Learn to read.
Learn to write.
Apply yourself. 
Get good grades.
Two years of preschool.
One year of kindergarten.
Twelve years of grade school.
Four years of university studies.
Seventeen years of formal education.

Finally, I have reached the end. After a lifetime of being ushered down the path of prescribed learning I am ready to fall out of line.

Cap.
Gown.
Tassel.
Graduation.
April 28, 2012.

A Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Michigan: for most it would mean a golden ticket to whatever technical career they desire. 

Intel.
Apple.
Microsoft.
General Motors.
Developer.
Project Manager.
Primary Technician.
Associate Engineer.
You name it.

For me, though, it will become a thing of my past. If I have learned anything over the past four years it is that I am not destined to be an engineer.

So what am I destined for? That has yet to be determined. For all I know, I might never figure that out. But I have decided to test my good fortune in Toronto, Ontario. That’s right my American peers, I am moving to Canada! Not on a whim, of course; I will be working for Jian Ghomeshi, host of Q on CBC Radio One.

In this new job I will serve as an assistant of sorts. My main responsibility is set to generate and maintain strong online content for all of Jian’s brilliant work. *smiles* I have such a good feeling about this. You can't imagine.

Now I’m sure you’re wondering: how did this happen? Seriously Katie: how did you land that job?

If you close your eyes and try to remember way-way back to 2011: I worked with Lights to make a tour video for her song “Siberia”. As Lights’ manager, Jian saw and loved the video; he was very impressed with my work. So impressed, in fact, that when I met him in Toronto in November, he asked if I would come to work for him.

And now here we are. Making all the preparations for this American girl to work in one of Canada’s greatest cities with Canada’s greatest citizens.

I’ve kept it under wraps this long because I was afraid of jinxing it. You all have seen my various opportunities come... and then go... slip right through my fingers. I didn’t want this chance to fall through the cracks like so many other things. And it hasn’t. Glory be.

As I was watching a woman grossly underbid on a new car, it hit me: today is the twentieth day of February. That’s six days passed Valentine’s Day. Or in other words: six days passed my five-year milestone on Buzznet.

I began to wonder how I had forgotten the anniversary –as it was so important to me last year– and was quickly reminded that Buzznet is not at the top of my list at the moment. I previously explained a part of my disappointment a month ago, but never touched back on the subject... some people’s comments, while written with the best intentions, actually made things worse... and I have said little else since.

Hmm. So what to say now? Better yet, what to do now? How can I celebrate this anniversary when it feels like we are a married couple taking time apart? It is a tad awkward, so I shall save the celebration for another time. 

Hmm. So what to say now? I could tell you what’s really on my mind, but I fear it would fall on deaf ears. Hmm. I suppose I’ll just tell you how I am!

I am in a current state of transition. Among friends and family, in school and work, between what I used to know to what I know now. I’m shifting from college-Katie to real-world-Katie because I want to avoid a harsh reality when I graduate at the end of April. My current plans for May and beyond involve a complete change of pace. I am not yet at liberty to discuss details publicly because we have not yet worked out the logistics, but rest assured it will involve a move in both physical and mental capacities.

I will be in a new place with new people and the work I will be doing is not –in any way, shape, or form– engineering related. I’ve been so mentally focused on academia for the past 17 years and engineering for the past 6 years; it will be a challenge to be absent of education. Granted, I am a slave to learning, but I won’t have homework or exams or grades. Just work deadlines, which I can wholly manage.

But I’m not afraid. I welcome change, as you all well know. I have been counting down the days to graduation longer than anyone in all my acquaintance. I’ve been waiting for the day when I could be free of this life I’ve been pretending to fit into. I don’t belong where I am. I haven’t for quite some time. But I have found a new niche that will accept me with open arms. And I’m hoping that at least for the next few years I can look forward to nothing but possibility.

So today, I am doing just fine. And things are changing.

1.) I haven’t been on the internet very much. Instead I’ve been using my free time to watch television. Namely: Fringe. It’s an absolutely brilliant television show. I highly recommend it.

2.) I haven’t been taking many pictures. I’m not exactly sure what I want to shoot right now. I mean, I haven’t been doing much in life worth photographing.

3.) I’d say numbers 1 and 2 comprise of 10% of the reason for my absence. Here’s the other 90%...

