Floral Illustrations

Floral Illustrations

February 25, 2018

I recently complete a tutorial on creating a floral illustration in Illustrator. I want to get better at using my drawing tablet and learn new things about Ai in general so I thought this tutorial would be a good start. I absolutely loved the tutorial and it inspired me to go off on my own creating little flower illustrations. It's not much right now, I'm really not even sure what it will be, I'm just happy to be creating!

Link to flower tutorial

My end product from the tutorial

My own flowers drawn from reference images

New England Fall Trip

New England Fall Trip

February 5, 2018

In November I took a trip out to the East Coast to visit some of my closest friends that I hadn't seen in a year. The trip was amazing and I got to see new sites and spend time with my godmother whom I hadn't seen since I was 18! It was a wonderful trip and here are some of my favorite shots from my time there.

ARL Dog Jog

ARL Dog Jog

October 16, 2017

On September 23rd I had the pleasure of photographing the Animal Rescue League of Iowa's Dog Jog! It was a hot day for September but everyone had a blast, including myself! I got to pet so many great dogs talk to other dog lovers. All of the net proceeds went to the Animal Rescue League to help provide food, shelter, and medical care for the thousands of homeless pets that arrive at the shelter each year. The event included a 2K and 4K race, as well as a costume contest and pie eating contest after the race. There were other breed specific shelters with booths present, dog specific vendors with prizes and giveaways, and a pop up dog park for all the pups to enjoy. It was an amazing event and I can't wait for next year's jog!

For more information and photos from the other event photogs check out the Dog Jog's website and Facebook page.

And if you want to learn more about The Animal Rescue League here is their website and their Facebook page!

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo

October 4, 2017

Recently my boyfriend and I took a day trip to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo. I hadn't been to this zoo since I was around 6 years old. Now that I'm in Des Moines, I'm a lot closer to the zoo and I was so happy to relive some of my favorite childhood memories. It's an amazing place of education and conservation. I can't wait to go back! And for a special treat, enjoy some then & now photos of myself at the zoo. Can't help but laugh that I traded in my fanny pack for a camera bag!

Colorado

Colorado

September 25, 2017

This summer I had a family reunion in Estes Park, Colorado. There were tourists EVERYWHERE but that didn't stop me from getting quality time with my family and seeing some amazing sights.

So Many Cats

So Many Cats

August 29, 2017

Summer proved to be a VERY busy time for me at the Animal Rescue League. With the warm weather, the facility was filled with cats and kittens. Some days I was there for 3 hours just photographing cats! So here's a quick reminder to spay and neuter your pets, including your cats!

Look at these Sweet Faces!

Look at these Sweet Faces!

August 22, 2017

I've really fallen in love with my volunteering at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa! Every other week I get to go in and photograph such sweet and wonderful animals. And I'm always happy to see that my photos don't last long on their site!

Before and After

Before and After

June 20, 2017

Something a little fun and different! My Danish brother was visiting and wanted to do take a couple photos with donuts. We didn't have the greatest choices of locations so I made due with what was around and I loved the dramatic difference between my SOOC and my final edit. So enjoy a little peak into my editing process!

Before

After

Before

After

Willows Dream

Willows Dream

June 13, 2017

I recently had the opportunity to go to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa and take photos of their brand new filly, Willows Dream. Sweet little baby was a joy to photograph and her mother was so good the entire time.

The story of Willows Dream and her mother, Sierra, is heartbreaking but they have proven how resilient they both are. Sierra was part of a large rescue of 14 horses from two properties back in late March/Early April. Sierra was severely underweight and not long after, they discovered she was pregnant.

She was watched very closely and finally May 23, 2017, at 4:57 a.m, Sierra gave birth to a healthy baby girl at Iowa State University. Mom and baby are still doing great and their story is one to remember!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day

June 5, 2017

A more personal blog post for today. I was lucky enough to celebrate Mother's Day with my family which included 3 generations of mothers. My 97 year old Great Grandmother told us she wanted a picnic at Ledge's State Park with KFC fried chicken and we made it all happen! There was a lot of laughter and stories being shared over great food. It was a wonderful day that left me feeling blessed to be surrounded by such a loving family.

Cats and Dogs!

Cats and Dogs!

May 9, 2017

Another successful trip to the Animal Rescue League of Iowa! This time I was able to take photos of some sweet pups. Enjoy the little furbabes!

Blank Park Zoo

May 2, 2017

I had the privilege of taking some head shots at the Blank Park Zoo for a campaign called Good Neighbor Iowa. This campaign is educating Iowans about the harmful effects of spraying their lawns and giving resources to those who want to stop using pesticides. It's a remarkable campaign and I'm so glad to be a part of it.

I had a blast that morning taking photos, I even got to get up close to wallabies! Take a look at how Blank Park Zoo is being a leader in the campaign against pesticides.

Cedar Falls Nature Walk

Cedar Falls Nature Walk

April 25, 2017

I drove to Cedar Falls to visit some of my college friends and we took advantage of the beautiful, almost summer-like, weather we had that weekend. The bluebells weren't in bloom quite yet, but it was still a perfect walk through the nature reserve.

Animal Rescue League of Iowa

Animal Rescue League of Iowa

April 23, 2017

Big news! I've started volunteering at the Animal Rescue League of Iowa as a photographer! It's such an incredible organization and I'm so happy to be working with them. This is the same shelter that I adopted my sweet Millie from and I'm excited to have the opportunity to help other animals find their forever homes!

These are some shots from my first day there. I loved seeing my photos up on their site, but even better, I love checking in and finding them NOT there anymore!

To learn more about this amazing shelter, go to www.arl-iowa.org

Des Moines

Des Moines

March 29, 2017

I was incredibly lucky to see this view of the city for a wedding that I second shot. It was a rainy day but it didn't take anything away from this experience.

Capitol Building

Capitol Building

March 29, 2017

I was briefly in the Capitol Building and so I grabbed a few shots of this incredible place!

Food Photography

Food Photography

March 23, 2017

I was raised by parents who cooked constantly and at 14 I started working in the family restaurant. My life has constantly involved food so when I'm given the option of photographing it, I'm all in. My dad needed some product photos for some work promotional materials. He assembled the plates and I took the shots! I'd say we make a pretty good team.

Antipasto Night

Antipasto Night

March 16, 2017

Thursday nights I make supper for my family. This particular night I was missing Italy and I put together an antipasto plate for my parents to try. I also have a very dedicated sous chef, Murphy never leaves my side in the kitchen!

Meet Milton Glaser!

Meet Milton Glaser!

March 14, 2017

But you can call her Millie. I'm fostering a cat! I went to the local shelter "just to look", but I should've known better. I ended up falling in love with this sweet kitty and decided to foster her for 2 months. At the end of March I have the option of adopting her or returning her. It won't be a hard decision. I love her to pieces and I can't wait to make her mine officially!

Winter Wildlife

Winter Wildlife

January 29, 2017

Sometimes the snow isn't all bad. Especially when I'm bundled up inside! We have really large windows in the house which makes it great for bird watching. The snowfall was so beautiful and some of the fluffiest and largest flakes I've seen all winter. It really made for some great shots with my backyard's critters.