If you live in Indiana, than you know how strange and random the weather can be! The other day it was so gorgeous out.. so of course I had to try out our newest lens in nice weather when I wasn't shivering! And boy, was I pleased! This baby is tack sharp and smooth. I'm in love. Here are a few of the pictures from my fun. Oh, and would you believe these handsome guys are my nephews? Yep, I know- they are so cute!
If you know anyone who has this lens and has any advice for how to better use it, than I would be thrilled. Have a wonderful day!
Jonelle
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So back to 2018 goals, aspirations and dreams. Already we are over one month into the New year and we have covered a new state. Maryland! This puts us at 30 states since we've been married, and 44 total for me. (I don't know what Wayne's total is but I know it's well over 30.) Going to Pennsylvania in January was wonderful. It was a ministry trip, but who cares? That's what we love doing together. So now it's February, we haven't gone out of state this month, and already I'm looking into March, April, May and June and thinking of the trips we're planning, the ministry ahead, and possibly the photography opportunities. I want to visit Yosemite, Banff, Alberta, the coast of Washington and Oregon, and Washington D.C., so badly- but who knows? Will that really happen? I have not a clue... but I do know God holds our hands, and as He leads, the doors He opens will lead to places never imagined. I'm thankful He's our Guide. Otherwise I would be lost.
Photo Below was taken on our trip to the West September 30, 2017
Glacier National Park
P.S. If any of you brides out there live close to any of the places I just mentioned- we would LOVE the opportunity to come shoot your wedding! Don't hesitate to contact us! I had a bride tell me one time after she had been married for months that she had wanted me to do her wedding photos. When I asked where she got married, she told me New Jersey. I about died. I've never been to New Jersey and would've loved the opportunity. But she was fearful I couldn't travel that far! All she would've had to have done was asked. :)
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March Happenings-
Mr & Mrs Joseph Gordon
March 5, 2016
The Wedding was held in Joplin, MO
Wayne's first trip to California and the Pacific Ocean!
March 21
Baby Lawrence
March 29
April 2016 found us traveling to North Carolina to help out with the new release of "Treasures of Darkness". I did the Album Portraits for My Sister, Merilee Barnard
Hey, visit her site to purchase this CD @ www.merileebarnard.com
Another Wedding- April 30, 2016
Mr & Mrs Justin Melton
The Wedding was held in English, IN
A small family shoot for my sister, Mildred, and her family in May 2016
And another session of my Nephew, Canton Barnard. He was 6 months when we did these. :)
June 2016- Another Very busy month for us with our Youth Retreat at our church, and another trip to California
Here are a couple photos from a mini session of my nephew, Jaron
And my dear cousin, Elena, who recently moved to Phoenix, turned 10 in June. So I did some photos of her at the park. ;)
Also, in July 2016, I did a session at Grace and Elena's homeplace before they moved to Phoenix.
The week before we left for California again, we headed down to Georgia to shoot a beautiful wedding. It was simple, yet very elegant and classy!
Mr & Mrs Jeffrey Kinnaman
The wedding was held in Chickamauga, Georgia
June 10, 2016
On June 30, shortly after getting back from California, I did a newborn session of my newest niece, Julia Dawn Barnard. She was born while I was at the airport headed to California, so I didn't get to take any lifestyle hospital photos... which made me sad ;(
In July, Wayne and I celebrated the 1-year-anniversary of when He proposed to me! We spent a little time outdoors and enjoyed God's creation together. These photos were actually 2 weeks before the anniversary, but were still special to us. :) By the way, these photos were from a picnic we took together at Camp Collum... Wayne had worked that day and was a little tired, but we were glad we still captured the memories.
One thing both of us immensely enjoy in the summer is fresh fruit and with homemade yogurt, and then also fruit smoothies. Here are a couple photos I took having some fun with my 50 mm lens.
At the end of July, we shot another wedding together! It was fun to do this, but also a relief to know it was the last wedding of the year for us!
Mr & Mrs Anthony Atwell
July 29, 2016
The wedding was held in Waynesville, MO
And in August I did several sessions- one of which was for my brother Martin up in Chicago. I specifically went up there for a day just so I could capture picts of the kids while they were in their own environment. It was fun and also a learning experience for me.
Then a few days later I did a family session for my other brother, Micah, and his wife, at Adams' Mill. We had fun doing these especially since Canton is getting older :)
And then 2 days after this session, My sister had a beautiful baby boy. They named him Ezekiel Asher McCarthy. I loved doing these lifestyle photos of him in the hospital and then at home.
I love it how Kinza is in the background... she was apparently upset that Asher was the focus of attention instead of her. :(
And that concludes my update.. only an update from 6 months time, but I hope to post more soon! Goodbye for now!
Jonelle Hill
]]>The wedding of Mr & Mrs Wayne Allen Hill
December 4, 2015
Ceremony Location:
McCarthy Household at: 412 South Main St. Frankfort, Indiana
2:00 pm
**Photography by JoAnn Thrasher check out her work at: www.joannthrasher.blogspot.com
Wayne getting ready as well....
I know I'm biased... but he looks SO handsome in this photo!
Me and my precious mother!
My sisters helping me with my little red, flats. (Yes, I went a little un-traditional;))
Wayne was anxiously awaiting my arrival... we chose to have a "first look" at 9:45 am, so we could have pictures done by our 2:00pm ceremony. I don't regret it at all and it gave us time alone with just each other so Wayne could see my dress and not be distracted with having a bunch of people around.
Here I am about to come up the stairs...
This next photo is one of those moments in time that I will never forget... all of the waiting for this day was so worth it!
Here are some of the portraits JoAnn took of us in the house...
JoAnn took my bridal portraits the day before the wedding. It was such a huge relief to have them done BEFORE the wedding!
Some of my Handsome Sweetheart, Wayne
Some shots from Downtown Frankfort.
... At Dull's Christmas Tree farm together with all of our siblings.... This was such a neat place for photos, and what wonderful memories we made!
Groomsmen! Unfortunately, Wayne wasn't in this photo! :(
Me with my bridesmaids... Left to right- Kayla, my husband's sister, Merilee, my maid of honor and younger sister, Me, Mildred, my older sister, Joanna, my brother's wife, and also my best friend, and then Mercy, my baby sister.
All of us! Kayla, Mercy, Joanna, Mildred, Merilee, Me, Wayne, Micah, my brother, Ezekiel, my bro-in-law, and David, Wayne's brother.
We had such a blast taking these photos. Ezekiel is so funny, he and micah were full of ideas that turned out to be quite humorous!
Before leaving the Christmas tree farm, we picked a tree for our "first married Christmas" together! The guys had more fun getting goofy photos! :)
Here's a photo of the tree in our home after we got back from our honeymoon. Someone gave us this ornament from our wedding and we loved it!
We were VERY cold by this point, and went into the wreath barn to pay for our tree and also to warm up! This man from Dull's wanted to get his photo with us. :)
After coming out, Wayne picked me up and twirled me... then Zeke jumped in the shot with this sign Micah had made for us! It was totally candid... but was definitely one of my favorites from the day!
After this, we headed back to the McCarthy Household(Mildred and Ezekiel, my sis and bro-in-law) to freshen up for the ceremony
In case you hadn't noticed... my sister, Mildred, did a beautiful job decorating for me. I loved all of it! She even arranged all of the flowers for the corsages, boutonnieres, bouquets, and wreaths.
...About to walk down the stairs to marry my best friend and soul-mate!
