This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to my friend Luke’s cabin in Leavenworth, Washington.
There were 10 people, including myself, and we had a great time exploring in town, playing card games, and watching “Friends.” Of course, we downloaded all of the iconic Thanksgiving episodes to watch.
We had our meal on Saturday afternoon, and enjoyed spending the time to sit down and eat a home-cooked meal.
Saturday evening, we went to Leavenworth to explore the town, and we even went to the ’59er Diner so Lexi and I could recreate our “Riverdale” photo from last year.
2018
2019
I don’t have any photographs of Ryan and Allison, other than this one of everyone at the table.
This was the best Friendsgiving yet! However, I did miss the one freshman year due to being at a different college, however Luke said it was the best one, so I will take his word for it.
Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate! I hope you are all enjoying the start of the holiday season.
Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying the Daily Dose of Happiness series so far. Be sure to follow Capturing College to get updates and see the posts for the next few days.
TUESDAY
You can lower your blood pressure simply by petting a dog! I miss my dogs every day while I am at school, and not being able to see them stresses me out even more than my classes.
If you’re a college student like me and can’t have your dog at school with you, head to the nearest humane society and play with the puppies for a few hours! Just try your best resist sneaking them back to your dorm room.
I know what you are thinking, “Why would you want to go on a trashy date?” Well, that isn’t exactly where I am going with this.
This summer, I had the idea that Christopher and I would take a disposable camera with us when we would go out on cute little dates throughout the summer. I wanted to capture these moments on film, and I was super excited when we got them.
I thought that this would be a pretty cheap date idea, especially considering we were able to take it on a total of six dates and end up with approximately 27 photos. The camera itself I believe cost about $10 at Walgreens. When I had it developed, I wanted two copies of each image (one for Christopher and one for myself) so that ended up being about $24.
I don’t know about you, but I used to use disposable cameras all the time when I was a kid. Back then, when you had them developed, you would get the film back, along with one print of each image. Now, they have changed that (at least at Walgreens). You now only get one copy of each image printed, along with a CD of all the scans of the images.
The Cost
To sum up: For a total of approximately $34 (spread out over about one month), I ended up with one camera, 27 images on a CD, and 54 prints (two copies of each photo).
As far as being on a college budget goes, I was working and it was summer vacation, so I had a little bit more money to spend. While this is pretty pricey, If you only take three photos each time you go out, you could spread it out over 9 weeks (assuming you only go out once a week).
You also could reduce the cost by only getting one copy of the photos and deciding who gets each one. Plus, since you have the CD, you can always go in and print more.
Originally, I was going to try and fill up the whole camera on the first date, so there are a lot of photos from that first day. However, we realized quickly that it would be more fun if we could just shoot images over the next few weeks and get them developed whenever we were ready.
Date One: Exploration
For our first date, we went on a drive to explore the more remote area around us. It was super fun. We found some abandoned trails and fun things like that.
Date Two: Craft.19
Over the next few weeks, we basically went out for coffee a bunch of times, so the majority of the photos are just of us drinking coffee. This first image is of Christopher outside one of his favorite coffee shops, Craft.19 in Sumner, Washington. (He took two photos of me, but I don’t like them enough to include them on this post.)
Christopher outside Craft.19
Date Three: Metronome Coffee
These next photos were taken at Metronome Coffee in Tacoma, Washington. They had amazing lattes. We went twice this summer, and this was the second of the two. I really liked their vanilla lattes.
This is absolutely my favorite image from the camera.
Date Four: Craft.19 (Again)
Our next date sent us back to Craft.19, as it is close to where we live and one of Christopher’s favorites. These photos turned out a little bit better this time, however you may notice that in most of the photos Christopher took, his finger was covering the lens.
Bonus Photo: DAT
The next photo I have was from when Christopher came over to show me his scores from the DAT, the Dental Admissions Test, which he had been studying for all summer up to that point. As you can tell by the big smile on his face, he did very well.
Date Five: Dog Walking
Another thing we did this summer was take Patrick on a walk a few minutes away from my house. He had a wonderful time, and was very excited to have a brief moment away from his annoying little brother, Lewis.
Date Six: Seattle
The last two photos were taken on a date we had in Seattle one afternoon. Christopher drove us up to Seattle, and we explored the area around University of Washington. We had some amazing Thai food, and then decided to explore the campus a little bit. We ended up in their amazing library. I wanted to take photos in the library, but I thought the noise would be too disruptive, so we took photos outside instead.
The funny thing about these photos is that we look like two young adults touring Europe in the summer of the 1990’s, especially with the architecture behind us and the clothes we were wearing. I’m not sure what exactly went wrong with the photo I took of Christopher, but it may have just been weird since it was the last one on the camera.
Tips and tricks
While shooting with a disposable, you learn many things that are helpful to know as you continue to shoot that I want to share.
First of all, using a disposable camera means you essentially only have one chance to get it right. While this may put the pressure on for some of you, I urge you to focus on making this fun. Every shot you take is going to be different and one of a kind, so think of this as a sort of fun time capsule and a chance to get creative.
