary to successfully photograph a day such as her 18th birthday party, more so than getting a pay day or anything along those lines.

So while I do not have much time to write an extensive update, here are the pictures.... Enjoy!

The decorations were, phenomenal...

I'm not going to lie, Michi's court looked GORGEOUS!

I am constantly amazed at how ridiculously popular and loved Michi is.... 

Happy Birthday Michi....

1, 2, 3.... SMILE!

I've been saying this time and time again but I cannot stress enough how difficult it is for me to practice my photography. With that in mind, what better way to do so by practicing my photography during a community service project?!

Part of being in the IB program is needing to carry out a community service project. My community service project piggy-backed off of another project known as Help-Portrait. 

HELP-PORTRAIT IS A GLOBAL MOVEMENT OF PHOTOGRAPHERS USING THEIR TIME, GEAR AND EXPERTISE TO GIVE BACK TO THOSE IN NEED

In order to kind of mimic their mission statement, I partnered with Mending Hearts to carry out a small scale version of Help-Portrait's mission. I, along with four other close friends of mine went into an under-priviledged neighborhood where we spent all day giving those who came makeover, and a small scaled photo shoot. However, I MUST give some shout-outs.

• Pooja Patel: Thank you soooooo much. I was so surprised at how ridiculously talented you are with make-up and hair. I could not have asked for anything else to have been done differently. You are freaking amazing. Thank you so much.
• Carla Mae Ramos: Thank you so much for everything with hair. You seriously are uber talented with hair. Likewise with Pooja, I could not have asked for anything different to have been done. Thank you so much!
• Anna Nicole McGehee: What can I say? You may think you didn't do much, but you did. You were that one person who did a little of everything to help everything else go smoother. Thank you so much!
• Berlimar Andreina Anez: Much like Anna, you did a little of everything that helped everything run. From taking preliminary shots, to helping with make-up, to hair, to clean up, to dealing with me all day, literally ALL DAY!!!!! Thank you so much. You're amazing...

My lovely, lovely helpers...

Did I say thank you yet???? No?

THANK YOU!!!!!

P.S

Be sure to stay tuned! Pictures from my good friend's, Michelle Leonardo, birthday party will be up shortly