Jaron and Kinza walked in and threw roses down for me.. it was so cute! (at least from the video I saw)
My adorable nephews, Israel and Isaiah McCarthy, rang bells to the song of "Fum, Fum, Fum" before I walked down the stairs.
My sister, Merilee, (also my MOH) played the piano for our wedding. She re-wrote some of the songs to fit the occasion and did such a beautiful job!
Before Daddy gave me away, Merilee sang this song that she had re-written called: "An Evening in December". It talked of memories from the past, looking toward the future, and the moment of our marriage being sacred.... There was hardly a dry in the place.
We chose to have the fireplace going during the ceremony. It made it very romantic... but in my satin dress... wow! It was also toasty warm by the time the ceremony had finished!
My brother, Martin, married us.
Lighting of the Unity Candle
Signing of the Marriage License
Daddy gave us "The Charge"
And of course, my dear Grandpa, Lewis Smith, prayed the "Prayer of Blessing" on our Marriage!
Notice what we kissed under? ;)
Israel and Isaiah sang: "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" as we exited as "Mr & Mrs Wayne Hill"!
The Entire Barnard Family!
Just us "Siblings"
Me and Wayne with our Nieces and Nephews. Poor Jaron wasn't too happy about getting his photo taken!
The entire Hill Family!
Wayne with His Mom
The only guests at the wedding that weren't immediate family, were Scott and JoAnn Thrasher. She did most all of my wedding photos(I took a few of Wayne myself, and also a few details) And Scott did a video for me with my professional camera. They are dear friends, and it was such a blessing that they took time out of their busy pastoral schedule to shoot my wedding day! My wedding photos were the among the TOP 3 priorities for my wedding(the other 2 being the music and venue and my dress)... and it was so nice to have someone I knew be able to take them for me! Thanks JoAnn!
My Momma insisted we have a reception at the home place after the wedding. She made a HUGE meal and used the best china! She decorated beautifully and it was a wonderful way to end the day! (But also a lot of hard work on her part amidst being the mother of the bride!)
We sat at the little table on the platform in front of all our family! :)
My Sister-in-law, Joanna, made our cake. And yes, it was pound cake! That was something I grew up on and so it was meaningful to me. Wayne grew up on Tapioca pudding and his mom went to great pains to make it for him since it was his favorite!
Cutting the cake...
Me giving Wayne a look that said: "You better not smash any on me OR my dress!"
As you can tell.. He was a sweetheart and didn't make any kind of a mess!
We chose to have Hot Chocolate instead of punch.. After all... It was a Christmas Wedding! :)
We left to everyone throwing fake snow at us! I wanted it to snow on our wedding day SO bad! Alas, I took other measures such as this! It wasn't the smartest decision in the world, but it looked pretty for pictures!
I didn't realize they would dump 2 WHOLE bags of it on us! Wow! We were literally dumped over by it!
Final Goodbyes before heading to our Honeymoon!!!
While on our honeymoon, we hired Churchill's Photography to do a beach wedding session. They did a beautiful job! Here are a few of our favorites!
And yes, nearly 9 months later... it is still a "Happily Ever After" for us. I never dreamed marriage could be so adventurous and wonderful! We have travelled to 13 states in less than 9 months time, and we're loving every moment! Whether we are capturing a sunset through our SLR's, taking a hike in the woods, ministering to young people, teaching Jr. Church, singing, cooking together, or simply praying and worshiping God... Marriage is definitely a dream come true, and I'm so happy God chose Wayne for me!
When done in God's way and time, marriage can truly display the kind of relationship Jesus wants us to have with Him- Where we can live in close communion on a day to day basis, fellowshipping as friend to friend, telling Him of our deepest thoughts and woes. That is the kind of relationship I have in my marriage and with my Jesus.
Marriage has definitely strengthened my relationship with God, and has broadened my horizons in life! I look for a wonderful lifetime together ahead- taking each step with Our Sweet Jesus! Thank you for reading this very long, belated post!
-Mrs Hill
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Here are a couple images from my first trip to the west when I was 19 years old.....
Grand Canyon- March 2012
Joshua Tree Desert- Palmdale, CA
June 2014
Malibu Beach California- March 2014
Grand Canyon - March 2012
Here is an example of a white balance error my camera made and how I fixed it!
(Okay, so this pict is a little blurry... It wasn't a keeper- but it's similar to the one just like it that I fixed, and I'm not lying, this was the original light I was working with!)
Image 1- dark, blurry and cold white balance
Photo Taken in July 2012 at around 9pm.
Taken with my Canon 7D with a canon 85mm 2.8 lens
Image 2- Now it has great light and normal white balance. In Literally about 2 clicks on my computer I had it fixed! It also helps if you shoot in RAW on your DSLR. :)
Pretty incredible difference huh? So... I guess the story just goes to show that you never really know what an original image looks like before the photographer takes it into a digital darkroom. :) As much as I love to shoot and not edit and edit my images in Lightroom, it's always nice to know that these simple fixes can be made... And better yet, they're so easy too :)
Since I was about 10 years old, it has been a dream of mine to take a foreign missions trip with My Grandfather, Rev. Lewis Smith (My Mother's Father). Last summer (2014) it dawned on me that grandpa is getting up in years, and I better make this happen! So we began talking and discussing where to go and I finally told grandpa to choose.... and of course automatically his first choice was South Africa and Lesotho. In September, we bought our tickets and began making preparations for the trip in March.
Originally, we had planned to go for 5 weeks.... Honestly, I do NOT know what I was thinking. Yes, it may seem exciting to go to a foreign country for a month and a week... but I wasn't thinking about being halfway around the globe to a place where I had never been with little to no internet access, phone calls, etc., Anyway, in February we found out that the local missionaries we would be staying with would have to be coming back to the states 2 weeks early because of visa complications. So... to make a short story long. We ended up changing our tickets to 3 weeks.
The airplane ride was an experience in and of itself. Being trapped in a plane with 300 other passengers for 16 hours. Wow. But nonetheless, it was memorable time with Grandpa as we anxiously awaited our arrival to Africa.
First morning in Africa! Thursday- March 5, 2015
That afternoon we visited Golden Gate National Park. This is the most breathtakingly gorgeous place I have been to in the entire world. And I am not joking. Pictures do not do this place justice. I have been to nearly 40 states, visited Mexico 2x, Canada 2x, and now have visited South Africa and Lesotho. This is my favorite spot so far.
Saturday, March 7, 2015
Youth Campfire Marshmallow Roast
Bro Miller really had a time with these young people constantly filling up their sticks with fresh 'mellows :)
On Sunday March 8, 2015, I attended the Afrikaskop Church and in the Afternoon we had a farm service in a village house an hour drive away from Afrikaskop.
Farm Service
Before Lunch on Sunday, I went with some of my new friends to see their house across the farm.
Through the week we would make trips into to do grocery shopping, run errands, and make preparations for ministering to the young people on the weekend. We had farm services through the week as well... here are a few of the photos I took of these random market places.
Grandpa and I both spoke to school children on different occasions. he spoke to the Christian Day school children and we also both spoke to a local public school with about 200+ children in attendance! Very Scary speaking to that many people on this tall podium! The experience was good for me and God helped me :)
We also did a lot of painting in one of the parsonages and also the church. Some of the village children were very intrigued by what we were doing. :)
Farm service....
The local public school that Grandpa and I both spoke at ...