Also, keep in mind that there are different types of disposable cameras. I believe the one that I got was a Kodak. Different cameras use different film, which means the tones and colors will be different in each brand. So that I could give you an accurate representation of how these looked when they came out of the camera, I did not edit the images posted here at all, however I did edit the digitals I keep on my phone to look the way I would prefer. Next time, I am going to try to use a different camera until I find a brand of film I prefer to use.
I think I am going to try to spread out the photos over a longer portion of time, that way it is super exciting when I finally am able to get them developed. I also think that next time, I am only going to get one set of the prints, and then Christopher and I can split them between each other, and if there are others we each want a copy of, I can order them from the digital version given to us on the CD copy.
As far as using the camera, I have a few pointers. I recommend not winding it up for the photo until you are about to take the photo. When I was a kid, I would wind it up way before I was ready to take the photo, and then accidentally press the shutter before I was ready, and this ended up with a lot of wasted photos. To avoid this, and to get your money’s worth, I would recommend waiting to wind it up until right before you are taking the photo.
I also would recommend making sure that people don’t accidentally have their fingers in the photos. This was more of an issue for Christopher than it was for me, but if I had reminded him when he was taking the photos, it may have been less of a problem.
I also think that remembering that this camera is meant to be used from at least three feet away, so don’t try to take close up photos with it, because they end up blurry and oddly colored.
In addition to that, keep in mind that this camera works best in direct sunlight. When your subject is back lit, the photos aren’t going to turn out the way you expect, so maybe try to use the flash in those situations. The flash may not solve your problem, but it should help. Also remember to use the flash in darker surroundings. It may not look as great as shooting in direct sunlight, but it should help it look better for sure.
Overall, I really enjoyed shooting with a disposable camera, and I want to do it more over the coming quarter. I will be sure to share them here if I do end up doing it again.
Have you shot with a disposable camera, and if so, what is your preferred brand? Leave a comment below and let me know. Be sure to follow me here on Capturing College to keep up with me on all of my adventures.
Hello everybody, and welcome back to Capturing College! It is the start of another academic year for me, but before I start posting about all that entails, I want to share with you some highlights from this past summer.
This summer started on a high note about half way through June. Christopher surprised me with tickets to see the Broadway show “Wicked” while it was touring in Seattle as a birthday present. We spent the morning in Seattle grabbing coffee and then headed to the show. It was phenomenal, and I would see it another million times if I could!
Of course, the big news of the summer was the fact that we got a puppy. His name is Lewis, and he is an American Mastiff. We actually got him at the end of May, but I wasn’t able to be around him really until summer, so I thought that I would include it here. I took some adorable photos of Lewis with his big brother Patrick, a great dane who is about a year older.
These photos are from Independence Day when they wore their matching bowties!
Later in the summer, I was able to take a day trip with Christopher and his family to Seabrook, Washington. We walked around town, took photos on the beach, and played with his dogs. It was a wonderful day.
A few weeks passed, and then Christopher and I went on a day trip with his father to explore the many coffee shops in Portland. It was a wonderful trip. By the way, if you happen to be in the Portland area and want some AMAZING food, the Lardo fries at Lardo are amazing! Let me know if you try them, they are my favorite for sure.
Every weekend for about eight weeks, I joined my parents and took Lewis to puppy kindergarten. He did really well most of the time, but since his breed tends to be a lazier breed, he did not really want to participate. Honestly, I can’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to wake up early on the weekend and then be forced to behave for an hour either.
Lewis on his first day of puppy kindergarten
While the above activities make my summer look like it was all fun and games, it was not. I was taking a yoga class at a local community college for credit. The class met twice a week for two hours and was about five weeks long. It was a good experience, and I really enjoyed it in the end, even though it required waking up early.
I also was able to have a job. This summer I ended up being a photographer at JCPenney Portraits. It was a very taxing job, as I was one of two employees at the studio by the end of my first month, and I was running through the studio by myself at least once a week.
Although the hours were long and hard, I did learn a lot in a short amount of time, and I did appreciate having set hours and having a lot of evenings off to spend with my family and friends.
That pretty much sums up my summer. It was wild and fun and crazy in every possible way, but I am excited to get back to work at school and learn more about myself and my chosen field every day.
I will be updating this blog on a more regular basis now that I have returned to school, so keep an eye out, and be sure to follow so you receive updates when I post!
My friend and fellow photographer, Mariah, and her boyfriend, Savion, wanted some nice photos before their date the other week. The photos turned out so cute, I just had to share them!
If you would like to see more images like these, please follow me on Instagram and Twitter, @kirstenimages.
This is the final part of my 20 Things I’ve Learned Before Turning 20 series! If you missed Part One, Two, or Three, read those first, and don’t forget to follow this blog, Capturing College, for more helpful hints and advice.
