Personal

Coming Soon: Cambodia Through My Lens

Greetings from Cambodia!

My Internet/computer access is very limited right now, but I wanted to check in and say hello.

I’m having a fantastic experience and can’t wait to share pictures from my time here when I return. Some things I’ve learned in my time here include:

-Cambodia is hotter than all get-out… seriously, Indiana has nothing on Cambodia when it comes to the heat/humidity factor.

-it reminds me a lot of parts of Thailand, but it’s also very unique. (a popular quote here fits well: “same same, but different”)

-I wish I could capture the sounds, smells, and tastes in addition to the photos I’m taking.

Here are some highlights I look forward to sharing pics from:

-Angkor Wat temples

-getting a fish foot massage

-Center for Global Impact’s training restaurant The Green Mango Cafe & Bakery in Battambang

-a Killing Cave where 10,000 Khmer Rouge killings took place on top of a mountain

-an acrobat circus training school show

-my visit to the morning market with a lovely Khmer woman from the restaurant this morning

I hope you’re having a great summer. I’ll try to check in again soon!

June 26, 2012 | Categories: Personal, Southeast Asia Adventure, Travel | Tags: Cambodia, center for global impact | Leave a comment

My Adorable Nieces and Nephew

Hello there! Sorry for the recent absence in blogging… the end-of-school-year-craziness has taken over my life recently. 🙂

I had the pleasure of photographing some of the cutest kids in the world when my brother’s family and I we were all home in Pennsylvania for Easter. We had a fun time on Westminster College’s campus and a quick stop outside of town for a few more pictures. I was really thankful for the picture practice with such precious kids. If only I could always take my brother and sister-in-law with me when I’m taking pics of kids. They proved to be really entertaining and the smiles came easily! Enjoy the adorableness!

horribly bright lighting, but adorable kid nonetheless! 🙂

May 12, 2012 | Categories: Children, Personal | Tags: children's photography | 5 Comments

Springtime Indiana

Springtime Indiana

You are starting to wake

And I am laden with the thoughts

Of everything I mean to say

I wish I could tell you,

But I just can’t find the words.

(from Springtime Indiana by Sandra McCracken)

I had a lovely Spring Break day last week at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and 100 Acres practicing manual mode on my camera (ok, I admit, I’ve been lazy and usually just shoot in aperture priority mode, but I’m working on that!) and capturing the beauty of spring in Indiana. Enjoy!

April 4, 2012 | Categories: Personal, Travel | Tags: Blossoms, Flowers, IMA, Indiana, Indianapolis, indianapolis museum of art, Spring, Springtime, springtime indiana, travel | 1 Comment

Travel Flashback- One Year Ago in New Orleans

Last year when I went to New Orleans at this time for the TESOL International Convention (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), I remember being so excited to wear flip-flops and lose the winter coat. Hard to believe that this year we’re having such summery weather right now here in Indiana. Anyway, I had a fabulous time revisiting New Orleans and since my next big trip is still a few months away (I know, it’s a rough life I live!), I thought I’d reminisce and share some pics from NOLA in 2011.

Exploring the French Quarter

Heading toward St. Louis Cathedral

I love this one with the light post... I felt like I wasn't in the U.S. anymore.

I love hidden courtyards.

Such great street signs documenting the Spanish names of streets, parks, etc.

The Square by the Cathedral was a great place to walk around and check our art, street performers, etc.

Saw this gem of a wall on my walk back to the hotel.

I miss palm trees.

In the hotel

This was the night of the St. Patrick's Day Parade.

St. Patrick's Day was a fun day for people watching...

Ok, so this might make me a little strange, but I found the cemeteries there SO interesting. This one is St. Louis Cemetery #1 on the north side of the French Quarter.

St. Louis Cemetery #1

One evening I took the free ferry across the river to Algiers Point and had this gorgeous view on the ride back.

Not a bad view for my last dinner of delicious Cajun food in New Orleans...

Couldn't post about New Orleans without a shout out to Cafe du Monde and one of the best breakfast foods ever, beignets.

