Extinction

This is my BFA Senior Thesis Project on poaching. 

This series demonstrates that the animals are incapable of surviving without the critical body part(s) they are killed for. 

Through the use of photographic illustration, I have the ability to portray the cruelty needlessly imposed on these majestic animals at the hands of poachers, without actually harming them.

See the project here on Behance:
https://www.behance.net/gallery/16404671/Extinction

BFA Thesis Exhibition in just 5 days!

This is it folks, the poaching series that I have spent around 200 hours on is finally going to premier on campus at Andrews University Tuesday night at 6pm. For all those who cannot attend it, you will be able to see the 10 finished composites in just one week on my website. 

For now I have to say that I am thankful to God for how far I have come with my health. It got really scary for me a few times, feeling a sense of overwhelming anxiety from unbalanced cortisol and epinephrine levels, shakiness from the nervous system, light headed from low blood pressure, gasping for air in the middle of the night from skipped heartbeats, tachycardia after every meal and uncontrollable worsen tachycardia upon standing along with chronic fatigue, POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) is no joke. It's hell to live with. But I am doing what I read myself to do that is considered the only known cure for this...exercise. Hoping to start Dr.Levine's protocol soon...but in the mean time God has blessed me with an unbelievable gym membership price at the local YMCA full of classes and fun, and I have been able to eat anything again without anxiety or tachycardia. I can even control the fast heart rate to a point when I stand now. I pray something I am doing is really working and I will be free from this nightmare soon.

Praise God for all of the success with my photos He has given me despite all that I am going through this semester health wise. Keep me in your prayers.

Behind the Scenes - BFA Sneak Peak

Many of you have wondered if I dropped off the face of the Earth with my photography because I have not posted much work up these past 2 semesters...

Well that is because I am working hard at my BFA Senior Thesis project on poaching. I still cannot show it all now, but what I can show you is a sneak peak behind the scenes composite video of one of the images in my series.
The full series will be up May 2014, but if you are local to Andrews University, please come to my Exhibition April 22nd, 6-8.

Enjoy!




BTW I just wanted to give you an update that I think God has answered my prayers for a diagnosis, somewhat. Most all of my symptoms are pointing to something called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It is SUPER complex because it has to do with the nervous system, not even your overall health or necessarily your diet. I believe mine has been triggered by a 24 hour stomach virus I got 2 months ago.

But we don't know anything for certain yet, the tilt table test (one of the ways to diagnose this) pretty much confirms my hypothesis that I have POTS, but what exactly is causing this is uncertain. I want to get lots of neuro labs done to check adrenaline like chemical balances in my body as well as other things to figure out the cause.

For now I am going to try EXERCISE (hopefully get my hands on Dr.Levine's protocol) because that is the #1 thing that has been most effective for POTS patients, and have cured them in a matter of months (instead of the contrary, waiting 2-5 years for the symptoms to go away - if they ever do).

If this is POTs, I have diagnosed myself Very early on (compared to some that were not told they had it for YEARS). So I think I have a good chance at whooping it in the butt. In the mean time I am not happy about this at all, because it seriously is effecting even everyday chores and homework I need to do to graduate.


Please keep me in prayer.

The Month of My Birthday

By the grace of God, I will soon make it to my 22nd birthday, March 30th...seriously.

This month has been accompanied by very worrisome heart issues. I have been experiencing tachycardia and bloating/burping/lightheadedness after meals, ever since I had a painful stomach virus come and go January 10th. It is terrifying to feel your heart irregularly thrust out of your chest and race like it forgot how to beat. It is equally very uncomfortable when you are not able to calm the anxiety and tightness in breathing that accompanies the 'episodes'...it has left me scared to eat or sleep:/


One thing I can say is that I have learned So much about the body from research to diagnose myself, learning from thousands of others who experienced the same symptoms with no explanation. I learned about the atrial and ventricle of the heart, the SV node, the parasympathetic nervous system and the vagus nerve, the stomach and hiatal hernias, low blood pressure, heart attacks, GERD, reflux, PVC's, MVP's, probiotics, digestive enzymes, magnesium, detox's, everything I would not have learned if this didn't happen.