On Thursday, March 12, Bro Miller took Grandpa and I to Willem Pretorius, another wildlife reserve in South Africa. This reserve has many different animals with acres and acres of beauty. The drive to the reserve was about 3 hours, and we drove around in the park for close to 3 hours... it was such a neat experience!
Below is pictured a herd of cape buffalo. There are approximately 120 in this herd.
Baboons playing by a water reservoir
This coodoo looked up at me at just the right moment. I'll say this is probably my favorite wildlife picture from the trip! :)
One of the evenings... the sky was really clear and you could see soo many stars. The scene was just breathtaking.
Bible Study in Kestell on Saturday...
Another Sunday....
The last weekend I was in Africa, Grandpa and I visited Lesotho. The Miller's kindly made the long 3.5 hour drive each way to take us there! And then Glenn Gault took us home. We had a wonderful time with Glenn and Stephanie Gault and their sweet children. They are such sweet missionaries!
Africa's Seasons are totally opposite of ours. So in march while America is going through Spring, Africa is going through Fall. And then in the summer while we endure the heat... in the middle of July in Africa, temperatures can swoop down in the 20's!
On Friday, March 20, they took us into the Mountains and we also got to see the Mighty Mohale Dam.
Glenn and Stephanie Gault, Kaitlynn and Kristell
On Saturday night, March 21, we drove to a remote village and attended a tent meeting that one of the local pastors had organized. This service was a highlight of the trip for me. The response of the people and the presence of God was so strong. It was like something I had read about in a missionary book, only this time, I was the one experiencing it! Many were hungry for the gospel and souls were saved during this brief tent meeting! I felt so privileged I got to attend. My pictures are not too good as the lighting was very poor in the tent and it was quite dark out by the time we got there and the service had started...
On the drive to the tent meeting...
Glenn speaking to the people
And now my Grandpa! People were amazed at his ability to get around at nearly 90 years old!
Choirs singing songs of praise....
And here are a few images of the village of Matukeng, Lesotho. This is the village Glenn and Stephanie live in.
These children were so happy to see me and also get to get their photo taken!
On Sunday we got up early and drove to another village about 2 hours away to set up a tent and have a service. I loved coming to this place. Many of the people had not been attending long, but were very hungry for the gospel and some stayed to pray and seek God. The Gaults had only been having services here for about 4 months when I came, and already they were running over 50 in attendance!
Glenn teaching the children a Sunday School lesson
And then after Service was all over... we had an africa lunch and then told our new friends goodbye.
On Tuesday Morning, March 24, It was time to say goodbye's to all our African Friends. This was a bittersweet time. I was happy to go home, but had made some very sweet friends and I was sad to say bye.
Bro Miller and Bro Thabo
A last look at the Miller's house and the beautiful farm property they live on!
Saying goodbye to my precious friends, Angelina and Malifu.
And now for the long journey to the airport in the back of the truck! This was actually kinda fun, but also a bit small and cramped! Haha! :)
2014 was a wonderful year- a year of change, travel, romance, spiritual growth, maturity, learning lessons of suffering and patience... and also expanding my photography horizons. Here are a few images from the year:
January 2014
A Post Wedding Session with my Sister and her new husband
Engagement Session with Susanna Sturtevant and Byron Albright
A fun winter session with my Cousin Ben and his girlfriend Brenda(they're now engaged and I'll be doing their engagement pix soon!)
My 2nd trip to Mexico... this time to Tobasco and Chiapas
February 2014
I did a photo session for my sister, Merilee, for her recording project. "Cri de Couer" (meaning "cry of the heart")
March 2014
A quick trip to a Californian Youth Conference and also Malibu Beach
April 2014
Caleb-2014 Senior
May 2014
Shooting at Frankfort Lagoons with my best friend and sister-in-law, Joanna :)
June 2014
Jordan and Jessica Price - 6.14.14
Alyssa and Clinton- engagement session
Wrightwood, CA
Santa Monica Beach, CA
July 2014
Marissa- 2015 Senior
Mr & Mrs Justin Miller 7.25.14
August 2014
I bought a house and started a full time job and began working 50-60 hours a week. This was a chapter of growing, witnessing, maturing, and trusting God.
September 2014
Another Nephew was born into my family on September 6th.
Jaron Lewis Barnard
October 2014
Photo Session with My sister and Family and their expected little one :)
She's Here!!!
Kinza Mercy Joan McCarthy - 10.14.14
Smith Bunch
Fun Fall Photo with my Cousin Andrew, and his wife Maria and son Samuel
Mr & Mrs Logan Meenach 10.24.14
November 2014
Eckelbarger Family
Hannah and Jonathan- engagement Session
December 2014
I ended the year with another romantic, beautiful Christmas wedding (like last year). And the wedding was so awesome because it was in Phoenix and the couple flew me out for it!
Mr & Mrs Clinton Fitch! 12.13.14
And to summarize- I will give a small snippet of the way my year ended 10 days after I shot this wedding :)
It ended with a romance that officially began on Christmas Day as I began dating Wayne Hill, a young man from my church whom I have known since I was 5 years old. Though the relationship has only been transpiring for 5 months now, truly I can see the hand of God in both of our lives, and I'm excited to see how God will lead us in the future.
Wayne Hill and Jonelle Barnard (Me:)) - Christmas Day 2014
And though my year may have been exciting, and one of the best years of my life- through it all I can say that God is enough, and whatever chapters God may lead me to begin, whatever happiness or sorrow He chooses to give me; I can testify that He has been enough and WILL be enough to meet every need- to sustain through every circumstance.
Well, Goodbye from an in-love, distracted, world-traveling, procrastinating photographer who is endeavoring to stay in step with Jesus, while adjusting to the new phases of life, and well, everything else in between!
~Jonelle~
]]>Mr & Mrs Clinton Fitch!!
Last year I had a pretty crazy year to say the least... and I wanted to share a few images to collaborate on lessons I learned and maturing God has helped me to do. :) To put it bluntly, 2013 was one of the toughest years of my life. It was incredibly good for me- teaching me lessons that I would not trade for anything in the world, but still incredibly tough.
God is truly good... in every circumstance, in every happening of my life. Whether that be a good situation or a bad one, He is good all the time! In 2013 I made memorable trips, took a few good landscape images, shot 3 weddings, did multiple other people sessions, and a lot happened other than photography that forever impacted me! So here goes a disorganized, be-lated, jumbled post! Please bear with me...
To start my year off, I bought this little '96 Toyota Camry! And 3 days after buying it, I landed in a ditch on my way to work after sliding all over the road from ice and snow. Don't worry.. my car was okay:)
January 2013
~Landing in a Ditch~
February 2013
~Eliana and Noah~
~Sedona Slippery Rock Canyon~
I flew to Phoenix and Sedona to spend a few days with a friend before flying to Mexico City and Oaxaca for 12 days. Here are a couple images from that trip.
~My first Mexico Trip- 2013~
My 1st trip outside of the United States! ....Mexico.... you've probably already seen images from this trip (if you ever look at my blog anyway....)
March 2013
~Courtships begun...~
While gone to Mexico, both of my brothers, Micah and Martin, began relationships with their wives they are now married to...Wow how things happen fast when you have the last name 'Barnard'! Haha! But I was quite happy for them! :) Here's micah and Joanna's engagement photo. ( They didn't actually get engaged until May though)
May 2013
~School yearbook Session!~
I did my first session for a school year book! Here's an image from that session :)
~Morganne~ 2013 Senior
(by the way, this cousin of mine is one of my favorite people to sing with! :)
~Hope and Josie~
a kid session taken in May (actually these 2 kiddos are morganne's nieces!)