And, believe it or not, I also found some time to learn about being a better ESL teacher during my time there. 🙂

March 17, 2012 | Categories: Personal, Travel | Tags: beignets, Cafe du Monde, French Quarter, New Orleans, St. Louis Cathedral, St. Louis Cemetery #1, travel | 1 Comment

Super Bowl Excitement (a month late)

Being on time for things has never been my forte…

A little over a month ago, things got very exciting here in Indianapolis when the Super Bowl came to town. Being a big fan of football, I loved joining in the fun and had a great time seeing the Super Bowl festivities. These pictures are nothing special photographically (am I using that word correctly?) due to my camera’s struggles with low-light, but I thought it would be fun to share these shots anyway to give you a taste of the fun that was had here.

They made 33 NFL Indy Cars. In true Mansell style, I tracked down the Steelers car and went to get pictures of it. It was the least I could do since Dad was too far away to do it himself. 🙂

My blog cameo... the car and me. 🙂

Everywhere you turned, there was something about the big game.

It's always fun to see what theme the IPL building comes up with for their lights.

Monument Circle was hoppin'!

I think Indy is a pretty great city.

There was so much to see...

They took the Hampton Inn and changed the name to the Bud Light Hotel... with some added light action on the side.

Roman numerals everywhere!

They took the Indians ballpark and built an insulated sand football field on it for a big party.

Where it all happened...

Capitol Avenue and the zipline (Sadly, I didn't get to ride on it.)

This decoration was pretty fitting for the hotel since it was pretty much built because of the big game.

and on the walk back to the car- my favorite walkway by the capitol building.

March 10, 2012 | Categories: Personal, Travel | Tags: football, Indianapolis, indy cars, JW Marriott, Lucas Oil Stadium, Monument Circle, steelers, Super Bowl | Leave a comment

Family History

When I was home over Christmas break, I had a really great evening chatting with my Dad about his life and our family. I specifically asked him about my Great-Great-Aunt Jennie, for whom I was named. That led to a long chat about my great-grandfather’s family on my dad’s mom’s side. My parents told me to go get out the family Bible that belonged to my great-grandfather’s parents, a Bible I didn’t know they had. I had such a great time looking through that Bible, printed in the 1890’s. It was a great tool to spark conversation about all of my great-great aunts and uncles and I learned so much through our conversation. For example, I didn’t realize that my great-great aunt Jennie’s birthday was the day after mine, that my great-grandfather had 8 siblings, what deeds and wills looked like back then, etc. I hope you enjoy this little glimpse at history.

My great-grandfather's family's Bible from the mid 1890's

The list of my great-grandfather John and his siblings, including my great-great aunt Jennie (born the day after my birthday!)

A Temperance Pledge found in the middle of the Bible- a very interesting read.

Such an important verse

A land deed from 1829

A last will and testament from 1839

The end of a clever letter written to my great-great aunt Nellie in 1904

I'm so thankful for all that I learned about my family from this old Bible!

February 20, 2012 | Categories: Personal | Tags: antiques, Bible, family bible, family history | 1 Comment

Australia- Part 1

Now is the time of year when I like to remember summertime. Granted, I spent much of my summer in Australia’s winter, but it wasn’t quite as cold as Indiana in December, so I’m happy to reminisce. Here is a look back on some beauty I captured during the first part of my trip to Australia in June and July, 2011. I went with my parents and we were able to get some wonderful quality time with my sister, brother-in-law, and four adorable nephews. We were also able to travel north from Sydney to visit our McCown cousins (my mom’s first cousin and his family) in Brisbane and Toowoomba. It was a great summer of making memories. Here are a few examples of the beauty that Australia holds. More to come soon…

Darlington Beach

Animal Encounters (only one was in the wild... can you guess which one?) 🙂

my nephew with his new friend

On the Brisbane River

Along the river in Brisbane

At a park near cousin Jenny's house in Brisbane

View of Brisbane from Mount Coot-tha

December 12, 2011 | Categories: Personal, Travel | Tags: Australia, Brisbane, travel | 1 Comment

A Trip Out East

Over fall break I had a great time traveling out east. I enjoyed time at home in western Pennsylvania, as well as visits in New Jersey and Philadelphia. It was great to visit family and friends and I loved capturing the beauty of fall in some photos. When I was in Philadelphia, I was able to visit the Eastern State Penitentiary, a former American prison where separate incarceration was pioneered (and where Al Capone stayed for a while). We took the last tour before the Halloween haunted tours began, thankfully… it was creepy enough without people jumping out at us. It was a really intriguing place and had some great light streaming in for photos. I was so thankful for a two-week fall break!