Hello everyone!
I just wanted to stop in and stay how great my photography business is going!! I currently have 4, yes FOUR shoots I am editing.
First up is the wedding I shot last month:
Second up is the senior shoot I did two weeks ago:
Third up is a little different. A "co-worker" hired me to edit his wedding photos from the early 2000s. The photographer was a friend and never edited them for him and his wife. He asked me if I was willing to look through the disc, edit some photos, and make a photo book that he can give his wife for Christmas. I jut couldn't say no!
Unfortunately, I can not share the forth shoot with you all just yet because the photos have not been transferred from the SD card to my computer.
Having two jobs, going to school full time, and running a photography business is work, let me tell you!
I logged on to Facebook today and a friend request popped up. I clicked the little red square and my friend Ariana's profile popped up. Without hesitation I accepted. I texted her and asked her why she decided to make a new profile. She put it like this: I have over a thousand friends on my current profile and I don't know a third of them; why am I sharing my life with them.
This flipped a switch for me. I remember being so involved in high school; going to Buckeye Girls State, HOBY, and yearbook camp and literally adding everyone I met. Not knowing how many friends I racked up over the last 7 years, I went and glanced at my friends list.
1,142
ONE THOUSAND, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO FRIENDS
I've been going through a slight hiccup in my life. Over the last months I lost myself and spent too much time investing in others. And although I'm bitter, I'm more hurt. And just like Ariana, I dawned on me; these people don't know me. Yeah, they might have met me, but they don't know me. They don't know my feelings, or emotions, or the things that I really love. They don't care, which is fine because I don't care for them either.
Today was the day that I deleted 412 people off my Facebook. I want to start finding myself again. And although Facebook is a superficial platform, for me anyway, those 412 people needed to go.
Here are some of the photos I took at Kayla and Steve's wedding this past weekend. Enjoy <3
WARNING: Be prepared for me to boast about how amazing my weekend was.
As some of you may know, I lived and worked on Put-in-Bay, a tiny island in the middle of Lake Erie, for two summers. I was hired at a tiny bakery that sits on the end of the main drag. The owner, Pauline, is currently 79 and still makes her way up from Florida every summer. Her daughter Beth, who lives in Costa Rica, moves to the island every summer and helps her mother.
Long story short, Pauline and Beth are the two most loving people I have ever met. The two summers I spent on PIB were the best of my life. Unfortunately, I was unable to move back this summer due to a job I had in Toledo.
But fall break was the perfect opportunity to go see them. On Sunday afternoon, I headed to the tiny island. When I arrived at her house she had a delicious dinner waiting and we all just hung out and played cards.
In preparation for October Fest, I woke up bright and early on Monday morning and helped Pauline, Beth, and a close friend Ursula roll over 500 cabbage rolls. I said my goodbyes around 4pm with cabbage rolls in one had, and two chocolate banana muffins in the other and wished them luck with the upcoming festival and travels back home. Until next summer, PIB. Can't wait to be united with my second family in a few short months.
But wait, there's more!
This was not the end of my travels this weekend. Me and my best bud Chase took an impromptu trip to Cleveland because I've never been (crazy, I know!) We pretty much just walked around and explored the city. It wasn't too busy because there wasn't anything going on, which made it even better. We happened to turn down the cutest alley and came upon a super cool brewery (Butcher & The Brewer). Both of us have an undying love for beer so we sat down and both got a flight. I kid you not, this alley was the cutest alley I've ever seen!
So we sat there for an hour or two and just enjoyed our beer :)
After we finished our flights, we walked around a little more and came across a homeless man who began talking to Chase. Instead of walking away, Chase had a conversation with the man and discovered that he LOVED corned beef so Chase and I ran to the nearest sub shop and Chase went up the counter and ordered a corned beef sammy.
I don't think the man believed Chase when he said he would be back with food, but he showed him that there are still good people in this world. I almost started crying, because it was honestly the most genuine act of kindness!
After giving the man his food, we were on the hunt for our own. We had our minds sent on Barrio, an AMAZING taco place that is extremely popular in downtown. We waited for awhile, but the wait was soooo worth it. I ordered on taco off the menu and created one myself. I must say the one I made was much better aka call me Chef Flay.
I can honestly not put into words how great my weekend was. I hope to have more days like these because they were some of the best I've ever had.