~Lost in wonder~
Love love the location this image was taken at!
~Registered Nurse and Mommy!~
So Proud of my sister, Mildred! She graduated with her ASN in Nursing with honors, while also being a single mom with 2 boys. :) I know I'm biased, but she is amazing!
~Hocking Hills Ohio~
These falls were simply stunning. They had been getting a lot of rain in that area of Ohio so photo landscapes were perfect that day!
June 2013
~Sun Starlights~
The month of June lead me into changes and transitions... needless to say, I was very distracted and did not do a whole lot of photography during June. (or a whole lot during most of the summer actually!) I was happy when I found this image while looking through my photo library! It was taken in Circleville, OH. I love the way the sun is coming through the trees.
July 2013
~Independence Day in Canada!~
I visited Canada for the first time. And of all times, I went on July 4th. Kind of weird huh? I liked Canada, but I must admit I was happy when the car rolled back into the good ole' USA! :)
A little macro with my macro lens from my iPhone.. yes, I really did take this image with my iPhone... this too, was taken in Canada.
~Macro Leaf~
~Mr & Mrs Micah Barnard!~
At the end of July, my best friend, Joanna, married my brother, Micah. She was a stunning bride! (I know, I know, she is my best friend and sister-in-law, but I'm a photographer and I think I should know when I see a pretty bride! ;))
~Happy Bride and Groom!~
~Elyanna Brielle~
A newborn session in the hospital with my Cousin and his wife and their new little baby girl
August 2013
~Sunset on a summer evening~
(taken with my iPhone again :)
~Macro beetle~
(taken with my real camera)
September 2013
~In Love~
An image from Martin (my oldest brother) and Angelica's Engagement Session, taken in September, just 3 weeks before their wedding!
October 2013
~Mr & Mrs Martin Barnard!~
October 9, 2013
~"Fall" at Niagara Falls~
~Biking out in nature~
Out on a bike trail with my friends, Scott and Joann thrasher
~Family Fall Fun! ~
My sister, her boys, and her Fiance, Ezekiel (at that this point they were engaged)
November 2013
~Mayhle Kids~
~Anna- 2014 Senior~ (taken in Oct 2013)
~In Studio with baby Samuel~
December 2013
I finished the year with my first Christmas wedding! It was so much fun!
~Mr & Mrs Allan Patton!~
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Soooo..... I know there are some who have long been waiting for me to blog all year with glimpses from traveling other than this one (Like Mexico, Malibu Beach in Cali, Jess and Jordan, Alyssa and Clinton, Star Trails, Blue Ridge Parkway, Marissa Senior, Chicago, Justin and Jillayne, the list goes on! ) .... haha! But I'm really sorry! I've literally been all over the place and I'm just too crazy busy right now to spill out my over-full portfolio of pictures! So.... I ask you to please enjoy this beautiful, pre-sunrise image that literally took my breath away when I stepped out of the room I was staying in that morning. After visiting this stunning location; I must say it was quite hard to pack up my bags and say goodbye. ;(
I'll post more later... I promise! ;) (and it won't just be landscapes from Cali, there will be people images too)
]]>About the day... Kristen and Allan's wedding was BY FAR the most relaxed wedding I've ever done... and to top it off, they are headoverhealsinlove!! They were so relaxing and easy to photograph and their huge wedding party was extremely cooperative! Thanks, Kristen, for asking me to be a part of your gorgeous day!
Kristen and Allan chose to have a "first look" before the wedding.... I recommend this to every couple! It makes my job as the photographer so much easier! (especially if you're having an evening wedding like Kristen)
Right before Kristen came in, I asked Allan if he was nervous and he was like: "I don't know... I'm just getting really excited!" You had to have been there to have seen how sweet this was!
Merilee took quite a few images from the balcony... thought this one of me with my studio lights was kinda funny! :)
... Such a gorgeous and happy couple!
....Now for some romantic snowy photos in downtown Nashville! (beautifully located right by Brown County State park of Indiana)
Kristen, you are so beautiful!
It was snowing so hard... we somehow managed between my washable photography backdrop and merilee's endeavors at keeping it hidden under Kristen's train:)
In order so as to not totally ruin Kristen's beautiful satin slippers.... she decided to wear her cutsie converse tennis shoes while we did the session outside! And they looked so adorable in the photos too! :)
And now for the amazing wedding party of 22 (not including the bride and groom, flower girl/bible bear, miniature bride/groom!!)
Kristen with her maid of honor, her sister, Hannah
And the gorgeous little miniature bride! (kristen's youngest sister, Shiloh)
.... and now for the ceremony!
Kristen watching from behind the doors.... (merilee captured this shot)
Love this shot merilee got from the back of Kristen and her dad right before he gave her away!
Merilee took this one from the balcony...
The reception was held at this beautiful hotel ball room!
Signing of the marriage license...
And now... here are my goodbye shots- a christmas night view of Nashville with Kristen and Allan (took these at 10:30pm by the way with natural light!)
Wow... What a beautiful day!
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Thursday, February 28th- Aboard my plane to Houston, TX
One of the things that I did NOT enjoy was trying to understand the paperwork they gave me to fill out!! Fortunately there was a nice bi-lingual hispanic gentleman who helped me to fill it out! I would have been lost otherwise!
Mexico City airport from my plane window
Through customs and with my cousin Stephanie
Ready to board the metro... One of my favorite experiences while in Mexico was my first ride on the Metro! It made things even more exciting with all of my suitcases- but we managed (Ben, Stephanie and Me) without anything getting stolen.
View of the stairs up to the little room I stayed at on the first night in Mexico at Nieves and Nicolas' house (relatives to a man that goes to Stephanie's Church) They had lots of plants, and animals and birds. Our alarm clock was the roosters "crows"! Some of these experiences I will never forget! Loved it!
Nieves and Stephanie. It was hard to get some of the Mexicans to smile... :) By the way, she was the best Mexican cook! Wish I had the recipe to the chicken she made that night! makes me hungry just thinking about it!
Later that evening we had prayer, singing and devotions with Nieves and Nicolas' relatives. God's spirit was really there. I will never forget their hunger and open-ness to the Gospel.
Stephanie praying with them....
Not sure what this little boys' name was... but he and his brother LOVED for me to take their picture! They kept posing and posing! It was so cute!
I loved this precious family! They seemed to just drink in every bit of the Gospel we offered
A view of the street on my first night in mexico. All the little lights are the expanse of Mexico City. We had quite a view.
View from the top of the stairs of the little room I stayed in
Friday, March 1, in Mexico City ... Headed to the market with Nieves and Sergio (her son)
Some of the many fruits and veggies in the market
Some of the many THOUSANDS of roses I saw in the floral market
While in the floral market, I kept saying to Stephanie how much it would be neat if our moms were there so we could buy them some flowers or roses. We then decided to buy Nieves and Krispine (Nieves' sister) flowers of their choice in honor of our Mothers'!!
Me and Stephanie in the Floral Market
Krispine took us to the restaurant that she works at.... it was a wonderful experience and the food was delicious!
Picture L to R- Krispine, Stephanie, Nieves, Sergio, and Ben
When we got back to NIeves' house... the key they gave us to get in wouldn't work! So we just sat on their patio and waited. Meanwhile, we got a host of eager onlookers very curious about these "gringos" with bags and funny looking skirts. Thankfully we had Ben to protect us!
The story behind the picture below is quite funny...
