Here's my dad, my pup, my home, my neighborhood... shot mainly with my dad's lil point and shoot.
Photos of Home Pt. IV: Some Photos of Home
Here's my dad, my pup, my home, my neighborhood... shot mainly with my dad's lil point and shoot.
Here's my dad, my pup, my home, my neighborhood... shot mainly with my dad's lil point and shoot.
There are Japanese Magnolias in the parking lot of my work. I noticed them last week. They might have just bloomed, but I also just started mindfully opening my eyes to the beauty around me. I took an afternoon walk to get some fresh air, reciting with my breath, "Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out," as I put one foot in front of the other. I felt the sun and the faint breeze on my skin. I heard the wind blowing through the small pink petals before I saw them. Then I stopped and stared. The contrast of the branches on the blue sky was astonishing, really. (I've always had an obsession with contrast.)
Then I noticed them at my house, too. There are at least three on my block. One is right outside my house. I can see it through my window. In the morning, the sun rises on the other side of that tree. It shines right through the tree into my room. It's as if the petals are glowing. That is home. That moment -- when I look through my blinds as I'm waking up and I see the wonder and simplicity of that tree -- I feel at home.
I'm thankful for beauty and simplicity, that's home.
I read a poem by Jessica Semaan that puts the idea of home (and my recent experience with it) into words quite nicely. I found it last night, and I was taken aback by how serendipitous the timing was -- a time when I've just really begun exploring Home.
When you don’t know where home is
By: Jessica Semaan
Wherever you go is a foreign land
Where you live is a city of roaming strangers
Where you came from is painful and deceiving
Where you are heading to is nowhere to be found
You are too old, too jaded, or too broke to go anywhere new
So you feel stuck, stuck in the walls of your own handmade jail
You are a refugee of a home that does not existThen you think, in your desperation, what if home is someone
The lover you have not met, the partner you already live with, your friend from childhood
Then you cling to that someone, you surrender to their love and approval
But the moment comes where you realize they are not home
They are them and you are you
There are no home you can own
And the truth hits hard: no one is home and no where is homeYou envy even more those who have it, those who found it, those who brag about it
And in your misery, you stop looking for a home
It is neither north, nor south
It is neither east, nor west
Home is no place, no people
Home is momentsMoments when you feel safe and loved
Home is a stranger you meet on a plane who pours their hearts to you
Home is the scent of your favorite dish as you were growing up
Home is drinking with your best friend, laughing and crying at your bad decisions
Home is the laugh of your new born childHome is not a place, not a person. Home is moments. And they are at your fingertips.
Read more of her lovely work here.
The past two weeks have been exceptionally sunny and warm, and I've been in better spirits as a result. I'm sitting in my front yard as I write this. It's nearly 80 degrees, and the sun is shining. June is enjoying it by my side.
I forget how important it is to be outside. It's very helpful for mindfulness, a topic I've spent this long weekend reading about. I was first introduced to the concept about a year ago, maybe, when I was struggling with anxiety. Mindfulness is known to help reduce anxious feelings. I tried practicing mindfulness while in the shower or walking to class, but it didn't stick. I didn't think I was doing it right.
So last week I decided to give it another shot- to pick up a book about it that I saw on Instagram. I got You are Here -- Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Life after college has been pretty routine for me, especially since I started working a 9-5 job at a corporate software company. The days, weeks, months fly by. Everything runs together into a big blur. It's terrifying. I feel numb most days-- like a zombie (a term this book uses to describe people who live in the past or the future, people who don't realize that life can only be lived in the here and now).
The trick to living in the present (opposite a zombie) is to practice mindfulness. And it turns out, there's no right or wrong way to be mindful. It's enough just to bring attention to your breath.
Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.
Another key element of mindfulness and presence is non-judgement. I tend to judge my feelings of irritation or anger, which I experience quite often. But these are parts of me. To practice mindfulness, one shouldn't be violent towards any emotions. One should hold on to his or her anger and show it love, according to Thich Nhat Hanh.
To love something is to understand it, to show it compassion, to be here for it. Thich Nhat Hanh suggests practicing this with everything around you, to be here -- to be present -- for the birds' songs, the sunset, your heart, your body.
If you are truly here and present, then and only then, can you recognize and be here for The Others -- the ones you care about.
The book (so far) never uses the word grateful and never says you should be thankful for the positive elements in your life. But that's how I've understood it. It has said to me, "to be mindful, one must take note of the things around him or her," and for me that's giving thanks. And that's what I'm hoping to do with Photos of Home.
