Eek!

Sorry I've been such a blog posting slacker! It's been totally crazy re-adjusting to school life + work! I promise to post a few pictures over the next two days to make up for what I missed. :)

The Playground

The Playground
August 2008

Well, I survived my first day of school as a senior! It was rather uneventful actually. I have 3 study halls in a row {with lunch in the middle} on Wednesdays. Today, to fill up some of that time, Christine and I went outside to recess with the 1st-3rd graders. Of course I made Christine push them on the swings while I took pictures. :)

I took this picture of my cousins {from 2 different sides of the family}, Grant & Carson. They both started first grade and this was their first time having recess. I just thought they were adorable--watching the s on the swings. And they both look so stylin' with their new clothes on. :)

I played up on the cloudy day effect and reduced the color saturation in the photo. It almost gives it a vintage feel--which I love.

Stay tuned for more pictures of the lovely students at RTCS!

Back to School!

School's Out
June 2008

We had our annual "Back-to-School Night" this evening. Very exciting!! It's such a strange and foreign feeling to be so ready and excited to go back, but I am. I'm pumped to have a fantastic senior year. I'm also completely happy about all of my classes this year: AP World Literature, AP European History, Christian Apologetics, Advanced French, Art, Choir, Music Theory, Music Ensemble, Elementary Music Teacher's Aid, Chapel Planning, Senior Project, College Prep., Yearbook, Newspaper, and Gym. Oh man! That sounds like a lot when you actually type it out...eek! Most of the elective classes only meet about once a week though...so I guess it's not too bad. I'm so thankful for all of the musical experience I'm going to get this year. It looks like I'll be spending somewhere around 9 periods a week in the Music room! Yes!! Plus, the fact that I've managed to scrape by with absolutely no science or math classes fills me with joy. :) I really can't wait to start my senior year. I know the Lord has great things planned for me and I'm so excited to see what they are!

I posted this picture today mostly out of irony. I took it on the last day of last school year. The locker room is always a disaster on the last day. This trash can was just randomly sitting in the middle of the room. Decorating my locker is one of my favorite things about the first week--and taking it all down is my least favorite part of the last week. I'm pretty sure this year I'll probably sob the whole time. :)

First Birthday

Birthday Boy
August 2008

Yesterday our family celebrated my cousin Braeden's 1st birthday. Isn't he completely adorable?
They got him his own personal cake and watching him eat it was priceless. But even more hilarious was watching him later--all sugared up. :)

Are you sure this is ok, Mom?

Washing it down with some milk.

And...he's had enough.

Hippie Love

Hippie Love
August 2008

My friends constantly tease me about being a hippie--and I'm completely at peace with that {pun definitely intended.} Sure, I love weird music, tie-dye, my long curly hair, worn out jeans, and hemp jewelry. I found a quote in a magazine that I think describes me really well: "bohemian-modern, with an eclectic flea-market vibe." I'm also pretty sure that my artsy tendencies show through in my work as an aspiring photographer.

When most people think of hippies, they think back to the 60s and 70s--Vietnam, free love, Greenwich Village, peace signs, long hair, etc. From a Christian's stand point, most of these things have negative connotations. The so-called "hippies" of the 60s took Biblical principles and ran with them in a sinful direction. Peace and love are 2 of the top 9 signs that the Holy Spirit is working in a person's life (Gal. 5:22.) What would our world would be like if the Church took as strong a stand for these things as the residents of Greenwich Village did?

So do I consider myself a "hippie"? Am I all about peace & love? You bet. But the kind that only Jesus can bring. :)

Orange

Orange
March 2007

This is one of the flowers I received during my school's production of The Music Man. Our dining room table was seriously covered in vases--I had dozens and dozens of flowers. I especially loved the vibrant and unique color of this one. It stood out to me among the "crowd"of bouquets.

Hands

Hands
August 2008

The hands in this picture belong to my friends, Forrest {David} Williams and Alex DeVore. The Williams family was in Pittsburgh this week to move David into Geneva College (woo!) Alex found out about my love for photography and requested a photo shoot...and of course, I embraced the opportunity. :) I'll probably be posting one or two more pictures of them in the next week or so.

I've decided that I really like taking picture of hands. I seem to gravitate toward them unintentionally (see The Challenge.)

Reflection

Reflection
May 2008

This is one of those pictures where every way you turn it, it still looks cool.

We were outside for youth group one evening, and I noticed the sunlight was providing perfect reflections in the puddles from an earlier storm. My friend, Nate, graciously agreed to be my . :) My favorite thing about this picture is that the clouds are also reflected. It makes his reflection look like he's standing on top of the world or something.

The Close of Autumn

The Close of Autumn

Fall 2006

You'll most likely figure this out for yourself after awhile, but fall is by far my favorite season. Pittsburgh is just absolutely stunning--I just love the colors and the cool weather. Therefore, expect to see many more fall pictures over the next few months. :)

The title of this picture comes from a song by one of my favorite bands, Caedmon's Call.

"The Close of Autumn"
When I'm cold and alone all I want is my freedom
And a sudden gust of gravity.
I stop wailing and kicking
Just to let this water cover me, cover me.
Only if I rest my arms, rest my mind
You'll overcome me and swell up around me.
With my fighting so vain, with my vanity so fought
I'm rolling over.

