Little Miss Leah

I was informed the other day that my littlest sister Leah Grace wanted to run for the "Little Miss Parade of the Hills."

I wasn't shocked of course because Leah is the type of kid that will do just about anything at anytime...I'm just waiting for the call where she is going to go to skydive with an elephant...all while playing a piano and eating soup with chopsticks...she's just that kind of kid.

Well I was called in as the "official" photographer. Pretty much she needed a head shot for some wallets....but the shoot became so much more and it was hard to keep Leah's eccentric personality from shining through the images.

Goood Morning Colorado

Right now I’m looking at the San Juan Mountains and loving every minute of it!!!

I know this trip seems a little abrupt but my friend Tim is beginning a new project to build a greenhouse on their property….but not just any greenhouse…this one is a dome!

To make things even more interesting….the only place that makes these is in Pagosa Springs Colorado…which is where we are now.

We left on Monday and then spent Monday evening at a friend to their family. This just wasn’t any regular friend though–he was a Kansas state senator Les Donovan. Their home was beautiful and they were very nice and accommodating and we can’t thank them enough.

Below are some pictures from the trip. We’ve done a lot of driving and I’ve shot most of them through the window. Tim and I, however, got to drive around Pagosa Springs a bit and caught the sunset and got to see a waterfall. If all goes to plan, I believe we will be in Colorado Springs by this evening. I’ll try to keep everyone updated as much as possible.

Cheers!

Alex

Some Soul

This blog post is way past due, but I have to say the end of the quarter has kept me really busy…I know I know…I always use this excuse! But at least I can give you a glimpse of what I’ve been working on.

On June 1^st the School of Visual Communication will be launching the latest edition of our Soul of Athens Multimedia website. Since we have been winning so many national awards, they have set aside a class for the students to take. I, along with everyone else has been working really hard to make this year our best yet. Check out the trailer below and please send it to everyone you know!...We want this to be HUGE!!!

http://www.vimeo.com/4856204

I’ve also been busy snapping away for not only my project but for some family events as well…every little kid in the family has had a birthday…Justin and Cooper are now 3…except Cooper insists that he is 5.

The quarter is ending though and I’m going to have a busy summer. I’ll be working for Wayne National Forest doing some photography for their PR department and then I will continue my job with Barb and Jerry at the studio (www.jividenphotography.com). I have to say that I kind of miss the schedule of a work week…it’s beating what I’ve been putting myself through lately.

I really hope I can keep updating this more often, but it seems to be the first thing to go when I get busy. But keep checking in!

Alex

Shocking Start to a New Quarter!

Well what can I say…I’ve been busy and I know some people in Seattle are needing a blog update.

Well the new school quarter has started with both great and bad weather…I think we’re expecting snow tonight…and we had a 70-degree day yesterday.

Spring break was great…I got to kayak and just relax for a few days…which was much needed.

The new quarter is shaping up pretty good. I have a full class-load but all of my courses are interesting.

I also am now a SENIOR!!! I just found out the other day that I have credit hours that qualify me to be one. Hopefully I’m almost done with my undergraduate work….but then I’ll have graduate school…what I’ll eventually become is undecided.

Some more good news is that last night we had an awesome lightning show! I was driving back from Kroger in Athens when I noticed the storm moving in. After some contemplation, I decided to go out shooting….the picture I got is above!!!

Until Next Time!

Congrats!

Yesterday was a normal Saturday....and you know what that means! YEP!...a wedding! 

This one was different than most of the weddings that I usually do and was something I don't get to see very often...it was a family members wedding and more than less one large reunion. 

My cousin Zach was the one to get married and I wish him and his wife Becky all the best! 

It was nice to get to see everyone and to get to eat all the food from the respective cooks in the family...it's not every wedding I get to eat my Grandma's macaroni salad!

On top of all of that, I am still on my antibiotics but am feeling much better. I just can't make sudden movements without getting a dizzy head-rush...this makes crossing traffic interesting!

Well...I'm off to start another week....WEEK 9!!!!.....ONE TO GO!!!

If I see a light...I'm running towards it!!!

It has been a few weeks since I’ve last wrote. But this time I have a good excuse!!!

I have been on death’s door it seems battling a severe sinus infection. And oh what a time it has been!

Last week…after going through about 5 days of headaches I decided to go to the doctor…which is something I rarely do. I’m more the type of person who just likes to live through the pain rather than take medication for it. 

