Thursday, May 29, 2008

What's been going on...

Well, I'm still working on the final blog regarding my trip across the country goes. I just haven't finished editing those pictures yet. But I decided I better try to catch you guys up on what's been going on for me in California these past couple weeks.

My internship is great! I'm interning with Julia Dean - or the Julia Dean Photo Workshops. Some of the work is somewhat boring, the data entry stuff, but they've also given me a really awesome assignment! I've been photographing Venice Beach for the past week and a half, and they're going to choose one of my images to go on the back cover of the next catalog!! Also, since I'm working there 40 hours a week and am therefore basically an employee, I get to attend any workshop for free! So I'm taking the Photography for Social Impact class with Jim Hubbard, which focuses on how to link with non-profits in order to document their mission...that class meets every Thursday night. Next week I'll add another workshop to that - each Wednesday night I'll attend Julia Dean's Mastering Your Flash workshop, which will do exactly what the title says...teach me how to master a portable flash. I learned some at RCC about this, but I still don't know what all the buttons are for on a portable flash and how to use them in the ways I might want.

I expected to get pretty lonely out here, honestly, but it really hasn't gotten that bad! I have 3 roommates...and even though two of them aren't around much, my roommate, Casey, and I get along well so it's been nice having her here to talk to when I get home. We went to see Prince Caspian together on Saturday, and that was fun. I loved the movie! I also have Alexa here. She lives about 45 minutes from me, and she had to shoot weddings every day last weekend, but we got to spend all day Monday together! She invited me up to Westlake Village, where she lives, to hang out with her and her family all day. We went to lunch and to see the new Indiana Jones movie, and then we played the Wii and got in the hot tub! It was so much fun!

Sunday I tried out a church in downtown Los Angeles, called Mosaic, and it was so great! I was really worried that I'd leave without meeting anyone and be really discouraged. I walked in about 20 minutes early, and kind of stood off to the side. There were people standing behind information tables around me, and a guy, Ben, who was standing behind the men's ministry table, asked me if it was my first time there. I told him yes, and that I'd just moved out here for a couple months to do a photography internship, and that I'd only been here for a week. He was so nice! He wanted to introduce me to this girl, Jess, who's a photographer, right away, but he couldn't find her so he introduced me to Gabriel - the guy standing behind the Artisans (artist ministry) table - he also introduced me to Miranda, the girl behind the she (women's ministry) table, and to Kim McManus (the pastor, Erwin McManus's wife). Kim was sooo cute and talked to me for a few minutes about what I'm doing out here and then asked if I had anyone to sit in the service with. I told her I didn't, and Miranda offered to sit with me. After the servie, I talked for probably 45 minutes to Miranda and Jess (the photographer Ben wanted me to meet) and they're both great girls! We had great conversations, and I left Mosaic having exchanged phone numbers and e-mail addresses with both of them. :-) What an answer to prayer!

I've been seeing the Lord's hand all over my life recently and it is so encouraging and humbling! Before I even ask for help, He's putting things into place for me and I just step back and say "wow!" (And thank you!!)

Even though things are going so well out here, I really do miss all of you back in North Carolina. It's beautiful out here, but I'm realizing that I'm not sure I could stick it out if this was a permanent move. I'm glad to know that I'll be going home in a couple months. I could live somewhere else if I had to, but right now I like that North Carolina is my home...it's where my family is.

Of course, I know as soon as I get home I'll miss it here. :-) I'm still missing the Dominican Republic, and I was only there for a week!

Love you guys! Leave me comments if you read this, because I'd love to hear from you! I'll try to get the post with the rest of the photos from my trip out here up soon, but for now I'll give you some images of California!

Images from Redondo Beach - Less than one mile from my house!





Yes, that's a seal on the beach...don't worry, it's not dead! Only sunbathing...a lifeguard said it happens all the time and if there weren't people on the beach it'd be covered with seals!

Images from Santa Monica, taken when David and Jonathan were still here...the day after we arrived (or Sunday, May 18th):





Images from Venice Beach, where I work:


This street is Abbott Kinney...it's so cute and there's all kinds of local shops and restaurants along here! I drive down this road every day to work.

2 comments:

Greg said...

A few things of note regarding your posts:

1. Mosaic is awesome. Cool that you got to visit there!
2. You must tell me all about the social change class you are taking. I'm starting a non-profit with a friend and would like to know more about it!
3. You must also teach me about the flash, since I'm terrible with it. Don't tell my clients! Oh well, they know I hate it and don't use it anyway.
4. I got a Nikon D3 today. Can't wait to shoot with it! Okay, that wasn't about your post, but thought you might find it interesting.

Ms. Main Street said...

Hey Stephanie,
It's great to keep up on what God is doing in your life. I love seeing your pictures. You are fantastic.
Love you girl. Praying for you that God will continue to bless and guide you! - Betsy Clark