pretty people's potluck.

Around the end of August, some of my high school friends planned a potluck picnic in the park. It was also our friend's birthday, so we got to celebrate her, too. Here are a few pictures. :)

kobi.

I didn't want to tell a lot of people until we were for sure, but...we have a new member of the family! He's super adorable, and we named him Kobi. Yorokobimasu in Japanese means, "to be glad, happy, or joyful". Kobi is a puppy full of energy and joy, and he has captured my heart in more ways than one. Trust me, you'll be seeing him on this blog in the months to come!

woodbridge park photowalk.

Last month I got together with a friend to go on a photowalk at Woodbridge Park in Irvine. I haven't gone on a photowalk in a really long time, so it was nice to simply walk around with my camera and shoot what I saw. Hopefully there will be more in the future like these. :)

{Yay for 100th post on this blog! Thanks to the people who ask about this blog and encourage me to post more. By the way, if you click on the images, it'll show a larger version of it.}

the huntington library.

This past weekend, my family and I took Christmas pictures at the Huntington Library in Pasadena.

I know what you're thinking: "Christmas pictures in August? Uh..."

You are correct in thinking this. We had to take Christmas pictures early because one of my sisters is studying abroad in HK this Fall.

As expected, it was extremely hot, so as the day went on, the less lively we looked in our pictures. It was still fun to explore, though! :)

mini photo studio.

Last week, my friend invited me to join some others from church to a photoshoot they were doing. When she told me, I thought they were just going on a photowalk/shooting outside of church. When I got there, I found out that it was going to be inside, there was a mini flash umbrella, and a layout of how the night was going to go. In my head I was like: O_O... haha, but it turned out to be a lot of fun! I still don't have a lot of technical points down when it comes to flash and whatnot, but it was fun to learn! I still very much prefer the candid/natural light photography though... :)

I only played with the flash for a little of the first part, so these are the ones I'm posting. (+1 without a flash!) Can't wait to have more photo adventures with this group! :)

norcal summer trip 2012.

A few years ago, a few friends and I decided to drive up the dreaded I-5 so that we could visit one of our other friends. During that trip, I realized the fun that comes along with being on the road with friends, the joy of seeing friends with their family and the area they grew up in, and the beauty that is NorCal. I'll always stay a SoCal girl, but I have to admit: I left a part of my heart in NorCal.

Somewhat spontaneously, I planned a trip with my good friend up to SF and Davis! Here are a few pictures that depict a few of the things we did. (Surprisingly, we ate less than we anticipated...which I guess is good for our bodies? haha).

Sidenote: I wish I took more pictures, but when I go on trips like these, I want to be in the moment with my friends and not take myself of it too often. Maybe I'll take another trip up specifically to go on a photowalk or something... :)

griffith observatory.

To my followers out there: Sorry for the delayed post! I've been meaning to post more photos, and I do have some to post. I've been a bit busy traveling, meeting up with people, settling back at home, and trying to figure out what to do for the next stage of my life. No big deal. ;)

Earlier this month, I went with some friends to hike up to the LA Griffith Observatory for my friend's birthday. The hike wasn't that bad; a little steep, but bearable! (I'm just a little out of shape, but that's for another story). Hiking up, the view of the City of Angels is breathtaking. I'm just starting to fall in love with this city that I'm only 20-or-so minutes away from!

Going up to the Observatory was fun, too! I tried to do "street photography," but I didn't have that much luck. Still very much on the introverted side, if you ask me. heh.

recent portraits.

I was trying to look for pictures to post, by the request of a certain someone, but I couldn't find that many photos to post due to previous post. Here are two pictures that I found that I really like. :) Hopefully there will be more in the future...

restart.

To be honest, I haven't been taking that many photos lately. Being in college, I focused mostly on school, meeting up with friends, and spending time with my roommates. Thus, there was little to no time to think seriously about photography. I would bring my camera now and then to events, but it's been awhile since I've actually tried to create something besides another picture of my friend with a plate of delicious food.

Post-graduation, I've been wondering a lot about my passion for photography; where did it go? I remember sophomore year, I organized a huge photoshoot where there were at least 4 different people with cameras, and 4 of my friends modeling for us. The last time I did an organized shoot was last summer.

I blame it to lack of time and motivation to pick up my camera and simply shoot. Yet, I can't hide the fact that I've also let money, self-esteem, and comparison get in the way of pursuing anything photography related.

I cannot, will not, let this happen any longer.

Keep me accountable for this, but I want to dedicate more of my time to photography over this next year, and especially when I have no other excuse since I'm done with college. This might not be a full-time gig, but I want to become better as a photographer instead of constantly comparing myself to other photographers out there.

Tonight, when I told my friend that I compared my photography with others and that I wasn't all that great, she told me, "But you're the only one that can take photos the way you do, and see things the way you see them."

This might burn and fail, but I'm at least willing going to give this another shot.

Restart.

遠野.

It's been awhile. ^^;

I've had these pictures on my desktop for awhile. In December, I took a vision trip to Japan to visit various missionaries, volunteer in the Tohoku region, and see how God is working in Japan.

These are some of the pictures that I took during my time volunteering with CRASH (Christian Relief Assistance Support and Hope), a non-profit organization that's reaching out to people affected by the tsunami. I absolutely loved my time there and realized that God might be calling me back toward that area. It was definitely surreal being in the place that I only saw from pictures on the news. Although there was a lot of devastation from the aftermath, there was still so much hope in the people that I met.

The first picture is of a couple at the local church in Tono, who have an amazing testimony and are shining God's light in such a dark place! The second picture is of a son and father who live in the temporary housing.  (With their dog, Caru! hehe). Both of the guys were super hilarious! The last picture is a few of the volunteers putting chirashi (flyers) into the bags with pillows in them.

I was going to print these pictures for a talent show that my fellowship puts on, but I decided not to.

Hopefully I can post more pictures more often! Heh! :)