Category Archives: Inspiration

If there is something about the future that I am excited about, it is being able to see more of the world. This photo was taken on vacation in April. We were helping fix a trail, but after shoveling for a while, I looked up and saw this gorgeous sunset. The entire hillside was golden and lit up, and we all stopped working for twenty minutes just to watch the sun go down. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. The future brings more opportunities to find the beautiful moments like this that make your soul feel fulfilled. f1.8 1/1371 ISO 20

For this week’s challenge of being inspired by food, I decided to go with my mom’s granola. Some people have the cookie jar, but we have a granola jar instead. About every month or so, my mom makes several pans of granola, and that become breakfast for as long as it lasts. I love her granola, and the day it runs out is a sad one as our whole family has to wait until she makes another batch. f5 1/64 ISO 2500

Something that is always going on nowadays is construction. This photo was taken on a road trip through California. We were passing the prettiest hills, but we got to a spot where there was a bunch of construction. Suddenly, instead of the beautiful nature, there were piles of rubble and dirt and large machines working. I have a feeling constant construction is going to be a continuing trend as we keep pushing the boundaries of the natural areas near us for more infrastructure, but it still makes me sad. f5.6 1/790 ISO 250

Our inspiration this week was music. I consider myself a very musical person. From a young age, I was learning the violin and later switched over to the viola, which is photographed here. I love music in all of its forms, whether it be classical or more pop. There is something so wonderful about listening to melodies, fitting together parts, and just plain ol’ experiencing it. I probably listen to music a little too much, but it is too good to ever pass up. f5.6 1/60 ISO 1600

I currently do not have a job. However, I do have a large time occupier in the form of school. This photo features all of my AP Prep booklets. Each one has several practice tests, problems, etc, which is very helpful when it comes to studying. Between working on freestyle and AP classes, I probably put in enough time for a full time job. Maybe once the school year is over I will actually be able to get an actual paying job, but today is not that day. f2.8 1/64 ISO 800

Our prompt was to find something inspired by the elements. I chose to take a photo of this candle because I really liked how the orange of the fire contrasted with with the green wax. Fire is one of the most dangerous, yet helpful of the elements. With a wrong move, it can clear entire forests, but it also paved the way for keeping houses warm, cooking, and even rockets. It is slightly ironic to me that something that could potentially be so destructive can also be shrunk down into tiny little candles used for decorations and scents. f4.5 1/60 ISO 250

This week was inspired by the idea of what we are grateful, so I had to take a photo of my dog. I love my dog a lot, and even when she gets into trouble, she never ceases to make me giggle and smile. We like to joke in our family that despite being almost three, she still hasn’t grown out of being a puppy. She is still just as eager to run around and chase balls and cause trouble as she was when she was six months old. She is my favorite dog and the cutest one in the whole world. f1.8 1/100 ISO 400

The challenge for this week was to share the story of someone who inspires us. I decided to take a photo of this puzzle box that my dad got after he graduated from MIT. My dad is one of the most patient and hardworking people that I know. I thought it was fitting that this was a puzzle box because he is very good at figuring things out and making things coherent and whole. He is also a very intelligent person and always is able to break seemingly insurmountable tasks or problems into manageable chunks. He is one of the coolest and most inspiring people that I know. f6.3 1/80 ISO 5000

Our prompt for this week was habits. I have a lot of habits that make my life a lot easier, like how I dress. Thinking in the morning is very hard, so I normally just rotate what outfits I wear. My friends sometimes make fun of me because of my consistency of wearing very similar things every day. I have two pairs of shoes that I trade off based off of which one I can find first. This photo features one of the shoes, next to my sisters tennis shoes that she also wears constantly. f5 1/160 ISO 1600

The prompt for this week was Exit. One of my favorite movies is the Sound of Music and in it, the main character, Maria, has a quote that “When God closes a door, he always opens up a window”. I didn’t really know what to do for this photo, but then I remembered the quote and realized, “Hey! Windows are exits too!”. Though I wish I had taken a photo with a more interesting subject outside the window, overall I am happy with it.