As some of you may know, I lived and worked on Put-in-Bay, a tiny island in the middle of Lake Erie, for two summers. I was hired at a tiny bakery that sits on the end of the main drag. The owner, Pauline, is currently 79 and still makes her way up from Florida every summer. Her daughter Beth, who lives in Costa Rica, moves to the island every summer and helps her mother.
Long story short, Pauline and Beth are the two most loving people I have ever met. The two summers I spent on PIB were the best of my life. Unfortunately, I was unable to move back this summer due to a job I had in Toledo.
But fall break was the perfect opportunity to go see them. On Sunday afternoon, I headed to the tiny island. When I arrived at her house she had a delicious dinner waiting and we all just hung out and played cards.
In preparation for October Fest, I woke up bright and early on Monday morning and helped Pauline, Beth, and a close friend Ursula roll over 500 cabbage rolls. I said my goodbyes around 4pm with cabbage rolls in one had, and two chocolate banana muffins in the other and wished them luck with the upcoming festival and travels back home. Until next summer, PIB. Can't wait to be united with my second family in a few short months.
But wait, there's more!
This was not the end of my travels this weekend. Me and my best bud Chase took an impromptu trip to Cleveland because I've never been (crazy, I know!) We pretty much just walked around and explored the city. It wasn't too busy because there wasn't anything going on, which made it even better. We happened to turn down the cutest alley and came upon a super cool brewery (Butcher & The Brewer). Both of us have an undying love for beer so we sat down and both got a flight. I kid you not, this alley was the cutest alley I've ever seen!
So we sat there for an hour or two and just enjoyed our beer :)
After we finished our flights, we walked around a little more and came across a homeless man who began talking to Chase. Instead of walking away, Chase had a conversation with the man and discovered that he LOVED corned beef so Chase and I ran to the nearest sub shop and Chase went up the counter and ordered a corned beef sammy.
I don't think the man believed Chase when he said he would be back with food, but he showed him that there are still good people in this world. I almost started crying, because it was honestly the most genuine act of kindness!
After giving the man his food, we were on the hunt for our own. We had our minds sent on Barrio, an AMAZING taco place that is extremely popular in downtown. We waited for awhile, but the wait was soooo worth it. I ordered on taco off the menu and created one myself. I must say the one I made was much better aka call me Chef Flay.
I can honestly not put into words how great my weekend was. I hope to have more days like these because they were some of the best I've ever had.
One of my biggest pet peeves is people dissing Toledo. The TOL is what you make it and I think it's beautiful, hip, and strong. There is always something to do in town. From the Art Loops, to trivia nights, to hockey games, Toledo is loud and proud and so are the people in it. Tonight I ventured to Toledo soup with a close friend from work, Liz.
Cue cute pic:
So Toledo Soup is a semi annual fundraiser hosted in the Collingwood Arts Center in the Old West End. People from all around town come and pay $5 for a small meal that includes a bowl of soup (choices are provided from various chefs from Toledo). I had a sweet and sour soup with mushrooms made by the chef at Balance Pan-Asian Grill. IT WAS DELIOUS 😀
All of the proceeds go to a cause that is presented to the audience while they are eating their meal.
Tonight there were four presenters (descriptions provided by Toledo Soup's Facebook page):
1) Morgan Fitzgibbons is hoping to win SOUP funds to help create a Post-It mural on the interior, north side of the Fiberglas Tower in downtown Toledo. The tower has been vacant for decades. Morgan said he has received permission to create the mural.
2) Soul City Boxing and Wrestling Gym, which won SOUP in 2014, is back again seeking funding to help pay the gym's Internet bill and to send a team of eight athletes to the Elite, Youth, and Junior National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri, in December.
3) Joseph Peterson is seeking SOUP funding to put on a “Family Fued” style event at Scott High School, in which students, staff, family, and “celebrities,” will compete for prizes by guessing the responses to survey questions.
4) Jerrod Witt is hoping you'll vote for his AudiblEye project. AudiblEye provides indoor navigation to the blind and visually impared through an iOS app. SOUP funds would be used to spread the application to a larger audience.
Each presenter spoke for 7-10 minutes and at the end of the presentations, we voted for the person we believed the funds should go to.
Toledo is such a great community, but if you don't go out and experience it, you'll never know. So next time you have a free afternoon, go to the art museum, take a walk through the Old West End, turn your phone off and explore Oak Openings, take some cash out and go shopping on Adams. Get out there, and explore your home. Your views might change once you actually step out of your comfort zone.
