Monday Photo Dump: Week 14 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

This week my hubby was out in the field (still) so I had a lot of down time.  This meant that I actually got out and did some stuff this weekend, and I think as a result got some fun pictures. 3-29-14: I spent my Saturday evening wandering Savannah and taking pictures of One Love's Paws for a Cause event.  They had dancers performing and, seeing that I minored in dance and have a strong interest in the subject, I really enjoyed photographing it. 3-30-14: Sunday I went with some friends and some dogs out to the beach at Hilton head.  This dog (sassy) had the time of her life chasing water droplets.  I'm pretty sure she can fly! 3-31-14: I got my exercise this week with some tennis. I attempted to use my phone's camera as an experiment to how well it works. Not very well, it turns out. If this had a proper exposure it wouldn't have been half bad though. Does any know any manual camera apps for android? 4-1-14: I've been really enjoying how differently I'm able to grocery shop with my hubby not around.  If I want salami and brie for dinner I can do it, and nobody is here to complain! 4-2-14: I got a remote shutter release for my camera and spent some time messing around with it. I was going for a model-like photo, but I guess I'm better off behind the camera, because I do NOT know how to pose myself.  I accidentally got this shot of myself and Jerry playing though. 4-3-14: Another cell phone pic! This is one of the Petsmart cats being all belly's up and cuddly, which, after my day at work, I really needed. 4-4-14: I bought a new 35mm lens and took it downtown to do some street photography. This was one of the first shots I took with it. I love this lens!

And that's it for this weeks photos.  Next week will kick off with Jerry at the beach and some sharkless shark fishing. Stay tuned!

Monday Photo Dump: Week 12 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

This week has been a bit different than usual for me. It's been all about me time.  My hubby has been in the field since Wednesday which means that my week can be summed up in just a few words- dogs, cats, bubble baths, books, and wine.  And work, but I try to ignore that part. 3-22-14- I met these two cuties at the adoption event with One Love at Tailspin on Saturday.  I was soo close to taking them home.  If I was a single woman, I would have a house full. 3-23-14 Just some pretty flowers because spring has sprung. 3-24-14: Over the weekend I broke my phone (it was my first time ever breaking a phone). But I was able to use it as an excuse to upgrade back to an android.  It was kind of disappointing because I really like the idea of the windows 8 operating system, but it just didn't run well enough. 3-25-14: Saturday was my husband and my anniversary. We've been keeping this charm bracelet since we were dating and the idea was to add a charm every year.  We were a bit behind so he ordered some to catch up.  Each charm represents a year in our marriage except the first two which are for when we were dating, and our wedding. 3-26-14: This was the first day of the field for my hubby. I took  this as an opportunity for my kindle, a glass of wine, and a nice long bubble bath. 3-27-14: I'm excited because the plant that I thought I had killed just sprouted some new leaves. 3-28-14: Jerry and I have been getting a lot of quality time together with the hubster away.  I think he even listens when I have conversations with him (uh oh am I crazy?).  This is his interested face.

So that's it for this week's photos.  Next week will be jumping off with Sassy, the amazing flying dog.  Curious? Check back to find out what I'm talking about.

Monday Photo Dump: Week 12 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Here we are facing another Monday. I'm still sick. In fact today I am call in from work amounts of sick, so I've spent the whole morning on the couch reading Divergent, cuddling with my pets, and feeling all around crappy. But, I'm taking a break from all of that to share this week's photos.

3-15-14: We start off in the heart of Savannah's St. Patty's day celebrations. This holiday is kind of a big deal here, for some odd reason, so the party lasted all weekend long.  We went out on Saturday with some friends and I did some drinking and street photography. I wrote a quick post about it and shared some pictures here.

3-16-14: Sunday I revisited some old music that I used to love as a teenager and realized I've not developed an attachment to music in the same way since then. There is something about hiding out in the orange and yellow bedroom of my teenage years reading Ray Bradbury and listening to A Ghost is Born that in some ways, I'll never beat.

