I May or May Not Have Shed a Tear

And now, Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! (Drum-roll, please)

Introducing my debut as an amateur film actress! (LOL) Enjoy this short film, “Two Late,” produced by my Video Production I group for our final project:

(Told you the photo would bring it all together!)

And that’s a wrap!

Like, really.

Because I just graduated from college!!!

Sure, some people might think that’s an achievement, but I don’t really view it as extraordinary. I’ve always liked school and learning new things, so I always knew I would be going to college. But, to be quite honest, I’m just a tad scared to move on with my life. Okay, maybe I’m really scared, but can you blame me? School is pretty much the only thing I’ve known for the past 18 years of my life. That’s 18 years in a row that I’ve spent at least 9 months of every year sitting in a classroom learning something with 30 other people. One more time, just in case you didn’t hear/read me: 18 years.

On my way to school for the last time on Wednesday, I watched students walking on the sidewalk – some at a normal pace, some frantically as if they were late for their next class. You can always tell who is just beginning and who has been there for a while from the way that they walk. (Because, let’s face it, once you become a Junior, you are pretty mellow and do whatever you want – especially if you’re a Communication major…LOL). I drove the familiar route that I had driven for the past three years to the parking lot near LNCO (Language and Communication building), and I may or may not have shed a tear remembering what it was like to be one of those frantic students -  one of those students who is taking that “attendance-based” general; one of those students who still thinks sucking-up to the teacher will get you an “A”; one of those students who think they’re going to be a doctor and end up going into communications (LOL ). And then I remembered, briefly, all the good times that the University of Utah let me experience: the football games, volunteering, meeting awesome people, gaining invaluable knowledge and skills for the “after-life”…

I make graduation sound like it’s putting me through utter turmoil, but it is quite relieving (despite the fact that I will no longer be able to use “school” as an excuse to take time off from work or not attend certain activities because I just don’t feel like going). (Who hasn’t done that before?) I feel as though a ton of weight has just been lifted off my shoulders. I no longer feel burdened from the commitment of spending extra time studying and doing homework when I really just want to sit and watch some HGTV. I feel good. I feel…free. But most importantly, I feel ready – ready to take on the world and re-start my career in the right direction. It’s time to begin a new chapter…

Dear Readers: VOTE FOR MY PHOTO!

If you haven’t already, please show your support and vote for my photo in the B&H Photo Fall Color Contest! PRETTY PLEASE! I would absolutely love and appreciate it if you could share my entry with your friends as well!

https://apps.facebook.com/promotionshq/contests/166618/voteable_entries/36043656

*Please note that you have to have a Facebook account and allow an app called “Promotions” to access your profile. Nothing difficult, and I’m sure you could even revoke the app’s access after you vote.

Thank you all in advance. I hope I win!

It was a beautiful fall day in the canyon. Taken October 15, 2011.

I Sold My Soul to the Devil Himself

I have come to the conclusion that my lack of blogging has subsided during the past few months due to one or more of three reasons:

a)    Working 40 hours in front of a computer makes me not want to come home and spend another two hours in front of one (yes, it typically takes me that long to compose a post),
b)   I hate that “photography” is a trend…and if you know me at all, you know I hate trends, and/or
c)    I sold my soul to the devil himself.

A mere five months ago, I landed a job as Imaging Specialist for Fanzz.com. I was pretty excited about the fact that I was finally able to get a job in something other than the food industry. I mean, this was my first “real” job doing something that I had prior knowledge and experience in; it would start my career in the media industry.

Well, I have this tendency to force myself into things just for the sake of “getting experience.” Yep…here comes the confession: I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy the job. I clearly remember second-guessing accepting the job offer and telling people that I wasn’t excited about it. But, being the person that I am (and always believing that everything counts towards something…not to mention, I was completely broke!), I took the job.

Now, I never said I hated it. Actually, there were some days that I quite enjoyed it. I think the thing that eventually got to me about it, though, was that I was not allowed to be creative. Every image was stamped from the same cookie cutter. It got boring and wasn’t stimulating.

Come five months later, I have gladly; proudly; excitedly accepted a job offer at Saxton | Horne Advertising Agency. When I start in one week, my title will be Social Media Associate. I will be responsible for updating multiple companies’ social media sites in the form of creative copywriting and by posting photos and video. Yep, my job will consist of surfing the Internet, finding trending topics, Facebooking, and Tweeting, all day, everyday, with a room full of upbeat people. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

So where did the title of this post come from? I know you are itching to know. Well, during my first interview at Sax, I mentioned that I felt that my love for photography had decreased since I got that job, and one of my interviewers instantly replied, “Ah, you sold your soul to the devil!” Obviously, what he said has been stuck in my head since then – mostly because it’s true…(not literally, of course )

Everyone knows I’ve been miserable since I got “bucked off”, but I really hope to get back on the blogging/photography horse soon. I have tons of photos (and stories to accompany them) stashed away that are waiting to be seen by the world

Transitions

It was a cold one today – kind of unexpected, since I don’t watch the weather report, but fortunately I happened to wear three layers, so it wasn’t too bad.
After finishing my midterm, I stepped out for a break; to my dismay, it was snowing outside.
I mean it’s not like that wasn’t unexpected, but it suddenly dawned on me that it is November.
November.
I remember January like it was yesterday (same weather and all!) – you’re telling me it’s November?
[Insert cliche phrase regarding 'time' here]

Before I left my house for the day, I saw my camera – it was sitting on the coffee table, alone and exposed.
It glared (literally) up at me and wondered, “Why aren’t you holding me?”
So, decided to bring him along for the day. [This is the first time I'm assigning a gender to my camera. I would call myself more of a feminist but somehow I feel that it's a boy.]
Don’t ask me why I don’t usually bring it to school with me, because I could not tell you.
What I do know is that I should get used to it, because sometimes (…a lot of the time) I have missed out on great photographic moments.

The snow didn’t stop in the six hours I was on campus.
Done for the day, I started towards my car, and I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful it actually was.
Although the ground was lightly covered in white, there were still some fall colors out and about – it seemed as though the weather even snuck-up on the trees and plants.
Had they disregarded the forewarning?
Is even nature reluctant to change?

Change is hard (I would know), but is sometimes a necessary (and beautiful) process.

(42/365 taken Nov. 8, 2010 – University of Utah)