I’m quite disappointed in Buzznet.

*sigh* I have been a member of Buzznet for nearly five years and an active Buzznet music journalist for a year-and-a-half. I’ve watched the website mature and even helped develop the newest interface. I have put a lot of my personal resources (time, money, effort, et cetera) into the work I’ve done on and for Buzznet. And I did it all for four main reasons:

-- it’s an incredibly fun and fulfilling experience
-- I have enjoyed building my journalism skills up from nothing
-- I love meeting new people, and my Buzznet/music network is wonderful
-- I knew that the time and money I invested into Buzznet would one day be repaid.

That last one is the real kicker. You see, since my first interview with Jackson Rathbone, the Buzznet staff has hinted at my future employment. “When are you moving to California?!” “You can come work for us!” “You’d be a perfect fit.” “We’ve got a desk with your name on it!” “You’re a pro. You’ll be welcomed with open arms.” Et cetera, et cetera. So I covered show after show, wrote blog after blog, and posted picture after picture because (1) I loved it and (2) I knew that one day all my efforts would be rewarded!

Well, after all this time of being convinced that I could graduate from college and go to work for Buzznet: I have been informed that they were just kidding. They don’t actually have a job for me.

On a scale of one to ten, I’d say that’s grossly disappointing.

So now I am weighing my other options. I want to work in the music industry. Somewhere. But it’s difficult because I don’t even know where to start looking! I don’t have the necessary degree (electrical engineering won’t help me now!) and I only have 17 months of "interning" experience (I was never paid by Buzznet, so it can't count as a job). I’ve sent emails to a few close contacts who may help, but I have no idea how or when they will respond. I’ve applied for some positions, but other people keep beating me out for the jobs. What’s worse is the number of empty job offers I’ve received. People say they want to hire me, and never follow up. It’s heart-breaking because I know I’d be perfect... I just can’t figure out why no one seems to want me.

Well, that’s my story for now. Perhaps I will post more when I am so inspired. But for now I am lacking motivation. And I’d rather not post anything than post something I’m not interested in. As always, though, I'm still smiling :)

P.S. I'm also disappointed in the amount of tabloid journalism that is featured in one day. I don't even look at the Buzznet mainpage anymore.

OKAY! so my older sister Anna recently got me hooked on the CW's Hart of Dixie:

Fast-talking New Yorker and brand new doctor Zoe Hart has it all figured out - after graduating top of her class from medical school, she'll follow in her father's footsteps and become a cardio-thoracic surgeon. But when her dreams fall apart, Zoe decides to accept an offer from a stranger, Dr. Harley Wilkes, to work with him at his small practice in Bluebell, Alabama. Zoe arrives in this small Gulf Coast town only to find that Harley has passed away and left his half of the medical practice to her in his will... read more here!

Normally I don't start watching new television shows (you all know how busy I am), but I figured I'd give it a shot because she had spoken so highly of it. I sat down to watch the pilot episode and before I knew it I found myself watching all other nine episodes (10 total) in succession. Granted, it's not the best thing I've ever seen, but HoD has this:

         
Wilson Bethel. Hello.

He's been on a variety of shows during his career, most notably The Young and the Restless, and now he plays Wade Kinsella, the handsome neighbor -slash- bartender of Bluebell, Alabama, on HoD. Wade has a big semi-secret crush on the new doctor in town Zoe Hart (played by Rachel Bilson), so we get to see his adorable puppy dog face whenever she's around:

   
And we also get to see a lot of this:

   
Oh yeah. Ohh yeaah. Do you see why I love watching Hart of Dixie, yet? No? Okay, here:

   
I'd be down for that.

.gifs courtesy of HartOfDixie.tumblr.com

I went to see Mayday Parade in concert on February 2, 2008, and I was not expecting to enjoy Pierce The Veil, who was the second opening band for the concert headlined by Emery. But when they played a cover of “Beat It” by Michael Jackson, I could not have had more fun singing along. To this day it is one of my favorite covers. My twin sister Jill and I thoroughly enjoyed their set; we bought t-shirts from and got pictures with Jaime soon after they finished.

