i've been asked many times about the camera i use and what lenses i own, so i thought, why not write a post about it?

i shoot with a Nikon D90-- i've had it for a couple years now and my first DSLR camera was the Nikon D3000 (great beginners camera and affordable!)


i own only Prime lenses- where you cannot zoom, you move yourself. prime lenses are amazing. the aperture can go lower than any zoom lenses which is how you get the gorgeous shallow depth of field (or fuzzy background in photos, for those who aren't super camera savvy).

my first lens was the 50 mm 1.4. for anyone looking to buy a new lens, this one is a must. it is the lens i use about 85% of the time! it is the perfect lens for portraits and my go-to lens.



the next lens i bought was the 85mm 1.8. this one is my favorite for photographing weddings and receptions- great lens for portraits as well. why i love this lens so much is because i can be farther away from my subject, but be zoomed close to them to get amazing portraits.
with the photo below, i was quite a few yards away from the bride (one of my best friends!) and groom, and i was second shooting while they took their bridals. so this lens was great for staying out of the photographers' way but capturing photos as if i were closer using my 50mm. i hope this helps you visualize what i'm saying a little better and makes sense!



the third lens i bought is the 35mm 1.8. i purchased this one specifically in mind for wedding group shots where i needed a wide angle to fit everyone in (and boy has this one been a life saver!) this lens has treated me well while photographing huge group family photos. it's also a great lens for portraits when you don't have much room to work with but want to have good composition (like the self portrait i took--below)
 

if anyone has ANY questions about lenses or anything related to photography, i would gladly lend you a hand! photography is my passion and something i love to help others out with. don't be afraid to ask :)

Happy 4th of July America! i started my day with a pancake breakfast and celebration with church members. it's a traditional thing we've gone to every year and it's a great way to start off this holiday!



we'll be BBQ party hoppin and tonight i'll be going to the broadway play "Les Miserables" in Seattle and watching fireworks.
oh, and might i add, the sun decided to come out today (finally!) and now it's really starting to feel like summer around these parts of town. yay for seattle weather! unfortunately we get short summers here-- but when it's summer, its gorgeous.

saying those three words are the first step to deepening a relationship; but it takes more than just "i love you."
over the past few months of kevin and i being engaged and apart from each other, one way we make sure the other feels loved is by telling them the reasons why we are in love with them. i've noticed that by giving those reasons, it has strengthened and deepened our friendship and respect for each other.  they're either big or small reasons-- both are of the same worth.

everyone likes to hear those three words "i love you" spoken to them, but everyone wants to know why they are loved even more. i double doggy dare you to try this out and tell someone a specific reason why you love them! it will make their day better, i promise.

kevin and i spent a day at Balboa Island together (thank you kev for planning the date!). we explored, rode the ferris wheel, relaxed on the beach, ate yummy icecream and enjoyed each others company. i love going somewhere new and not having a plan. it's when i'm feeling spontaneous. we showed up and had such a great time exploring things around the island. i don't think i could ever be bored with kevin-- he always makes me laugh and smile, even though he doesn't think he's very funny...
i was so excited when we saw a photobooth! you don't know how long i've been wanting to take a photobooth photo with kevin-- so we counted up our change (thank you to the random boys at the arcade who forgot to pick up one of their quarters on the ground! it was for a good cause, i promise) so i checked it off my bucketlist (!!!) to take photos with my fiance in a photobooth-- i've always thought those were adorable.
i was a little disappointed of our kissing photo and my hair takes up half of the picture... oh well, what can you do...