Cue cute pic:
So Toledo Soup is a semi annual fundraiser hosted in the Collingwood Arts Center in the Old West End. People from all around town come and pay $5 for a small meal that includes a bowl of soup (choices are provided from various chefs from Toledo). I had a sweet and sour soup with mushrooms made by the chef at Balance Pan-Asian Grill. IT WAS DELIOUS 😀
All of the proceeds go to a cause that is presented to the audience while they are eating their meal.
Tonight there were four presenters (descriptions provided by Toledo Soup's Facebook page):
1) Morgan Fitzgibbons is hoping to win SOUP funds to help create a Post-It mural on the interior, north side of the Fiberglas Tower in downtown Toledo. The tower has been vacant for decades. Morgan said he has received permission to create the mural.
2) Soul City Boxing and Wrestling Gym, which won SOUP in 2014, is back again seeking funding to help pay the gym's Internet bill and to send a team of eight athletes to the Elite, Youth, and Junior National Championships in Kansas City, Missouri, in December.
3) Joseph Peterson is seeking SOUP funding to put on a “Family Fued” style event at Scott High School, in which students, staff, family, and “celebrities,” will compete for prizes by guessing the responses to survey questions.
4) Jerrod Witt is hoping you'll vote for his AudiblEye project. AudiblEye provides indoor navigation to the blind and visually impared through an iOS app. SOUP funds would be used to spread the application to a larger audience.
Each presenter spoke for 7-10 minutes and at the end of the presentations, we voted for the person we believed the funds should go to.
Toledo is such a great community, but if you don't go out and experience it, you'll never know. So next time you have a free afternoon, go to the art museum, take a walk through the Old West End, turn your phone off and explore Oak Openings, take some cash out and go shopping on Adams. Get out there, and explore your home. Your views might change once you actually step out of your comfort zone.
***This "review" contains spoiler alerts
It's not often that I find a movie that is better than it's book counter part, but after reading the young adult novel, Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, I can confirm that in fact, I have. The book had potential; I mean the overall story line was good, the main characters had diverse personalities, and the author (Jesse Andrews) had good diction, but honestly, the book was trash. The 304 pages not only lacked compassion, but the whole book was built on "white people problems."
So the story goes like this:
1. Greg = sad boy
2. Rachel = girl Greg knows
3. Rachel gets cancer
4. Greg's mom makes him hang with Rachel even though he doesn't want to
5. Greg hangs out with Rachel and makes it known that he doesn't want to be there
6. Earl = Greg's bff
7. Earl joins in on the visits
8. Rachel gets more sick
9. Rachel finds out that Greg and Earl are filmmakers
10. Greg and Earl make a film for her
11. Rachel dies
12. Greg finally develops feelings towards their friendship
What annoyed me was the fact that the main focus was on Greg, the sad white boy who not only has a poor, uneducated, black friend who smokes pot, lives in the ghetto, and has an alcoholic mom and a non present father (stereotypical character, by the way), but also a friend who is dying of leukemia, yet his problems are some how bigger.
Yet, the movie shed a different light, and allowed me to see the characters represented slightly different. For example, Greg was more compassionate, Earl was less aggressive, and Rachel was more passive. In this case, the movie tied the best parts of the book together.
So kudos to the director of Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, because you turned a piece of shit into a tolerable motion picture that may or may not have made me cry.
It's not often that I find a movie that is better than it's book counter part, but after reading the young adult novel, Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, I can confirm that in fact, I have. The book had potential; I mean the overall story line was good, the main characters had diverse personalities, and the author (Jesse Andrews) had good diction, but honestly, the book was trash. The 304 pages not only lacked compassion, but the whole book was built on "white people problems."
So the story goes like this:
1. Greg = sad boy
2. Rachel = girl Greg knows
3. Rachel gets cancer
4. Greg's mom makes him hang with Rachel even though he doesn't want to
5. Greg hangs out with Rachel and makes it known that he doesn't want to be there
6. Earl = Greg's bff
7. Earl joins in on the visits
8. Rachel gets more sick
9. Rachel finds out that Greg and Earl are filmmakers
10. Greg and Earl make a film for her
11. Rachel dies
12. Greg finally develops feelings towards their friendship
What annoyed me was the fact that the main focus was on Greg, the sad white boy who not only has a poor, uneducated, black friend who smokes pot, lives in the ghetto, and has an alcoholic mom and a non present father (stereotypical character, by the way), but also a friend who is dying of leukemia, yet his problems are some how bigger.
