december in review

Here are some of my favorite posts from the month of December! You can click on the photo to go straight to the blog post to relive some of the fun times from this month. Tomorrow I'll have a big fun year in review post to celebrate what an awesome year this has been, so stay tuned for that!

my week in instagram #29

Oscar and I formed a special bond when he sat on my lap and watched me play Legend of Zelda // I finally finished wrapping all my Christmas presents // The Big Man himself chilled out on my computer all Christmas eve // Oscar got exactly what he wanted for Christmas: a giant box! // Just me. Hola. // Waking up to snow falling from the sky // Mindy living it up in the middle of the floor // My present from Jacob slash the bane of my existence for about two hours until I figured it out. And then it was a glorious success // My thrift store haul + Oscar being envious over clothes taking up his time in the spotlight

You can find more of my adventures if you follow me on instagram @impulsings.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

the universe at my fingertips

day 363

my original idea for today failed as Alaska decided to have 45 degree weather today and 50 mph winds. Go home Alaska, you are drunk.

But I wanted to show off this gift my friend Jacob got for me! I built this baby myself. And we shall see in a few weeks when I'm done with the first roll of film if it actually works right, hah.

Also, I'm heading out of town for new years this year to a location that may or may not have internet, in which case if it doesn't, I'll post my last two 365 days whenever I get back, and will do all the sappy year end stuff then. And if I don't get to talk to you before the end of the year, have a wonderful time celebrating!

ceramics haul

I'm not really one to share what I got for Christmas in a giant post, since I feel like Christmas should be more about giving to others than showing off what you got for yourself, but I do want to share with you a few presents that I gave to people, because several of you have wanted to see everything I made in my ceramics class at school. This still isn't all the stuff I made, but they are most of the things I gave as gifts to people. Ever since I was really little, I loved making gifts for people, and I think it's safe to say that these were the best handmade gifts to date.



I will be so much more appreciative any time I eat off of a plate or drink from a mug, because there is a lot of effort that goes into making a piece of pottery. If you're making something on the wheel (which most of my pieces were), you have to be extremely careful with the clay, especially if you're making a tall piece. I mostly used recycled clay because I didn't want to spend extra money buying new clay, so little air bubbles or pieces of gravel made working with the clay extra hard. Plus you always have to keep in mind that the form will eventually shrink, so you always need to make your pieces a little bit bigger than what you actually want. And if you're crazy like me and are wanting to make a ton of pieces exactly the same, you're up for quite the challenge.




Once you get the top of the piece formed, you have to wait several days until it's mostly dried, and then you take it back to the wheel to form the bottom. After doing that (and not poking a giant hole through your mug or bowl), then it has to dry completely before it goes into the bisk. After the piece comes out of the bisk, you can then glaze it! This is my favorite/least favorite part. Least favorite because you never really know how the colors will turn out, even after doing sample pieces and a million different combinations (and different ways of painting it on the clay ... I learned the hard way that hand painting a color on will make it be a completely different color from just dipping the piece in the liquid). It's my favorite part though because the piece is totally transformed after it comes out of the kiln after being glazed. I've made some ugly pieces that I ended up liking after they were changed by the glazes.



But with all the complications, ceramics is definitely a very fulfilling medium. I'll have to show you guys the other things I made that are back in Oregon, like my teapot and matching teacup. Sadly, Intermediate Ceramics didn't fit into my schedule this upcoming semester, but hopefully next year I'll be able to take another class, because I'm now obsessed and want to make pottery for the rest of my life.

we dwell in stars

day 362

This photo goes quite nicely with this one and this one.

Have a marvelous day!

film friday: into the mind

Into The Mind - Official Teaser from Sherpas Cinema on Vimeo.

Yep. This video makes me want to rethink my life and learn how to snowboard and travel the world and have tea with monks.

the apocalypse

day 361

This is totally inspired by a dream I had a few years ago. I don't remember most of it but the part I do remember involved a rainbow that when you stepped into it or even touched it, you would instantly die. There was a car that was completely upturned, sparkling inside the rainbow, with a corpse sitting in the drivers seat.

Yeah, I have weird dreams. Perhaps when I am better at compositing I'll turn them into photos. But until then, I should at least write down whenever I save the world from giants or go inside video games or get eaten by giant water snakes because people thought I lied about being a mermaid.