Breathing in, I am mindful that I have eyes that are still in good condition. Breathing out, I smile to my eyes that are still in good condition... Some people wait until they have lost their sight to appreciate their eyes.
I am mindful of the sun... the trees... the wind... the sunset... my dad... June... Home... beauty... family... love.
Flashback to almost 4 months ago, on a lazy Saturday just like this one. I was lying in bed for hours and an idea hit me. It was just a glimpse of the full project. I'd been reading about how important it is to take time to write about what makes you grateful. Research says that if you take just a few minutes every day to write what you're thankful for, you'll report being happier. I've done this off and on for the past year or so, and it's worked for me. So I wanted to start doing it with pictures. And I wanted so share those pictures with others, to inspire others to focus on what they're thankful for and to try to make a community out of it. Because that's what social media was made for, right? (And because I miss #my_athens.)
This led me to come up with a hashtag. I decided on #photosofhome. The things I'm most grateful for usually make me feel at home. Emphasis on the word "feel" because home here isn't restricted to a physical house. I move around a lot-- most recently to Livermore, California about 3 weeks ago-- so home for me is not often tied to a physical place. And it seems to me that many other people's feelings of home or comfort aren't about their houses, either. They're about people, a pet, a song, food... People may not feel comfortable at their physical house at all. Home can mean so much more, and I want this hashtag to apply to a lot of people. I want it to be something others can use when they share photos or words on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.
That was the basic idea. And to hold myself accountable, even just a little, I posted the idea to Instagram a couple days later. The idea has been bouncing around in my head ever since, morphing and evolving, but I have yet to put anything out into the world about it since then (other than using the hashtag on photos on my Instagram). I haven't mustered up the courage or effort to do it, until now. I know this isn't anywhere near what the project will become, but I have to start somewhere. I just have to start.
And the way I'm doing that is by copying an entry from my journal that I wrote a couple weeks ago when I was feeling most inspired:
As I try to write this, June (my dog) is lying on my arm, sniffing my pen. She reminds my that there is so much to love and be thankful for. (A little dramatic, I know, but I really love my dog.) Anyway, I have some ideas to jot down. I get so excited about my ideas sometimes- I wish that didn't go away. I keep coming back to this "Photos of Home" idea. The idea has morphed. I now want to document the next 1.5 years in my new house in Livermore with my dad and June. And there are so many reasons why. The original idea came from the need to focus on what I'm grateful for, what makes me feel that comfortable feeling of home. I think there is value in sharing what you're grateful for and seeing the variety in what makes other people grateful.
This idea expanded tonight when I read an article on the Red & Black's website about social media threatening our mental health. It's not a new idea, but it speaks to me now more than ever. Social media is threatening our abilities to connect in person. I'm more (physically) alone in my life now than I've ever been before. I live in a new state, just switched jobs, and now I'm moving to a new city. It's really hard to make friends when you don't have school or a club forcing you to do so. Social media is an amazing tool for connecting with people in some aspects (sharing things like photo projects and this post or finding events to go to) but it can also really hurt. It fosters comparison. Seeing what everyone else's lives are like can put pressure on your own. I see other people who have recently moved states and already have tons of friends (or that's what they make it look like), and I wonder why I don't yet. And I know the answers: I pick the comfort of scrolling through my Instagram and Facebook feeds while watching Netflix in bed instead of going out and making myself uncomfortable.
I want to do this Photos of Home project to use social media for its strengths. To say (while it's cliché) that it's okay to struggle. Whatever that may mean to you. And that you may have a chance at being happier if you give thanks for the small things-- like finding a sense of home while petting your dog and drinking tea or whatever it may be for you.
This project also just got a lot more personal for me due to my recent plans to move again. I realized I've moved an incredible amount of times in my life. Luckily, most of them didn't include changing schools and friends, but they did create some lapses is memory. I lived in a house for only a month once. I remember the vague layout of the room but not the details. I want to document this new house, what it looks like and the moments that happen inside. I also will be living with my dad, probably for the last time in my life. These are moments I really want to record, to be present in.
So here marks the beginning of Photos of Home. I'd love it if anyone out there joins me along the way by following my posts or making posts of their own featuring things they're grateful for-- big or small-- using the hashtag #photosofhome. I think it's interesting to see what others cherish.