3-17-14: Monday was shopping day 'cause I was in desperate need of a new pair of running/work shoes. I made a first attempt at product photography, which, although it's a bit dark, I think I did pretty decent on (especially since I was working with natural light).

3-18-14: On Tuesday Sam took in this absolutely adorable foster puppy who we both got instantly attached to (for me, all it took were some puppy kisses).

3-19-14: Wednesday I decided to revisit my writing after coming to the realization that I never write anymore, so I busted out this old tattered journal.

3-20-14: More writing on Thursday, but this time in the form of poetry.  Inspiration hits at such random times for me (I wrote most of this in my head while counting jewelry at work), but it's such a great feeling when it happens.

3-21-14: Friday I did an impromptu photo shoot with Sam, her jeep, and the setting sun. I'm so excited with how this shot turned out!

That's it for this week.  Next week's photo dump will be kicked off with the cutest puppies in the world, so stay tuned!

Monday Photo Dump Week #10 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's time for another Weekly Photo Dump! This week was rainy and awful, but the weekend was gorgeous. I spent the weekend outside (yet didn't bring my camera, what was I thinking?) and then spent the rest of the week playing with dogs and eating (hey, my two favorite things.

So without further ado:

3-1-14: Okay so technically this was taken the night before, but since I had to work early Saturday morning, and this is what we were doing the night before, I think this gives you a good idea of how my Saturday felt- sleep deprived.

3-2-14: Sunday was also spent outside, somehow without my camera. Although I wasn't able to get any pictures of my adventures, my hubby did let me take this quick portrait of him and my dobe, Jerry.  I can't believe how big that dog has gotten!

3-3-14: My Monday consisted of work and then hours spent at the car dealership while they figured out that they needed to replace my transmission.  This is how I felt about things.

3-4-14: And then came the rain.  A five minute storm flooded my yard, and then we were stuck in the cold, wet, gross weather for the rest of the week.

3-5-14: I used to be totally scared of raw chicken. It freaked me out. But this chicken is about to be delicious!

3-6-14: Thursday I decided to embrace the rain and play with my friend Sam's dog Sassy.  She was not phased by the nasty weather. She just wanted to play!

3-7-14: I spent Friday playing with the dogs too.  Magnum was so kind as to pose for me.  He looks so dignified here!

After my missed photo opportunities this weekend I decided to take my camera with me more places, and I am much happier with this week's photos because of it.  Sticking to this idea, I already have some great photos for next week including a day at the shooting range.  I'm excited to bring some new life into this project and see where we can go with it.  Stay tuned!

Monday Photo Dump: Week 9 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Phew! It's been a crazy week. I got stuck working two night shifts next week with not a whole lot of break between that and my day shift.  I may have worked less hours, but I am still recovering from the lack of sleep. I don't do well without sleep.

And then yesterday, when I was supposed to be posting last week's photos, I spent three and a half hours at the car dealership for them to tell me that I wouldn't have my car for a week while they replace the transmission.  At least it's warranty work.

Anyway, this is going somewhere, I promise. Basically I'm giving you all my excuses for why I'm a) a day late, and b) using cell phone pictures this week.

I had originally planned to do every picture for my 365 with my DLSR, but quite frankly that wasn't doable this week.  My week happened at work, and I can't exactly carry my DSLR around at Sam's and stop work to shoot some pictures. So, although the quality makes me cringe, I'm using some cell phone pictures.

Whew, I'm a bit long winded today, aren't I? Let's get to the pictures.

   1-22-14: Before all the craziness, I spent my Saturday afternoon at an adoption event at Tails Spin in Pooler hanging out with this cool guy and a few other sweet adoptables.  Fulton (the guy in the picture) is a complete lover, and he was posing for pictures left and right.  He also licked my lens at one point.  Nothing like a little dog slobber to make your pictures sharp, huh?