Hmm, I wonder what my subconscious is trying to tell me.

before and after on my facebook page!

in times of trouble a light shall come

day 359

This is directly inspired by my never ending love of Legend of Zelda. I love everything about it--the stories, the characters, the puzzles, and of course the sword fighting. My Christmas break has been filled with the latest game and I cannot get enough. I've been playing these games since I was in junior high and the legend will always hold a special place in my heart.

Also, I hope you all had a very merry Christmas! I got a lot of wonderful things from even more wonderful people and my day was spent relaxing and eating yummy food and spending it with my awesome family.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

shirt: forever 21 // jean shirt: ebay // lace shirt: from a friend jeans/shoes: target // coat: sugarlips




Merry Christmas everyone! I'm so so excited that it's Christmas once more. The snow is falling, the fire is crackling, the presents are waiting to be opened, and I cannot wait to see everyone's faces when they open their presents! That's one of my favorite things about Christmas, being able to give people gifts. It just makes me so happy giving things that make others happy.




As for my outfit, I often hang multiple things on one hanger because my closet has always been super small, and these three shirts ended up on top of one another and I really loved how it turned out. I don't think I would have thought to wear this lace top as more of a cardigan, but now that I know of its existence, I'll definitely be wearing more of it in the future!




Well, I hope you have a safe and wonderful Christmas and that this post meets you with a lot of joy and happiness in your life. I love you guys so much; you definitely deserve to have a super awesome day!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

day 258

Something a little different for today! I spent my day doing some last minute Christmas shopping, listening to Christmas music, wrapping presents, and doing all sorts of Christmasy things! I haven't really been in the Christmas spirit, to be honest it kind of snuck up on me, so I've been doing everything I can to get in the mood. I think it worked!

I hope you have a very merry Christmas and happy holidays!

walking in a winter wonderland

dress/tights: forever 21 // boots: target // coat: from a friend shirt: thrifted




First of all, thank you guys so much for your positive response on my post about photography! I'm always kind of nervous to post my opinions just because they could be taken the wrong way, so I'm glad you guys enjoyed it! I definitely love instagram and sharing pictures; that's one reason I love blogging! It's so fun to share a little bit of my life with you guys and to get to learn a little bit about yours!




Life is really all about sharing, and I'm super glad this blog can be that kind of place. My friend Annika sent me this video talking about how many pictures have been taken and how connected people are, and it's insane to think how closely we really are connected. It just blows my mind how small the earth really is (because I know it's vastly huge, which equally blows my mind) and how people really aren't that disconnected from each other. All it takes is one person to step outside and say hello to someone else for that bond of separation to break.




I hope you guys have a super fantastic Christmas Eve!

encounters

day 356 & 357

90% of this photo was taken yesterday, and all of it was edited today, so it definitely counts for two days worth of photos.

Also you shouldn't actually try to pet a moose in real life. They're really dangerous, believe it or not.

And this isn't my favorite photo ever. It's really only cool because there's a moose in it. I had to shoot through our kitchen window since, ya know, I couldn't really go outside with a moose chilling in our yard, but if we lived in a perfect world I would have used my 50mm. But I'm rambling now.

Hope you have a great day! :)

my week in instagram #28

stargazing // sunrise // sleeping kitty // two amazing guys // kitten saying good morning // words to live by // wrapping presents // moose photographer // derpy Christmas cookies

Hope your week was super wonderful! I spent it playing Legend of Zelda, freezing to death, having coffee with people and never actually buying coffee, and playing way too many card games. (And as always, you can follow my shenanigans on instagram @impulsings!)

thoughts on photography

I recently read an article about how our phones have changed photography, and it really got me thinking about what I want to be as a photographer and how all of us are affected by this technology.

I learned once in some class a long time ago (or I might have read it in a Time magazine) that technology is growing exponentially. When I was a little kid my parents had a giant video camera that recorded everything on those big tapes that you could stick into VCRs, and now I have a video camera that slips into my back pocket. The same goes with cameras. They used to carve everything on rocks and ride dinosaurs and now film photography is seen as a novelty sort of thing (seriously, when was the last time you bought even a disposable camera, much less tinkered with a film camera?). We live in the digital age, and I am definitely all for it. Our cameras are smaller and better, we get instant gratification, we share, upload, download. Photography is no longer this novelty sort of thing, it's documenting and sharing our experiences (and I loved how the article talked about this).

