Tattoos and such.

Tattoos. Something of which brings much controversy to my life. I'm 20, a college student, and the proud owner of 5 tattoos. I started 6 months before I was 18. With the help of my friend Danica we came up with the one on my neck. I tacked it to my wall and anxiously awaited my 18th birthday. It took a lot of convincing when it came to the parents but they eventually decided that the answer was yes- I could get it for my birthday. Well long story short I had a broken ankle when my birthday rolled around and due the painkillers and well, pain, I was gently encouraged to wait until the cast was off. I didn't wait til the cast was off but I waited until I was in less pain. On December 22, 2008, I got my first ink.

And that was the beginning. A short two years later and I've added 4 more to the canvas and you can bet there will be more in the future. People ask if I think about my future job and if I'm worried that my tattoos will hinder that. My answer? I don't think they will and if they do then I'm in the wrong place. I've done my research when it comes to missions trips and most foreign places are ok with them. And I plan to run my own photography business and since I'll be the boss, no worries there! 

I get a lot of looks, especially from the older crowd. But if they stopped and asked why I can tell them the story behind each one. Each single one came from something in my life, be it a hardship, a friendship, or a rejoicing experience. I love telling people about them because all of them reflect God in some way and it's a great conversation starter for non-believers.

There's a lot of back and forth on when the next one will happen. A lot of people close to me are concerned I'll be covered by the time I'm... well... 30? But is that a bad thing? I don't think I'll ever be covered head to toe, but I enjoy the thought of having a half sleeve someday. Your thoughts?

I can't thank my tattoo artist enough- Mav, you can check out his work here on facebook. He does amazing work and I wouldn't go anywhere else!

I love tattoos. I love expressing myself through ink. I love being reminded everyday of what they stand for.

So before you judge me and my ink, ask me about them, I'd be more than happy to explain them.

Here are 4 out the 5, and some fun self portraits.

I had a little fun on photoshop (:

I love playing with my eyeshadow. I recently got a "paint pot" from mac. It's a sparkly pink/gold. I LOVE it.

Have a lovely day!

Valentine's Day Couple Shoots

I'm going to test out a new special... Quick and fun couple shoots for Valentine's Day! 

During the month of February I'm offering a one hour shoot for $35 

and you'll get a CD with 5 hi-res edited images.

 Perfect gift for your significant other and a fun experience!

 This is the perfect time to get a few good photos of both of you together!

 If I have enough interest I'll continue to do more specials like this in the future. 

My weekends are filling up quickly, so if you're interested, book your appointment today!

{Hannah & Kyle: Engaged}

Today I ventured to Canby Oregon to assist on an engagement shoot for my best friend's brother. Kyle and Hannah were such a fun couple and I was so blessed to work with them. This was my first "official" engagement shoot and it turned out wonderfully! It was awesome to work with such a willing couple. It was a little muddy but the weather was beautiful. God was definitely looking down on us today.

I'm excited to start working with more couples in the future! Since this is my first engagement post, I'll put several up so you can get a taste of my style. Enjoy!

The beautiful couple! Hannah & Kyle.

My helper & other photographer, Krista.

Just havin' fun and laughin'

The boards were a little thin and the water high but we risked it non-the-less! 

A nice silhouette to end the day!