the calm before the storm

Right before a storm sets in, there is this moment of utter calm. The birds stop singing & it seems as if all of creation holds its breath... waiting.. like an audience before the drawing of the curtains. It waits for the Artist to reveal His masterpiece, in all of its glory & splendor. The sky, a seemingly endless palette of gray, tinged pink from the sunset, looks down upon the trees, their leaves shaking, creating beautiful melodies. And then... the first crystal clear drop of rain falls from the heavens... the first rumble of thunder is heard... the first flash of lightning is seen - the cloth covering the canvas has been lifted. And as I stand here, ripples of excitement running through me, bubbling over into a smile, I realize, that no matter how hard I try or how long I live, I'll always fall short of grasping the full majesty of the Creator.

these are a few of my favourite things

golden hour, sunflares, & vintage cameras. Speaking of vintage cameras, this here is Louis (pronounced LOO ee). He's very pleased to meet you! :)

a photo is worth a thousand words.
xoxo,

the beach

I step onto the fine grainy surface of the sand & wiggle my toes until they are buried out of sight. The rather strong breeze gives my face a caress, bringing with it the scent of that deep blue, watery version of the sky. The sound of crashing waves on the shore makes tingles of excitement run down my back. I take a deep, refreshing breath and can't help but smile. Three whole seasons of absence have been too long a time... way too long. I'm back now. Back where waves lap gently against the shore, leaving behind seashells - whose pasts are forever destined to remain untold. Back in the land of unending hues of sapphire, where the colour of the horizon is a blend of the two dreamiest shades of blue. Back where inspiration seems to crash into you, just as easily as the white crests of rolling waves. Yes, I'm back in my own little 'Narnia'.
Do you have one too? :)

Christine || birthday portraits

**linking up with Jessica. you can view the sooc here**

On a lovely rainy day, a couple of days before her birthday, I asked Christine to come out to the backyard with me for a birthday photoshoot. She was kind of reluctant at first, because she hates it when I chase her around with my camera (so guilty), but I did, eventually, persuade her. And yes, I had to do/say quite a few funny/crazy things to make her laugh, but all in all, we had an amazing time! :)
You might have noticed that the above photos are edited (just basic touch-ups, no actions or anything like that), but still, none of them are SOOCs. Quite unusual for me, but I really wanted to try something different, and I'm very satisfied with the results. Your thoughts? :)

Ohio // part 1

**in case you missed my vlog, this (super outdated) post refers to our Victoria Day long weekend trip to Ohio**

The highlights of our Saturday morning road-trip (via my trusty iPod notepad):

3:30am. I got out of bed after my three hour nap (yes, it felt like a nap).
4:15am. in the car. blankets, overstuffed rectangular-shaped tote bag full of books, & all.
4:30am. Regina Spektor. :)
5:00am. can just catch a glimpse of light blue sky in the east.
5:30am. sunrise & lots of shutter snapping.
5:45am. listening to the narnia & lord of the rings soundtracks.
6:00am. port Erie (second to last photo) and across to NY.
7:15am: Pennsylvania!
8:15am: Ohio.


Happy Father's day! :)

when words fail

black & white

sooc shot

sooc shot

sooc shot

sooc shot

sooc shot

sooc shot

curves & colour balance adjustments

curves & colour balance adjustments

curves & colour balance adjustments

curves & colour balance adjustments

curves & colour balance adjustments

colour balance adjustment

sooc shot

sooc shot

sooc shot

curves adjustment

when words fail, the only thing left to do is grab a camera.