Believe

 

 Picture taken under the skies in Red River Gorge State Park, KY

THE first star picture I can say I am proud of [almost entirely..]

October 2012

I feel like I have been all over the place in where I want to go career-wise for my life. I have so many ambitions, aspirations, goals.... it seems impossible to even begin thinking of achieving them all in one single lifetime. But, at the age 22, I can say I have decided... really decided... where I want to take my life. How unafraid I am at the challenges I face. How much ahead that there is to face and conquer. How much there is to truly enjoy.

That is half the battle I have come to find. Decided what you want to be and how you are going to be it. There isn't any I can just do it tomorrow. It's today. Now. In this moment. While you are reading this. You are choosing what you want to be. If you want something bad enough, you'll stop making excuses from why you haven't been chasing after it all along. You just get up and go.

The more you like yourself, the less you are like 

anyone else, which makes you unique.

-Walt Disney

Then, there's the part where you have to accept it deep within yourself. Recognize the biggest challenges you face personally and admire the strengths you hold within. Come to terms with it and love yourself [for as cheesy as it sounds] for all the beauty you possess inside. You have something that you can contribute to the world the people around you can't. When you start searching inside for what you truly need/desire, you will be on a path to discovering the treasure only you can unlock.

We keep moving forward, opening new doors, 

and doing new things, because we're curious and 

curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.  

-Walt Disney-

Most importantly, above everything, you must believe in yourself. Relying on others faith in your abilities can only take you so far. Your urge, desire, and strength to grow is what really carries you forward and without belief in yourself, it will be impossible for you to accomplish anything. 

When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way,

 implicitly and unquestionable.

-Walt Disney- 

The reason I keep quoting Walt Disney is because he is someone I truly admire. I, just like so many other people, grew up watching Disney movies and absolutely adored them. In my adult life, I have learned many things Walt faced and have admired the monstrosity of magic he has created for the world all from the single desire to never stop believing. In himself. In people. In the abilities we have as human beings. And you no what? It was from his sheer desire to constantly grow, make things better, and continue to push when things got tough to create inspiration for himself and others around him. He never even graduated from college and look how successful he became. Why? Well, it's obvious. 

Half the battle is finding and coming to terms with the greatness you hold within. Hold onto it. Seize the day. And never look back unless it's to get your keys to drive somewhere new. Life should be a fun adventure because the world is literally your playground :) Life curiously like a child. Be patient like the trees. Be courageous like a storm. Never give up. Never settle for less. Be all you are and love yourself for it and you will unlock the greatest gifts of life. 

This is my family. The love of my life and 

a very sad looking puppy lol 

[I promise he doesn't look like this all the time...]

Good Night World.

Been too Long

Man! I've been up to soooo much these past couple months.

Starting a business is like having a baby. It needs a lot of attention, care, and feeding to get it to actually grow and love for it will help it develop into a beautiful creation that will last a lifetime. Call me baby crazy but my sister having a baby has made me fall in love with kids all over again!  My little nephew is the sweetest little thing and I cannot wait to watch him grow up.

I've also fallen in love with Instagram! Find me on there @larwinator

I'm working on getting a bank account settled for the business so I can actually take the next steps in buying a flash for my next wedding for my husband to actually use since he's been without one this entire time! And also to allow me to upgrade my websites all into one big lump to make my life so much easier. I've been holding off blogging to be honest because of how much I have to post! Figured I'd wait until I get this new set up and have lots of stuff to put on there :) Not to mention, the new design is super duper cute and totally me! Buuuuut, it's been too long since I did a normal update and my head is about to explode! This has always been such a blessing for me and my thoughts.

Also working on getting new business cards through Moo.com. Their designs are lovely! Cannot wait to see how they turn out!

This month has been crazy! 2 weddings, a senior shoot, and 2 newborn shoots! Work is really starting to pick up and it's making me feel awesome. I'm so close to being able to quit my day job and focus 100% on my photography (which is the direction I've been dreaming of and a process that's taken a few years now)

 If you don't know already, I started a YouTube channel where you can keep up with me and my photography adventures. Or just random stuff I feel like posting!

http://www.youtube.com/user/btownsendphotography

I feel so close and yet so far from where I want/need to be! It's a beautiful journey though that I am taking and I'm learning limits of myself that I never knew I had. The ability to surpass the goals that you set for yourself (and I set standards HIGH for myself....) it feels great. But, I'm walking my steps now in the most exhausted way possible! Definitely time for some R&R.