On the way to Letti's (our next destination after spending the day with Nieves' friday) we had to get a combi to take us there. (not really a taxi but kind of like it) We were standing by this big highway and Stephanie waved one down. It was rush hour and there were lots of them. Combi's that are not full are hard to find. She asked if there was room for 3 people. The guy said yes. Well, she should have asked if there were room for 6 because of all of our suitcases! We opened the door(now get this, cars are flying by and we are just barely off the road!) I peek in and the van is practically full! I said 'are you joking? There´s not room in here!' She's like 'we're doing it!' So we barely squeezed in but we have one problem: Ben still has to get in and he has the largest suitcase plus another big bag! SOMEHOW he managed to get in and all these people were just staring at us... it was hysterically funny! There was no space for Ben to sit down except on the suitcases. So he did. And as the driver started to push the gas to go forward- Ben looks around at eveyone (all 12 of us) and says in Spanish "Good Afternoon!" He had the sweetest smile on his face and some of the people that would normally be so stoical were laughing! It was great! You had to have been there to have seen how funny this was!
FInally in Chalco!! This was the room Stephanie and I shared:) We were Quite exhausted after such a big day... but I enjoyed every minute of it!
Supper that night... Salmon cakes, white beans, and ..... cactus. (my least favorite food I tried in Mexico)
Saturday, March 2nd, Chalco, Mexico State
Kids from the neighborhood joyously talking and playing with Ben. They all absolutely love him!
Some of the boys on this street liked posing in front of my big canon 7D with my 24-105 L lens. I don't think they had ever seen anything quite like it. :)
Another sweet boy we met
I loved taking Eric's pictures! He was such a great model!
Eric again!
Another neat experience I had was to go calling with Letti... she has lots of family right in her little neighborhood and it was neat to meet them and pray with them
L to R- Letti, Stephanie, Ben and Brenda (Letti's youngest daughter)
One of the little girls we invited to our Saturday Kids' club meeting (which we had that evening)
Some of Letti's Family....
Preparing for Kids' Club..... (Pict taken by Stephanie with her camera)
L to R- Me, Brenda, Ben and Letti's oldest daughter, Marianna
Kids Club!
Praying with the kids
... more images of kids club
Sunday, March 3rd...
Walking to Church on Sunday Morning
Ricardo(Lettis' adopted son) Ben and Brenda
Sunday School at the Baptist Church
The people of this church were so kind and accommodating! Later that week they picked us up from the bus station, drove us back to chalco, and then took me back to the airport the next morning so we wouldn't have to get a taxi! The pastor recently came back from the United States to start this church. Though they may believe differently than us- they share the same vision as Stephanie, Ben and all of us... To reach the hispanics for Jesus! Their church now runs in the upper 40's and they just started it a few short years ago!
View of the Church from the platform. On Wednesday night prayer meeting, they had to set out extra chairs because there were so many at church!
Sitting in Church with Ben
Kids Choir....
After the Sunday Morning Service we visited with the Pastor, his brother, his father, and their families. I was saddened to find out that just 2 weeks after I came home from Mexico- the pastor's nephew, (who was almost 16 years old) was killed in an auto accident. He and his family were on deputation work, getting ready to go to Africa as Hispanic Missionaries. (One of the tires flew off their vehicle.) The boy(don't remember his name) suffered from bad head injuries that were fatal. It never occurred to me as I was taking his picture- that I was probably the last person who took his picture. (You don't see many people with cameras in Mexico)
The boy who passed away is pictured to the far right. His 17-year old brother has the glasses on and his father has the black and white striped tie. His uncle is the pastor (very-smiling-man:)) and his grandpa(white hair)
Some of the church people
Headed to church again on Sunday Night
With friends after church Sunday night...
Sunset in Chalco
Monday, March 4th, Mexico City ...
We toured Mexico City AND went to a DOMINOS PIZZA!!
I bought Ricardo a personal pizza and an ice cream cone... you would've thought that I had given him $100!
We went downtown to see many interesting buildings and displays ...
At the Cathedral with Letti and her daughter. This building was absolutely incredible!
Inside the Cathedral- If you look closely, you can see that the building is sinking to the right... it has been sinking for over 100 years. They had graphs to show how many inches, etc... It was very intriguing to me! I wish the fact that it was sinking would have showed up better in the pictures. :(
The gold that you see in this picture is actually pure GOLD. I have never seen anything like it
I felt a little awkward taking these pictures since they were having MASS. (But there were many people coming and going out of the building and no one seemed to notice.) Watching the Hispanic Catholics have their MASS made me very grateful to have been given the heritage that I have. Many of the people I watched seemed so empty... I felt bad for them. They came to MASS hungry for living bread and looked as if they were leaving that way. I am so glad that I do not need to partake in MASS. I pray to God every day and I know He hears my prayers! He is with me everywhere I go, He has forgiven my sins, given me the power of the spirit through sancitfication and is my best and dearest friend! Traveling to Mexico made me feel so blessed and grateful for the way that I have been raised. It also made me want to go and minister more to others who have not been given the opportunity to know of salvation!
moving on...
It was incredible how many thousands of people we passed... people from all over the world. It still astounds me when I think about it!
We also went up the Latino Americana Torre (Latin American Tower)
Panoramic with my iPhone 4S
A look at Mexico City from 43 floors up. And also from my real camera. :)
At Thanksgiving, (in 2012) there was a young lady who came to our house. She was from Mexico City and couldn't visit her family for the Holiday. Her parents are pictured below with Ben and Stephanie. We spent the day with them that Monday.
Benjamin ...
Me....
And Beautiful Stephanie!!!!!
Art Museum
Ricardo and Stephanie inside the Art Museum
After walking and walking and walking and walking.... we found a restaurant and ate! They insisted I get my pict taken with the chef!
The whole gang in front of the restaurant
Sunset downtown...
looking down a busy street
That evening we stayed at Mikaela's house (a relative to some of the people who go to Stephanie's Church) Boy oh boy could she cook!
Mikaela's Daughter was helping with the meal...
Tuesday, March 5th ...
Me, Mikaela, and Stephanie
Headed to the canal for a boat ride!
The mariachi's !!! Loved hearing them in-person! :)
Aboard the boat....
Me and Eric...
It was really neat.... while you were taking your boat ride, there would be these other boats that would row up beside you to sell you flowers, food, jewelry, popcorn, tortillas, etc., I loved how persistent they were.
Brenda, Eric (Letti's Grandson) and Letti
Ben and Brendita! :) (Ben took this pict by the way... part of the reason why it's a lil fish-eyed)
All of us together
Letti at one of the nurseries
Mango's at the market (it was mango season while we were there) Makes my mouth water just looking at this photo!
What a wonderful day we had! We came home that night quite exhausted but were grateful for the memories we made!
Wednesday, March 6th...
Brenda's 12th Birthday and also the day we did laundry in preparation for our weekend in Oaxaca
Ben and I took Brenda to the market to pick out a cake and some nice skirts for her to wear. We also bought ingredients for me to make homeade pizza! :)
Later when we got back to Letti's- I began to make preparations for making the pizza. I asked for measuring cups and spoons and she didn't have any. I was in shock! I thought: "there's no way I can make pizza dough with no measuring cups or spoons"! But the Lord helped me and I managed.
Here I am with my little crowd of people who were observing me making american food! I was nervous but all in all it was one of my favorite memories from Mexico.