Over the next couple of months I bought a few of their songs on iTunes, namely “Yeah Boy And Doll Face” “Currents Convulsive” and “The Cheap Bouquet”, and listened to them continuously until I saw Pierce The Veil again at the Warped Tour on July 18, 2008.This time I could sing along to some of their songs and rock out with the big crowd that gathered to watch them. I also invested in a copy of A Flair For The Dramatic in hopes of getting it autographed, but didn’t find the band before I had to leave.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn’t able to see Pierce The Veil for quite some time. But during their physical absence from my life, their music took hold of my mind. They started to become one of my favorite bands and I could not get enough of their sweet music! When they released Selfish Machines in the summer of 2010, I woke up early to buy it at the store (my presale was delayed, and I wanted the physical copy) and did not stop listening to it all summer! I mean it when I say that it was the only album I listened to for three months in a row. IT’S BRILLIANT.

When the Warped Tour came around on July 30, 2010, I was STOKED to see Pierce The Veil first thing in the morning. And this time I got to meet the guys when they had a signing at the Keep-A-Breast tent. I had them sign inside the album booklet on top of my favorite songs. *sigh* it is definitely one of my favorite keepsakes.

Again, due to circumstances beyond my control, I wasn’t able to see Pierce The Veil for quite some time. But again, their music became more and more prominent in my repertoire. Not a single day goes by that I don’t listen to Pierce The Veil (and not just because “I Don’t Care If You’re Contagious” has been my ringtone for over a year…) and they are proudly one of my five favorite bands of all time. I absolutely love the music they are making.

When I got to photograph their set on the No Guts No Glory Tour this past Thursday, I could not have been happier. In all honesty, I was rather unprofessional in the photo pit because I was singing along and dancing around the entire time I was shooting. They opened up with “The Boy Who Could Fly” “Besitos” and “Disasterology” (the latter of which adorns my apartment hallway because it is Jill’s favorite PTV song)... I could not have stood still if a million dollars were my reward.

*breathes*

I WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE PIERCE THE VEIL IN CONCERT. AFTER ALL THE TIMES I HAVE MISSED THEM BECAUSE OF MY F!@#ING UNIVERSITY EXAM SCHEDULE, IT WAS ABOUT TIME I WAS IMMERSED IN THEIR LIVE SHOW. I JUST LOVE THEM SO MUCH. THEIR MUSIC IS SO AMAZING TO ME.

*breathes*

Sorry, I couldn’t contain that any longer. And I couldn’t contain it at the show either. I told anyone who would listen how much I love Pierce The Veil. And when they were on stage it probably looked like I was having a standing seizure because my body could not decide how to respond to the excitement of seeing Pierce The Veil in concert. I just *sigh* love them!

And so now that I have proudly edited and shared my pictures with the world, I have only one thing left to do: write a love letter for Pierce The Veil. I’ve never had the chance to chat with them (although now that I am doing tour documentary and live music videos, I would LOVE to work with them), so here’s what I would say:

I play favorites like it’s my part time job. I realize there is enough stuff in the world that you can really choose what suits your interests and pay it the most special of all attention. And Pierce The Veil is far and away one of my favorite bands of all time. I love Jason Mraz. I love The Rocket Summer. And I love you. Oh my goodness do I love your music. Vic, your lyrics are absolutely brilliant and if there’s one thing I’m grateful for in this world it’s that you weren’t born an incomprehensible idiot. The life that you put into words will line my stairway to heaven. You are incredible. Mike, as if your unbelievable talents behind a kit aren’t enough (The Boy Who Could Fly say what?), you love Harry Potter. There is no greater bond between two souls than a love for Harry Potter, end of story. Tony, it’s rare to see someone play guitar so intensely and make it look so effortless. You did a killer job on Selfish Machines and it’s an absolute pleasure to watch you in concert. I also love that you love Star Wars because it makes the bed sheets in my apartment a little cooler. Last but certainly not least: Jaime, I never used to pay attention to the bass part of music until I tried listening to Pierce The Veil in my friend’s car where the bass is nonexistent. With that experience I discovered a newfound respect for the bass line and for you. You’re terrific. Your energy is unrivaled and it’s a joy to watch you play because you smile the whole time! Pierce The Veil, the world would be a grey place if it weren’t for your contributions to it. I am eternally grateful for your efforts and love everything you do. Thank you!

You can see my pictures from the concert here! And maybe next time they are in town I can work more closely with them to bring you something amazing on Buzznet :)

PS. To accurately put me into perspective, I was Mort all night...

