Beginning

Natalie as Alice 

Thank goodness for endings. I had just spent the better part of three weeks studying and stressing for my mid-semester exams. Have you noticed that studying has the word dying in it? So tonight, I took a little bit of time to myself to decompress from the stress and to evaluate where I am about this whole photography thing.

The photo above was perhaps one of the very first intentional portrait I had taken. I remember that very first photo shoot clearly. I had invited my closest friends to come and be photographed because I had started following Rosie Hardy on flickr for about a year and I had wanted to see if I could create something different and equally beautiful. Within the first few minutes of shooting it felt as if a whole new world has opened up to me.  I loved capturing my friend's beauty and to deviate a little from the real world. This started in 2011, my very first year of university.Adulthood had started to catch up with me and this was my escape.

Photography had allowed me to be as imaginative as a 5 year old without being institutionalised! I was able to play dress up, paint (photoshop) and share my dreams for everyone to see. It was the beginning of something new for me. Fast forward to 2014, I haven't done enough photo shoots as what I would have liked, mainly due to new responsibilities that has arisen since. In between university and working, I had to find a way to keep photography in my life because it was one of the only things that makes me truly happy. In my free time, I would go out of my way to learn new things about photography and to apply it at every opportunity I had. In June this year, I will have finished the first part of my University and I will be dedicating more time to my photography. My journey so far with photography has been beautiful and light but I am ready for a whole lot more. I await patiently for the end of University and to begin my photography journey again.

BE EXCITED ABOUT LIFE AND LIFE WILL BE EXCITED ABOUT YOU!

Today I am feeling inspired.

The one person I can thank for that is Jana Williams.

Who is she?

A new found favourite

Photographer - Youtuber - Person

Ironically, it was not her "Stay Inspired" youtube series

but her blog post that inspired me today.

I have been doing 2 full 8 hour shifts these past two days and unlike yesterday, 

I was not at all motivated to come home and go to the gym or go for a run. 

However, I felt a little spark of motivation and inspiration from reading two of her 

blog post which I will link shortly. 

She has made me see life and photography and this whole journey of creating

a business out of something that I truly love in a different way. 

She quoted Dr Wayne Dryer that "You become what you think about all day long" 

When I thought about it, it made sense! 

It clicked with something that I had been thinking about a lot lately. 

Mind over Matter. 

Each time I go for a run, I get better. 

It wasn't just because I was getting a lot fitter, I doubt much physical changes has occurred.

I realised it was because my will was stronger. 

So today, after reading her post about affirmation

I got up after initially deciding to laze around so I am not too "tired" for tomorrow

and went for a 30 minutes run, meanwhile chanting two things that I had read on Jana's blog. 

"I accept and expect abundance"

and 

"Be excited about life and life will be excited about you"

I went further and kept challenging myself to take the steeper roads and longer track.

I had decided from then on that I don't need any negativity in my life. 

I will just be excited and so excitement will come. 

I will accept life as it comes and focus on the better side of it. 

I have decided to adopt a new way of thinking, to work towards my goals and realise my dreams.

Jana did not only inspire me to run but to do better in all aspects of my life. 

For once I did not procrastinate and it felt wonderful.  

As you can see, I created my very own logo!

I am in love with it and just head over heels excited. 

I am putting this whole photography thing on a fast track. 

I even booked another shoot this weekend with one lovely lady. 

All the while, editing the photos that I have somehow neglected over the past two weeks. 

p.s. I know the photo is irrelevant to the post, but I just finished editing it.. with my new "watermark" 

I'm Inspired.

Love, Thia

The New Year

It's the New Year and I am so excited to start 2014!! With the opening of a new year, I have determined that my goal for 2014 is to build a successful photography business. Although the first half of this year will be time-shared with university commitments, I will be having a nice long holiday between June and the end of February, 2015. I hope by then, I will have all the "systems" of a great business in place so that I can focus most of my time on the creative side.

That being said, I will be building up my portfolio for the first 2 months of this year and creating a range of beautifully crafted products and packages. I have a few ideas lined up and I am just too excited to share it with you all!

I wanted to share a few photos from the new year that I have taken on New Years Eve whilst I was up in Sydney with family. I love these photos as not only are they personal, but they resonate with my style of photography for my portrait sessions.

I hope to share many more photographs throughout this year. Have an amazing year! I feel that 2014 will be a great one!!