The quality in these 2 images is really poor. They were taken with my iPhone. I was too busy cooking (and eating) to pay attention to what camera was being used! :/
Now the rest of these picts were taken with my real camera! :)
Brenda and the Pastor's wife getting their faces smashed! (It was Brenda and the pastor's wife's birthdays)
We did a surprise on the pastor and his father- we painted their hair! Everyone was in gales of laughter... hispanics love parties and fun. It was so neat to see their reactions.
The paint worked best on the pastor's father since he had white hair.
4 of the guys ended up being victims to the paint. It was great! :)
the man to the far left in the pict above kept wanting me to get my picture taken with the cake. I couldn't understand what he was saying but when Ben translated- he was saying that he wanted me to get my picture taken with the cake so it would look like it was my birthday!? Of all things- that definitely struck me a little funny so I did end up getting the silly picture!
Another special thing we did while in Chalco was to give Bibles to a young couple. They were both so happy and thrilled! This same couple were seeking the Lord and promised that they would begin going to church.
Thursday, March 7th ...
At the Bus station headed for Oaxaca State!
Krispine and her son met us there (bus station) because Krispine rode with us down to Oaxaca.
Aboard the bus- Steph and Krispine
Some of the scenery we passed on our 6 hour ride
In Oaxaca!
Waiting on our taxi to take us to our final destination
Our prestegious taxi driver!
At Petra and Isidro's house (relatives to people who go to Stephanie's church)
After we arrived- our poor taxi driver's little bug broke down.
Friday, March 8th...
we hung out with Petra and Isidro's grandkids who live with them. We helped them tend their livestock... a very interesting day since I'm not much of a pet lover. I quickly learned to get along with the sheep-Haha! If you ever meet my cousin, Ben, Ask him about my experiences. :)
Here I am with George and Lisbet`
Saturday and Sunday (March 9th and 10th) we hiked to a nearby village to visit relatives and friends of people from Stephanies' Church.
Pictured below is one of the boys we hiked to see. He rode this donkey like a Pro! :)
Ben and George on the Hiking path
Me in the Mountains of Oaxaca on Sunday Morning! (March 10)
Ben enjoying the mountains!
Mother and Baby. The physical strength that the ladies in the villages of Oaxaca amazed me! They would run down the strenuous (and when I say strenuous I mean that!) path with ease with their baby on their back and do it in 1/3 the amount of time that it took us gringos! I suppose the reason would be that it is their way of life and they are used to it!
Below: Petra washing dishes in her outdoor kitchen. She was SUCH a hard-worker!
A little bit of macro photography for the landscape-lovers! :)
Lisbet` ... such a beautiful little girl! (She is Petra's granddaughter)
Stephanie and Lisbet
Lisbet` and her grandfather, Isidro
Petra and Isidro
Stephanie, Petra, Isidro, and Ben in front of Petra and Isidro's house
Monday, March 11th...
Stephanie and I
Ben being "goofy"!
Petra and Isidro feeding their livestock:)
On Sunday morning we hiked to this ladies' house to have church with her, only she was not home! :( So instead we had church with her kids! Fortunately, we were able to say "hi" to her the on Monday morning when we were leaving Oaxaca.
In the city with friends at a small stand where we were served lamb on blue tortilla's!
Saying goodbye to Isidro before leaving Oaxaca to head back to Mexico City
Tuesday Morning, March 12th: Last views of Mexico City from our van window driving to the airport.
At the airport with Steph
As I was hugging Stephanie to tell her goodbye, we both discovered we were crying! What a joy it was to travel together, how many memories we had made.... and now I was leaving! Stephanie and Ben stayed another 3 weeks traveling all over Mexico! I wish I could have joined them but had other commitments that I needed to attend to!
At My gate for San Francisco!
Getting ready to land in San Fran- back in the Good Ole' USA!
There is so much more that I wish I could have written and blogged about... pictures and words do not give the full description of what I took in. The impact that Mexico 2013 had on me was incredible! I will forever be changed... I am so grateful I was given this opportunity and look forward to more doors that God may open for me to walk through! Lord willing- I look forward to flying to Tobasco on January 8th!
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Below is my favorite!
my dear friends- Scott and JoAnn Thrasher who went along with me on this trip!
My response..... "Absolutely"!
I put the date on my calendar.... we planned, and then the day came.
And it rained. GRRRRR!! I hate it when that happens!
Well, actually it turned out okay that rain came because 3 weeks later we got some really nice Picts! Here are a few of me and Morganne's favs... Enjoy!
This was from the 1st tri-out shoot! Can you see the pouring rain in the background?
Still rainy and dreary but we captured a few photos from the session...
Sunshine!!! GORGEOUS Sunshine!!
As you can tell..... Morganne and I had a TON of fun doing this shoot!!!!
one of Morganne's favorites.... (below I mean)
Morganne's "ALL TIME" favorite! :) (below)
We took this one in HONOR of her mom! (my Aunt Mary Anne! )
Doesn't she have such a gorgeous smile!?
I looooooved shooting at this grassy meadow!!
I rarely get to be in one of my blog posts since I am the photographer... but how do you like this photo?
The last 3 picts were taken with my iPhone
Through customs and with my dear cousin Stephanie!!!!!
Prices sure have gone up for a simple McD's meal! JK. that is $86 peso dollars (which are approx. 12 pesos for every american dollar)
Out of the airport and Headed to the Metro!!!
With some of our friends we stayed with on my first night in MX
Looking out over Mexico City from my room upstairs on my first night in MX
I LOVED touring the market!!
Another part of the market I loved was the floral part... there were thousands of roses everywhere! And for only $3/dozen (american dollars)
Edmundo! loved photographing this little tot!
I will be posting more later.... goodbye for now!
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But the Salvation of the righteous is of the Lord:
He is their strength in the time of trouble
And the Lord shall help them, And deliver them:
He shall deliver them from the wicked,
And save them, because they trust in Him
Psalm 37:39-40
... All Things Well
If you're looking at a rainbow; if you're hurting from the pain
If the sun above is shining; if the skies begin to rain
If the path you trod is happy; if you don't know which way to go
I can assure you of this one thing; I have proven it so
He does all things well; He makes no mistakes
The bad, the good, the heartbreaking
But He's always the same
He does all things well
All things well
We can trust Him with our lives
We can trust him with ourselves
He does all things well
When the birds are singing; when you've lost your dearest friend
When the skies above are clearing; when your heart just needs to mend
When the storm has so confused you; you cannot see the light of day
Let me tell you 'bout my Jesus; this is all I have to say
He does all things well; He makes no mistakes
The bad, the good, the heartbreaking
But He's always the same
He does all things well
All things well
We can trust Him with our lives
We can trust him with ourselves
He does all things well
So I will take my alabaster box
And break it knowing He sees
And I will take my hair, and dry the tears
That have fallen on His feet
For the tears of love and the broken box
Are gifts that are no longer mine
He can take them and use them
He makes everything beautiful in His time
He does all things well; He makes no mistakes
The bad, the good, the heartbreaking
But He's always the same
He does all things well
All things well
We can trust Him with our lives
We can trust him with ourselves
He does all things well
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February 2012
Relic
March 2012
Mrs Elizabeth Goodrich!
After doing her wedding on a Saturday, I and my family headed out to Phoenix the following Monday for a revival. We drove the whole trek of 5,200 miles there and back. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime!
Grand Canyon National Park just before dawn
I must say that I am probably biased, but this is one of my top 5 favorites from 2012. Maybe it's because my siblings are in the pic... I don't know. I think it really depicts God's beauty.
