day 033. [photoshoot]

Today started out with just a mile run. I think I'm going to work on my mile time rather than my overall two mile time. I'm getting it down, but I've still got a ways to go before it's finally down to where I need to be to run that 12 minute 2 mile.

Afterwards, I didn't feel like eating breakfast, even though I should have, so I didn't. Instead I just read a chapter out of The Adolescent. It's surprisingly a good book. Maybe had I gotten past the first few pages the first time I picked it up I might have liked it, but I'm glad I'm in a time and place in my life to just read it. Want to know what it's about? Ask me! :)

Once done with that though I ended up taking some of the bills down to the post office. Besides mailing those off I FINALLY got Tarra's present mailed off to her. Because I know she's going somewhere on the 7th of July, I decided to send it first class which means she'll hopefully get it by Saturday!! I can't wait for her to get it. For those that know what it is, if you leave a comment keep your mouth shut. Please & Thank You :) I hope she likes it, even though it's something that she can refer to whenever she wants.

My favorite part of the day was definitely getting to do a photoshoot of my good buddy Anthony Snyder. It definitely was nostalgic because we did the shoot in the same place where I first ever took portraits ... of him! (So, I know I'm posting up two pictures again, but it's to show difference, if there is any, haha.) The first time we did shots, I actually had no idea how to use manual focus, so I was using auto focus. Also, I didn't really understand how to use my shutter setting, instead I was using the portrait setting that was on there. It actually wasn't until after that first photoshoot did I actually learn how to take advantage of those. The manual focus was sometime while I was still in high school. As for shutter mode, that wasn't until college during a Women's Volleyball game. I realized then that the sport mode was just not fast enough, so then I messed around with shutter!

That first photoshoot though we were really just trying to do something classy. I was just trying to get some "sweet" portrait shots because it honestly was the first time I'd ever done any kind of portrait work. After that ... I was hooked. This shoot though, we kind of were going for the run down look, literally. Kind of that "bad-ass" feel if you want to think of it that way. So what better way to achieve that other than Anthony being: shirtless, looking like a thug (haha), and smoking a cigar. Put those all together and I'm pretty sure that's as run down as it gets. On top of that, my editing skills have totally evolved since then. So not only can I take a photo (in my opinion, you don't have to agree) that portrays a certain feeling, but I can also edit it to bring it out even more!

That was a lot of fun, and I'm looking forward to possibly doing more shoots with Anthony this summer. Oh yeah, last thing about Anthony, he's the first ever model where I've honestly felt comfortable just shooting photos of someone. Thanks Anthony :)

Once that was done I headed out to a camp ground to hang out with a few friends I went to high school with. It sounds like we were going to do illegal things, but we didn't, haha. In all honesty we were just celebrating my friend Caytie's 17th birthday, which is on July 1st! I found myself being the only guy there, haha. Also, I'm starting to realize just how old I'm getting. I'm almost 20, not anywhere close to turning 20 [6 months, give or take], but I'm getting there and it's actually kind of weird and it makes me feel ... old, ha. I was there until kind of late, which explains why this post is kind of late-ish.

Today was definitely a day to hang out, and it was tons of fun. Looking forward to more hangouts, but I'm definitely loving my personal down time where I can do what I want.

PS. Check out my flickr for some of the other photos from today.

PPS. Sorry for uploading two photos lately. haha. Luckily, the other photos just don't have to do with this project, or they are what I would call "out of date" in consideration to this project.