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Some (okay, all) of the things I've done for Buzznet have been extremely unique! I got to interview a movie star, make a tour video for one of my favorite bands, photograph almost every show I've attended in the past year, and so much more. I have a plethora of memories to be thankful for! And if you ask Elise or Bree: I am always quite exuberant (and redundant) in my many thank-you emails.

Unfortunately, there is not a grand enough text field to express my gratitude for the recent project I was assigned. It was the single most incredible experience I have taken part in throughout my time on Buzznet...

I GOT TO DIRECT (i.e. film and edit) A TOUR VIDEO FOR LIGHTS.

Cool, right? Whereby "cool" can be translated to any positive adjective in the English language: amazing, unbelievable, delightful... I could go on forever, but three is a good number and those are all great words.

The Lights crew was in Michigan on October 24, and it was an evening I won't soon forget. I arrived at the Eagle Theatre in Pontiac around 4:00 p.m. and it was only a matter of minutes before I was then introduced to Lights! Believe me: she is one of the most beautiful people in the world, inside and out. Lights is insanely talented and radiant in every aspect of her being. She brightens the room. There is not a single negative comment I have about her after the 10 hours I spent in her company. In fact, the same can be said for her entire band and management team... they are all awesome. Canadians know what's up.

ANYWHO, back to the story: my first interaction with Lights were two interviews for Buzznet, which can be viewed here and here. Originally I thought it would only take a few minutes, but she's so easy to talk to! I think the Q&A ended up going for 15 or 20 minutes in total, and I learned so much about her and the new album Siberia!

After my Buzznet interviews I kept the camera rolling for the behind-the-scenes features in the tour-documentary meets live-music-video video I was filming. I followed Lights as she went on to do an interview and acoustic session for my friends at PupFresh.com.  Now you all know I am a bona fide sucker for acoustic music, so this was one of the best parts of my evening. I got to hear Lights play "Toes" and "Banner" completely stripped down. It. Was. BRILLIANT. What I couldn't believe was that she didn't even have to warm up! Lights just tuned her guitar and started belting out her beautiful lyrics for the small crowd. I was in awe.

If you hadn't already noticed, I'm a fan. And rightfully so.

Moving along! When the interview was finished, we moved over to the concert hall for soundcheck. It was at this time that I was introduced to the rest of her band... Maurie plays the drums. Adam controls a few keyboards, the bass, and the computer tracks (so basically he’s a completely baller DJ). And Aaron, the newest member to the ensemble, rocks a different set of keys and the backup vocals. THEY ARE ALL TERRIFIC HUMAN BEINGS. I'll get into that later though, because at this time I merely said "hello", then invaded their personal space with my camera.

For the sound check the band played "Suspension" "Banner" "Flux and Flow" "Heavy Rope"... and I think there were others, but I can't quite recall. It was long, it was excellent, and I felt so privileged to hear it all! When the soundcheck was over, I introduced myself to the Lights lighting technician Jeremy. Although the band makes the set, he makes the show. Let me tell you: the lighting during the Lights show is sick. If you haven't been to a recent concert, wait until you see my video -- there is a lot of mesmerizing action. And it is, of course, AWWWESOME.

Eventually we moseyed back to the bus where Lights did another interview and acoustic set for my friend Tyler's website CommonRevolt.com. We all cozied up in the back lounge, and let me tell you: Lights brought "it" to this set, where "it" is every ounce of her fabulousness. Hearing "Toes" acoustic for the second time was a treat (I LOVE THAT SONG, it’s one of her best yet), but what really got me was hearing her sing "Cactus In The Valley" acoustic. I don't know if I've ever heard anything quite so perfect.

A bit later, about an hour before she hit the stage, I got some quality one-on-one time with Lights in the dressing room. Just being around her was so interesting! She's what I refer to as "a big deal" because she is so talented and so popular! Yet there I was, and there she was, and there we were: just sitting in the green room talking about dying our hairs and her love for / my fear of scary movies (among other things, of course). It was so normal, yet extremely pleasant! Some people would donate their spare kidney or sacrifice a small woodland critter to hang out with Lights. And it was just part of my job for the day. Hey, I'll take it!