Well…I had had enough! My head hurt and I had two tests the following Friday.

I went into the doctor and got to sit in the lobby with many others who were all hacking up what was left of their lives…(all over me). The wait wasn’t too long and I soon was waiting for my doctor to come check me out….and waiting…..and waiting…..(texting)…..waiting!......(Holy Crap!...how many people die here while waiting)

The doctor walked in and to my joy was followed by a student doctor. So now I was being doubly examined and asked stupid questions. And I’m not one to tell a person how to do their job and I’m not a doctor at all….but I do know what is wrong with me and have a good idea of how to fix it!...well….that didn’t matter!

The doctor swabbed my throat and told me that my symptoms matched the “thing” that was going around. NOW…what I had been reading in the papers for the past week was how an outbreak of Bacterial Meningitis has occurred on the Ohio University campus! And throughout the week I had been given sadistic pep talks from my mother…who was once inflicted with Bacterial Meningitis….(all I got from these talks was…spinal taps….needles….paralyses….worst pain ever!)

I flipped out…but had no one to flip out on….the doctor and the bumbly student had left…I was alone…..(more texting)

After about 10 minutes I was getting rather annoyed. But soon enough a nurse came in and handed me a piece of paper and said …”Here are your prescriptions.” 

I was like…”WAIT….what is it?” ….she paused and told me what the prescriptions were…to which I interrupted and said…”NO!...What the Hell do I have?!!!”….I was rather upset…and fearing that I had Bacterial Meningitis….and then to have someone just arbitrarily hand me a piece of paper with medications written on it was the final straw.

I was eventually told and given my meds. So I left and went on with my merry life….or so I thought!

The weekend came and my ear was still hurting from all of the infectious disease that riddled my body. I pretty much knew that I had an ear infection as well…and the first round of meds should have taken care of it….WELL….THEY DIDN’T!!!

On Sunday I had a wedding show to attend and I was planning on stopping by and leaving. That was better said than done. The show had a few hundred people and our booth was especially busy,…so I had to stay…and wobble…..OH YES….WOBBLE….

Due to the ear infection….I have lost all of my balance…I know look like a drunk leaving a party and the other meds make me drowsy and slightly hallucinogenic….so I pray to God that I won’t get pulled over any time soon!

On Monday I thought death was imminent…I could barely move….so I went back to the doctors….more waiting….more sitting…..(more texting)

I now am sitting in class…after missing much of it….and am on my second round of antibiotics. They have now given me ear drops which help slightly, but I still have no balance at all. In fact…I just got done riding an escalator by myself and I thought I was going to die while on it…

Hopefully I will get to feeling better…but for now… wish me luck!!!

Vintage

I was scanning some slides this evening and came across these two. It took some time to clean them up...dirt and all....but here are some pics of the girls before they became terrors!

...kind of amazing how fast they've grown.

PS...there's no vintage Cooper....you have to be at least 5 to have old pictures shown!...ha ha

I stood on a lake....literally....

Well...look at me post. It's becoming more frequent lately, but then again I have been out shooting more with the weather being like it is. 

Sadly, today marked our first day above 32 so all of the snow and ice are gone...and the mud and dirt are back...(YAY OHIO!!!) 

I did manage to go out to Lake Logan the other day and actually went out on the lake. The ice was several inches thick and I was terrified...none-the-less...I took some pictures! 

I also wanted to get my favorite covered bridge in the snow and I think I did a pretty decent job. The road that it is on was pretty hard to travel, so most of the snow around the bridge was left untouched. 

February is now here and I can't wait for the birds to start migrating back...and this school quarter to be over!!!...I barely survived mid-terms!!!

More Winter Pictures

I went out shooting yesterday and took my mentor student. I pretty much just drove around the area that was drivable...nothing too dangerous....we had fun and got some pictures. Here are some more stitches that I did. 

The White Death has and evil cousin....Ice...

Well...if you live in my general area, or any of the Northeast for that matter, you more than likely don't have power and are up to your ankles in ice. 

For the past 3 days I've been living with some friends on campus loving the fact that Ohio University still has power...unlike the rest of the outside world...The Athens campus did close on Wednesday, however, which has me prepping myself for the end of the world...I think it's been about 8 years since OU actually shut down...maybe longer!

I went out on Wednesday and took a few images and I am also planning to go out tomorrow. Here is a sample of what I've been working on...nothing too special, but something neat to see.

Cheers

Alex