WPOW!

Women Photojournalists of Washington

Tomorrow I would have been here 2 weeks! Definitely feels like so much longer but I'm so excited for summer to properly begin cos when all the kids break up from school this week the pool will start opening every day at 11am HELLOOOO SUNKISSED SKIN! ;) The weather is b e a utiful with highs over 30degrees (about 90 for you Fahrenheit weirdos!) and my poor English skin isn't used to it so I need to ease into the sun!

beautiful sky!

So, on Saturday, Emma and I assisted a wedding photoshoot for Vita Images which was a lot of fun! It was exactly how you would imagine an American wedding to be like - outside, beautiful weather, white chairs, the whole shabbang! The Bride and Groom (Lauren and Tom) were amazing clients to work for too because they were so calm and happy - definitely the opposite to what I'd be like hahaha. So that alone made the day a lot happier and better. They were also very photogenic too! I'll try and post a couple photos on here if I'm allowed.

Me and Jen have started the gym this week! :) yay! It's unbelievably huge with 2 floors of equipment, swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and steam room! CRAZY! So it's gym, swim and sweat! Although, the changing rooms - I've never seen anything like it! Naked women left, right and centre all with their lady gardens out! What is going onnnnn? Awkward turtle moment.

On Wednesday I went with Jen to do a family photoshoot for one of her fellow photographer friends called Charlotte. It's so cool how much I've already got to add to my portfolio in 2 weeks!!

Wednesday night is when Emma stayed round as we had to leave for Charlottesville at 7 am (EW) because us and Jen had a workshop of how to use Photoshop and Lightroom spoken by an amazing photographer who works at Adobe, Julieanne Kost. She was hilarious too which made a 6 hour lecture bareable! Plus I learnt sooo much!! :) After the workshop we met up with the WPOW! women in a little cafe called Java Java to help hang up some photographs which were to be sold the following morning at the silent auction. I also met another of Emma's friends called Mary and her boyfriend Jake who were so nice! I swear Americans are the most welcoming people ever!
We came back from Charlottesville this morning but we took a detour to visit Jen's eldest son, Adam, who is a skydive instructor. Crazy I know! When we got to Orange, we saw him land from jumping out the plane and we hung around with a few of them for a bit which was cool - hoping I got some good photos! I definitely don't have the balls to jump out a plane the nutter!

I'm excited for next month because me and Emma are talking about staying with her brother for a couple days in CALIFORNIA!! The flights are super expensive atm though cos it'd be in the peak of summer so if we don't go there we might go somewhere random or stay with her Aunt in Boston :)

SORRY FOR ALL THE WRITING! Here is a couple of pictures of the beautiful Charottesville:

The amazing old school ice cream parlour!! The ice cream wasn't the best (much rather have a rossi's ;)) but I was in awe of the place!

I'll upload more when I can be bothered to edit some pics! 

CIAO! 

RIP to a lovely boy back at home, Lewis. Thoughts are with his family x

Concrete Jungle

This week has been so busy, it feels like I've been here for about a month not 8 days! On Tuesday I went to NEW YORK CITY! 
It took about 4 hours to drive but I didn't care because it showed me more of the US! We drove through Baltimore, Delaware, New Jersey and some other places. We stopped at a service station in New Jersey so I bought a key ring hahaha











I don't think I've ever been more excited in my life as soon as I saw the skyline across the water. It's truly beautiful.

the view from our hotel room! 20 stories up!

the ferris wheel IN toys r us!

such an amazing city

SO HAPPYYY

$60 well spent!

When we got back from New York, it was pretty late on the Wednesday and then Thursday I had a photography event at a studio apartment in Washington DC! :) It's unbelievably pretty there and the studio we were in was New York style and even had a swing! HOW COOL! 

Photos credit to Emma and Jenn:

Grossssssss

Emma on the swing!!

Outside the apartments!

Listening to photographs talk about what's 'in their bag'

EW

David Barnett. What a legend.

On the swing woo! Need one of these back home

It was such a good night to 'network' and meet some new people and photographers. I met an English photographer which was cool cos we had some common ground and even knew where my home town was! Everyone had their own specialities and the majotrity had their own wedding photography businesses or studios. It was inspirational to see how many people have actually made their hobby into a career and gives me more hope!

On Friday night I went to the 'movie theatre' to watch Men in Black 3 - EVERYONE NEEDS TO SEE IT! It's hilarious and Will Smith just doesn't seem to age; he could literally start making new Fresh Princes and no one would be able to tell the difference! It was so nice to go with Emma and her friends and be around people my own age :) They were all so nice so hopefully will see them again soon! I slept round Emma's house and met her younger brother and parents who were all so lovely and welcoming! The next morning her dad made us some Mickey Mouse pancakes and we had them with syrup - I felt like a true American! We then had a wedding to photograph and assist for, for Vita Images (Jenn's company). It was actually a really good day because the Bride and Groom were such laid back, nice people and were so photogenic so I'm excited to see how well the photos will come out! If I'm allowed I'll post a couple on here :)

Trying my first York! (Peppermint Patty)

The AMAZING waffles! :)

I'm so busy here which is really cool but a bummer at the same time because I haven't had chance to properly sunbathe yet so I'm not any more tanned than I was back in England :( haha. Maybe I'll have time in the next 6 months ;)

SPEAK SOOOOON 'YA'LL' xxxxx

Sweetbay Lane

I MADE IT TO VIRGINIA!!!

So I'm still pretty jeg lagged and need to get with the time because I'm still on UK time. It's currently 9:52pm here but I'm still used to it being 2:52am which is what it is at home! I'm making myself stay awake as long as possible but it's so hard when I'm waking up at 6am each day!
My flight went ok-ish to get here all by myself. I freaked out a little at Heathrow just because it's such a huge airport but everything seemed easy enough! I've been accepted to stay here for 6 months too which is relieving because at my visa interview they said I'm not guaranteed to be able to stay here that long until I go through US customs!
The flight was 7 hours long and I lost 4 hours during that process to get here. I had 2 in-flight meals which were RANK but then I watched 'The Vow'.. got upset that Channing Tatum isn't mine, read my book and listened to my ipod whilst sleeping!
As soon as I met up with Jen, Katy and Ashleigh we stepped outside of the airport and it was like a huge hair dryer! It's sooo hot here and super humid so I'm wearing next to nothing whilst going to the pool haha. I'm yet to make friends my own age here but I should be meeting a girl called Emma on Thursday who's 19 so fingers crossed she likes me and introduces me to her friends!!
The day I got here Jen took me to this huge shop called Target where I bought all my necessities I couldn't fit into my suitcase, and an American phone :) then she drove me around Reston town to see some of the amazing shops they have here. It's amazing! :) Then yesterday and today I've been at the pool with Katy, trying my best to start the base of my tan!
America through my eyes so far:

when they met me at the airport hahaha

with Katy in my mini apartment

hanging out

what I see when I step out of my bedroom :)

slurpee and tropical starburst = bliss

home!

extremely hideous

loving life.

I'll try to be more frequent with the blogs here but tomorrow morning I leave for NEW YORK for a couple days!!! TOO EXCITED ahhh literally a dream xxxxxxx