Yet, the movie shed a different light, and allowed me to see the characters represented slightly different. For example, Greg was more compassionate, Earl was less aggressive, and Rachel was more passive. In this case, the movie tied the best parts of the book together.
So kudos to the director of Me and Earl and The Dying Girl, because you turned a piece of shit into a tolerable motion picture that may or may not have made me cry.
Three weeks ago today, my sister Emma gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and my first niece Reese Abigail. I may be biased but she is perfect, just look at her!
From the moment she was first placed into my arms I didn't want to let her go. I never thought I would love someone so much; being an aunt is such a blessing. Over the last three weeks I have gotten to spend almost every night with Emma and Reese, and I have cherished every moment. I want Reese to stay small and cute forever, but she is growing before my eyes. Saying that, I am so excited to watch my niece grow and blossom into a young woman. I will be there to help her in school and when her friends let her down. I will be there when her mom can't. I will take her to the library and teach her the importance of reading. I will teach her to be confident and resilient like her grandmother. I will act as her nurse, her taxi, and her "second-mom." I will forever strive to be her role model.
I am so eager for the future and the opportunity to watch her grow.
From the moment she was first placed into my arms I didn't want to let her go. I never thought I would love someone so much; being an aunt is such a blessing. Over the last three weeks I have gotten to spend almost every night with Emma and Reese, and I have cherished every moment. I want Reese to stay small and cute forever, but she is growing before my eyes. Saying that, I am so excited to watch my niece grow and blossom into a young woman. I will be there to help her in school and when her friends let her down. I will be there when her mom can't. I will take her to the library and teach her the importance of reading. I will teach her to be confident and resilient like her grandmother. I will act as her nurse, her taxi, and her "second-mom." I will forever strive to be her role model.
I am so eager for the future and the opportunity to watch her grow.
Below are my favorite 5 photos from my "Urban Scan" of Toledo. In my eyes, these photos capture the true essence of the Glass City. ~Enjoy~
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| I adored the exhibition "The Human Landscape" at the TMA. Jaume Plensa's work is incredible and put together so well. Our art museum is so lovely and a huge part of the Toledo culture, plus it is free! I will definitely be venturing back soon to take another peak a his work. |
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| The best breakfast in T-town for under $8 - Rumors on Monroe |
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| This photo was taken during Holi Toledo. I love this photo because it truly represents Toledo. There was a diverse crowd at the event, and they were all interacting with one another regardless of race or religion. It was truly a great day and a lot of happiness was floating around. |
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| This photo was taken during May 2016 when we received 6 inches of snow overnight. It was so odd because we had a few days that reached the 60s the week before, but leave it up to Toledo weather to throw us something unpredictable. Yet, something about this snowfall was so peaceful and calming. After scraping off my car for 15 minutes I looked up and didn't feel as grumpy. |
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| The Bell Tower is not only UT's most distinct attribute, but also my favorite place on campus. While on assignment for the school news paper, I went out one night and played around with the shutter speed on my camera and came home with this over exposed shot. This photo was featured on the fall special edition of The Independent Collegian. |
Hello everyone, and welcome to my blog! To be honest, I created this blog back when I was a sophomore, yet here I am making my first post as a senior. Better late than never, eh? I plan to utilize this space as a creative outlet for a plethora of things I am interested in.
Here's a little bit about me:
My name is Abigail and I am a senior at the University of Toledo. I am majoring in communication and minoring in visual communication. After college, I plan to study abroad with my best bud Christopher and my Canon Rebel T3i. Photography has been a staple in my life since high school, and I currently own my own business.
Here is some of my work:
That pretty much sums me up, so if you have any questions, just ask!
xoxoxo
-Abigail
Here's a little bit about me:
My name is Abigail and I am a senior at the University of Toledo. I am majoring in communication and minoring in visual communication. After college, I plan to study abroad with my best bud Christopher and my Canon Rebel T3i. Photography has been a staple in my life since high school, and I currently own my own business.
Here is some of my work:
I am in the process of creating my website so I will be sure to share that with you all when I am completely finished.
But back to blabbing about me. I currently work two jobs, (not including running my photography business). In my free time I enjoy spending time with my close friends and family, reading, binge watching netflix, and napping.That pretty much sums me up, so if you have any questions, just ask!
xoxoxo
-Abigail