Winter Wispers

Dear reader,

In most places March is met with expectations of warmer weather and daydreams of an arriving spring. However, there is a place for which these expectations are not held. A place where the citizens trudge through March blizzards and huddle together to keep out the last bitter chill. In this place winter claims more than half the year, and the wind never stops blowing.

Those who live in this place are hardy folk. They are friendly, though somewhat wary of new people [and of change in general], and laugh often. These are the people who balance the open lonely habitat within which they live with shared meals and laughter with friends and family. These are the people who grow up listening to the constant whispers created by the wind.

 -AK

Hello

Hello my wonderful readers,

How are you? I hope that you are all doing well and that you have enjoyed your fall! I know that I most certainly did! Now the snow has fallen and stayed in my hometown and I find myself looking eagerly ahead for the joys of winter.

For those of you who don't know, winter is my favorite season! I see winter as a season to pull closer to those you care about, fortifying yourself against the cold of the season with the warmth created by close friendships. It is a season of hockey, or sledding and snowballs and skiing trips. Of hot chocolate and fresh baked cookies, of Christmas carols and twinkling lights. Winter is full of its own sort of magic, one that makes us search within ourselves as well as pull closer to others.

Bundle up lovelies,

AK

Monochrome

Hello Dear Reader,

This past summer Brianna and I did a shoot around the idea that all of the images would be black and white. While I completed the series, it appears that I neglected to share them with you all, so here you are, happy Monday a little early ;)

Hope you all have great weeks,

AK

Honesty: Self-portrait Work

Hello my lovely readers,

I hope, as always, that this post finds you happy and healthy. For today's post I am just going to keep it simple. The photos below were taken without expectations. I just needed to express what I was feeling, so I grabbed Icarus and sat in my house, in my pajamas, and took these photos. The result is, I think, a much more honest portrait of what I was feeling when these were taken. I don't particularly like doing self-portrait work, but I think, at least in this instance, it helped me understand myself a little better.

 Also, I ordered a whole ton of new books, which arrived this week! I am so beyond jazzed! I adore books, for those of you who don't know, and will most likely be spending a lot of my break devouring the written word. Below is a quote from one of my new books which I just finished this evening. I thought that it was appropriate for this set of photos.

"It may well be that we can never fully adapt to our own deformities."
-"Norwegian Wood" Haruki Murakami

 

 

Hope you all have fabulous rest of your weeks!!

-AK

Editorial: Skinny Love

Hello dear reader,

I hope my post today finds you in good health and happiness! Tomorrow is Friday and I'm sure we are all jazzed about the coming weekend! I leave town on Monday until the 10th!!! Don't fear, I will still be checking my emails and facebook messages regularly, and I might even be posting some more images! ;)

As many of you know, this past week I did a fabulous shoot with S, which I have decided to call "Skinny Love" in honor of the song by Bon Iver (if you haven't heard it, you should look it up, it is an amazing song!). This girl was an amazing person to work with. She was shy when a camera wasn't pointed at her, but the moment the lens focused on her she was fierce and displayed a large array of emotions. Her eyes are amazing, and I am so happy that I was able to capture her beauty!!

 <3

 I think the one above is my favorite from the shoot!!

(Though I am in love with this one too)


Well everyone, I hope to be posting again soon, but until then, have fabulous weeks and weekends and thank you a bajillion times for your continued love and support!!

-AK

Slacker Sunday

I dub today Slacker Sunday because as I look back at my day I feel I must admit I did nothing useful until about 5 this evening. All day I have been laying around without any thought of moving, nor any real desire to move. Rather puzzled by my attitude my fiance decided to go running, which for some reason upset me immensely. After he left I was forced to consider the implications of my anger and realized that I was upset because I was being slothful and a rather large brat. I decided that I could either stay grumpy and make everyone miserable, or do something about it.

I chose the later option and went for a run with my Father as a sort of second Father's day gift (the first being one of his favorite books). I must say, running improved my mood immensely and motivated me to actually start getting things rolling.

I unpacked and repacked some of the pieces that I used at the Art and Wine Walk (which by the way went fabulously well!!! I'll write more on it below) and submitted some photo orders. I also started a ledger to keep track of my photographically related spending. While it may not sound like much, I am quite pleased with my work thus far. :)

On the topic of the Art and Wine Walk: I had a blast! The Moo-cards were a huge hit and I got some really positive feedback on my work. Of course, I learned a lot about what I can improve for next time, but overall I am very pleased by the event. I hope that those of you in the area will come to the one in July, since I know that many of you worked during this one.

I hope you all had amazing weekends and great Father's Days!!!

Oh, also, I did an impromptu shoot with Brianna Friday morning and below is one of the images we captured! 

Well I must go eat now!!! 

<3 you all! 

-AK

I Wanna Hold Your Hand

I Want To Hold Your Hand... 

Such simple words, such a simple desire... such a complex truth. Recently I have been extremely busy and stressed due to a multitude of reasons, some of which I will divulge later on in this post, and I have found that now more than ever my greatest desire is to hold my boyfriend's hand. The feel of his strong, rough fingers encasing my own fragile bones is an indescribable comfort. We are not so strong as we appear, we are human. Breakable, flawed, yet when we weave our lives together we become something stronger, something that can not be broken. When the time is taken to untangle the threads of a life and then twist them within the fate-strings of another something wonderful happens. Twist and twine your fate with another soul... with the right soul, and you reveal parts of yourself that you never imagined could exist. 

I want to hold your hand. 

The Beatles, for all their faults, were able to capture the innocence and the strength of such a simple request. Find the one you are meant for, and hold their hand dear reader, and find a beauty and a comfort that only grows stronger with the passage of time. 

<3

On another note, I was in Minneapolis this past weekend visiting a friend of mine for her birthday. I had a blast, but have fallen a little behind, so please everyone bear with me as I catch up. I really appreciate all of your support and patience.  Below is an image that I snapped with in Minneapolis of Conor <3

 

On yet another note, I have some exciting news to share with you all!! I am participating in the 2011 Grand Forks Art and Wine Walk!!!! I will be an artist at the walk on June 18th (this Saturday) and on July 16th!! Please come and attend the event! It is $15 and runs from 1:00-5:00 P.M. The even begins at the Guest House Town House in Grand Forks and the Blue Moose Bar & Grill in East Grand Forks. The walk ends with a champagne reception at the Empire Arts Center. They only except cash or checks, and the $15 gets you a map (which is stamped at each location visited) as well as free food and (for those who are of age) free wine. It should be a really fun event and I would love for you all to make it and help support myself and the other artists in the event!!! :D Feel free to email me if you have any questions!! :D 

As promised, here are some more of the images of Brianna from our Fairy Nymph shoot :) There are tons more that are super amazing and I can't wait to share, but alas, that will have to wait until another day!  Hope you like them!! :D As always, comments are appreciated :D  

I hope that all of you have GREAT TUESDAYS :D and fabulous weeks :D 

I also hope that I will see many of you on Saturday (bring friends :D)! 

<3

-AK