1-23-14: Sunday I went over to some friends' house to do a lifestyle photo shoot with them. I've wanted to do this silhouette shot for some time, I just hadn't found the right subjects and situation. I love the way this turned out.

1-24-14: Yes, it's supposed to be upside down.  My hubby convinced me to go for a jog with him Monday.  Let me just say, I don't jog. I was so sore/tired/defeated by the end of this jog that I pretty much collapsed on the floor afterwards. Once I recovered, I decided to do some yoga for my poor, poor muscles.  Jerry seemed to think it was a game and was running around all over the place, so I took this shot: my view from downward facing dog.

1-25-14: Que the night shift.  This was my "rockin' the night shift" selfie for instagram that I took on the first night when I was consuming way too much caffeine and driving a forklift around 'cause I was bored.

1-26-14: After work I thought I'd go home and crash.  I curled up on the couch and Jerry joined me.  I was exhausted! But I was so amped up on caffeine still that I couldn't sleep. And Jerry's nose was constantly in my face, so that didn't help much.  I ended up watching I Love Lucy all day instead.

1-27-14: My last nightshift was dragging on by the end.  I was still full of caffeine and spent most of the night jamming out to The Fratelli's, but as the last hour came I was losing steam.  I tried to entertain myself by doodling one a post-it note.

1-28-14: This was my recovery day, also spent on the couch watching I Love Lucy (I've decided I'm in love with Ricky Ricardo). This time Gizmo kept me company.

Like I said, it's was a crazy week. This one is off to a rough start, but I'm hoping for smooth sailing from here on out.  We will see. Until then I've got some serious house cleaning to do, so that's all for today!

Monday Photo Dump: Week 7 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

I know I was a bit absent this weekend, but I wasn't able to do my shelter work this week (and may not for a while) so there was no weekly adoptable post to share.  I also spent Saturday celebrating my hubby's birthday which is Tuesday, so I decided to take the weekend off. That said, I'm a little behind on this whole blog thing.  Instead of my usual planning ahead, I have been rushing through in the past half hour or so to edit these weekly photos.

Anyway, let's get right to it, huh?

2-8-14: This was a Saturday workday, cranking out blog posts and working on business cards, among other things.  A photo of my keyboard seemed fitting, since I spent so much time with it.

2-9-14: I followed that up with a Sunday of rest, and a lot of playing with my goofy doberman. He's got crazy eyes!

2-10-14: Let me just warn you right now that this week was all about the food photography.  Judging by the pictures I must have spent this week just eating. Sounds like the perfect week!

2-11-14: As I pulled into the driveway from work, I did this.  Now I get to replace this $300 tire, because I was too lazy to move a jack that was in my way.  I'm a smart cookie! Needless to say, I was a bit angry for the rest of the evening.

2-12-14: Thank goodness I was able to turn that flat-tire attitude around with a day with Sam. She took me to the Asian market where I tried this Basil Seed Drink.  It looks creepy as hell, but it is seriously delicious.

2-13-14: Speaking of weird foods, what better choice is there than celery root?  This stuff looks evil, but it's tasty, I promise.

2-14-14: Ah Valentines day, the day of every year where my lovely hubby buys a little potted rose, and every year I kill it.  Plants and I don't get along. But this year he got it right with some already dead roses (and very pretty ones at that!) along with chocolates just in time to satiate an extreme chocolate craving, shopping, and some lunch at Bonefish Grill. Yup, he definitely got it right!

So there you have it, another week of photos.  I must say, this has been going much better than I originally thought when I planned this 365 project. I thought I'd really struggle, and while I do have some rough days where I have a hard time caring, I've for the most part been really enjoying this project (and all this oh-so-photographable food!)

Friday Photo Dump: Week #4 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

Hey guys! It's that time of week again for a bunch more photos. This week I came up with a last minute theme (I seriously decided as I was taking the first picture).  The theme is:

Outdoors

it's pretty straight forward.  You would think that would be quite easy except for one little thing--

It's been really cold.