16. Everyone is on a different path.
I struggle to remember that I can’t compare where I am at on my journey with other people’s journeys. We are all on our own journey and have our own struggles and trials, as well as our own successes and triumphs. Don’t compare your phase two with someone else’s phase four. Also, don’t compare your phase two to someone else’s phase one. Don’t go around thinking you are so much father ahead than someone else. You may just have an easier path now, and they may catch up or even pass you. Everyone is on a different journey, just be concerned with your own.
17. You can learn something from every situation.
No matter if it is the best scenario, or your worst nightmare, you can learn something from everything you experience in life. You woke up late and missed your first class? Maybe next time don’t stay up late studying and set multiple alarms. Your friend brought you coffee to work today? Maybe follow their example of kindness and bring them a treat next time you go out, or treat a random stranger by paying for their order at Starbucks. No matter how good or bad a situation is, you can always learn something from it.
18. Love everyone.
Life is too short to go around making people miserable. The world would be so much better if we all chose to love each other. Regardless of race, gender, religious beliefs, sexuality, or any trivial thing that may make someone different from you. Love them. Love everyone. Be kind to others.
19. Take risks.
There are two things I have struggled with since I was a child. One is making fast decisions, and the other is taking risks. Ironically, those two things kind of go hand in hand on a fairly frequent basis. When I was a child, if I did all my chores for the week, my mom would let me chose between a mystery present or $10 or something like that. She was trying to teach me that taking risks in life is okay, and they even help spice up my life. I like to weigh all my options as a kid, and if I ever had to make a choice, I would always try to find a way to compromise and get both things. Unfortunately, you can’t always do that in the grown-up world, so don’t be afraid to take risks. It will all turn out the way it was meant to.
20. Do what makes you happy.
I saved this one for last because this is the most important thing I have learned before turning 20. Do what makes YOU happy. This is your life, and it is short. Don’t compromise when it comes to your happiness. If you hate your major now, you are going to hate doing things in that field for the rest of your life, so change your major now while you still can. If you don’t like your school, don’t just sit there and live through it, make a change and transfer schools. Make this life worth living, do what makes you happy. Pursue what you love, whether it be someone or something, a person or a career. Do what makes you happy.
I hope you enjoyed this series. Be sure to check out Part One, Two, and Three if you missed them. Follow me on this blog, Capturing College, for more content like this, and don’t forget to do what makes you happy.
To count down the weeks until I turn 20, I decided I would share with you 5 of the 20 things I’ve learned before turning 20. Check out the first five here if you haven’t already, and be sure to follow and come back on Monday for the next five things.
6. You are allowed to put yourself first.
I constantly put someone else’s needs before my own. Whether it be my friends, my boyfriend, or even a classmate, I always find myself placing my own personal needs and wants on the back burner. This is just a recent thing that I am still working on, but I am reminding myself that it is okay to have time set aside just for me. It is okay to not set your whole life around someone else’s schedule. If people want to see you badly enough, they will work with you to find a common time. Of course, relationships and friendships take work and a balance of give and take. However, make sure you aren’t the only one giving. It needs to be a balance. Put yourself first. It really is okay.
7. Just because someone is better, does not make you bad.
I don’t know if this is a teenager thing or a girl thing, but I constantly compare myself to others. Not just my hair, my body, my makeup, but my work, my talent, and my grades are all nothing if they aren’t the best, and therefore better than everyone else. I constantly hear myself saying things like, “Well, they are an amazing photographer, so I must not be good.” Just because someone is more talented than you does not mean you are not talented. Don’t define your self worth based on other’s success.
8. Speak up.
It is okay to say what you mean. You are allowed to tell people what you want and how you want to be treated. Of course, you should do it nicely, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a pushover either. If you want to go to a specific place for dinner, speak up. If you want more time with your boyfriend, tell him. Don’t go through life unhappy because you didn’t want to be an inconvenience. This is your life, and you deserve to live it your way.
9. Friends change.
The people you are best friends with in high school may not be your best friends in college, even if you go to the same school. This does not mean you will despise each other and never see each other, and it does not mean you are no longer friends at all. Friendships change and people change, but that doesn’t make your bond weaker. Who knows, maybe you will become closer with people you barely knew in high school, or you will make new friends. No matter what happens, friendships change, and that is okay.
10. It is okay to ask for help.
You can not do everything yourself. I am one of those people that loves to be able to do everything by myself. I move my room around, wash my car, make appointments and shoot and edit photos of myself all on my own. I don’t like asking for help because it means admitting that I have to rely on other people. However, I know that it is okay for me to ask others for help. There is no way I can do everything all on my own, and it is okay for me to learn from others by asking for their help.
I hope you learned something new from these tips. If you would like to read more, be sure to follow for an alert letting you know when I’ve posted again, or tune in next Monday for another 5 things I’ve learned before turning 20.
This past weekend, I went to Bennington Lake with my friend, Liza, and her boyfriend, Kurt. We wanted to take some cute photos of the two of them for their Instagram pages.
We went close to golden hour, and ended up with a lot of great shots. I want to share with you what I believe are some of the best from that shoot.
Be sure to comment below and let me know what your favorite photo is, and follow me on Instagram, @kirstenimages, for more content!
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