(Chorus)
'Cause in just the same way
That the stream becomes swollen
Swollen with cold up over the ground
When my heart draws close to the close of autumn
Your love, your love abounds

All the time I'm thinking
Wondering how would it be
To breathe in deep.
I guess I need to be careful
When I ask for a drink.
(Just might get what I ask for.)
And I know just what you'd say to me,
That's why I don't ask you.
I'm like a bullheaded boy these days,
Crying my toy's gone...
You're shiny and new.
(repeat chorus)
Guess I'll drop my anger here
Before I float away
And the chains around me
An awful lot of talking
I don't leave you much to say
You didn't ever leave me
And my greatest fear
Was you'd leave me here
A long time back my feet
Could touch the bottom

I personally, as well as this picture, can really relate to this song. So often I have to get to the point of feeling completely overwhelmed, swollen, and tired of fighting before I allow myself to simply be covered in Christ's abounding love. I see myself as the withering plant in the picture. It is surrounded by the evidence of God's love and care, but it continues to wither. At the same time, it can't possibly heal itself. It can only be made new when God sends the sunshine and rain to nourish it. It is the same with us, as Christians. We can only be healed and nourished by the means of grace and the Holy Spirit working in our lives.

I am blessed to attend a school & church that are located on beautiful "rolling hills" of Western Pennsylvania. We have amazing trails through the woods behind our building. I took "The Close of Autumn" on the edge of, what we like to call at RTCS, "The Frolic Place" (pictured in the above two pictures.) This is one of my favorite places ever--especially during the peak of fall. As you can see, the hills and trees and sky are just spectacular. I also find something overwhelmingly peaceful about this place. It's a small bit of God's vast creation pristinely preserved, in the midst of busy Robinson Township, for us to enjoy! I've spent a lot of time in these woods and naturally took a lot of pictures too. So now if I refer to the RTCS woods or The Frolic Place you'll have a better idea of what in the world I'm talking about! :)

p.s. If you attend Providence or RTCS and haven't made the hike through the woods....do it! (And invite me!}

The Call

The Call
October 2007

One of my favorite things about photography is the ability to alter the audience's perception of the object. By getting down on his level, I was able to make this plastic soldier look like a bit more than just a toy {although, the Heiple kids probably thought I was crazy for taking pictures of their toys.}

I just love his body position and the fact that he's on the phone/radio. It brings so much more mystery and open interpretation to the picture. Who is he calling? Why? Is someone attacking? Did his tank break down? Or does he just need a sandwich or something? Personally, I'd go with something more dramatic, like: he has just discovered a traitorous soldier's plans to murder their lieutenant and he's calling his base to warn him of the impending danger. But that's just me. :)

The Challenge

The Challenge

June 2008

This picture was pretty much a test of my skill, set up by my dear friends Jessie Lavor {owner of the hands} and Heather Peters. They challenged me to take something completely random {the domino} and make it look awesome and "artsy." And, always up for a challenge, this picture was born! They said I passed their test with flying colors...what do you think? Personally, I think that Jessie's wrist apparel is what makes it great. :)

p.s. I would love it if someone came up with an amazingly deep and metaphorical meaning for this picture. Go! :)

Bat and Ball

Bat and Ball
May 2008

Due to my complete and total lack of all athletic ability, sometimes I find myself with time to kill during gym. This picture is an example of that. It was a beautiful day and I took somewhere around 200 pictures during our 80 minute gym class. This was my favorite shot of the day. I took it in color and edited it later. I'm pretty sure it's better this way. :)

I'm hoping to advertise this picture as one that would be great for a boy's bedroom. My brother already has a framed copy in his! Hopefully, my work will be available for purchase in the next month or two. Stay tuned. :)

** A Note on Commenting:
(since so many people have asked me about it...)
1. Click on "__ comments" at the bottom of the individual post
2. Type your comment in the given box
3. Type in the word verification
4. Choosing your ID:
-- you can either sign in with your google (gmail) account --> which if you don't have gmail, you should stop everything you're doing and get it :)
-- or you can also sign in through wordpress/aim/live journal/type pad

* Seriously though, I do highly recommend creating a google account. It's quick and free and gives you access to several awesome google features (such as gmail, calendar, etc.) Plus, it'll be super easy to leave comments on my blog!

My Love Goes Free

My Love Goes Free
June 2008

I'll start off by saying, it took forever to get this shot. I tried at least a dozen times before I got it the way I wanted it (it's a good thing I was so near the airport!) It was definitely worth the time I spent though. At this point, this is one of my personal favorites. Everything just seems perfect--the clouds, the perceived size of the plane, the focus on my hand, the direction of the plane.

The name of this photo comes from a song by one of my favorite artists, Jon foreman:

"My Love Goes Free"

The Movement comes in slow
It's a tune we both should know
But the walls are thin
So we keep our voices low

You're a bird with a pretty mouth
You're a bird with songs to shout
And the same refrain continues
Singing out
If you love her let her go
She sings beautiful and slow
A tune that only caged birds know

So you're in Nashville on the phone
And I'm back here at home
And the words are new
But I recognize the tone

If you love her let her go
She's beautifully composed
A tune that only caged birds know

My love goes free...
My love goes free...
My love goes free...