That's largely why I'm a photographer, to document my life and the lives of those around me, be that through weddings, senior photos, you name it. It's all about documentation. The definition of photography has changed dramatically over the years, I think. Part of me thinks that way too many people call themselves photographers because of how available it is. Now I've seen some fantastic work that was done solely with an iphone in a studio, but it seems like every person with a camera phone calls themselves a photographer (or at least thinks they could do it). In one sense, it's awesome that this art form is so popular. There are a lot of creative minds out there who are brilliant photographers and extremely talented at what they do and I love their passion and creativity and how easily I can look at their work. Had it not been for them and the fact that photography was and is so readily available, I would have never dreamed of myself being a photographer. But in another sense, it leaves me worried (or curious, I suppose would have a better mindset to this) that the availability of the art form has cheapened it. If anyone can snap a picture of a flower or a person and call it art, is it really art? Perhaps, to borrow from Disney, the saying "anyone can cook" really means a great chef can come from anyone. Sure anyone can take photos, but great art is not limited to a select few, and even though the availability of photography does open the doors to anyone messing around with it, it also allows that one special person to discover it and do amazing things.

But with photography being so available today, it does make the market incredibly difficult. I guess it still goes back to "anyone can cook." I'd hate to sound rude or uppity, but not everyone should be a photographer. Even though the definition of photography has changed from being purely art to also documentation, that doesn't mean the art side of it has disappeared completely. You still have to have a little bit of creativity inside of you to truly be great. But I have also read that, like a lot of things in life, it's 90% learned skill and only 10% natural talent (that's not a real scientific statistic, but you get my point). There are so many classes and online articles and tutorials that are available to the public. It's that cookbook for the beginning chef. He just has to follow a set of ingredients to become awesome. It all takes time and learning and patience. But I do think this has caused people to become hasty in giving themselves titles and creating makeshift businesses and charging people for photos that could have been better had they taken the time to learn and grow in the art side of photography rather than jumping into the document and experience side of it.

As for me, I truly believe that anyone can be a photographer. I love photography because I can document my life. I also love it because I can create art with the tools available to me. I love it because it's an art form that is instantly gratifying and I love it because I can share it. I love it because you really don't need fancy, expensive equipment to create. I love it because instagram came from it and opened this new world of sharing and the planting of ideas in people's heads (thoughts like, "Hey, this photo isn't so bad, maybe I should look deeper into this photography thing."). I love it because anyone can pick up a camera or a phone and feel the same way I feel.

If you want to be a photographer for whatever reason (to document, to share, to create), I would say go for it one hundred million percent. Taking the plunge has changed my life completely, and for the better too. All the tools are available. You don't even need a fancy Digital SLR camera (I did my entire first 365 project using only a $75 point and shoot camera, so I know there are no excuses). All you need is a desire, a crazy desire to create, to document, to share your life with others, because I have learned that photography is so much more than just instagram and an iphone, it's this insane community of creative, beautiful people all with a desire to create something amazing.

reaping in spring

day 355

Ten more days whaaaa? And in case anyone is curious, no, I'm not doing another year long photography project. I've about had all I can take with them and I'm ready to improve on the quality and not quantity of my images. I'm ready to do things that require a lot of bravery and sheer insanity, things that take me so out of my comfort zone I'll never look back. Because life is too short to live it in fear and safety and comfort.

In other news, my boyfriend comes back home today and I'm practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation of seeing him.

film friday: freshman year: semester one

Freshman Year Semester One from Lauren Parker on Vimeo.

Is it cheating if I showed a video I made on film friday? Well regardless, here is a video comprised of some of the adventures I had my first semester of college with some incredible people. I miss them so so much right now and I can't wait for next semester!

how lovely are you now?

day 354

Reminder to myself to not paint my nails during the daylight, because then I run out of daylight to take pictures in, haha.

This photo is a bit different from what I usually do, but then again, I think I say that with all my photos so who knows what I "usually do" anyways.