I think that the best part about working with Lights, her band, and her crew was that there was no awkward getting-to-know-you time period. I was immediately welcomed into their evening and accepted into all of their activities. It was so nice. I got such excellent footage because nothing was uncomfortable or out-of-place; I felt like we were old friends as soon as we were introduced.

ANYWHOOO, onto the goods: 

The Lights band hit the stage at 9:15 p.m. And you know what that means: I hit the stage at 9:15 p.m.! *smiles* oh it's such a thrill to watch a show from the back of the stage... and from the side, the front, the back of the front, the center balcony, the side balconies, behind the sound board, in the crowd, and then again from the back of the stage. Haha I moved around a lot to get a hundred different angles for the video. 

Since I was working throughout the entire set, though, I didn't take in too much of what was actually happening. I was just trying to keep the camera steady and in focus! But watching back the videos has engraved the most epic of shows into my memory. 

First and foremost: Lights is a tremendous performer. Even when she's tied to her synths, she is so passionate about the music she's playing and she never stands still. Girl's got gumption! And a voice... a voice that is so versatile she can own both acoustic and electronica genres. She said to me earlier in the day that she loves to strip her music down to the bare acoustics because it really gives her a better understanding of the music. But overall she loves the electronic music she rocks day-in and day-out.

Next her band is... oh how can I put this properly... the band... is... INFECTIOUS. They've all got such a drive and it keeps the music surging into the crowd song after song after song.

I don't know how Adam manages to keep tabs on the bass, recorded tracks, and his multiple keyboards and button-having-thingies that surround him in a cocoon of things to press. There was one clip (that didn’t make it into the video) where he’s spinning around pressing keys on the boards in front of, to the side of, and behind him in a 10-second window. It’s so impressive. He must be a wizard.

Then Aaron, who is out on the road with Lights for his very first time, plays as though he was born knowing the Lights music! Maybe I just don't know what to listen for and he is actually terrible, but everything I processed sounded marvelous! Talk about a winning addition to the team.

Finally, sitting in the back with the best seat in the house was Maurie the drummer. Now fun fact about Maurie before I go off on his mad skills: he was in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. I kid you not! He was the bass player in the band Crash and the Boys. AWESOME, RIGHT!? You'd never expect he's a movie star, but there you have it. And when Maurie is on stage, there is no doubt as to why he's had such success in life. He’s a boss and the kit is his office space.

LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST: there's Jeremy, master of all good vibes. Seeing Lights in concert is amazing in-and-of itself, but let's face it: you can't have Lights without good lights. And Jeremy brings the very best-of to each and every night!

But just like *snaps*that* it was 10:30 p.m., the 18-song set (15 songs + 3 encore) was finished, and my job was nearly complete! The only thing I had left to film was Lights meeting her fans after the show. But before I captured that footage, I hung out on-stage to watch the fans file out of the venue and the band breakdown the stage. It was during this time when I got to know the fellas (Aaron, Adam, Jeremy, and Maurie) better. In brief (since this post is already 1550 words) I: flew a paper airplane with Adam and Maurie, reviewed my favorite video clips with Jeremy, and started a high-five marathon with Aaron. And when they finished packing up the stage (which I facilitated), we walked outside into the cool night and proceeded onto the bus.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “Katie’s so lucky, she got to party on the bus!” But let me tell you: it’s not the funky fiesta you’re imagining. While I had the most perfect time, it was not the let’s-get-drunk-rock-your-face-off-throw-a-television-out-the-window kind of affair. It was the let’s-listen-to-music-take-some-silly-pictures-and-watch-videos-on-youtube kind of affair, which happens to be perfect for me because I love nothing more than to settle down and shoot the breeze (party-parties are not my scene).

The highlights were:

• I got dozens of high-fives from Aaron (the exact countdown is unknown). Haha every time he’d see me smiling for no reason, he’d lean over with his hand held high.
• When Aaron was stretching his legs on the floor, Adam played fart sounds from his laptop every time Aaron moved. And, being the immature 12-year-old boy that I am, I could not contain my laughter.
• Maurie stole and hid my car keys so I couldn’t leave. If he had it his way I would have stayed on the bus until they left for Chicago... and even then. But since I am a decent tickler, I was able to get the keys and leave at 2:15 a.m. after watching some hilarious cartoons.
• Lights and I helped Aaron establish his twitter account. The best part was when Lights @mentioned @AaronTylerGrant and he gained 300 followers. She’s so influential.