Sunrise at the Canyon
April 2012
The Pacific at Sunset
Utah
Gnarly Timberland
Across the road from my best Friends' house... Taken in June 2012
Serenity
Later that week, my best friend and I went to Louisville at Sunset. The lights and buildings looked spectacular
The Lights of Louisville
King Family Portraits (this was a very quick 20 minute session) in July 2012
We Have This Moment....
Mountain Mist at Dawn
Waterfall in Tennessee
In July 2012 I purchased a 60 mm f/2.8 macro lens. This was one of my favorite shots that I have taken with it.
Upside Down
So many times, the beauties that I have captured in Photography have taken sheer, hard work. Sometimes they may not have even been properly depicted in the photo. But for those of us who work to get somewhere in photography; this is all part of that journey. For some, a picture may have ultimate significance and unforgettable memories even if it looks poor in composition. The picture below was one of those examples. It was a strenuous hike to get there, it began raining part way through, and I had to get up unbelievable early to get to the falls at the proper time for the shoot. I went with two of my photography friends and we made some wonderful memories. It was significant to me because I love waterfalls... they just seem to soothe my soul. Even though I really didn't get the best picture of it because the water levels were down.. the memories I made and the view I took in were unforgettable.
Morning Memories
In July 2012 my brothers' Taylor guitar got stolen. Thankfully, our insurance company covered it. As a result, I just had to take a few picts of him with his new guitar. This was one of my favorite shots.
Taylor 816
August 2012
Disoriented Hummingbird
This poor little guy got disoriented. I felt really bad; but mine was the privilege to get to take such a close look with my macro lens. I'll probably never get that privilege again! :(
September 2012
New Life
It was a wonderful experience to get to come to the Hospital after this little guy arrived! I would love to do this kind of thing more often!
In love...
My cousin Andrew Smith, and Fiancee, Maria Hunsaker
Old Man's Cave, OH
October 2012
Joyously happy
I went to my cousin Stephanie Smiths' hispanic church to photograph all of the families that attend her church. It was a wonderful opportunity!
Brubeck/Hatfield Wedding
I was hired by Apiacere Photography to help out with this Wedding
Evening Solitude
Under a bridge somewhere between North Carolina and Virginia
Morning Reflection
Maybrey Mill in Virginia
December 2012
No Title needed
I recently purchased this canon 'L' lens. The 24-105 f/4 to be exact. I'm pretty excited to say the least! So take a peek at what I purchased... I took the pic on my iPhone so the quality isn't that of an SLR :(
Believe it or not... I took this photo with my iPhone 4S and uploaded it with my Zenfolio app! That is beside the point, I sincerely want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
-Jonelle- 
My sister was listening in, (in the other room) and she said it sounded hysterical! I guess we were making more noise than what we realized with our shutter buttons, giggles, and water splashes with our short wine(not that we drink wine, but that's what the glasses are for) and desert glasses. All in all it was fun.
I really want to learn more about this, so if anyone who sees this post has further suggestions of how to get better pictures... I would LOVE help. Believe it or not, I do like to get comments; whether they be good or bad. It's always nice to get feed back. :>)
next pic.... completely missing the glass!!! boy were we laughing when we saw this pic!
REALLY missing the glass on this one!
last photo... PLEASE give me some feedback! I really want to learn more. I had so much fun!
Jo Ann holds a very special place in my heart. Our friendship began about 3.5 years ago when I had first embarked on my journey of photography. I had known her previously, but only at a distance. We began emailing and she began criticizing and complimenting my photography to help me. Yes, I admit, sometimes it hurt when she told me a photo looked bad. (well, she didn't exactly say that, but overall that's what she meant). And then sometimes she really 'creamed' my photos up, and now when I look at them I wonder how she could have been so nice? Well anyway, I'm gonna stop rambling and let you take a peek at this beautiful friend of mine( and yes, she is beautiful, inside and out!)
This photo was obviously taken by me, but actually the reason behind the photo is kinda funny. One day I was at her house, and I was telling her I wanted to get better at portrait photography... she said: "practice on me". So I did. And here is the result.
As I look at this photo, I'm reminded of the time we got up at 4 o 'clock in the morning to go to Lake Michigan to shoot! Wow! We were so tired but it was so worth it!
Jo Ann and I played with this photo in Photoshop and added this star... this photo was from a shoot on Lake Michigan on a VERY cold day in February!
Shooting out in the snow together...
2 years in a row, Jo Ann and I have both shot I.C.H.A. youth camp together. We have had so much fun doing this! Here she is shooting the stars and stiffs softball game. (I'll admit, she had a lot more energy than me on this day... I was plum tired and not in the mood to shoot.)
Have to mention her husband, Scott. If Jesus ever sends me a help mate, I really hope I get one as good as him. Scott and Jo Ann are one of the most in love couples that I have ever seen! This shot was also taken at youth camp after we were done shooting one of the after glows.
Through the years, our friendship has gone far beyond gaining photo tips from one another by email and text messaging. Jo Ann has become a dear friend who I cry with, laugh with, and someone I spend A LOT of time with. I'll go and spend a week with her and we'll just shoot, shoot, shoot. As you can well imagine, she is someone who has willingly opened up her home, her heart, and her time to me...
Oh, and did I mention that she's honestly one of the funnest people that I know of to be around?
I think I could go on and on about her to tell of her wonderful qualities and how much I love her... But I'm not going to embarrass her anymore than I already have. So, here is my little word of greeting to my friend Jo Ann on her birthday.. Happy Birthday Jo Ann!!!- I love you bunches!
Love,
-Jonelle-
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I am becoming more and more in love with fall... (although it's nearly gone!) Here are a few picts of what I took in Virginia a couple weeks ago. I didn't know photographing the different colors would be so thrilling. God's beauty is so vibrant in the fall.. and it really came out in these pictures. Enjoy. :)
Maybrey Mill- supposedly the most photographed mill in the US!
My favorite shot... I used my friend, Cindy Kempa's 24-105 L lens to shoot this one. Thanks Cindy!
Under a bridge near the Blue Ridge Parkway. It took me a couple minutes to hike down, but the view and water were spectacular! Loved it!
Looking down at where I had just come from...
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That is all for now... please give me criticism, I need it!
Can't tell you when I'll get a chance to post again.. but be prepared for some excited pics of a hummingbird that I took last night. : )
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Pink flower. Have NO idea what kind it is. :z) The F stop on this picture is F/9. You can see so much of the detail of the flower because the aperture is so high.
Here is the same flower at pretty much the same angle only shot with an extremely low F/stop of 1.8.
See the difference? Pretty incredible isn't it?
You basically cannot tell what is in focus unless you look really close.
I would love to have some comments on this post. Give a few votes on what you think would be the better f/stop. Is it better to use a low f/stop or a high one?
My personal opinion would be to get a balance between the two. F/1.8 is a little low but F/9 is not as pretty either. Can't wait to hear your opinion!
]]>This will be my last post from our trip to the West. We might possibly go again next year... : ) I hope ya'll enjoyed them!
-Jonelle-
Here we are looking at the Pier from a distance
Looking at the canal. The ocean flows through this canal and then under the city. It is much smaller than what it looks like.
The Santa Monica Pier up close.
Here is the canal again about 30 minutes later. I loooooooooove the cloud texture above the buildings. It adds so much to this picture!
Yes, there were negatives that I didn't care for about this coastal city, but overall, I think if there hadn't been so much wickedness in the city, I could have taken pictures all night. But. I am grateful for what I got! I am just anxious to go back when there isn't so much happening!