The hubby and I are planning a trip to Red River Gorge next weekend and I cannot WAIT. 4 days off. Just us two and the puppy in the middle of fall time and we are going camping and repelling. It's going to be awesome and exactly what I need.

Well, goodbye for now!

Brooke

New Video Blog: 365 Day Project

Personal Post: School Rant

Today, I was working at my day job. A girl comes up to the counter buying a few things and she said "I want to get these games before I become a starving college student." And we made light conversation back and forth and I couldn't help but think to myself... Man... I'm so HAPPY I'm not in school right now.

The field I'm getting myself into seems pointless to go to school and study for. Photography. Why should I sit in someone else's classroom to learn from text books and power point presentations that failed to make it into the business (or stopped doing what they sought to do in the first place)? I'm a hands on learner and I learn best from doing. Trial and error. Attending workshops from fellow photographers, and maybe some business lessons would make sense, but never to study photography from a teacher that can only show you their viewpoint on the subject. Sure, school can give you access to equipment you'd otherwise never have, but instead of paying for student loans, why not buy yourself some of your own equipment? Or rent them? Learn for yourself? Why should you need a degree to prove your talent?

To me, a degree in photography is worthless. Your passion, talent, and drive will speak for itself as you get your name out there and the style you create for yourself.

Now, I'm not against school entirely. I want my doctors, lawyers, engineers, mathmaticians, teachers, etc. to learn all that they can for their provided careers. But for anything dealing with art, why do you feel you need a degree? You are learning a technique developed for the masses instead of taking the time to develop your own. You are being molded into a cast of something else. It just doesn't make sense to me.

If you have a vision, drive after it. Thousands upon thousands of artists have emerged in the past who literally owned nothing but the shirt on their back and canvas in hand and they were able to leave legacies behind that mold the beauty of history's forgotten past because they had the passion for creation. A lot of them were rejects of society too. But they never let anything stop them from expressing themselves in a unique way. College just won't teach you that passion. You have to own it and BE it.

The world didn't like my plans when I made them. It didn't like the path I chose to walk or the life I dreamed of having and still do. I've been judged, walked on, scolded, ridicouled, talked poorly about [even behind my back by many closest to me], and yet I can still walk strongly forward with head held high and an unbrittled positive attitude. There's this thing that society tries to grab out of you, take control of, and turn it into something that matches the rest of it. Your individulaity. Be brave. Be strong. Don't ever hold yourself back. Don't let everyone's whispers scream in your ear when you are most afraid. Anything is truly possible. Just recognize that there is something huge out against you, everyday. And the best way to own it is to laugh and smile. Nothing can break you then.

BUUUUUUUUTTT ANYWAY. I haaaaaad to get this off my mind before I fell asleep and thought it could be helpful for those feeling the same way I do! I know I can't be the only one.

Good Night World

Brooke

Video Blog: How I became a Photographer

Travel, Inspiring People, Life

 Looking out from Ash Cave

Hocking Hills, Ohio

April 2010

Whenever I talk to my good friend Dom, I always get reignited with my passion for traveling. It always comes up in topic because he loves to explore just as much as I! But these dreams of mine to go so many places in this world seem to be settling on true, idealistic goals that will help me move forward toward my ultimate adventurism.

Something awesome happened to me. And that my friends was paying off my beautiful Toyota Corolla that I now officially OWN!! Which is a huge financial relief as I was paying $600/month to get it paid off earlier than the loan would end (saves money in interest over all). SOOO, I want to use that money to save as a travel fund :) to do such wonderful and beautiful things in this life that I've been dreaming of.

One of those trips would be next fall with my friend Dom traveling across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver as a road trip. I still don't really know too many places in Canada but I do know that it's a beautifully large country with people spread out everywhere. So, there would be a lot of terrain to cover without the annoyance of tourists (at least in a lot of spots..).

The other idea I just recently had was to take advantage of other photographers. Pro photographers that have been running in a certain category of photography for a long time run photography workshops where you can show up, travel with them, and learn. I love nature photography. Particularly landscapes. And there's a landscape photographer that I follow named Richard Bernabe. He just recently ran a trip to Iceland where 11 workshoppees could follow, learn from Richard and his co-host, and actually travel through different sections of that country all the while learning from them. I've been trying to get an excuse to get out west and something like this workshop would be AMAZING to be a part of!!

http://www.richardbernabe.com/arches_canyonlands_workshop2013.htm

Check out some of Richard's work by clicking here.

So, I just had to spew out my raging excitement before getting my day started <3 br="br"> Life is full of wonder.

