Gotta get it back

 

Oh. My. Goodness.

I’ve been out of the game for a minute! Feeling like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. I seem to have lost my way a bit, things in life got a little hectic, but I’M BACK BABY!

While some things in my life have slowed down others have picked up but I’m starting to make sure I make time to do the things I love to do. I love taking pictures and I need to force myself. We know how easy it is to hit the snooze button on things that are just for us, and I’ve been doing that but NO MORE MY FRIENDS. Let the photographing begin.

They say dreams are just goals you don’t write down. So here we go I’m going to write down some of my photography goals for 2017. They could be as simple as going and photographing a place or certain people or yadayada.

PEOPLE

All the grandkids WITH their grandparents. Life is short and those photographs will be treasured one day.

The Cavalcante’s- yeah I’m looking at you Sara- those pictures regardless of how you think you look will be treasured by your children one day 🙂

All my people. It’s a difficult balance of trying to live in the moment and wanting to capture some moments.

PLACES

Exploring Point Lookout State Park

Smith Island, that stupid ferry is $7, damn I’m cheap sometimes.

August 2017- Addy, AJ, Adam, and Darlene at Grandma’s. I missed it last year this will not happen again. Except for 2018 and that’s unavoidable so 2017 WILL be happening.

Going Antiquing- but this will/might/probably/more than likely require the 50mm lens I’ve been eyeballing. Damn Deaderick just pull the trigger on the purchase already lol

Michigan- here’s looking at you Zieglers 🙂

PHOTOGRAPHER

I’d like to really start training myself to look at the photo after I’ve taken it. Seriously i’m so tired of over or under exposing because I don’t look until it’s too late.

Being able to THOROUGHLY understand aperature without having to say it out loud while I’m doing it.

FLASH. Damn I want to understand my flash….

 

Ta-ta for now…a short ta-ta 🙂

Jackie

*Newborn*Raelyn Knott

I loved this shoot. What a beautiful little girl.

 

Kinda looks like a selfie.

Little shark

Senior Portrait- Keresa

This is really late. What fun this shoot was. I had a blast shooting this senior session. Keresa was a ball! So photogenic! Gorgeous inside and out. Initially we were going to DC to go to the Cherry Blossoms but the weather was not handeling that so we had to do a quick shoot locally. I posted on FB asking if anyone knew where there are local cherry blossoms. My Dad reminded me about the old Flattops. Which is now a frisbee golf (?) park.

After that we headed to Elms for some different scenery.

I could take pictures of this girl all day. She had great ideas and was just a pleasure to shoot.

Destination: Unknown

Love this one.

Keresa

2017

My favorite.

That smile 🙂

Chase the sun girl.

 

Tennessee, oh my Tennessee

 

I love Tennessee. I get so excited when I know we’re going.

We go to see my husband’s grandmother down in Knoxville. Usually we visit Knoxville, Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Townsend. We love it down there. I love it down there. It’s my favorite place to visit.

We took my step-daughter’s best friend down as a way to help lower the fightig between Cassi and Tommy.

Back behind Nanny’s house there is an old house that people used to live in that hasn’t been occupied in YEARS and had a tree fall through the roof. That’s not the only the building back there though. There is this little shed back there that was just picture perfect. Charley was such a great model for it too.

Is this girl not the most beautiful girl you’ve ever seen? Those hazel eyes and that dark hair. Beautiful inside and out I tell you.

I think I need a 50mm lens? I really wanted to get the whole thing but it wouldn’t focus?

If you know could you help me out?

Next time I’m going to bring a truck and take some boards, if Nanny and Melvin are ok with that.

I’m not sure what used this shed was used for before? Chickens? Meat?

Spring was springing in TN this past week!

We LOVE CLIMBWORKS #alwaysclimb

The view from place we stayed at in Septemember. Gorgeous place Apple Valley Resort I believe it was.

We took a hike down to Abrams Falls from Cades Cove. While it wasn’t without it’s mishap it was amazing.

The gorgeous Abrams Falls.

I’ll be as full of sass as ever- Nanny

The woman we all love. Her stories are the best. She makes me laugh out loud constantly while we are there.

That one time we took the ATV trip Bluff Mountains. What a fun thing to do with a few stops that had the most gorgeous views.

Supposedly last year was the last year for the Booms Day. Booms Day the biggest fireworks display in the United States for Labor Day. Amazing.

Cades Cove Loop. Can’t beat it, unless people don’t use the pull offs and stop for every little squirrel. USE THE PULL OFFS PEOPLE!!!

These two kids absolutely love ziplining. Again, we love CLIMB WORKS!

Drill Weekends

I’m a SGT (E-5) in the Army National Guard. I am the Supply NCO for my unit. I love my job. I have been with my unit for my entire Army career, people tell me I should move and get more experience somewhere else, meet new people. While all of these things are certainly true but with the lots of new faces that come and go I feel like I have a new unit every few years.

I can’t say enough great things about the National Guard. One weekend a month, two weeks a year. Drill weekends can sometimes be Friday, Saturday, Sunday but more often than not they’re Saturday and Sunday. The two weeks a year usually falls during the summer time. Only about a year ago I became my unit’s PAO, Public Affairs Officer. I love it! My unit is a signal unit, so computers and radios and other stuff like that. I say this with 100% love for my unit and they know, they are geeks.It’s fun to take pictures of them because then I’m out there with them.