But I am still here, still praying, still working hard. If I go, I go, I have done all that I could. For now I will continue to drink my chamomile tea that quiets my heart issues while doctors try to figure out the problem...

My heart aches more when I read about brain tumors in young boys, babies not breathing, children suffering from the bombings in Syria...I have it so good even with this health problem. We need to step up and do something to educate society, we can't just sit here and watch it happen any longer.

Please God, use me to make a difference in this world and strip me from the pride that accompanies a successful life.



I am working hard to graduate, finishing up my Senior Thesis shortly. I will have a release behind the scenes preview out in a week or so, so keep your eyes open.
I will leave you with a few fun photoshoots I did that was inspired by my boyfriend's genius idea. Hope you enjoy them:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Winter Season, my least favorite season of the whole year. But one of the most beautiful I must say. Truly tests my strength to withstand the cold, especially in Michigan this last school year;)

I have not been able to show you anything I have been working on this previous semester. I have put much of my efforts and time into my Senior Thesis, which will be displayed in April of this new year! So until then, you guys will just have to wait to see what I am cooking, but I'll let you know, it smells good. I am excited.

As for this winter break, I couldn't just sit around and do nothing with my photography, so after being inspired by Ulric Collette, I photographed and morphed my immediate family members with each other to see the similarities/differences in genetics.

My Mother and I

My Sister and my Dad

My Sister and I

I now own a PET SNAKE! I am so interested in this creature, his name is Kenji. So I decided to do a fun little photoshoot of another snake, an albino corn snake, called Steve and see what we could get.

Meet Kenji

Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR folks!
Be safe this 2014, don't die not knowing what you believe!

UPDATED: Watch Series from my Spring Semester

Care to see the series I created last May for my studio final? Here's a few:

Senior Year at Andrews University

This is it for me guys, the last stretch. I am so thankful to this day that I came to Andrews, one of the best decisions I have ever made, I see it in my work too.

This semester I am working on creating a physical portfolio for clients, as well as learning basic CGI on the side and begining my Senior Thesis Project to display at next semester's BFA Exhibition. I wish I could update you on my progress so far, but unfortunately I will not be allowed to disclose that information until the exhibition date.

Watch a fun time lapse video I created over the summer - make sure your volume is up:




You are welcome to view a video I made of my Dad's honey process. Just a fun one day film:

This Summer in Michigan

What an amazing summer! I personally am having a lot of fun, I can't really figure out why. Most of my friends have left to go back home for the summer, there isn't much to do in this tiny town of Berrien, and my boyfriend is always working and at school, but yet I am really enjoying my summer. I LOVE my apartment! And now He has basically handed me a new roommate for the school year that looks to be a perfect match! I get to see Tim every day (just a few buildings down from me) and we eat and cook together, read together, play games together, go out in nature together, watch epic documentaries together, and just simply hang out together a few hours a day. I am so glad I left all that I had at MICA to be here. Also, in a matter of ONE WEEK, I have been preparing some of the most delicious dishes that have been making people on instagram and facebook jealous after NEVER having a knowledge or a CLUE about the kitchen! Who would have known it would be fun and rewarding health wise?

My internships are going well. But I still question why one of them accepted me. When I go there, the knowledge they share with me is BEYOND over my head. It actually makes me really sad, because it is things my college does not even teach us. No one at my college knows the programs they know. Not even MICA taught the things they are doing in the creative field now. It is so eye opening, and terribly frightening to me, but it appears that photography is still needed as of now (even the demand is going down), and photoshop seems to be a necessary program when working in conjunction with these other fields like CGI, Nuke, After Effects, etc. I have so much to learn, its frightening, and I really WANT to learn it all, and I think I could do a great job at it (seeing as how I have a drawing and painting and sculpting background), but when will I have the time or resources to learn it all? Will God grant me with a job that will allow me to learn these awesome programs? I hate the feeling of desiring something so strongly, but feeling like it's too far to grasp. Who knows, I can only pray somehow I get the chance to learn them.

Jobs and the 'real world' is scary. If there is anything I learned this summer, it is that money is tight and jobs are very hard to come by when you are a college student. It is relatively easy to find jobs that have you doing labor that breaks your back (perhaps literally) for a crappy $8 an hour, but what is that? We need to start raising minimum wage and stop being taxed so heavily. Its a crime. I hope this whole expensive college degree is worth it in the end. I know it was for me experience wise.