Brooke

It's official! Townsend Photography LLC

I want to announce something that is absolutely wonderful!!

I am officially a business owner. My husband and I filed for Townsend Photography to become an officially licensed LLC through the state of Ohio. That means we are able to cover ourselves for any problems in the future involving lawsuits, taxes, audits, whatever the tides may bring!

But the serious aspect aside, my passion has taken its first giant leap to becoming my full time career! July 1, 2012 marks the official date that Townsend Photography incorporated :)

Not to mention, I got a pretty fancy binder with my name on it.

YAYYAYAY

Brooke.

PS: photo taken of my sister who is having a baby in September :) blog from her shoot are coming soon!

Trip Photos: Hilton Head

So, two weekends ago my friends and I all headed to Hilton Head. A trip we started planning around Christmas time and when the time had finally come, we could hardly stand it! I think me, of all us girls, probably needed it most due to the fact of how much I've been working. It's been a solid work time for the past 2 months and although I got a 11 day break while in England, I couldn't truly let any of it go since there was so much to edit when I got back! It was overwhelming.

But in preparation for Hilton Head, I got allllllll my work caught up, organized, and ready so when I hit the beach, I could lay there and think about nothing but that moment. Soak in the sunshine and enjoy the company of my friends in which I don't get to see as much anymore. We all lead such different lives at this moment in time. But, during this trip, we were all one, together, talked, laughed, explored, played. It was absolute, total fun and we were all sad when it came to an end.

I actually didn't take many pictures while I was down there! And due to the beach with sand, heat, everything else, I took my older camera with me instead. My good ol' Sony DSC H-7 (which actually got me started into photography) because it's reliable in battling the elements! Plus I don't have to be scared of ruining my entire business with one drop :P I'm waiting to get together with them so we can all exchange our pictures from the trip. They got some really really good ones of all of us :)

But here are some of mine....

View from the Crazy Crab. It was spectacular and so was my Mango Pina Colda! 

We were smart and hit all the restraunts during happy hour ;)

This is Julia and all of her awesomeness. I love her tattoo she just recently got.

This is the lovely Jessie! Her and I have been friends since we were like 9. Love this girl to death.

We got to see dolphins!!!! As we were sailing across Broad Creek in our boat, one jumped RIGHT out of the water next to me and I was the only person that was looking right that way. As silly as it sounds, I felt like that dolphin jumped out the water just to say hello to me since we looked DEAD at each other <3

I am not sure when we will do a trip like this again. Like I said all of our lives are so different from one another it's getting harder and harder to get together more often than not. As you can see one of us is having a baby. I myself am starting a business and freelancing myself into the adult world. The other is going to school full time to be a part of the medical industry one day. And the other, is completely free and figuring things out as she goes. One day we will all be on the same road but for now, it's awesome to watch all of us grow in such different directions as we make our footprints in life <3

This trip was exactly what we needed together. I hope we can do it again next year.

PS: Video Blog will hopefully come soon!! :D

Brooke

Angela & Drew | Engaged

Had a lovely shoot with these two! On almost exactly one year before their wedding, I scheduled their engagement/save the date photos. They were the first couple I've ever worked with too to have so many wonderful ideas of places they wanted to take pictures at, poses they were looking for, and just overall excitement was refreshing for me.

And where did they want to theme their shoot around? All their date destinations in downtown Cincinnati they went to!! We shared so many stories, had a lovely picnic (well they did ;D), explored parks, played on a cement slide, and overall just lived the day loving life. All of us.

My husband came along to this shoot as an amazing assistant and when we were done with the shoot, we did a little exploring of the newer parts of Cincinnati [well, new to me! Ironically it was some of the oldest parts!] and then enjoyed some awesome blue slushies from the gas station and had some movie time at home.

To say the least, it was a total success and an absolutely wonderful summer day <3

Brooke


 

Walking to a Fork

 So, I need a rant session to get my thoughts collected.

I have a hard time admitting this to anyone that may be associated with my photography business (future clients, past clients, followers, whoever) that I work a full time job on top of running my business. I work in retail as an assasitant manager in a game store. Sure, most days are pretty easy to run but it's getting to the point now where I'm working myself dry. I have no off days, ever. I worked for a month straight between mid May when I got back from my trip in England until I went on a mini vacation with a few girlfriends of mine down in Hilton Head in mid June. Then, as soon as I get back from HH, it's back to work at the full time job. I'm already working nearly 2 weeks straight with no break again because I try to schedule my shoots around my job which makes it so I never get any off time. And I feel like my life has been that way for the past 4 months now. I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this.

