New Year’s Eve

I don’t usually get hyped for New Year’s Eve.

On a “normal” night (the other 364 days of the year) you can find me safely tucked into bed by 11:00. I’m not the biggest fan of crowded parties, I don’t particularly like loud music, popping balloons makes me jump, and those party horns set my teeth on edge (don’t I just sound like the life of the party?). However, this year, I decided to greet the New Year with and open mind and open arms.

2014 was very, very good to me. So many amazing things happened:
I spent the first few weeks of 2014 in Cambodia with my dad on a medical mission trip. I met an incredibly down to earth and giving group of people. February brought me to my first Flickr gathering (which I dearly hope isn’t my last) and to the city of Detroit. I saw my very last Newbs welcomed into Note-oriety with loving arms and performed my senior solo in our spring concert. I said goodbye to my home for four years and hello to being part of an incredibly alumni network when I graduated from James Madison University. Proudly, I stood by my sister Emma as she and Connor said their wedding vows. I jam-packed my short lived summer by backpacking through Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Germany with my dear friend Austen. I took a bunch of photos abroad and edited them all before the summer was over. Then, I made a big move to Durham, NC with my fantastic new roommate and live-in-fashion-guru, Kirstyn. I was assigned to the BEST team at Fuqua (blue team 11, I love you so much), and made some amazing friends at Duke. I attended my first JMU Homecoming as an alumni, shot a few incredible weddings, became an associate at West Elm, met a phenomenally nerdy man named Carl, explored Raleigh, traveled to Charlotte, and said goodbye to the DKU students before they headed off to China. I finished out the year by interning at Raymond James in Philadelphia and spending some quality time with my family during Christmas break.

All in all, it was an amazing, eye opening, fast-paced, whirlwind of a year.

Making resolutions has never really been my thing, but this year, I figured I would set some photo goals to better myself and my art.
1. carefully monitor the quality/quantity of photos I put on instagram
2. get back to improving my conceptual photography on flickr
3. take 52 self portraits (total) this year

Well, that’s enough writing for one blog post I suppose, ha ! Thanks to my lil bro (who is definitely a foot taller than me) for braving the cold weather with me and not being too old to play with sparklers.

      I love this picture of him. And yes, that is my sweater. . .  Ha, I love this one too. The sparks caught some serious air ! Mike, thank you for snapping this photo of me. I can’t express how much it means to me that you’re always down to lend a hand. I an so excited to see what 2015 has in store for you and Joe.   Happy New Year everyone ! Make 2015 your brightest year yet !!!!

– Sam