And now I am off to play some Legend of Zelda and save the world!

floating/sinking/floating

day 353

from my diary, July 30, 2011:
I
I
I used
I used to wonder.
I used to wonder what it would feel like to not exist.
I used to wonder what would happen if I just ceased to exist. Not really die, exactly, but just … disappear. Would I float? Swim? Blink until the tears came? Stare at light? Darkness? Would the people I left behind notice? Would they care? Or would it be as though I was never even a memory? Funny how once people move out of your life—or you move out of theirs—it’s as if you cease to exist. They forget about you. Everything you went through together. All the tears and laughter and memories. They all seem as though they never happened. That you never were a part of their life. But you have to stand on the edge of that light, floating, sinking, watching them live on without you, watching them find new friends, new family, while you yell and scream and cry for their attention, but all you receive is an ignoring glance. And they look at you as if they don’t even know your name.
I used
I used to wonder.
I used to wonder how hard it would be to not exist.
Would I really not want to exist? Would that really be what I wanted? How easy it would be …
But now.
But now I know that I could never want that. No matter how hard things get, I could never ever want that. Life is far too beautiful to not be able to exist in it. And it’s also funny, because the people who previously never existed, with no warning, come into your existence. And suddenly it’s like that bright light, but beautiful. It feels like you’re floating. And the people who never existed before become so real and so near and dear to your heart that it feels like it would stop beating if they ever disappeared. You never want to leave. You never will. Not for anything in the world. And you pray to God that they never wish that they didn’t exist, because without them you wouldn’t be a whole person … and that would be worse than not existing.
I
I
I used to wonder.
I used to wonder what it would feel like.
I used to wonder what if would feel like to love. And to be loved. And to know that no matter what happens, good or bad, no matter what life throws, no matter the mistakes or hardships, no matter the moments of joy or tears, that no one will leave. No one will forget about you. No one will push you out of their life. No one will call you your friend and then find someone else. Someone better.

I don’t wonder anymore.
Mine’s a beautiful existence with you in it.
And that’s all I want.


It's nice to see that I've improved at least a little bit since taking this photo. I'm always so nostalgic when I look back through my first 365, because there was nothing stopping me. I didn't let anything get in my way and this time around I've let a lot of things get in my way. But before I took this photo I thought to myself, "I need to start with the thought that I'm going to create something awesome instead of mope around thinking I'm not going to take a very good picture today." I've been thinking a lot about emotions and how they affect us and how we can control them, and I've decided to control my emotions and use that power to create happiness for myself and the world around me. That makes things much better anyways. I am very happy right now. I have been happy for a long time. College has been a very good thing for me and it's changed me for the better, and coming back home has caused me to realize that. I'm not the same person I was a year ago or a few months ago; I am much happier. And I plan to keep it that way. I'm going to fight for my happiness.

(For my own documentation purposes: today I got to hang out with Dayl and Kylie at coffee and I love them so much.)

a midnight cry

day 352

This photo is inspired by a series of music videos, this one being the first in the series. I love M83 and their videos are always stunning.

a before and after as well as a close up will be up on my facebook page momentarily!

Today I finally got to hang out with my two favorite guys (oh how I missed them so much), and then in a couple minutes I'll be off to play some video games with my family!

baby, it's cold outside

sweater/skirt: thrifted // tights: walmart // collared shirt: Matt // boots/belt: target



Oh. My. Gosh. All I can say is I had forgotten how horrible it is to take outfit photos in Alaska in the dead of winter. I think I stood outside for a total of about two minutes before my fingers hurt so bad from all the blood rushing out of them to protect my vital organs. I will definitely have to get better at posing with my life literally on the line every time I step foot outside. Okay, I may be exaggerating a little bit, but it is really cold and I'm still getting used to photographing in the strange all-day sunrise/set thing this place has going on.




I'm not going to let the cold or anything else stop me though. I had been pretty nervous about coming back to Alaska because this place holds some not so great memories and not so great feelings, but I've decided to make this month super awesome. I'm going to be happy and have fun and hang out with friends as much as possible and be with my family as much as possible and smile a lot. That's my plan and I'm sticking with it.

I've already gotten to go back to my high school and say hi to all the awesome people that attend there. Initially, I didn't want to go whatsoever because, like I said before, it held some not so great memories, but I knew the people that were in those memories wouldn't be there so I forced myself out of bed and I'm so glad I did. It was so wonderful seeing my favorite people and getting lots of hugs. :3 It was almost like I was in a dream because high school seems like something that happened a lifetime ago, and it was weird having all those lovely faces in the present again. And hopefully I get to see them more in the future!




(Haha look at my cute cold red nose!)

I hope you guys have a really happy and wonderful day!