Captured Moments..

This week I had to give a presentation in my public speaking class and my professor said to make sure that you choose something that you are passionate about.. As I thought about what I would do for my topic, of course there was one thing that immediately popped into my head:

Photography

Of course. Plain and simple. So as I was working on it, it got me thinking about why I love photography so much, and today as I was feeding my obsession (Pinterest, of course) I found this quote that I absolutely love...

That's what photography is. Capturing people. Capturing their personalities, their qualities, everything, at that one instant in time. The person they were when that picture was taken will be forever captured in that one simple picture. Many people see photography as just a way to make themselves look good. Go get your pictures done, they make you look good, and bing bang boom, you have some new profile picture for facebook or whatever. What people don't understand is that it's so much more than that. Pictures are a way that people express themselves..
I know I have a hard time expressing myself sometimes.. I can't put into words what i'm feeling or what's going through my head, but when I pick up my camera, my emotions just spill into my work. I can tell what mood i was in when I look back at the pictures i've done, I remember people exactly how people where when I took the picture opposed to how they are now. I can see huge changes in the people i've taken pictures of from how they were then to how they are now.  Photography just captures moments that in time, we wont be able to remember on our own. Photography remembers things long after we have forgotten them.

Photography is also a way to express the person you are photographing..

I feel like nowadays photographers are so set in their style so they mold the people they are shooting to fit their way of doing things. I think this is wrong. The pictures are theirs! Not the photographers. Technically, the photographer took them so they are their work, but they're for the people they are taking the pictures of. Photographers need to let their subjects personalities show. Not suppress them into their way of doing things. Do what THEY want, not what the photographer wants. If it wasn't for the subjects, there wouldn't be anybody to take pictures of in the first place. The photographer can help come up with ideas and help make things flow better, but the subjects need to have a say in how their pictures look and what they are doing in them.

Anyway, there's my venting on that subject...

I guess the point of my post today is to find something you are passionate about. I found what I love and it's the greatest thing ever.

-Moments of Impact-

This weekend I went and saw The Vow with my best friend, and it got me thinking...

My favorite quote from that movie is...

"Life's all about moments of impact, and how they change our lives forever."

-Leo

What if I hadn't met some of the people I have throughout my life? What if I hadn't experienced some of the things that I have? Who would I be? Where would I be? Who would be in my life now? What would I be doint with my life?

After thinking about this quote for the last few days, I really think that I have had thousands of moments of impact in my life that I never really paid attention to before. Moments of impact that have changed me. Whether it was someone I met, something I did, or something someone did for me. A mistake I made. A trial I faced. A heartbreak. Thousands of moments have changed me. Made me into the person I am today. I cherish my memories more than anything. I can't even imagine having something happen to me and not being able to remember the last 5 years of my life. I wouldn't remember who I am. Who my friends are. The one's I love. The things that interest me. I would have my whole high school life erased. All the things I experienced. I would not be able to live without my memories. I would be so lost if I didn't have my past to look back to.

There is another quote from The Vow that says..

             How do you look at the [one] you love and tell yourself it's time to walk away?

                                         -Leo

As I was watching this, I noticed that it hit my best friend really hard, and she told me why after. And I thought to myself,

       "How many times have I had to do that?"

It really is one of the hardest things ever. To care about someone so much and know that they dont care about you back. You really do have to tell yourself it's time to talk away. If you're in a bad relationship, listen to this quote. If you aren't happy with relationship you have, listen to this. Yes, it's hard to walk away from someone you care about so much. Trust me, I know. But in the end, it's worth it. It's hard for a while and you might think you can't get through it, but you can. It gets better. It all starts with telling yourself that it's time. In high school, I had a boyfriend that cheated on me. When the truth finally came out, he chose her. Not me. He told me he'd come back after he was done dating her. He never did. I finally realized that it was all a lie and had to tell myself...

             "Okay Jess, it's time to walk away. This is doing nothing but destroying you."

If I wouldn't have walked away, I might still have feelings for that boy today. I wouldn't be where I am today. But because I did, my life is amazing. I have great people in my lfie and i'm not weighed down with that burden.

Today, I Vow...

         -To always keep some record of my memories. [This will be easiest for me to keep up with my blog]

              If I ever lost my memory, I would need to have my memories written down.

               So I Vow to always update my blog and take LOTS of pictures!

     -To always cherish the relationships I have and never take anything for granted.

          -To never get caught up in my past again. I will not be weighed down by things that happened to me

             because they all changed me for the better.

     -Lastly, I Vow that when I find the one i'm going to marry in the future, I will love him as deeply as

           Paige and Leo do in The Vow.

"I vow to fiercely love you in all your forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget that this is a once in a lifetime love."

                           "I vow to live within the warmth of your heart and always call it home."

Friends are what I live for..

I came across this quote the other day and it got me thinking..

This last week i've really been thinking about who I have met in my life and the reasons why I am where I am today. The first thing that comes to my mind are my best friends. Some i've known longer than others, some i've been closer to than others, but I love them all none the less.