But one of the best parts of my night, as I briefly mentioned earlier, was how well I was welcomed by everyone on the tour. I’ll be honest: in my day-to-day I am a peacock in a land of penguins. I am a very outgoing, smiley, charismatic female in a department that is comprised of introverted, straight-faced, studious males who want nothing more than to engineer the next great control system. And where the male:female ratio is 7:1 (at least), I’m already a fish out of water... being perky just makes me stick out further.

*exhales* just going to a show makes me feel as though I finally have a place to fit in, and being further accepted by the artists is unbelievably rewarding! I was all smiles all night, which seemed to catch the crew off-guard, but they got used to and seemed to thoroughly enjoy my company! #huzzah

Haha it was really funny when, all of a sudden, Aaron turned to Dan and asked “can we take Katie on tour with us?” to which he replied “yeah, sure!” The fellas then went on for a few minutes describing all the things that I could do while on the road, in addition to taking photos and video. While I enjoyed all that they had to say (the job sounded so appealing) the realist-Katie could not help but think “don’t get your hopes up; the odds are not in your favor.”

As much as I would LOVE to tour with this incredible group of people (it would be a dream I’d hope not to wake up from), this kind of thing doesn’t work out for people like me. I consider all of my favorite touring photographers and I have nothing in common with any of them. I am not a dude, I am not well-connected, I have zero training, and by-goodness I don’t even have a fancy camera with fancy lenses. I bought my one-and-only Canon Rebel T1i when it was on sale at Costco last November (we just celebrated its first birthday) because it was all I could afford! *sigh* But it was fun to pretend like I was cool for the night, and it was fun to gain everyone’s positive favor without any extra effort on my part. I just acted like my normal self – I even snorted when I laughed.

As I’ve edited the video over the past few weeks, I’ve had the chance to relive this wonderful night frame by frame by frame. And since this was my first time editing in Final Cut Pro (let alone the new version, FCP X) I have really learned a lot more about video editing. I could not have been assigned a better project! Now that I’ve shared some pictures and some words on the epic adventure, I cannot wait for you all to see my live music video for “Siberia” by Lights.

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NOTE: all photos from this blog (and more!!) can be seen in my album Behind the Scenes with LIGHTS! And be sure to check out these stellar pictures I took of Lights at the Sound Academy in Toronto!

Today I celebrate my Canon Rebel T1i, the first DSLR camera I’ve ever owned. I ordered it from Costco.com last November and held it in my hands for the first time on the night of November 13, 2010, which makes today its unofficial-yet-official birthday. My camera has been my constant and loyal companion throughout the past year and I cannot believe the places we’ve been and things we’ve accomplished together. I have absolutely ZERO training in photography, so in every sense we are growing up as a pair.

Let's be honest: I've had a pretty amazing first-year as a photographer! Some photogs who've been trained and working for years haven't even dreamed of the opportunities I've lived. I am so blessed and fortunate for everything in my life and I will love this camera for the rest of forever.

So for you, dear Camera, I have written this poem:

People often ask why I’m always so busy
They wonder why I always look like I’m dizzy
They see me and say “you should stop, take a break”
They say “you work too hard on the things that you make”
But I don’t hear any of what they are saying
My focus is glued to the hunk that’s displaying
The most wonderful, glorious, heavenly sights
When I look at him I know my future is bright
When he’s near my heart races and skips like a child
My mouth dries, my hands sweat, and my mind roams the wild
I’m so fortunate to have found such a fella
He is the handsome prince to my Cinderella
He consumes all my time, he consumes all my thoughts
He’s worth all of my time and my time’s worth a lot
Now I know what you’re thinking, “who is this great guy?”
If the truth’s to be told then I told you a lie
This “fella” is not what I made him out to be
He goes to and fro with me, knows how to roll with me
Yet he is, in fact, a beloved item I bought
He is not a human that I magically saught
The he and the him and the fella I wrote is
My Canon, my lover, my source of the pure bliss
I love him to pixels and I love him to bits
I can’t count the variety of venues we've hit
We have only been paired for this one perfect year
But it feels like forever since he first came near
So for you, my dear camera, I wish you the best
You have had a good year and the next will be blessed
I will love you forever, love you for always
Thank you for bringing me the happiest of days

*sigh* my camera is the best. He might not be a top-of-the-line model and he hasn't adopted many kids (i.e. lenses... I only have the kit lens, a telephoto lens, and a recently acquired 50mm prime lens), but he is perfect. He's worked so well with me on my 365 Project and all of my concert photography. What a trooper!! So without further adieu, here are some of his shining and my most favorite moments from the past year:

This was the first photo I took with my new camera! It's of our puggle Simba. The following photos are in a random order and chosen for random reasons...

