New BLOG!

Hello followers! I have a new blog address:
http: shutterbug-mkphotography.blogspot.com

This blog will still exist, but the new blog will be up and running! I did this just to start fresh. All my older posts from 2 years ago were starting to build up. I just needed an update.
If you follow this blog, be sure to follow my new blog as well!!
-Maddy K.

Snow Shoing, Skiing- Colorado

Last week we went to Colorado to visit my brother, who is working as a ski instructor at Copper Mountain.

On Sunday we went snow shoeing. Boy, was that an adventure. If you have never done it, I recommend it. Don't let the instant failure keep you from trying. Once you get the hang of it, and learn how to balance your weight on the shoe, it can be great fun. We found a great place to snow shoe. It was actually on a golf course, but you would never know, considering the feet of snow covering the ground.
I ended up loving it, although I wasn't so sure at first. It did get a bit frustrating when you would walk a few steps and find that you had sunk in snow up to your hips. Eventually though, we got it down and ended up walking quite a distance. :)

The next day,as  if our legs weren't already sore enough, we went skiing on the mountain where my brother works. I L.O.V.E skiing. I am not fantastic at it, but I sure do enjoy it! My brother is a great teacher and gave me a bunch of tips to help me improve. That pictures (above) was taken from the top of mountain (almost the top). After a full day of skiing, we were exhausted. Except my brother who is used to skiing 6 days a week.

All in all it was a GREAT trip! We weren't there for nearly long enough, but I'm glad I got to see my brother! It is so gorgeous out there. It takes my breath away every time I visit.

*film pictures will be posted, once developed. I promise :)
            -Maddy K.

Guess What!!

Hello, All!!
Right now I am in Colorado! I'm so excited to catch up with friends and family, go skiing, snow shoeing a.n.d see my brother! I haven't seen my brother in quite sometime and anytime the family is all together great memories are made :)
Can't wait to share pics with you when I get back! I brought my film camera, so I'm looking forward to gazing at the mountains through my lens!

Until then,
Maddy K.

Shutter Control- prop: 3 flowers, bottle

Since recently working with film I have been more careful, or hesitant you could say with the shutter. Knowing that every click costs money, makes you think a little harder before pressing that button. After finishing up a role of film, I retorted back to my digital camera to practice some of the same self control with the shutter. I have been trying to work a lot more with props lately. So I told myself, when using my digital camera this time, that I would only take one picture at each location, limiting the amount of photos I took.
Doing this caused me to slow down, and think about the composition before aimlessly snapping away. I found this helped a lot, especially when it comes to choosing the pictures to post. I am more proud of these photos, having in mind that I only took one in that position. I'm going to practice this drill more often.

 

**Hopefully I will have some film shots to post soon, I need to get them developed first!

Searching

What if everyday that we lived, we searched? Searched to be closer to God, searched to bring him glory, searched for satisfaction in only Him, searched for the things that matter, searched for the things that will last forever, searched for his will. What if we gave up everything of ourselves to search. If we never stopped searching, I wonder what we would find...

Would we find His arms wrapped around us? His hand guiding us? His glory painted in the sunset? Complete satisfaction in the simplicity of life? Would we find that every task matters if we work at it with all our strength? Would our eyes only see the eternal importance? Would we learn to completely yield to His will?
If we gave of ourselves, everything- time, money, energy- to God, I can only imagine what he could do with our offerings, how he could use our lives to bring him glory.
I want to search. Search for ways to be more like him, search for ways to be closer to him, to know him more fully. I want to search and find satisfaction, knowing who I am in Christ.

 

 

It was a great day. The sun was out, the birds were chirping... i believe they were calling my name. So, to meet their anxious beckon, I put on my chacos, grabbed my book, my camera, an 'Honest Kids' organic 'berry berry good' lemonade, and headed for the front porch rocking chair. There is nothing like sitting on the front porch with a good book, drinking lemonade. I'm pretty sure there is a song about that, and if not... some country singer needs to get on that, pronto! 

 

 

 

 

It's especially nice to sit on the porch late enough in the afternoon to watch the sun go down. Which is what I did. I was out there for what seemed like a short amount of time, reading and snapping a few pics here and there, but before I knew it... I was being called in for dinner. Something about being outside in the fresh air, for even a short amount of time just puts a person in a good mood. I am loving getting fresh air in this warm weather! I Hope you enjoy the warm weather as well!!

