Past Trips In Black & White

n e w   y o r k   c i t y

a u t u m n  /  t w e n t y   t w e l v e

p a r i s, f r a n c e

w i n t e r  /   t w e n t  y   e l e v e n

s e a t t l e 

s u m m e r  /  t w e n t y  t w e l v e

n e w   y o r k   c i t y

s p r i n g  /  t w e n t y  t e n

I haven't posted any of my own photos on here lately since the main camera I shoot with is currently being repaired. So, this post is simply a series of past vacation photographs I shot in color and edited in black and white in adobe photoshop cs5. 

There is a sort of progression apparent throughout the years I've been playing around with photography and editing. Shooting more thoughtfully composed photographs has transitioned for me and I feel like I'm beginning to hone in on and develop a more specific aesthetic, and there is no doubt in my mind that this aesthetic will continue to evolve organically as I further my studies and step out of the comfort zones I tend to confine myself to. Keep an eye out for future photo experiments and projects!

From Seattle To Portland

on the water

bunches of berries

the infamous gum wall

a somber day

brunch in portland: tasty-n-sons

the needle

My best friend Athena and I took a week long trip to Seattle during the end July. It was my first time visiting and I was excited to venture around a new city. It was between there and NYC, but since I'd been to New York a number of times I ultimately decided to try something new, and so glad I did! 

Before arriving to Seattle I was determined that we'd take a day trip to Portland. I'd heard so many wonderful things about the city—especially the food—and what with my being a huge foodie and all I knew I couldn't miss out on the opportunity at hand. Our day didn't start out exactly as planned once we arrive though, due to a bit of car trouble. As we pull into a parking spot, Athena realized that we had a flat tire, but(!) what you hear about the people in Portland is all so true; they really are such a friendly and authentic bunch. A few standerbys were more than willing to help us out and changed out our flat for the spare in no time. So the day turned out to be not so bad after all.

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a few of my favorites:

narwal/unicorn: as cool as its name, this bar/arcade is located in downtown Seattle.

new exhibitions and installations are frequently rotated at the seattle art museum.

get your afternoon pick-me-up + a beautifully wrapped bar of chocolate at Stumptown.

Powell Books in Portland carry new and used books. I fell in love when I found a used copy of Walden.

Plum Bistro is known for their vegan and vegetarian dishes.

Wanderlusting

melian hotel, pollonia milos

suomenlinna sea fortress, helsinki

Wonderlusting for places I long to visit.

(1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5)

From France To Spain

Soon after celebrating Christmas morning with my family I left for the airport with passport in hand, anticipating the lengthy flight to France ahead. As I glance at the seat number printed on my boarding pass, a woman approaches me and asks if I'm Renee. I'm still not exactly sure what had happened but somehow they gave my original seat away resulting in my being bumped up to first class, which I took as some sort of Christmas Day miracle! I was served a delicious five course meal and complimentary champagne and wine throughout the entire flight, a pleasant surprise from what I had originally expected. I landed at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris early the following morning, where my friend Andrea patiently awaited my arrival. Our friend Claire would be flying in the day after, and in the meantime we spent the afternoon exploring the city together. 

After visiting the major landmarks and monuments, we did a bit of window shopping prior to grabbing a bite at this quaint little french restaurant. We ended up sharing a savory crepe filled with smoked salmon, lettuce, tomato and an egg followed by an equally delicious carmel dessert one. We then washed everything down with a sugared cup of cappuccino. I had a difficult time heading back to our hostel being completely enraptured with my surroundings, though I was pretty exhausted from the long flight and our daytime explorations. 

The above photographs were taken either in Paris or Bourges, France.

A Trip to the West Coast

My younger sister recently arrival home from Cali. She spent the past week and a half their with her friend Maddie, visiting our dad. She told me all about their west coast adventures and showed me the numerous amount of photos they took with my Canon powershot.

Originally I was going to let her borrow my Canon Rebel, but it was being fixed at the time because the flash hadn't been working properly. Fortunately for me, it was a manufacturers problem and I was able to upgrade to the T2i for no extra charge!

Spring In The City

We're officially back in the Michigan. My sister & I got home from NYC a couple days ago and I'm already having withdrawals. We had such an amazing time visiting my cousin, Niki, who resides in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. I'm so lucky to have such an awesome cousin, and also very jealous she lives in New York.