Happy Birthday Camera!! Although this was taken on my 22nd birthday and not your 1st...

Our most recent project was a tour documentary live music video for Lights! Good. Times.

I LOVE YOU CAMERA!

When Buzznet asked me to participate in the Orbit Match My Pack promotion, I was thrilled to pick the Peppermint Pack! For those of you who take note of my tastes on Buzznet, you should know that peppermint is the only flavor of gum I'll chew! It's hands-down the most refreshing!! Chewing it feels like I just left the dentist :)

And this new, stylish pack for my favorite flavor is now as fresh as the contents within! I am in love with the imagery (watches, sunglasses, running shoes, and headphones are all essential to my day-to-day), and the colors could not be more perfect! As a proud student (almost alumnist!) of the University of Michigan, half of my wardrobe is Maize and Blue! 

What I'm wearing:

Yellow Over-Sized Polka Dot Shirt: H&M in NYC, found on the sale rack for $7.

Jean Shorts: I've owned these shorts for at least 7 years (I stopped growing a long time ago)... I cannot tell you from where they originate, other than to say I currently find them in my dresser drawer!

Peace & Harmony Turquoise Flower Necklace: Lucky Brand Jeans, gift.

The best part about this outfit is that it's so comfortable and light I was able to wear it to this year's Vans Warped Tour! And as I photographed There For Tomorrow (as pictured below), you can bet that I was chewing on and blowing bubbles with some yummy Peppermint Orbit Gum!

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And this past summer was really special for me, which makes going back to school even harder. It was the first summer I had the opportunity to do concert photography and music journalism for Buzznet on a weekly basis. Since I have only had my DSLR camera since November 2010, it was my first opportunity to use free time as concert time. And it was my first chance to cover shows in pleasant weather! I did not have to wait outside the venue in a parka! WOOHOO!!

In the time period between April 28 and September 2 I had the great honor of shooting over 50 bands at 16 different concerts, including the Vans Warped Tour where I photographed the sets of 12 bands in one day. I also went to a couple other shows that I did not shoot, which takes the concert tally up to 18 in only 4 months! I’d say this falls under the category of BADASS. A summer spent in music is a very good summer indeed.

And now that I reflect on the 55 new photo albums, 13 new blog posts, and 9 new videos (including 2 exclusive tour documentary videos I directed!) that I’ve posted over the past few months, I want to share my favorite concert posts with you. Without further adieu:

The Summer Set: one of my first concert pictures of the summer, and Brian Dales (singer) said it was one of the best of him he'd ever seen :) good start.

Hey Monday: Pat McKenzie (drummer) still has this as his twitter default image :)

Yellowcard: after listening to them for... how many years?... I finally got to see Yellowcard live and photograph their set. #dreamsreallydocometrue

All Time Low: the first time shooting one of my all time favorite bands was a huge success. OH HAPPY DAY.

Dirty Work In Detroit: my writeup of ^that^ epic night of music and photography.

Family Force 5: this band is one of my favorites to watch in concert, and were so fun to photograph!

High Fives For Family Force 5: my night with FF5 was definitely one I will always remember.

Allstar Weekend: shooting this handsome band was a dream, made all the more fun by the plethora of screaming/crying fangirls in the audience :)

My Allstar Weekend with Allstar Weekend: I think I had just as much fun living the night as I did reliving it.

Lenka: she was absolutely brilliant, in both personality and talent. I had the pleasure of interviewing her (see here) and had a wonderful time!

Parachute: this band live is just so... MAGNIFICENT. 

Day 169: I've been a huge fan of Parachute for a few years now, and getting my picture taken with lead singer Will Anderson was one of the highlights of my summer.

