back on the blogging track.

busch gardens are totally fun on saturday, but so much fun that i felt like i was run over by a bus on sunday morning. so two days without blogging – ouch. :(

i spent yesterday practicing different lighting techniques and discussing wedding arrangements with a client. this upcoming weekend i have four shoots and am currently bouncing in between ideas of the absolute best place for two undecided ones. i’ve been going to shelley lake lately to see if it has any potential as a shooting location, but it’s usually dark by the time i get there.

beautiful views there at night:

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but the bugs are horrendous so we didn’t stay very long.

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patiently waiting to leave so he can stop being bitten alive.

shelley lake looks like an awesome place to go in the fall when all of the leaves have changed. they have a lot of great walking and bike trails. might be a little boring for pictures in the summer unless you want green leaves as your constant backdrop, but i think i’ll try it in the fall. i’d have to have a client who liked to walk – i made the mistake of thinking the trail would be short and ended up covered in sweat 2.5 miles later in 100 degree heat.

also, love the impromptu drawings on the exercise signs along the trail:

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happy standing still, very sad while doing any physical activity.

i also found a lovely little toad this past weekend. he reminded me of toad from the books frog and toad, but i guess i’m not very imaginative, am i? :) he was very cute. the last picture made it into my portfolio – i love it. it’s like the where’s waldo? of toad shots.

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a jumpstart on autumn.

i love autumn. i really do. and not just because toothpastefordinner.com has several great autumn cartoons. and although summer is not over, i can tell you that my mind is totally over it already. i’m not sure why… i think it was the several days where it was kind of chilly because of all the rain. the light is also beginning to change – you know how autumn light is very different around 5:30 than summer light? or am i just nuts? anyway, i’ve been too busy to use the pool so to me that means that we might as well start autumn.

why i love autumn (in a list):

  • pumpkin pie
  • weather
  • colored leaves
  • stepping in crunchy leaves
  • halloween
  • my birthday
  • halloween candy
  • great photography light
  • having the windows open
  • carving pumpkins
  • wearing a jacket
  • everything about october

i’m sure there are things i am missing. but it is wonderful. last year geoff and i were new to north carolina and explored the mountains and hanging rock for the first time, so when i think of autumn now i think of those things.

it was absolutely amazing up on hanging rock in the fall. we decided we would hike up to the ledge because we knew there would be an awesome view. however, we weren’t entirely prepared for the hike instead of the walk, as evidenced by us wearing our chucks instead of hiking shoes. here we are at the top of hanging rock… both of the boys pretending to be excited but actually terrified. i was the one who climbed out closest to the edge while geoff and colombo tip-toed slowly out onto the rock, then perched themselves in a relatively safe place and laughed nervously:

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hehehe…i’m not going any further than this… hehehe.

i plan on going back soon with my wide angle lens. raleigh was pretty awesome in the fall too last year. the weather was amazing and lasted for at least two months. the leaves were also colored for a really long time. eventually they fell off, but it took them a while.

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i won’t be home for fall in pittsburgh at all this year which makes me a little sad. i am going home in september and december, but am skipping out on fall there entirely. fall in pittsburgh is cold, but then again i consider pittsburgh having really only two seasons: spring and winter. it’s only really warm in summer for a few days. fall is way too chilly and the leaves change color and fall off the trees within a week. i think that’s mostly because it rains so frequently in the fall there.

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the only sunny day captured on film in pittsburgh.*

*exaggeration… kind of.

i am hoping the fall in raleigh will be how it was last year. it will be the first october i have never been home. last year i was in north carolina for my actual birthday but went home the next weekend to see my family. this year my family is coming down to see me which will be lots of fun. my sister, mom, geoff and i are going to see U2 at nc state’s carter-finley stadium. woo! i am still trying to figure out how and if i can smuggle my camera inside. meanwhile, my dad (who harbors a strong disliking of crowds and bono) will stay at our house and entertain the kittens. and hopefully not cause any trouble at the science museum like last time:

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satisfying your late night munchies.

here’s to you… up late… sitting on your couch watching, well, whatever is on wednesday nights. i am here to satisfy your late night munchies. that is, of course, assuming that by “late night munchies” you mean “strong craving for lots of heavy german food.”

i don’t have a “commercial” section on my portfolio page because i simply don’t do commercial stuff that often. so i’ll be posting the stuff from the bavarian brathaus in my blog for the next couple of days. and you know, for all of the talk about how german food looks unappetizing, their chef does a fantastic job of making everything look spectacular. hats off to that guy.

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and what’s the fun in eating german food without a little drinking?

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super place – more to come in the next few days.

-carolyn