GOODNESS, WHERE HAVE I BEEN.

I've been so busy, like you don't understand! Alot has happened, but I've still kept up with my photography!

Just shot a party and headshots for a friend! I'll be posting more often, like a few from Payton's shoot! Gorgeous, eh?

my mom, a.k.a. the ultimate yard saler

My mom went to a consignment shop and found this little thing :]

on flickr

Showcase: Marshay

 

When did you become interested in photography?

I always avoid answering this question. To be honest It's a pretty cliche story. I started out with my head in the clouds. When I was ten I was on deviant art constantly taking and uploading pictures of the sky. It was something I always loved and my little Fujifilm point and shoot made things pretty easy. When I was 11 I came down from those clouds and found myself gravitating to different subjects and aspects of photography. I started looking at flickr and alot of other photography sites and really just reaching in as far as I could into this art. It became something I felt I could actually do and enjoy doing. However, It wasn't until a few years later in my freshman year of high school that I truly started to get serious. I gained rivals, inspiration, and a 1st place win in a photography competition with my first successful photo. That was my kick start. I started trying to do more interesting shoots and gained alot of info from online. I was determined and when I was 15 I finally got my first DSLR. The rest is here and now. Plain and simple.

 

Personally, you are one of my biggest inspirations. So, I must ask who or what truly inspires you? Is there anything or anyone that really keeps you encouraged to pursue photography?
Everything inspires me and God keeps me going. Emotion, light, music, movement, the possibilities are endless. Also photographers like vivian maier and a giant list of flickr photographers inspire me (this includes you). I'm encouraged by people online for the most part and I'm grateful for it.

What gives you that 'mental stamp' that says, "This is the photo." Like, in your final product, how do you know if you got it just right?

hm, that's a hard question. Well it's sort of like I already have an idea in my head when I look at the picture. After that it's a mixture of luck and alot of experimenting. I guess it's like colors have feeling and   when the colors are right the photo speaks for itself. A breathless light and a heavy dark. I know it's right when I feel something from it and it matches what I feel.

 

Along with creating such beautiful photography, what do you like to do in your free time?

I'd have to say it's a combination of reading, writing, drawing,and singing. I'm very art oriented and other than that I don't do much. Me and my friends are the type who drop off the face of the earth during summer and hardly see each other unless by accident, so I occupy myself anyway I can that doesn't require a car. I do however go out with my mom wherever she goes.

Marshay, I can't thank you enough for doing this! View more of Marshay's amazing work on Flickr.

we trip and we trek back

   I've been so busy this summer! I just came back from Michigan for a family reunion and took loads of pictures and had a bit of fun. I've been traveling, shooting (I shot my first wedding!) I got an offer to be apart of a new and upcoming magazine, and getting ready for softball, I am supposed to be in New York right now for a wedding, but it got cancelled, and more things coming up!

 This trip was a gruesome, 32 hours, there and back!

 My Aunt Shell :]

 

I was sitting on the floor taking these, so they're all at weird angles. My creep cousin, Brandon and my Aunt Sand!

My cousin, Malikee, the ladies man, as I secretly call him :]

 We were stuck in the hotel for a few hours, so we decided to look around and visit the city. I swear, we looked like TOTAL TOURISTS.

 OUR LIFELINE. hehe, my Droid and it's Google Maps. ♥

 I wanted to go to the border so bad, just to see what would happen. Mom said, too big of a risk, haha.

Okay, I live down south. WE DON'T HAVE THESE WHERE I LIVE! We went to The largest Museum of African American History and when we got there, there were meters? Yes, my mom and I tripped out at the same time. So, we put like 3 hours worth of coins in there, cause the directions weren't quite clear, and we were in for what, maybe an hour? Our donation to the city.

The lobby was surrounded in flags!

 This is James Brown's suit, one of his suits, that he often wore! :)

 Of course, McDonalds.

 My Aunt and err, my, eh-----Okay, I'm not exactly sure what that would make the lovely lady in the middle, being that is her newly wedded husband, my cousin. Aren't they like the cutest couple?

 After a long trip and stay, it was time to trek back home.

I thought I knew long road trips when I travel just one state over. Five states? Don't think so.

Showcase: Jacqueline

I have so many wonderful Flickr contacts and friends who are so talented & brilliant and this is Jacqueline! Check out our little interview and a preview of her work!

 - What truly inspires you? What really gives you a little kick to keep pursuing photography?

I am usually inspired by seeing work from other photographers -- especially from my contacts on Flickr. I actually got interested in photography by following a lot of Tumblrs that posted beautiful photographs. I noticed that a lot of them linked back to Flickr, which is how I really got into the website. One of my friends also had a Flickr and I was in LOVE with her photography, so that also really sparked my interest in it.

- How long have you been interested in photography?

I have been interested in photography for a long time. Ever since I got my first camera (a little Canon point-and-shoot) in eighth grade, I have been in love with taking pictures. Later on I was interested in learning how to use a DSLR, but I never owned one until last October. That was when I really learned how to use one and got really pursuing photography.

  
- I see you're in the midst of a 365! How do you find time to create such lovely photos and keep in your everyday life?

After doing a 365 for awhile now, I've found that the key is to just take pictures of anything and everything. Even the most unexpected or unintentional photos can actually turn out to be a piece of art. Sometimes I take a picture of something that I don't really have a purpose for, and then later on I realize it's a great photo that could be very well used for my 365.

  
- What do you want to work or experiment with next, photography-wise?

I would really love to focus on portraits and landscape shots. I've taken a few headshots of some of my friends and for my college fraternity, but I would really love how to deal with lighting and flashes that can really produce and enhance some beautiful portraits. I would also really like to get into taking landscape photos, but I probably won't get into that until I get a wide angle lens. I have a dream lens in mind that I want to get, but it's super expensive so I'm trying to save enough money to purchase one!

Thanks so much, Jacqueline! View more of Jacqueline's wonderful work on Flickr.