sincere apologies.

i've been inactive on this blog for quite some time now. i'm just now getting my personal life back in order and settled down. i finally have put my website together. www.astump.com feel free to take a look. i promise next shoot i do. i will blog the behind the scenes.

disappearance issues & such

I know that I have been generally inactive this season. I've been experiencing some personal issues. But now I feel as if I am able to continue again. I've been studying photos in the meantime and I'm ready to experiment some more with lighting. and also... i'm thinking about buying a softbox ... and photoshop? haha It seems I may be a little late with that purchase, so perhaps i'll just master this program that I have,... to save myself hundreds of dollars. The modeling competition is not over just yet. There are two girls left. One unfortunately was pulled from the competition by her parents, but parents are just trying to do whats best for their kids right? I'm hoping that this year I am going to be able to make a job change. Possibly work 3rd shift and so that way i'll be free during the day... EVERY DAY. And I honestly think that this year, will be the year that I make it.

updating post

Sorry I haven't written in here for quite some time. As some of you may know, I started up my modeling competition, which can be found at astump.com We're currently down to about 5-6 girls. I just opened up the sign up sheet for the second season, which will start in the summer, which will be a very nice change from shooting in 20 degree weather.

This is a shot from late october with Joe, this was an extremely spontaneous and quick shoot. It was misting and what not, and we were by the pond covered in seaweed and on land we were dodging geese poop left and right.

I did some work for Sacred Serenity in early December, I believe this is the beginning of my woods obsession.

Then I had a shoot with Becky 3 days before christmas. This was another spontaneous shoot, actually right after I got off work. We spent a good half hour just rummaging through her wardrobe and maybe 10 mins shooting. And then another 15 minutes trying to get her boots off her feet.
Recently during a code blue I shot with my cousin Sam. We were only outside of the car for about 8 mins tops before I couldn't feel my fingers to even push the button to take her picture.

Yesterday I shot with Tyler Kramer for the first time. Here's a sneak peak of it. I'm sure you'll be seeing him a lot more.

As a new years resolution I said I would take more photos, so i decided to take up a 365, I've been slacking of lately,... but I'll get back on board I promise! For this one I didn't do my hair, obviously and I was staring into a lamp that was balanced on my kneecap as I held the camera. I'd say that's impressive.

I also of lately have been modeling for my friend Kyleigh
Trains
E is for Earth

Eyepatch
Paint

and for lizbiz!
concealed & revealed series

time and whatnot.

This time of year always makes me feel sluggish, not to mention daylights saving time and losing daylight, and also the fact that i've been working overtime. I've had zero time for any shoots lately it seems. I've just posted two photos from over a week ago that I did with Joe on the 23rd. It was a rainy day, and silly me decides, thats perfect weather for a shoot. So we went down to the swamp thing across from our old highschool, and there was geese poo everywhere. But despite everything, all went well.
Just recently, as in yesterday I went to a wedding. My cousin got married, and they hired me as the photographer three days prior. I've been so drained from this past week and a half. I didn't even get to see Halloween coming. My pumpkins I bought 3 weeks ago are still sitting in my trunk uncarved....and slightly moldy. I need to smash them somewhere ahaha.
But in two weeks the competition I'm hosting starts. astump.com for the details. we'll see how this goes, success or not.

tired

I don't know why, but lately I've been so tired. I mean I've been getting certain things done, but my energy level is just so low. I want a vacation from my job so bad. Supposedly I'm getting on in late November/Decemberish. It better be like a week and a half to two weeks off. Then I can finally finish reorganizing my room. And finish some of these dresses. And of course do a couple shoots.
My soda tab dress is going to take the longest. But I'm finally getting a cage crinoline, after about a year and a half of wanting one. So all my dresses are going to be like ballroom dresses. I just can't wait to get all this stuff done. And do these shoots. I can already see the pictures in my head. I just need to create and photograph and they'll be out of my head finally.

oh and instead of buying antique cocktail hats and having them get smushed, I've decided to make my own. It shouldn't be too hard.

mermaid shoot

It was 45 degrees out today with a very high chance of rain. Call us crazy, but Bri and I decided yesterday we should do a mermaid shoot in Lake Nockamixon. Yesterday I purchased extentions and a lightening kit. I've been meaning to get blonde ones for my models Bri and Liz, since their haircuts are normally short. After 2 hours of using the lightening kit, the hair was finally the color I wanted.
I knew Bri would be excited to have long hair again. After I put it in we joked around that she looked like Hannah Montana and Avril Lavigne combined. I showed her my hypothermia survival kit, since we would both be in the water: towels, mittens, shorts, basketballs shorts, pj pants, hoodies, and furry socks. We were set.
After jamming out to MJ's greatest hits we finally arrived. Despite my dreading thoughts about fishermen everywhere at 2 in the afternoon, there were none. Bri started to get changed in the car. I held up the doormat which served multi-purposes throughout our shoot. First it was a changing room. When Bri got out of my car in only a bra and shorts the doormat (Matthew) now served as a shield against the 20 mph winds. Needless to say, it was cold outside. Matthew served for us one last time as a platform under water so that we wouldn't step on any fishing hooks or jagged rocks or lastly snakes, which I told Bri there were none of, because the water was too freezing.
I got in the water first. Freezing water, high winds, and low air temperature. awesome. haha. However I got used to it fairly quickly. I had been cooling down my body temperature the whole way to the shoot by only wearing a short sleeve t-shirt and no jacket with the windows down in my car. Bri finally got in the water and laid on top of one of the rocks. Everyone that had driven up the fishing pier to gaze on the view, was graced with the image of me barefoot in a gargoyle position in the water, and Bri in barely any clothing laying on a rock. Goosebumps covered both of our bodies.
When we were done we decided to leave Matthew in the water. He was 5 inches from floating ashore anyways. We stumbled to the hypothermia survival kit across the rocky shoreline only able to feel pain on the bottom of our feet. We wrapped ourselves in the towels and headed for the car. Their was only one other person on the pier, and he was in his car. An innocent old man. "How do you like the view. I bet you'll like this!" I stated as I quickly removed a pair of basketball shorts and pj shorts to reveal my bathing suit bottoms. Then I hopped in my car and acted like it was perfectly normal. ...well that is normal to me. Besides, the best way to warm up when you are wet and cold is to take off your clothes and rely on your own body heat. See, there is a reason to my madness. haha.
Of course we didn't stop shivering completely until about 5 minutes of being in the car with the heat blasting. All in all it was a good day, despite weather issues. But then again. Nothing really stops me. Not even floods, but that's another story.

hair hair everywhere!

oh boy. i'm going to be about knee deep in hair very soon. I've got extensions coming in from the UK, i just bought blonde extensions for my models with short blonde hair, and my model Kali Kae that i just shot with is making me extensions. ohhhhhhh boy. i'm so excited. now i'm going to need a organizing unit for all of that, plus my extensions i used to wear. i'm going to have a full set of brown, full set of blonde, hot pink, turquoise, white, and so many more colors.
I'm currently unpacking from the pirate shoot and re-organzing my closet, bereau, vanity, and end table drawers. I love organizing. It makes so much more space for things, and then I know where everything is. I need to go out and buy giant zip-lock bags for all my hair. Might sound sad to you, but i'm more than excited.

Mermaid shoot tomorrow and my model Bri and I are getting in the lake. Yes... in the lake. It's going to be freezing, but I'm going in with my bathing suit. hahaha. it's going to be so much fun, considering it's most likely going to rain.