BTW: Here is a little video Tim and I put together for one of the Sabbath Days here in Michigan. Listen to the words.
Enjoy.



Last night was a long night. Amtrak is how I have been getting to Chicago and back for one of my internships...however it is pretty unreliable. The other week I got on the 1 hour late train, only to find out that they had a speed restriction of 15mph and were not letting anyone off of the train. We were suppose to arrive in Chicago at 8:45am, but instead arrived at 2:15pm!!!! I was furious!
Yesterday, as I was in line to board the 6:10 train, I was approached by the conductor who told me that there was a derailment on our track and that I was going to be escorted by bus to my destination. No one knew anything. The woman I waited in line with told me how she just got off of a train from Dallas Texas that had a 2 hour delay because they hit something on the tracks. As I waited for them to schedule a bus together for us, they told us it would be another half an hour, then another hour, so I decided to take measures into my own hands and I went home on the South Shore line and officially arrived home at 11:30pm. What a long day.
But as I sat on that train and listened to Lecrae and Trip Lee, I remembered all of the homeless people I walked past when I was rushing to get to the South Shore train in time. I didn't stop to smile, I didn't give them a penny. No one did. One of them was even a college student sitting on the ground looking pitiful. I should have asked what his story was. Instead, I have often trained myself to not have too much pity on strangers, otherwise I will feel incredibly guilty, responsible and feel the need to step out of my comfort zone. That is so hard for us to do. How can I help? What can I do to make any difference? I suppose words of encouragement is more important than money, or even a simple smile, or any source of interaction could do wonders for the soul that money could never do. If anyone knows how cold people are, it must be them. And there I was, worrying if I would have enough money to get home and buy myself some dinner, when they probably went without dinner for nights. Ughhh the sad reality. I guess we can't expect the world to change unless we change ourselves first.

Truth to think on.


Thank you God.

Summer... in just a few weeks

Can you believe it?  We get out of school May 2nd!  I still need to find an apartment up here so I can stay in Michigan, and finalize a roommate situation, but that should happen by the end of next week.  I contacted a ton of great photographers in the Chicago area, and God has really opened some amazing doors for me this summer regarding internships.  Some of them look very promising, though I know I will need money for gas/food/rent if any of this is going to work.  I am praying that God will work out a way for me to get the money I need to survive this summer - my first summer ever on my own.  This is exciting!!  I am so blessed to have a God that loves me and helps me with everything.  I know He hears me.

I thought you guys might enjoy another video of my process on how I put together my most recent photograph.  Tim came up with the idea actually, I was the one who executed it.  It was a lot of work but it was fun:)




Final Shot:

Spring Break Already

In just a few more days, it will be officially Spring Break at my school.

This semester has been a tough one as always, but worth it.  I am enrolled in an all intensive Advanced Web Design class, which I have already created work that I am proud of.  My favorite class this semester (as usual) is the Studio course.  I am also taking Business of Photography, and I think I am learning a Lot I had never even thought about before.  It will be good for me learn.

This summer I have decided I want to stay here in Michigan and try to take a stab at possibly renting out one of the studio's myself and getting a better handle on lighting altogether.  It will be an amazing opportunity to have access to my own personal studio 24/7, not to mention being able to shoot in studio when clients ask.  My issue is finding the clients, how do you go about doing that as a starting photographer?  So many questions I hope to soon get answers for.  I wish every BFA program in all colleges will implement a Business course for their students, as well as a marketing and communications course for their major.  It would be so helpful to learn.

That is what internships and real world experience is for though, right?  That is something else I will hopefully be doing this summer.  I am praying that God leads me to the right photographer that I can intern under this summer, possibly one in Chicago.  But not only that, I need a source of income - a job, or jobs.  So I am really praying He can help me.  Whatever happens this summer, I pray that it will be for the better, and it will be experience gained (even if it is just learning how to find an apartment and pay bills).  An experience I have not yet had before.


Here is some of my work from this semester:

And lastly here is the parallax scrolling website I designed for my Web Design midterm.  There are still some flaws I did not get time to work out.  It is really meant for large viewing on big screens and fast internet access. But please do check it out!