Social Gatherings

 Hi, all.  Yes, it's one of those weeks--when real-life stuff gets in the way of a decent (and punctual) blog post.  However, attending a very fun social gathering with friends this weekend got me looking at my photos at various events and how sometimes photos taken just to document a good time actually look like Ahtsy works of art.  And, no, they're not entirely unplanned photos--indeed, both Haley and I subject our friends to modeling even during these occasions--but it is pretty cool when really good photos crop up just from hanging out with friends.

Jane at Green Mountain - May 2011

At left is a lovely shot of my dear friend Jane at Green Mountain.  I had taken this shot just last Saturday, and though many people had come and had a great time, I managed to take some (read: a lot of) time out to do some photo studies while also taking a lot of candid shots.  Jane didn't really realized I was taking this photo (much to her chagrin), but I think this shot benefits from the model being unaware of the camera.  Jane's complexion goes very well with bright sunlight and a woodsy background, so everyone join me in telling her shuddap, it is a good picture.

These two photos make me smile, particularly since they consist of an adorable boyfriend and girlfriend pair: Haley and Phillip.  We had gone on a day trip to good ol' Chattanooga, and though these two photos were taken at different times and different locations during that day, they still compliment each other very well based on expression and posture.  Also, they're just so gosh-darn cute, aren't they, kids?  Yeah, they're sickening.  Just sickening.  However, I do like this series of shots, and I am quite pleased with how they turned out.

Lizzi and Sarah - Munich, Germany (May 2008)

This last photo, seen right, is actually a bit more candid.  It was taken in 2008, when my college history class took a trip to Munich, Nuremberg, and Berlin, Germany for two weeks.  Here, we see my friends Lizzi and Sarah enjoying the spoils of the outside market in Munich.  I am fond of the ladies' expressions, which depict their characters very well: bright and sunny.  This photo also represents a very enjoyable time of my life, as this was the first time any of us three had set foot in Germany (and I liked it so much that I returned to work).  Carefree nostalgia comes into play, and the photo's visual interest is just good enough to catch the audience's eye.

Well, that's it from me.  Perhaps you'll see some candid social bloopers for tomorrow's post...