G. Love & Special Sauce: before I photographed G. Love the security guard came over and said "no flash and you can only stay for the first three songs." I responded with, "Thank you." When I really should have said, "THIS AIN'T MY FIRST RODEO." In a southern accent, of course. I mean, I've covered shows before and had already photographed the first three acts. Whatevs.

Katelyn Tarver: definitely one of the pretty people of the world. She is so lovely and her songs very timely!

Honor Society: this band posted all of my concert pictures to their own website HonorSocietyMusic.com. *blushes* well thank you :)

Mat Kearney: his management emailed me a few weeks ago asking if they could use ^this^ or *this* picture in a magazine spread for Mat. I obviously said yes :)

Owl City: this will probably always be one of my absolute favorite pictures produced by myself and my Canon Rebel T1i.

There For Tomorrow: the Warped Tour was very good to me and my portfolio.

There For Tomorrow: I had to post both of these pictures of TFT... they're just so appealing to me!

A Day To Remember: in my mind... "HE'S LOOKING AT ME. HE'S POINTING RIGHT AT MY CAMERA. THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING. If the picture doesn't turn out, at least I'll remember that it happened. But damn, I hope this turns out." And it did.

My Most Memorable Moment of the 2011 Vans Warped Tour: was about ^that^ picture and the moments leading up to it. Gosh, it was such a good day!

Hellogoodbye: I've listed Hellogoodbye as one of my top-10 favorite bands since I first heard "Call N' Return" over 5 or 6 years ago. Their music has only improved over time.

The Ready Set: the band posted this photo album to their facebook page :) I was honored by the exposure and kind things he and everyone else had to say!

Simple Plan: I love being in the right place at the right time.

Parachute: I got to see/shoot Parachute twice this summer! And I got terrific pictures both times!!

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Sparks The Rescue's "The Weirdest Way": I took on my very first videography project with this band and this song. I had a blast!

100 Monkeys: I got to interview this band for my first music journalism assignment last year, and got to photograph them this year! My-oh-my how the time flies!

Hanging Out With Valencia: the gentlemen of Valencia are without a doubt the best band I have had the pleasure of working with. I first interviewed them in December 2010, saw them again in April 2011, and now in July 2011 I got to spend some quality time with a band I've loved for years. The development of our relationship is rather smashing.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Valencia's "The Way": this is my pride and joy of the summer. Not only did I have the most incredible time hanging out with the band, but the video showcases just how good a time I had. I won't soon forget the fun from this night!

Action Item: I saw/shot this band THREE (count 'em 1..2..3..) times this summer. They really do love to visit Michigan, eh?

Hot Chelle Rae: when I first saw RK Follese (singer) walk onto stage in spring 2009, I thought "he is, without a doubt, the most handsome fella in the whole wide world." And when I saw him walk onto stage in summer 2011, I thought "he is still perfect." I mean really, he's just gorgeous. And his voice is so special.

The Summer Set: take 2. Good times. Good tunes. Good pictures.

We The Kings: I've been a fan of WTK since I first saw they were friends with Boys Like Girls in 2007 (if you recall, I was very fond of BLG). I remember pre-ordering their self-titled album in August and listening to the four songs they had on purevolume on continuous repeat until I had the physical CD in my grasp.

The Cab: their new album Symphony Soldier has got to be one of my favorite new releases of the summer.

Mayday Parade: Mayday Parade facebook'd and twitter'd my photo album, which was pretty cool considering they have their own photographer on staff. #winning.

All Time Low: this isn't one of the *best* pictures of Jack Barakat you'll ever come across, but it's definitely one of my favorites that I've taken. The lighting at this show was so bizarre that I was astonished I got an album's worth of quality pictures to turn out. Kudos to you camera!

Panic! At The Disco: my last concert of the summer was the first time I have had the pleasure of seeing P!ATD in concert. Timing has never worked for me to see them, and I could not be happier to have been in their audience. As I stood in the photo pit and then crowd listening to the perfection that is Brendon Urie's vocal chords, I fondly remembered how much I've loved this band since my early years of high school.

Well, there you have it! An assortment of my favorite concert moments of the summer! I hope you've enjoyed following the journey as much as I've enjoyed living it. I can't wait to see what lies ahead of me for the rest of the year. It's bound to be quite excellent :)

For the remainder of my:
photo galleries, click here.
blog posts, click here.
video posts, click here.