Enjoy some of the first photos I've taken of my dad (and June) to start off this project. And see more on Instagram by clicking here or searching #photosofhome.
I spent last Tuesday evening on UGA's North Campus with Anna, Ashley and Carly. Ashley is getting her bachelor's degree and Carly is getting her master's. Anna, their good friend and roommate, graduated last year but wanted to tag along to get some photos with them. I had a good time working with them and seeing how much fun they have together.
Last weekend Chris and I traveled to Asheville, North Carolina. We found the cutest little cabin right outside of Asheville on Airbnb. On Saturday, after waking slowly, having coffee and making eggs from the hosts' chickens, we ventured into the city. I've always heard such great things about Asheville but never visited before; so I was excited. It was a nice day filled with street art, poetry, book shops, good food and most importantly, a reason to take photos.
A week ago, Cecily and I got together to do her graduation portraits. I've grown to love these sessions, especially Cecily's, because it's interesting to see how we can make such an overdone thing new and fun! It's important to get the photos with the arch and the chapel bell, and Cecily wanted those. But she also wanted nontraditional photos in places that mean a lot to her. So we headed over to Bottleworks on Prince to get some shots where she spends a lot of her time. The light was amazing, and we found some neat colors to work with. Oh, and Cecily was totally up for being my guinea pig while I experimented with my new prism!
Yesterday, my boyfriend Chris and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and the blooming flowers. We visited opening day of the Athens Farmers Market where we joined hundreds of other Athenians. I was happy to see a tent for a tea vender in addition to the usual 1000 Faces Coffee tent. (I love coffee but need my tea sometimes, too.) After meandering through the crowd, we grabbed a bag of kale, some cheese from Morgan County Cheeseworks (I grew up in Morgan County; so, I was drawn to this) and tabbouleh. All of which we made into a tasty, fresh lunch when we got home. If you don't know what tabbouleh is, don't worry. I just discovered it yesterday. It's a delicious mix of tomatoes, mint, parsley, onion, couscous, olive oil, lemon and salt.
Before we left the market, we also made a stop by Full Moon Farm's Farm Cart, a cart at the Farmers Market that sells biscuits, bacon, grits, cheese and more. The line was long, and by the time we made it, a lot of the items were sold out. So I suggest getting there early if you want to "BUILD YOUR OWN HOT BISCUIT."
I can never make my treats from the Market last long; so, naturally, we ate everything for lunch right after. More reason to go back next Saturday! Once our bellies were full, we headed over to the State Botanical Garden of Georgia. I've never seen so many people there! Families everywhere. Chris enjoys the indoor Tropical Conservatory and spent a lot of time taking pictures there. It's very interesting to see the different types of orchids (and that they're all alive! I can't keep them healthy), giant leaves and mango trees.
But it was a nice day, and I wanted to be outside.
The gardens were beautiful, as always. However, ironically, I found my favorite thing in my own front yard: the wisteria that takes over briefly during the spring in Georgia.
Last night, day two of SLINGSHOT Festival in Athens, Georgia, I hopped around from venue to venue to get shots of Holly Herndon, Half Acid, Dream Boat, NIGHTMARE AIR and Washed Out. Washed Out is from Athens and a forever favorite of mine. So I naturally enjoyed that. But I discovered some new stuff that I liked too; Dream Boat was refreshing and produced nice, calming, ambient sounds and vocals. NIGHTMARE AIR, a three-person rock band from LA, wasn't the type of music I'd usually listen to. But I liked their story and presence on stage. Two nights of SLINGSHOT down; one to go!
This weekend, from March 26 to 28, SLINGSHOT Festival takes over downtown Athens, Georgia. There is art, music, technology, comedy and film. It's such a unique time in Athens. Athens is known for its music scene, but this festival is different than anything that's ever been done here. For example, one night of the festival each year features Japan Nite. Bands from Japan come play. I photographed the six bands there last night: Bo-Peep, Quorum, Peelander-Z, The fin., Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re and Zarigani$. Here are some of my favorite photos from the night. I'll be shooting around town the next two nights as well and can't wait to share more.
Last Sunday I finally got together with Mary to shoot some portraits. She contacted me back in December, but we never got around to nailing down an exact date. She texted me last week to see if I was free Sunday, and I'm so glad that I was! Mary had a gorgeous white dress that she bought a while back. She hadn't had a chance to wear it until this shoot! It was perfect. This was a refreshing shoot that reminded me how much I love photographing people, and having an amazing model definitely didn't hurt!