Photography is the way I want to go so, I'm going to need to step down or quit my full time job when the year is up [debt is the only thing keeping me there until then]. I'm working to get an officially licesened LLC up and running again so I can start working full time on my photography and running it the way I've always been meant to because I'm meant to be my own boss, schedule my own life, and be apart of making memories for everyone to cherish for forever. Including myself. It is the only thing that feels right in the direction of any sort of career for myself. I just can't keep running around like a headless chicken for people anymore.

I have no time for myself. I haven't done a creative project since before the holidays of 2011. And if you know me, you know that's devastating. I'm constantly running errands, doing house work, working, editing, working again, taking my laptop to my full time job and editing there during my breaks (which used to be my reading time), meeting up with people that I don't really care to hang out with but I'm a people pleaser at heart. Working again, trying to fit in date nights with the hubby which to me, marriage should come first and shouldn't have to be fit into a schedule. But that's a whole thing in itself [I make a terrible wife these days].

I'm exhausted.

I've taken on this huge amount of workload because I wanted to challenge myself into thinking I can take on the world alone. But, I'm finding that I can't. I need help or if I can't get it, to just stop doing half of what I do. I can't continue running myself into the ground because I'm missing out on so many things that really matter in life.

Reading? Relaxing? Taking a walk in the summer sun? Catching up with some of my favorite video games and new ones I haven't even started? Sharing quiet evenings with my best friend? Having weekends off to visit family events that happen periodically over the year? What is any of this? None of this is a part of my life anymore. I haven't finished a book all the way in nearly 2 years. Nor a video game. I haven't cooked a new receipe in months. I haven't been out hiking, biking, camping? I don't even know how long. Being out in the great outdoors? When did we last spend time together, Mother Nature? Wow...

I'm becoming something I don't want to be and sometime soon, it is going to have to change. And it's not about to be my photography business. I'm going to have to let go of this job I've put nearly 3 years of my life into. But it's becoming a distraction from what I'm really meant to do, which is my photography.

YouTube account and New VBlog

Ok, so one last [last] post about England!

I put together a video blog from my recent trip out there with the hubby and have it uploaded to my newly created YouTube channel. If you do not know already, I now have a channel which can be found here:

http://www.youtube.com/user/btownsendphotography

So instead of  writing everything out to you, I will say it instead!

Have a wonderful week! 

Brooke

Be Original: New Selfie

So, this is a bit different than the one I uploaded to facebook [see here] and I wanted to share this one as well because I had the longest time trying to figure out which I liked more. I basically wanted to create a message for myself, and to others, to embrace all the best parts of yourself. Recognizing what you can give to the world and letting yourself shine those inner beauties.

Life is a battle. Constantly throwing new things at you that test your faith in yourself, the strength you carry, and the wisdom you hold. To grow. To expand. To learn. You inevitably become what you surround yourself with. No matter who you are, what you sink your thoughts into, and what people become a part of your everyday life. Our subconscious is deeper than we all realize and this is why I plaster things that inspire me to keep going everywhere I can think of. Sometimes I use post-it notes in my car on the way to work. Sometimes it's taking nights like tonight to blog out all the thoughts that reside within me. Sometimes it's taking moments like this picture and embracing what I feel is best about me, rather than what I don't like about myself. It's an exercise everyday to look in the mirror and say "What can I take on today?" and from how much more I have grown to love and appreciate my own self from even 3 years ago has come so much farther.

I am alive. I am healthy. I am beautiful.

Happiness is a journey. Not a destination. 

<3 Brooke

Amy & Matt | Engaged

I did an engagement shoot with two lovely people named Amy and Matt towards the end of May. We planned our shoot to take place in the beautiful Sharon Woods but what was crazy was what we came across when we arrived!!

Throughout the entire park they were doing a reenactment of the Civil War. People were dressed up. Shops inside tents set up. A blacksmith, a battlefield, little gardens/farms for growing, and people from all around came here to enjoy the festivities. It made it a little difficult to get certain shots though! Trying to block people out and make Amy and Matt the center of attention. But it added a feel to the photos I wouldn't have been able to obtain otherwise.

It was awesome :) And they were so easy to photograph as well! Especially through the hot summer air we had to get ourselves through. But, we had some awesome things to get some pictures with and they warmed up so fast. I'm so happy with the way these turned out!

 

Until next time!!

<3 Brooke