I just love the imagery in this song. The idea of the caged bird's song has stuck with me since I first heard it. When I took this picture, I almost immediately thought of this song. {Caution: you're about to enter Jamie's thought process...} Now, I know that's it's a plane and not a bird in this picture, but I think it conveys the same basic idea. Consider the fact that the plane is somewhat blurred as a suggestion to think of it on a more metaphorical level. You can still see it being set free, with the whole sky before it. Who knows. Maybe I'm just trying to make more out of my work than what's really there. I'd love to hear what you think about this song and this picture and how they fit {or don't fit} together.

Mile 33

Mile 33
August 2006

This is one of my "classics", if you can even say that about a picture that's only two years old. I took it on the Bay Bridge {in Maryland} on our way to visit the Williams family. To be completely honest, I have no idea how I did this. But we'll just say that it's innate skill. :) I actually took it with my old camera, which served me well, but was nothing special. Oh, and there is zero editing on this picture--which makes me even more proud of it.

I just love the contrast of the focused bright green with the blurred/muted blues and grays. It really makes this picture. It would probably be quite boring otherwise. I also love that the sign looks a bit old and worn. I think it gives it more character.

Thank you to everyone who is already faithfully reading all of my posts! I'd love to hear your comments, questions, suggestions. I'm always looking to improve!

Across the Tracks

Across the Tracks
June 2008

I'm hoping to post a picture every day {or realistically, every other day} and just share some of my thoughts about it.

The legs in this picture belong to one of my best friends of 17 years, Miss Annie Donahoe. This railway was located next to an amazing rose garden {which I'm sure I'll be posting some pictures of} near her home in Charlotte, North Carolina. I'm a big fan of all things train related, so I was really excited to take some pictures there. This turned out to be my favorite shot. I just love the angle and the subdued brown tones. I also love that her one leg is slightly blurred--in action.

This photo makes me think of a Tracy Chapman song, "Across the Lines,"that Annie & I listened to on my visit there. Annie actually did two paintings that were inspired by this song {both are rather spectacular, if I do say so myself.} The song presents the injustice that can cause. This song challenges you to cross the line that "separates whites from blacks." Definitely worth a listen...

It also reminds me of a verse in Isaiah:
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"--Is. 52:7

I think this verse fits perfectly with my theme of pilgrimage. Our feet are the physical means God has given us to embark on our pilgrimage to proclaim his Word. They are beautiful in his sight {that's right, Jess!} when we use them to proclaim the salvation he has given us.

Meet Alice

I figured since I let you all know a little about myself, I should introduce you to my partner in crime, Alice. She's a Nikon D40 and I love her. :) If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for naming...well...things. Naming my camera Alice was inspired by...you guessed it!--Alice in Wonderland--one of my favorite books. Alice is constantly changing heights, perspectives, locations, you name it. She explores a whole new world simply through her own imagination. Most of the time I feel like Alice--a very tiny person lost in a HUGE world. So I'm taking it one snap shot at a time. :)
She actually has a really cool back story, which I'll take a few minutes to share. I had been wanting this particular camera for quite some time and had even started putting money aside for it. One day, I came home and there she was! My Dad's good friend, Eric McKenna {owner of Boogie Street Guitars} is continually buying new cameras for his company. My dad mentioned to him that I was saving for this camera and he decided to simply just give me his--lens and all! What a blessing this was to me! I've absolutely loved having this camera so far and can't wait to actually learn how to use it properly!

p.s. This picture was taken by Mr. David Thompson at my school's prom this past year.

What's in a Name?

Welcome to Pilgrim Photography!

I will be using this blog as a way to keep everyone updated on upcoming events, sharing exciting new things I'm learning about the art of photography, as well as promoting some of my work. I'm so excited to get started on my senior project and any other work the Lord calls me {and my camera} to!

As many of you know, I've spent the last few weeks agonizing over finding the perfect name for my photography business. The creative part of my brain wouldn't allow me to just settle for Jamie Stuart photography. I bounced around many ideas before deciding on, what I think is, the perfect name. Let me take a few minutes to explain the meaning behind the name...

Pilgrim Photography

Definition- "One who embarks on a quest for something held sacred."

Now, obviously this isn't the only definition pilgrim can have. I could be referring to the English separatists who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620 or someone who journeys to a religious shrine. But...I'm not. By this definition, I'm referring to myself, as well as everyone else who belongs to the body of Christ. We, as Christians, are on a quest. We are on a quest for godliness. For sanctification. For our eternal home in Heaven. And ultimately, for Jesus. Jesus is the one and ONLY thing we are called to hold sacred. He is our light and our salvation. My hope is that my work will be a visual testimony of my own quest for Jesus. I pray that with each picture, you will be able to see something new and exciting that the Lord has done in my life, and in turn encourage you on your own quest.

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage."
--Psalm 84:5--

I have set my own heart on this blessed pilgrimage and I invite you to join me on it!