On my last morning in Joshua Tree, which was yesterday morning, I woke up before the sun as usual. I took a few shots before the sun began to rise, but they felt a little bit lackluster. It might have been because the sun rose so red and big on the mountain, or because I was feeling energized by the rising warmth in the air. Whatever the reason, I wanted to shoot with the sun behind me, to get that glow that I finally captured. I never shoot in that way, so it was a departure from what I’m used to. Isn’t it incredible how something so small and insignificant as taking a picture in a slightly different way than usual can stir up so many emotions – feelings of doubt and insecurity and excitement?

This month is for trying those new things, both for the experience and to see how I handle them. That is always the trick with trying something new; anyone can do it, but not everyone will handle it the same way. This month I’ve been tweaking the way I work while shooting, editing, and even writing. I’m stretching.

Something as simple as photographing into the sun might seem trivial and banal, and honestly, it is, quite. But for me something so simple represents a shift in the way I think and what possibilities my mind is open to. It excites me because I get a glimpse of the person I might become, and she is free and willing and eager, even in the face of the rising sun…which, by the way, she never would have been okay with even a few months ago.

I wish you lots of growth today. I’m off to shoot my next concept and video and edit that all together, because I’m a day of uploading behind thanks to no Internet and a malfunctioning computer! So, I’ll be back later today with Day 19!

A little while ago I found a big black feather and took it home with me, hoping to use it for a photo. I promptly forgot about it until it suddenly appeared in my car, and I decided to put it to use. I love the way that the human form can be so evocative, expressing emotion much the same way as our faces. Contorting a certain way, lighting a certain way, and through editing we are able to create atmosphere with almost no help from outside elements. In this case I wore an ace bandage and made sure the lighting was more severe than I normally utilize.

I chose to pose against a wall that had only one light source: a window coming from the left. After that, it became simple to find a pose that felt right, and the shoot was over quickly.

How often do you use a white wall or blank canvas to create your art? Share it if you’ve shot it!

I had been in Hawaii for 10 days, in the most beautiful weather, and I was about to fly home that night. The plan was to drive up to the top of a crater and take in the view before driving back down and getting straight on a plane. Of course the artist in me would never allow that. My friends stayed warm in the car and then went to catch the sunset. They yelled for me to join them but I was having my own, private moment in the middle of a raining cloud.

I felt completely alone. I was miserable for part of the shoot. I was cold and wet and my feet hurt from jumping on rocks. But then the adrenaline kicked in, and even more than that was an overwhelming feeling of calm. When would be the next time I could see a view like that, or take a picture inside a cloud? When would I be able to experience this moment again? I never could. Not as it was just then, perfectly chaotic.

I calmed myself. I took a deep breath. I let tears come as I looked out at the clouds below me and they mixed with the rain water that was pouring from the part in my hair. I took one final self-portrait and let my feelings echo in bliss. An adventure had come and gone. I was ready to embrace something new.

Do something uncomfortable. Do something that scares you. Do something you would never normally do. Go somewhere. Appreciate where you are. See each new day as an adventure.

Be inspired.