kicking & screaming

becoming a local in rapid city has been a challenge.  i have had trouble finding my place here, finding a niche to fit into.  socially and creatively.

i met a local photographer, angela, for a glass of wine a couple weeks ago, and it was really nice to have time with another artistic person living and working in rapid.  we talked for a couple hours and she even referenced a bride to me this week.  that relationship has been a real blessing so far, but in terms of my own work and pursuit of my own business i have been a little uninspired here.

frustrated and confused i have been talking to mike about it quite a bit.  i am a photographer, and i know that i love taking pictures of the people around me and life that is happening all around, but for some reason i have been giving myself a hard time, thinking that if i am going to take pictures they better be REALLY good because i'm graduated now and should be much better than in my former days in school.

i know this isn't true and mike reminded me that i just needed to start photographing again and i would realize my comfort and love for the art.  so, kicking and screaming, he made me bring my camera out to take some pictures of him at the park.

thank you, mike, for reminding me of my love for this and offering your handsome face for my practice.

Also, i need to give a shout out to the girls of the Secondhand Happenings for the wonderful headband they gave me in the raffle back in may.  i LOVE it!!!!!

Finally.  A couple weeks ago mike and I decided to do some garage sale-ing.  among many wonderful finds is an old fashioned typewriter.  and it WORKS!!!!  my writer boyfriend is absolutely loving it, writing letter back home to friends in indiana.  i myself enjoyed taking a few pictures of it.

I miss these girls!!!

So this has been a long-awaited update.  I know, its been bad lately.  After moving to South Dakota, my life is a constant catch-up game, and I finally won with these pictures.

I am really comfortable here, but I miss my friends from Indiana the most, it's hard to live so close to these beautiful people and then be over a thousand miles away so suddenly.  Adjusting is hard.  But it has really been so good.

Mike and I have done a lot of great exploring.  We went to the Badlands on monday and let me tell you, they are incredible.  Pictures to come for that, too.

So these girls were my closest roommates maybe ever in college.  I miss them everyday.  Morgan and Andrea are both artists too, so we spend all year speaking the same language and finding out how we were different even in our similarities.

Even editing through these pictures made my heart hurt.

Also, I'm obviously in some of them, and photo creds for those go to Taylor Shanks.  Thanks girl!!!!

Without further adieu....

So beautiful right??

Here's a preview from the Badlands!!!

All images are © Kirsten Tornes Photography 2010