beluga point + library // guitar shoot

August 6 & 7, 2014















Most of these photos were taken at Beluga Point, and most of them were taken before my shoot with Cody. I try to scout out a location before the shoot, to not only figure out where I want to execute my ideas, but also get some new ones. Beluga Point is one of those places that, even though it's a fairly small part of the Seward Highway, one can explore for hours and hours. I love it so much and I don't find myself there too often. So needless to say, Cody and I got a lot of really awesome images. His family and my family basically grew up together, both of us being military and moving to the same location multiple times, so it was really great to catch up with him now that we are both "adults".

Then the very next night we shot at the local library, the same place where I photographed Miss Alaska United States and Miss Teen Alaska United States, way back in 2012. (Yikes, some of those photos were not my best.) It's fun to see my photographic style evolve even from what it was two years ago. The room we went into was as awesome as I remembered it, and I better say a special thanks to library security for unlocking the room and letting us go into it after hours.

eagle river // flute shoot

August 5, 2014


Since last summer (I think), Heather and I have wanted to get together to do a photoshoot. I've mentioned it in the past, but I really wanted to build up my portfolio with some musician photos, so when we began planning for this shoot, things all came together. She brought her flute and wardrobe, I brought some ideas, her mom acted as the assistant, and some magic was made! We went to an awesome little creek in Eagle River, a space that I now want to explore more since it's only about 45 minutes away.

One thing in particular I love about mobile photography and photo editing apps is the ability to quickly see how a photo looks when different adjustments are made. I will oftentimes photograph different parts of a shoot on my phone, and then look at it with different filters applied to it to see how I actually want to process the photo. So for this shoot, I really experimented with the colors, and I can't wait to share the results of it! It's something slightly different than how I usually work with photos, but I really love it. Sometimes you just have to mix things up.

inspire // bts

August 1, 2014





(with my boss, Jeff Schultz, my boyfriend Matt, and my friend Carol ... just three of the many great people that came to the show!)







Here is a behind the scenes of setup/the coffee shop where my latest show was! This was my first "First Friday" experience, and it was so much fun getting to see my pieces in print and talk to some really wonderful people about them. The show will continue to be up for the rest of August, and you can also see the online version here. It was a great day, and I'm already dreaming up different themes for my next show. (Also, special thanks to my parents for helping me set everything up!)

portage pass // with Jeff Schultz Photography through Alaska Photo Treks

July 26, 2014
















































One of the highlights of working for Jeff Schultz this summer, and one of my summer highlights in general, was being able to attend his Portage Pass workshop through Alaska Photo Treks. We began the morning by meeting outside the tunnel to Whittier, trying to call anyone who knew if it was raining on the other side. After finally getting a weather report of only sprinkling, clouds moving out, we drove through. We got breakfast at the hotel and listened to Jeff talk about the day, some of the basics of photography, composition, and hyperfocal distance. Then we drove out to the base of the hike.

Having never been to Portage Pass before this, I didn't know what to expect. Usually I anticipate something grand only to be disappointed by reality, But I'll never forget the moment we reached the top of the peak and looked towards the glacier, surrounded by moss and mountains and rolling fog. It was the most beautiful sight I've seen in my whole life. I know it's cliche to say, but I really don't have words to describe it. The only thing I can say is that I couldn't believe such a place existed in real life, and yet there I was, standing in it, and being able to photograph it with confidence thanks to the direction of Jeff. I think I can speak for everyone who attended the workshop, but it really took me out of my comfort zone in not only photographing things I wasn't used to photographing, but also experimenting with different apertures and focal lengths and compositions.

During the morning, the landscape was moody with fog and clouds, which lead to some really interesting photos. By the end of the day everything changed, with the sun coming out, showing the glacier and surrounding areas in all its colorful glory. How cool is it that we get to live in such an amazing place?

I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to go on this photo trek and learn from Jeff, and cannot wait for the next adventure!