My Whirlwind of a Week

MY LIFE HAS BEEN SO CRAZY!

This week was just so busy, insane, amazing, stressful, non-stop, and wonderful! I got some great photography opportunities that I couldn't be more blessed and thankful for...I still can't believe it :) However, it's been hard managing those, school work, classes, and work. It's been an exhausting week, and even this weekend I'm still not caught up on sleep...I'm thinking a much needed nap is in my future today.

Let's just take a look at the craziness shall we?

Monday wasn't anything new. Just some school work and Dancing with the Stars. Hines killed it once again :)

Tuesday through today though, have been non-stop activity. Along with the usual classes and school work on Tuesday was Art to Wear, a fashion show put on by some students at NC State. Being the awesome person that she is, my friend Lauren was able to get me a press pass from the Independent so I could sit on the floor and take pictures! 

IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. I leaned what it's like to be a real photographer at a real event and let me just tell you, it's hard. I got a nice little ab work out too. Be looking online at the Independent for a slide show of my pictures!

 During intermission of the show, one of the guy's that was sitting in the section where I was taking pictures came up to me and asked a bit about what I was doing and what not. Well, he apparently works for Live it Up on Hillsborough Street and was looking for someone to take some pictures of the After Party out on Hillsborough St. after the show, and he asked if I was interested. Uhh...YES! It was so much fun, I couldn't stop smiling. After wandering around on the gorgeous night, meeting people and taking pictures, I parked it at 5 o'clock sports bar with some friends and hung out!

Please notice the Press Pass ;)

So Wednesday was just busy. That's all there is to that. You can see the craziness on my planner.

Thursday I had the privilege of helping out a local photographer and volunteered to take some pictures at an Art Space event. It was really fun! I took pictures of the 'photo booth' area and got so many cute and creative pictures. It was really neat! After I got to go home and cram for my test on Friday. I don't think I did too bad though? 

FRIDAY! Finally Friday! My dad came in this weekend so after work my brother and I met up with dad for some dinner and prom shopping for my brother, he's going to look so spiffy! After that I called it a night and tried my hardest to go to sleep early. 

Saturday was just all kinds of crazy. First of all, I worked with the same photographer from Thursday to take some pictures at the SPCA Dog Walk in downtown Raleigh and omgosh let me just say that I want a dog SO bad. There were so many cute dogs their of all ages and sizes and I just need one. That's that. 

Little did I know, that same day they were calling for a massive tornado to hit Raleigh, say what? They called off the dog walk festivities a bit early in order to prepare for it, so around 1:30 or so my dad, brother and I want out to eat for lunch. After lunch we even decided that it was a good idea to see a movie at 3:20. Forget the fact that a tornado was heading right for us and that it might be a good idea to go home where it's safe (and where I could at least keep my super frightened roomie company). So of course, at around 3:40 the movie stopped and the workers said the tornado was basically here and that they weren't sure what they should do as far as the movie goes. So naturally, we all flocked to the windows to see what was happening outside. And, of course, I had my camera. I was determined to get a funnel cloud picture!

Unfortunately this is all I got. Apparently parents frown upon dreams of being a storm chaser? One day...

Eventually we got some free movie passes and left, and by that time all the tornados were basically gone. We were so lucky where we were and where my apartment is. I don't think I really realized how bad everything was until today. I still haven't actually been to see parts of Downtown Raleigh in person, but I've seen pictures and videos and it blows me away. We're North Carolina, tornados don't just happen here! It amazes me when I come across things like this on youtube....

It breaks my heart to see this. I find it so hard to believe that something could cause that much damage here in Raleigh. It's so close to home, it's just crazy.

Today however is a gorgeous day! How it can go from being dark and stormy one day to beautiful and sunny the next day amazes me. I plan to enjoy it though! After I decide to hunker down and study for this quiz I have tomorrow, I get to go take some cap and gown pictures of the gorgeous Lauren, then head off to a yummy dinner at Kanki for Rachel's birthday. A great end to the weekend :)

And speaking of Lauren, check out this gorgeous picture of her from a shoot a little while ago...

I like having pretty friends to take pictures of!

Okay I think I've made up for my lack of posting all week...off to study with the window open, weeee.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

B.Hines