 

 

A Heart Stuck in the Snow

I'm really liking this warmer weather... wearing Chacos, short sleeves, and Caprices is nice... but I'll admit: I'm already missing the cold. I know, I know. Crazy, right??
But I just can't help but love wearing sweatshirts, hats, gloves, sweaters, scarves, boots and all that fun stuff! I especially love the feeling after you come in from being outside for a while. Your nose and cheeks are winded and chilly, but they start to tingle as they warm back up. I love the hope for snow that the cold weather brings... and the satisfaction of drinking a cup of tea.
Even though my heart is stuck in the snow, I still enjoy the warmth. It's relaxing to sit out on the porch in a rocking chair and listen to my cat purr, begging for an ear scratch.
So, I'll enjoy this season and all the different opportunities it brings just as I enjoy the others!

Sarasota, FL

We went out for a nice dinner on Wednesday, the night of my Grammy's birthday. It was a special treat :)

We surprised Grammy by taking her on a 'Just Ducky' boat tour in. Since I was the only teenager on the boat I got to drive part of the time... it was much easier than driving a car.

It was a great, beautiful trip, and I'm so glad we got to celebrate with family on such a special occasion!

:(

I'm having some issues with my computer which makes it extremely difficult and frustrating to upload and edit pictures... hopefully they will be up soon! I am dying to post them, it has been a while!

It's Just Great

My mom and I drove down to Sarasota on Friday to join my aunts and Grandma to celebrate my Grammy's 81st birthday...

Going to the beach in February adds a whole different aspect to Florida. It's different, but in a lot of ways the same. You wake up to find the waves continually rolling in like they always have, the sun welcoming the day, the wind making the trees dance... it's all the same. The only difference is waking up and not knowing if you will wear a bathing suit or a sweatshirt down to the beach.
Now, this Georgia girl that has been stuck under a heap of clouds the past few weeks has been desperate for a peek at the sun. I lay there, basking in the sun, smothered in sunscreen, dreaming the day away, and enjoyed every second of the quiet. It's just great.

*pictures to come :)

The Glorious Joy of Being a Photographer.

Personally, I love rain. It makes me want to cuddle up and read a good book or watch a great movie. But After a few days of merciless rain I, like everyone else get a little anxious for another peek at the sun.

So instead of being stuck inside waiting for the sky to clear, I decided to get out in the gloom with my camera and see what I could find.

It's so neat to me the way things look when they are dripping wet.

To me, looking at a picture with rain drops leaves me anxious with wonder. I feel like I'm sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the drip to fall, but it doesn't.

So this is a picture I took, freezing time and capturing the detail of a moment. A moment the can never be recreated.

That is one thing I love about photography...
As a photographer, you get the glorious joy of capturing a single moment in time, and making it last.

He Works in Mighty Ways.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." -Matt. 6:34 (message)

Wow, God tells us not to worry. He will take care of it. He tells us not to even waste your time and energy worrying about what will happen tomorrow, because when the time comes He will give us the strength we need to overcome any obstacle. This gives me such peace, knowing that He has everything taken care of. Every detail of my life planned out, and He will use anything and everything in my life for my good.- to mold me into who He wants me to be.

He wants me to slow down and stop worrying, so I can watch what happens when His hand works in my life. And He works in mighty ways...

Your will be done...

"our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done..."
"Thy will be done."... that has a whole new meaning to me now with the season of life that I am in. I am beginning to learn that "God's will" isn't just waiting on His timing. His will isn't just staying where I am and waiting before He tells me to go on with what I had planned. His will isn't just His timing... it's HIS WILL.
I didn't really get this until recently. I had my mind set that right now I am just waiting to get the ok from God to go on with what I had planned for my future. No, that's not it.
saying "Your will be done," means saying: "disregard everything that I want, Father. I yield to you all my desires. I lay down all the plans at your feet. Not my will, but Yours."
This is so hard to do. There are so many things that I dream to have, do and become one day. To give that up, I will be heartbroken.
And I would be heart broken, if I didn't have His promises to lean on. He tells me that if I give him control, if I let him hold the map, and the steering-wheel, and if I let go, I will be amazed. He has a plan for my life that is far beyond anything I could dream or imagine. He only wants best for me.
So, with His help I will learn to let go, and I will learn to trust that what He is doing is all part of a beautiful master piece.

"Delight yourself in me, and I will give you the desires of you heart." -Psalm 37:4

AWAKE '11

I

This is a picture of me and the rest of my cabin from a church youth retreat I went on last weekend. We went to the mountains in Tennessee... can I just say. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L!
It was so fun :) We had the beast cabin! The speaker and music directors were awesome,
and the Lord spoke, AWAKEning our souls. He is continually teaching me to trust him and his plans/direction for my life. It was a great weekend!