I am continually amazed at all of the opportunities that have been afforded me through photography. I would have never dreamed that I would have had the chance to go to California five years ago... but hey... It did happen! I am sooooo grateful! Thanks, Mom and Dad, for giving me this opportunity! You have not only taught me the importance of ministry, but you have also let me enjoy the fulness and beauty of life. Not every child get a set of parents like you! You are the best! I love you!
~Jonelle~
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Here is the Coastal City, Santa Monica
Had to look at this in B&W
It is fastly disappearing.... but wow! The the moment after it set was the most gorgeous!!!
Martin and Merilee enjoying the view along the coast of Santa Monica...
Can you see why I LOVE California?? God's Beauty is everywhere!
On my senior trip in May 2010
Photo taken in Yorke, Maine
With my Cousin Elizabeth, (to the right) and my cousin Kristy, (in the middle) in Maine... wow these photos bring back sweet memories!
Supposedly one of the most photographed lighthouses in the United States... I wasn't real into landscape photography back then so the quality isn't real great... :(
Sunrise on the Atlantic ocean in Hobe Sound, Florida (This beach was literally within walking distance of Jupiter Island:))
This photo was actually just before sunrise.. the fisherman made for a nice composition to my photograph
Photograph taken in March 2011
This picture is probably my favorite... I love how the water looks!
And now.... across the United States at Sunset!
The Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California
We got to the beach literally about 15 min before the sunset! I was praying hard as were going through rush hour traffic in L.A.! God answered my prayer... for which I am grateful!
Just a little extra pic for you to see...
this was taken at 10:30 at night... no joke! I did an experiment and put my camera on a tripod and set the exposure at 30 seconds and this is what I got!!!! Some people didn't believe me! I did though.. you ask my friends(if you can figure out who they are:)
If you look at the top of the photo... you will see the stars that were out that night.
Photos taken in Hobe Sound, Florida March 2011
Took this photo shortly after the one above it...
Wow… always heard this place talked about in different songs such as "Tennessee Christmas" and "I'll be Home For Christmas" but I never dreamed I would have a chance to actually see it!!!
By the way... I took this picture from our van as we were driving through L.A. in rush hour traffic!
I have wanted to go to California nearly all my life. Never dreamed the day would happen. :) We stopped at a rest area and since it was my first time to set foot in Cali I had to take pictures of what was there….
thought that this tree was just majestically beautiful.... 
Don't trash California? Interesting thing to put on a trash can. Not really sure if they are saying I should put my trash in the can, or if they are saying that I need to cut down in the amount I'm throwing away, or if they are saying I NEED to throw it in the can and not on the ground. :) they probably are meaning a little of all three…
I love these green trees. I'm not exactly sure what the name of them are but they are continually in the west and I think that they are striking! 
I was at my best friend, Joanna's house on January 1st of this year. I met her great-aunt Sharon. She was an exceptionally nice person and somehow in our conversation I asked her where she was from. I quickly learned that she was from Phoenix, AZ. I then told her that we would be doing a revival there, and that I would like to meet up with her.
I wasn't real sure if it would work out but got in contact just before we left for AZ. As we were traveling to Arizona, we began texting back and forth. What I wasn't expecting, was for her to invite me to a wonderful day out with just the two of us. She ended up taking me on a beautiful cruise boat up the Salt Lake River on the Tortilla Flats. The day couldn't have been more perfect. It wasn't too hot but yet it wasn't too cold. There was even a breeze and the boat ride was simply majestic and wonderful! Even got to see a bald eagle! So anyway. She did so much for me!!(such as take me out to lunch, take me on a boat ride, and a train ride, took me to ice-cream, etc, etc, etc,. ) It gave me a wonderful opportunity to see more of God's creation and have the excuse to take more pictures… Thank you so much, Sharon… you sincerely spoiled me rotten:)
the train ride we went on.... 
saw this interesting plant while on the train. can't even remember what kind it was but thought it was worth posting...
Sharon's beautiful car... :) and the neat scenery around it! 
scenery on the way ... probably my favorite picture from the day! I love this picture... I think it so displays God's beauty
The Cruise Boat, Dolly, that we went on.... We had such a gorgeous view
Here is the spot where we saw a bald eagle. The tour before us saw an eagle flying in the air with a fish in its mouth... now that would have been awesome to see!! 
Here Sharon is with me...
inside the building with the Glass Elevator... 
the clan getting ready to hop in the elevator...
Overlooking Phoenix... you can see the spots on the window.. decided not to photoshop them out. sorry :(
Drove by this beautiful house in Scottsdale...
Our initial plans after leaving the Grand Canyon(we were only at the grand canyon one afternoon and then the next morning for an hour by the way), were to do a revival at David Spivey's Church in Mesa, AZ. God helped us in a glorious way in that revival and I am so thankful. It was a 10 day meeting- which is a little unusual- but as I already mentioned, God really came and helped. Because it was the sole reason of why we went out west, I felt that I had to include some photos of Pastor David and his family, my cousin Andrew, and of course some of the church and a little about what happened. :)
Pastor David and his Family...
"Uncle" Andrew with his little friends... (they call him "uncle Andrew" even though he's not technically their uncle) 
During one of the services.... 
Here is Cayden, the oldest Spivey munch gin :) 
Here is Keegan .... 
And Cameron... love this little tot... he's so adorable and fun-loving!
And last but not least, the baby of the family, Marin Rose... she is a doll baby!!! 
wow... she is a little twerp! sticking that little tongue out an all' 
My brother Martin, and my sister Merilee, both did something that was very brave. They took this path that wasn't really a path, to get to a good look-out point. I got a few pictures and thought I would share them. :) If you are scared of heights, you probably won't want to look at these pictures. :/
^ In the pic above you will see the look-out point that they climed down to. You will see the flat precipice that they climbed down to.
I was zoomed all the way to 250 mm and this was still how far they were from me!!!
Climbing back up the trail(that wasn't really a trail.. )
As we were about to leave we saw this beautiful bird sitting on the railing... had to get a picture. Unfortuneatly, I did not have the right kind of lens and could only zoom to 135 mm. :( oh well. still got some nice photos...
parting shot...
martin and merilee enjoying the sunrise. absolutely love this photo.
I started to take the trail that is in the pic below but it was so slippery I was afraid I would fall... so. I gave my camera to my brother and he bravely went and got pictures. :)
Pic below: Inside the Kolb brothers' studio... very neat. A must see if you go to the Grand Canyon on the South Rim. :)
Wow! I have never seen something sooooooo beautiful in all my life... It was so pretty I think I could have cried. I might post more later. :)
Picture above: Just before the sun was about to rise toward the east.
Picture below: Looking toward the west.... absolutely gorgeous colors.
I got a little distracted by the Mule deer right by the canyon. I was like 20 feet away from it. It was incredible!
Finally here!
Martin drove me there(to the canyon) and Merilee came along. Here we are together. :)
Well. Bye for now. I'll post more later. :)
But. I recently learned something different about winter. I went up to my friends' house in Michigan. I saw a totally different side of winter that I have never seen before. We went out to shoot early in the morning. The light was so soft; it was just beautiful. I realized that though winter is dreary and dead; it also has a beauty that no other season has. I hope you enjoy looking at these pictures; 'cause they sure were fun to take! ... Oh. One more thing... I'm not gonna post all that I took. So keep looking 'cause I'll post more later! :)
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