Photography Workshops + Blog

It's about plain as day that I'm new to photography. I have a few friends who excel in the area of photography and I have contacted them trying to unearth their secrets. Would you like to know the common thread? They all participated in live photography workshops. This can be either online or in person, but the most effective was in person during a designated time frame. Luckily for you, I've got some help just to give you a little edge if you're starting at the very bottom of photography and working your way up. Also, in this post is a link to a wonderful website that holds live and online workshops year round and writes some pretty helpful hints for you as a photographer/photojournalist.

In my personal experience, we as photographers couldn't have picked a better time to become so. We have endless access to research, video tutorials, and blogs that help us better learn our cameras and techniques. That being said, it is important to remember to READ YOUR CAMERA MANUAL. This will save you countless hours wondering how to operate one or another function/technique/option works and why it works. If you're like me, it won't click until you understand why it works the way it does. Your manual is your best friend. Learn it. Love it. Next.

Once you've got the basic functions and operations of your camera down, it's time to start really pursuing and investing in your photography. Sometimes this can be a little pricy, but a great friend of mine (who happens to be a professional photographer) told me, "You may be spending a bit up front, [but] you can consider it an investment in your future. To me, it was totally worth it."-Katie of Katie Faith Photography. I think we all have some concept of the initial costs of photography. After all, we all made that gut-wrenching purchase of our DSLR cameras. But the key word is investment. If we are wise in our investments, our plans our built on a solid foundation and they can be built up from there. So don't just go around purchasing whatever workshop Groupon has to offer. Contact a photographer you like and see what they recommend, or better yet, see if they offer any workshops themselves. You can also study photography blogs of people who are successful and see what they have to say.

Now this brings us to that wonderful blog/workshop site I was talking about. I highly recommend this program. It isn't the most expensive out there and it's Christian based. Click here for the blog link, and here for the workshops/site link. Enjoy and study up!

Blessings,
Miss Ryleigh

A French Man {and a trench coat}

      Once upon a time, I went to Wal-Mart with my mom during a thunder storm. It rained and hailed the entire time we were in the store, but we entered and left completely dry. Upon checkout, an older man wearing a trench coat and a sweater vest, who looked rather dapper, waited graciously as we unloaded what seemed like hundreds of groceries from our cart to the register belt. He was very humorous, commenting here and there on something he thought was funny.
      Our load was quite a lot, and during the time of unloading, a woman managed to someone slip between the old man and us. She hadn't realized her mistake for a moment, and the man said nothing of it. "Oh, did I cut?" She asked, all of the sudden aware of her position.
       "No, of course not. Where I come from, we always say 'ladies first'." The old man replied. I thought about how polite he had been. The women continued her conversation with the man.
      "Where are you from?" She asked, noting his slight accent.
      "France." The man answered. My mother and I both turned to the man as if to question what we had just heard. Surely not, of all places, was a dapper old French man in a trench coat at Wal-Mart. My mother asked the man,   
      "Did you say you were from France?"
      "Yes."
      "My daughter," she pointed to me, "wants to travel to France one day." The French man's eyes lit up.
      "You do?" He asked enthusiastically. He then proceeded to speak to me in French. I had no idea what he was saying so I simply responded,
      "Oh, I don't speak French yet. But I am going to learn it." He lowered his eyes a bit and simply went ah. As we were about to leave the man came up to me and said,
      "Listen. Go to your local library. You listen to every tape, audio book, and read every book and learn to speak French." I gratefully agreed, inspired now to do so. With that, we literally bid each other "au revoir" and departed.


The point of my little story is to inspire you all. This man gave me the inspiration I have needed to bring my plans of learning another language to reality. It appears French may be one of the first I learn. I would love to be fluent in English (check), Spanish, French, and Italian. Oh, the plans I have are so merry to think about. Another language can be so beneficial. Whether you live next to Mexico and your state's second language is Spanish (as my father has pointed out to me), you want to read operatic music, simply understand some of Josh Groban's songs, or travel abroad--language is something can enhance your entire experience. How wonderful it will be to break through the language barriers and be that tourist who can speak not only English, but also a peoples native language. So pick up a book, an audio tape, Rosetta Stone, whatever you have to do and learn that language that's been placed on your heart.    

Blessings,
Miss Ryleigh

English Major + Photography

First off, let me welcome you and introduce myself! My name is Ryleigh and I'm an aspiring photographer and author. I am happy you found your way here, however it happened. I truly hope this and the future posts of this blog inspire you to be artsy, strive for what you love, capture moments, and use your imagination.

This blog is dedicated to my a few particular goals in my life: an English major and the pursuit of photography.

I am currently working on both. Writing and photography are something important to me for two reasons: one, they have the ability to freeze time, and two, you can be as creative as you like with each. As far as they go, it's all up to you--you're world.

If you're like me, you know the world has so much to offer and there is so much you can be doing (whether that be for your career or not). But it is completely unsettling to look ten years into your future and see yourself siting at a desk job, scowling because you're unsatisfied with your life. Many thing effect the quality of our lives, but I believe that doing what you love greatly adds to it. Of course, it took a while for many of us to find out what we love. Some of us (ahem, me) took dozens of  online 'personality', 'strengths vs. weaknesses', and 'life goals' quizzes just to get a clue as to what our calling could possibly be. Sadly, they never helped.

That's the thing, though; each of us has a desire placed in our heart for a reason. We get to discover the little treasures that make up who we are throughout our life and who we are has the potential to add the world in only the way we, as individuals, can. Don't let the world say you can't do something you love because it isn't a traditional job or supposedly won't support a family. If you are passionate about anything, you will find a way to make it support a family, yourself, or do anything else you need it to. Why? Because you are full-heartedly invested in it. You love it.

Think about this for a moment. Are there people in you're life that you when you see them you think, "Oh, God, can't you make me like _________?" What about that person makes you want to be like them? Or perhaps you look at Orbitz, Expedia, or travel boards on Pinterest all day? Everyone and their dog knows you have a travel bug. Wanderlust. Guess what? Those desires are there for no reason. These passions, whatever they are (may that be drawing, collecting, scrap booking, writing, creating, photographing--the list is endless), are there to add to your purpose in life.

The most applicable scripture for this is none other than Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV), where it states, ""For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."" However, we should not forget that our desires and plans are to line up with the heart of our loving Father, who only wants what is the very best for us. Psalm and 1 Chronicles both reveal that if we are disciplined and intentional with the Lord, we will surely prosper. Psalm 37:4 (ESV), "Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." We must delight ourselves in the Lord. In this context when you think 'delight', relate it to 'indulgence', as if you we're indulging in chocolate. Only, God is better than chocolate. 1 Chronicles 22:13 (ESV) reads, "Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not; do not be dismayed." We must also be able stand firm, go on even with times are rough, because God is on our side. 

When it comes right down to it, I don't know if I will end up in the photography business permanently or even writing to earn an income. I know I would like to if it's God's will for me; it is in me to share stories, to reminisce, to be nostalgic, to preserve the past. Because I know this at least, I know God will take care of the rest. I can plan all day, but the Lord is the one who establishes my steps and will make things happen if they're supposed to (Proverbs 16:9). Rest in that. Be valiant in your pursuits. 

It may have been a lengthy post, but I wanted you to be properly welcomed and get a picture in your mind regarding what this blog is about. I hope you enjoyed it and will come back and read more! I will be posting things as I learn them, along with anything exciting that happens during this wonderful venture that I'm on. 

Blessings,
Miss Ryleigh