:)

This is a picture of me yesterday, putting my Eeyore hat to good use out in the 'snow'. I was right, it didn't last long, because now... I'm watching my winter wonderland melt away before my very eyes. Well, It was fun while it lasted!

This is the South.

Yes, there was a 'snow-storm', which was really more of an 'ice-storm'. Yes, public and private schools were canceled, and yes. This is the south.
I expected to wake up and see my backyard painted white, but I was still in denial that it would actually happen. But, I was still very glad to see a thin layer of ice covering my entire neighborhood, and ice cycles hanging from just about everything:)
So, what did I do? I grabbed my camera and put on a layer of clothing that I expected to keep me warm for the few minutes it took me to snap some pics.
I love looking out my window. It is gorgeous. Sadly, I know by tomorrow that it will be melted, and my taste of the North will be gone. After all, this is the south... and the temperature here has a hard time at making up it's mind.

Brother :)

Something very exciting this happened this weekended! I got to see my brother:) He was in Birmingham for a friend's wedding, so we drove to see him! It was great, it had been a while since I'd seen him last... too long. I miss being able to see him all the time. He is such a good big brother!!

I'm sorry I have been so slack in the picture posting department. I will try to get some film pictures up soon. Right now, I don't have a good excuse for not posting any except that I just haven't gotten around to it...
But, have no fear. Soon, there will be some:)
I just need to find a store that carries a rechargeable camera battery that I need.

Until then, Maddy

The Secret of Being Content

"Be happy for each day. Do the things this year that you can do, and when next year comes, enjoy new opportunities. But don't be so impatient that one day you will regret you didn't take time to enjoy each step. Remember: 'There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven' (Ecclesiastes 3:1)"

The Lord gave me this quote/ verse as conformation to be satisfied where I am in life right now. Instead of dreaming of what life will be like once I get to a certain age, I need to enjoy this step in life. And be content right where I am. I need to trust God's timing is best and that He will one day answer all my questions. But for now I just need to wait, practice patience, learn to trust Him... and see how I grow. He is using the stage of life I am in now to prepare me for what is down the road. I need to trust what He is doing in my life, because only He can see what is coming next, and He only wants what is best for me... I need to trust, and wait. patiently.

"Times of waiting take us to deeper levels of trust, strengthen our faith, remind us to abide in Christ, and teach us to delight in the Lord... This season of life provides us the ideal opportunity to learn the secret of being content in any situation." -Sarah Mally

His Strength is reviled... 2011

I've been dreading writing this post, not because I'm not excited about the new year, but I know what you want me to write... new years resolutions... what I've learned... I love reading all those things from other people, but I'm not in the mood to write my own, at least not now (and I can't tell you why, because I don't know why myself).
Don't get me wrong. I've learned and grown so much this year, and I am thrilled to have a new year and start another chapter in my long story. There is so much about me that has changed. I have new perspectives, new friends, new schooling... everything. It's hard for me to pick just a few that stick out. Except the obvious ones.

***

So let me continue this post... I'm super excited about this new year. 2011, now that's fun to type:)
I can't even imagine where I will be this time next year. But so many doors have been opened, and I can't wait to walk through them and see what's next for me. Really, I can't wait. I want to know... like, now. God has been working on me. I want answers. Where will I be next year? Will this happen? How will this effect my life?
and I want so many things that might not be His will, but He is teaching me to be patient and wait until He decides to show me, tell me, surprise me.
It's been hard, and I imagine it always will be. I don't like to wait. It's one of my weaknesses, but in my weakness His strength is reviled. And that makes waiting, beautiful.

Happy almost New Year,
Maddy

Holiday Events

We went ice-skating for my cousin's bday on Wednesday. I LOVE ice skating. Who doesn't? (Oh I know... e-liz. sorry. love you!) Anyway... we had a lot of fun. And might I add that I did not fall :) I almost did (several times), but I kept my balance!

This is one of my 3 cousins on my dad's side, Brooke (the birthday girl). They came to visit all the way from Ohio! She is too sweet:) And that little munchkin in the background, is Brandi, She's a nut.. haha. I love them, and their brother, Tanner.

We had a great Christmas. It was great to spend time with family, singing songs around the campfire, chasing chickens, launching things with a bean-bag and a wooden board... yeah we have fun together:) 

It was a great week of Celebrating Jesus Birthday!

I hope you all had a great Christmas as well!