Panda's Photography

This last month has been so busy! I have been so excited because I have been given quite a few opportunities to take pictures for my family and friends. This is so great, because the only way I can learn is by practicing. Practice, practice, practice. I have learned a ton and there is still so much to learn. I wanted to share a preview of what I have been working on.

These pictures are from my cousin Trevor's wedding. Wedding pictures are really fun, but a lot of work. For all you professional photographers, I commend you for what you do.

Mr. and Mrs. Cook :)

She is beautiful!

Look at those studs!

These next two pictures I tried to experiment with Photoshop a little (Adam did this part for me since I have never used it before)

I was also fortunate enough to take Trevor and Shana's engagement pictures as well. Here are a few of my favorites:

Love this family so much!

I absolutely love this one! How sweet!?!

I switched back and forth between color and black and white a lot because I love both!

I have a few more photo shoots that I haven't posted pictures of yet. More to come soon! It is so much fun having a new hobby and being able to learn through the willingness of my friends and family. 

Puppy Love

Had to share some of these :)

This is the most precious thing ever! Just taking a little nap :) (She loves her Uncle C-Money)

Early mornin' deck loungin' by the river

Sleeping with her stick bone (yes, it's a bone that's made to look exactly like a stick). She has an addiction to sticks haha

Worn out from the camping adventures....

Slightly Obsessed...

A couple of things that I am slightly obsessed with right now...

1. Arizona Arnold Palmer Green Tea & Lemonade - This drink is absolutely delightful!!

2. Zelda Jean Legging in red, yes, I said RED! :) (from Express) - These are the cutest jeans ever! With black heels, black skinny belt... Love!

3. Urban Decay Lip Love Honey-Infused Lip Therapy - This lip gloss is not sticky at all, it moisturizes, and has a little hint of honey flavor (which smells so good). Love it! P.S. The colors are very light and don't go on as dark as they look.

Campfire Sing-alongs, Nails, and More

You know it's summer when there is camping, fires, and campfire sing-alongs. Nothing gets much better :) I love when the acoustic guitars get pulled out and songs are played that we can all sing along to. So I thought I would share some of my personal favorites.

1. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge (classic sing-along song and probably my all time favorite)

2. Charlie Daniels - Long Haired Country Boy

3. Sublime - Santeria

4. Metallica - Nothing Else Matters

 

5. The Devil Makes Three - Old Number 7

6. Last but not least, Zac Brown Band - Toes. I couldn't find a good video for this song, but I am sure you all know it (if you don't, I highly recommend checking it out). Another great song of theirs is "Chicken Fried". So I thought I would share one of my all time favorite live performances of theirs.

Now that I have covered more than enough music for one blog posting, it's time to move on to nail polish :) I am going to go ahead and say that gray is the new black. I don't know if I have the authority to do so, and I don't know who that person is, but I am just going to go ahead and say it. I got the cutest gray nail polish and I absolutely love it! I can never wear black nail polish because my skin is so fair it looks weird on me, but gray on the other hand, it works!

I know it's not a fun bright color for the summer, but I manage. Speaking of summer, another thing that I just can't get enough of is Yogurtland!! If you haven't been to this place, you must experience it ASAP!! They have the best frozen yogurt ever! It's light, delicious, and healthy (depending on your toppings haha). 

A little taste of heaven! :) http://www.yogurt-land.com/ 

Handshake Etiquette

This is a topic I feel very strongly about and due to some recent incidents I felt compelled to blog about this. If any of you are guilty of this, please do not take it as offensive, but rather as constructive criticism for future encounters :)

So here it is... handshakes. Let me describe a scenario for you. You are meeting someone for the first time. Perhaps this person is a confident looking, big, strong man. You extend your hand to offer a greeting and when you go to shake their hand, their hand is limp (this is known as the dead fish)!! I don't know why it is a pet peeve of mine, but there are few things worse than this type of situation. I instantly peg that person as a potential creeper! I know it may seem wrong of me, and it may be a bit unfair and rash, but I can't help but judge a person by their handshake. I also understand that maybe there is a different approach towards women as we are sometimes considered "fragile", so you don't want to crush our hands. But remember peeps, a little firmness never hurts!!

I am going to leave you with a a short little video on handshakes 101

50th Anniversary

A few weeks ago my Grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary!! What an amazing milestone to reach. I am so happy for them and so grateful for the wonderful examples they are to me.

50 years and still going strong!! Love you both so so much! :)

Captured by the Canon

This weekend has been awesome! Great weather, good company, fun games, yummy food, and time outdoors. Spending time at our trailer by the Provo River with my family is one of my favorite things about this time of year. One of the reasons I love living in Utah is the fact that in less than 30 minutes I can be up in the mountains completely separated from reality and all of the day to day chaos. It's so peaceful and calming. The scenery, the wildlife, and my family (who I absolutely love of course)! Here is a little preview of what I am referring to (view from our deck)...

Another great thing about this weekend is that it has gotten me super excited about my camera (Canon Rebel T2i that I am still figuring out how to use). Not that I wasn't excited before, but I am not going to lie that it was a little intimidating at first. The more I know, the more I want to take pictures! I practiced all weekend long and figured out some more settings and tricks. Here are some pictures that I thought turned out pretty good.

Action shot (playing fetch with Barkley)

The cool thing about these next few pictures is that we were sitting far away on a lawn chair. I used my telephoto lens so I could get a picture without scaring them away.

Hummingbird

This Yellow Warbler was singing to me haha

This picture was from last weekend, but I had to share. Kennedy's new puppy, Bella. Isn't she adorable!?