 

The range in the fall.

Sunset at the range. How gorgeous is this?

❤

Can you see me now?

Yellow for the incoming.

These are my people.

 

Firing order please line up.

I get to do the coolest things in the National Guard!

I have the greatest unit ever.

I see you.

 

If you pop up you will get shot.

The rain was coming in and then it didn’t, thank goodness.

LOADED

Rounds

Pew.Pew.Pew.Pew

 

 

 

Can’t stop

 

 

Spin, Spin, Spin

Go here, go there

Do, do , do

Tick tock tick tock

Running late and running behind

Trying to catch up but I’ve lost my mind

Here, here, here

Give, give, give

Take, take, take

Nothing left in my bank

I’m running on an empty tank

Pump the brakes

Not much more I can take

Go, go, go

Spring, summer, fall

Though life is an endless winter

Is there ever a winner?

Caught

 

Life moves so fast

Like a line that’s been cast

Drowning, pulling, tugging and swallowed

Reach the top to be caught and hallowed

Try to the stop the process and reach for the side

Only to find that our life is blind

Andrews/Ridgell Family Pictures

I may be partial to these four people but are they not the cutest family you’ve ever seen?

These were a surprise for Ashleigh and Johnny’s Mom for Christmas. A picture of all four grandbabies. Great Mill Tree Farm is where my brothers grew up, really. My brothers have worked for Bob Fraiser for a majority of their lives. Bob and my Dad have been friends for longer than I’ve been alive.

ANDREWS BOYS & RIDGELL GIRLS

Heidi is just the cutest!!!

Johnny Jr.

If there was a definition of Wyatt and Colton this picture is it.

Crystal said this is typical Hiedi stance.

Them big brown eyes. MELT my heart

Four CUUUUUUTIES

Mr. GQ himself.

Crystal is just the funniest person you’ll ever meet in your life. And Johnny, more stoic. They balance each other. Ying and Yang. And they make beautiful babies.

The Ridgell Family

(Johnny just make it official already please)

If there was a definition of Crystal this picture would be it. I love this chic!

I remember daddy’s hands folded silently in prayer
And reachin’ out to hold me, when I had a nightmare
You could read quite a story in the callous’ and lines
Years of work and worry had left their mark behind

I remember daddy’s hands how they held my mama tight
And patted my back for something done right
There are things that I’d forgotten that I loved about the man
But I’ll always remember the love in daddy’s hands

-Daddy’s Hands Holly Dunn.

That’s the song that comes to mind with that picture. ❤

-The Andrews Family-

For those that don’t know me or my family, Jordan is my brother and Ashleigh is my sister-in-law. Clearly, making Wyatt and Colton my nephews.

I can say this because Jordan is my brother, Jordan is the stupidest thing Ashleigh did, and Ashleigh is the smartest thing Jordan ever did. I say that with lots of love and gratitude.

He’s such a goof. Love that guy.

Are these two not the cutest?!

Ridgell/Andrews

A Better Edge ***extremely late***

LAST month I received an instagram DM from a guy I used to work with, Bill Dudek. He asked me if I would be interested in taking pictures of the knives he’s been building. I knew he’d started this hobby because we’re friends on Facebook and I follow him on Instagrame. I always liked workingwith Bill; he was always down for a laugh and was always very passionate about whatever he was working on.

BACK to the present, well I guess past now, but you know what I mean. So, when I got the message was in Pennsylvia for military training, I was supposed to be gone until the 22nd. I came home early and set up a date and time with Bill. I was excited and COULD NOT wait. The message asked that I take pictures of the knives; well the night before I decided I wanted to see a step-by-step process. Poor Bill.

I arrived that morning and he was in the garage already and the knives were ready for me to photograph. He said a friend of his was helping make him a website and I asked if he would like pictures of the process for his website. He wasn’t planning on making a knife but that’s what we ended up doing.

Step 1: Plan

“We live in a web of ideas, a fabric of our own making.”

Joseph Chilton Pearce

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/ideas_2.html#HVgR4d3FhuKgkAZB.99

Step 2: Paper to Metal

Step 3: Shape the metal

Step 4: Even more shaping

Perfectionist Bill

One of my favorites from this shoot.

Step 5: The holes

Step 6: Branding – Bill Dudek stamp

Step 7: Drill the holes. 

Step 8: I cannot remember what this thing is called. But I think this is what gives the knife the actual bevel on the sharp point. 

Step 9: The Forge

Probably the COOLEST part of this whole process.

After the forge it goes into the oven for a certain amount of time at a certain temperature.

Step 10: Once it’s out the oven the handle gets glued for a lenght of time. I should have taken notes and next time I do something like this.

After this I imagine Bill sharpens the  knife further. That’s it for the steps. Now for the knives and other pictures.

This one GLOOOOOOOOOWS

Bill’s one request was to have the picture with the knife and his dog Emma.

This was one very cool shoot.

Check out A Better Edge if you’ve been looking for a bad ass knife.

He’s on Instagram as abe_knifeworks  FOLLOW HIM, NOW 🙂