Okay I probably have all my readers from up North shaking their heads right now.  Fair enough, it's been really Georgia cold.  But the thing about Georgia cold is that it's not pretty in an "I want to go outside and play in the snow" kind of way.  Things are just brown and dead and cold.  I also haven't been feeling super motivated to leave my house this week, so that left me with the challenge of finding things to photograph in my cold, dead yard.

Let's see how I did.

1-18-14: For Saturday and Sunday I did actually leave my house.  My husband and I took our dog Jerry on a walk at the park.  It was pretty dang cold in the shade, but when these lovely rays of sun showed up it was perfect out! The rare thing about this photo is that my hubby is actually in the picture.  He hates cameras, so this may be one of only a few photos of him this year.

1-19-14: After my dad brought home my childhood kite during Christmas, the hubby and I decided to take it out for a test spin (I never got the chance to use it as a kid).  Well, during this endeavor we learned that Jerry loves kite chasing.  I'm just lucky those big sharp doberman teeth didn't snag my kite!

1-20-14: Did I mention that it's cold out!  Well, I had this brilliant idea that I was going to have a bonfire with the Christmas tree that is still sitting patiently in the backyard.  Turns out I kind of suck at starting fires.  This is the best flame I got.

1-21-14: I took advantage of this blue sky day to take a silhouette picture of the tree in our front yard. I love the crisp lines in this photo.

1-22-14: Here's Jerry basking in the evening sun.  Don't let the warm colors of this photo fool you though. I still had two sweatshirts on.

1-23-14: The Christmas tree is still in the backyard.  I should really do something about that.

1-25-14: It's just another beautiful, blue sky, sunny day.  And freezing.  I had to continuously pause from my paperwork at work this morning in order to breathe on my hands to warm them back up.  And that was inside the store!

And that's it for this week.

Since I've used this word entirely too much in this post, I've come up with a theme for next week and it is: Cold.

I'm still on the hunt for new themes, so if you have any ideas please leave them in the comments.

See ya next time!

Friday Photo Dump: Week #1 | Mikaela Joy: Savannah Lifestyle Photographer

If you read my last post you know that in honor of the new year, I've started a 365 photo project in which I will get out my DSLR and take a photo of something, anything at all, every day for a year. Seems like an easy enough task right?

Well I'm pretty bad at sticking to big, time consuming projects, so the idea here is that if I post about it on my blog all the time there will be something or someone holding me accountable.

I'm counting on you, people.

Anyway, I've decided that every Friday (yes I know, I'm a day late already, but in my defense I hadn't really decided what I was planning yet until today) I'm going to post a photo-dump of the seven pictures that I've taken for the week.  They may come in collage form in the future, I haven't really decided yet.

When I'm done I'm thinking I'll create a photo book representing everything I saw this year.  We shall see.

So this is Week #1 of my weekly photo dump.

Let the photos commence!

January 1st, 2014: This is a photo of a fallen bud from a plant that my aunt and uncle gave me during their post-christmas visit at my house.

Each time one of these falls my cats totally freak out.  It's great.

January 2nd, 2014: I was making broth for Thai soup and when I dumped the spice packet in it just looked so pretty.  We Americans have such boring spices, I think, because when I made this broth the house smelled amazing, in a completely different way than my cooking has ever smelled before.

January 3rd, 2014: So when I woke up the morning of this picture, I saw my cat playing in his water dish.  I didn't think much of it until I went to put on my shoes (keep in mind this all happened at 3:45 am as I was supposed to be leaving for work) and found that they were completely wet and sitting in a puddle.  It turns out this little bastard had been scooping water out of his bowl and into my shoes.  Damn cat.

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Ok so this was a bit of a short week seeing how the year started on a Wednesday, but it's a start.

I've also started my sentence a day project, which you can follow at my new twitter page: https://twitter.com/mikaelajoyphoto

Be on the look out for next weeks Friday Photo Dump!

(And if you don't see it, don't forget to give me a hard time about it! Really, it's for my own good)

Until next time!