University Life 101 | Personal

I've been posting mainly personal posts lately—and that is a strange feeling for me. It makes me squirm, the kind of uncomfortable squirming when you're called on in class to talk. Except for since this is my blog, it's probably more like I'm actually the professor. Which is just confusing. 'Cause I'm no prof. ;)

What is the reason behind all these personal posts? Thanks for asking! It's not that I don't have sessions to share—I have those by the bucketload. And it isn't that I don't want to share those, because I so do. My seniors are pretty awesome...not gonna lie! But when you go from living-at-home-on-summer-time to oh-my-gosh-how-do-I-pack-my-life-into-a-car-for-college-time...there isn't as much of those needed moments for editing/resizing/ordering/uploading/writing/blogging.

In short, I'm back in school and learning how to adjust to a 4-year university & living permanently  away from home for the first time ever. And so studies are taking more of a front seat than photos for the first time in, well, years.

So, today, I have a few more personal photos to share of my new life. College life is so very different than living at home...even when you've been at a [community college] for the past three years. It's crazy and full of people, activities, community showers, learning a new kind of time management, someone living in your room, 18 noisy neighbors, bathroom keys, bus systems, lots of learning, and wouldn't you know it, lots of fun!

Thank you all for sticking with me through this transition. (Especially you friends from home who have called/texted/messaged/snapchatted me as I've moved to Iowa State & started classes—you all are the best!) I'm so excited to get involved in this community and to learn from both professors & people here to help me be become better at both photography & living life with all of you.

my bedroom...probably the cleanest it has been in years.

learning how to put together a futon...a story for another time;) before & after!

exploring my new classrooms with my twin/friend. together we're amelia^2. 

it's fun to have a best friend with the same name!

(left) first ever session on ISU campus! (right) starting to decorate my desk with photos, of course!

my DIS (Destination Iowa State) group on our photo scavenger hunt. 

one of the athletic centers here. SOOO PRETTY!

made dinner with new and old friends. I love living in community with people! 

first Larch-Wolf house meeting! (our dens are used as rooms, so we met between the elevators.)

(left) last but not least, my cheesy first-day-of-class selfie. (right) my roommate, Audrey, is great. she came into our room last night after her run & read 1 Peter out loud to me 'cause she loves it so much. LOVE.

Love always & always,

Amelia:)

summer nights | personal

the best summer nights are the ones spend in community—eating good food, talking about real life, and doing meaningful activities. and by meaningful, I mean laughing until your face hurts at the dogs chasing a stray cat, fathers who say they "don't house flip—I cat flip!" and dancing in the yard with mega-sparklers.

that's my favorite way to do life.

what are some of your favorite memories of this summer? leave a comment (anon is ok...but I'd love it if you share your name!) & tell me all about it:)

luke + kayla | engaged!

 

i wanted to blog every single stinkin' photo from these two's session! it was such a joy to spend a perfectly golden (& buggy...that part wasn't so perfect;) summer evening with them. kayla is one of my childhood friends, and her family relocated to australia a few years ago to work with college students there. luke is australian...and his good looks paired with his dang sweet accent stole kayla jo's heart. 

these two will wed january 4th in australia, and i'm so honored to be there—NOT as a photographer, but a bridesmaid!!! this will be my first time ever in a wedding party and i am SO SO SO excited! (don't worry, y'all...i'll still be taking my camera.) 

if you could travel anywhere in the world this next year, where would you go? dream a little with me & share it in the comments! :)

the night the merrills came for dinner | lifestyle

 

these are just a very modest sprinkling of the photos taken on my dslr last night. in black & white, because i want to really look at them, to see the moments, the emotions, the thoughts that color sometimes over-saturates. 

i want to remember tonight. cat-flipping, elizabeth's multiple iPhone selfies on my cell, holding hands with smaller ones, listening to daniel's ramblings & ryan's animal facts, and gladly letting 5 year old fingers style my hair even tho it means it gets tangled.

lifestyle is about the moments now, the ones you want to keep in your heart forever. if you want to spend an evening outside enjoying these forever moments with me capturing them, i will—because i know how much these photos mean to me.

Tim + Ellie | 2013 Wedding | Cedar Falls Wedding Photographer

you know i'd fall apart without you

i don't know how you do what you do

'cause everything that don't make sense about me

makes sense when i'm with you

hunter hayes || wanted

ellie + tim's day was an intimate day, full of lots of family & close friends. they opted for a first look (my favorite!) and it started this day full of love off on a sweet note.

these two wed in the church i grew up in. it was where i shot my first ever wedding, and was a treat for me to be back there to capture these moments. tim's face...nothing can subtract from the moment a bride walks down the isle!

love always,

amelia renee:)