How can we change the world?

It's a question a lot of us have been asking ourselves for the last few weeks, or for several of us, a lot longer than that.

After taking a lot of time to self-reflect, I have come to the conclusion that the only way to truly change the world is for each and every single one of us to be the best versions of ourselves. Looking back at movies like Simon Birch, Pay it Forward, It's a Wonderful Life, and others, I truly believe it's one of the messages Hollywood has gotten correct. If we were to each try to be the best version of ourselves, that is someone who is caring, leads with love, and is willing to take action for the betterment of the general public and the world, THAT is how we can make the world a better place.

You might be asking yourself how, and that's completely okay. Each person would have to take the time to truly get to know themselves and self-reflect on how to improve on oneself before being able to commit to being the best version of themself. 

Here is what I have learned about myself, listed out in a Problem-Solution format below.

Problem: I have very little patience
Solution: I need to remember to take breaths and try to see each of my interactions from the other person's point of view. What are they actually trying to say versus what they are physically saying? Do they mean it, or are they letting emotions control their verbiage? Are they being sincerely caring and I am being too sensitive to what they are saying? I have noticed that since I started asking myself these questions when having a stressful conversation or dealing with a stressful situation, I have been able to respond verbally and physically better to the situation at hand, which in my experience thus far, has lead to more peaceful conclusions.

Problem: I get defensive
Solution: This kind of goes hand in hand with patience, but for this one I more-so remind myself that 99% of people are not intending to offend me when they say things that trigger me. For those that are obviously trying to offend, I have learned that I do not have to put up with their negativity. I usually respond with a quick retort and then depending on the severity of the situation, end the conversation, or end the relationship (usually there isn't much of one to begin with when this occurs). To be a positive person, you need to surround yourself with positive people.

Problem: I am efficient to the point of laziness at times
Solution: I am usually extremely efficient, especially in my job. I would like to think it's one of the qualities that managers look for, and it seems to be, considering my successful career path so far. However, when it comes to my philanthropy work, or doing things on my checklist that are on the "back burner" (essentially anything that doesn't directly affect my every day life), I tend to put the items off until the next day. I partially blame this on my efficiency plan on tackling projects in my work and personal lives. Tackle the big important things first, and leave the small projects for last. The solution is to hold myself accountable for even the little things at the end of the day. I always feel better when I get to complete today's tasks today, instead of continuously putting off the little things.

Problem: I can be "too comfortable"
Solution: A lot of the world's problems have been circling around other groups of people, not necessarily involving me. For this, it can be so easy to turn the other cheek and keep living my life the way I have been. However, this doesn't solve anything. While I will probably never be the type of person to go to demonstrations and protests, I do want to try to add to positive solutions in a quiet, calm way. Maybe this will change one day, but for now, it's a step that I am comfortable taking that is in the right direction.

What is this all leading to?

It's okay to have little patience for negativity.

It's okay to get defensive when it comes to important issues that are close to your heart.

It's okay to draw the line on how involved you want to get in worldly issues as long as your reasons have to do with your safety and your health.

The step I am taking in the right direction is that Imbeccable Images will be donating 10% of each purchase from the Adventure Store and each booked photography session to an organization listed on my Get Involved web page.
https://www.imbeccableimages.com/get-involved.html

This means that if you book a session, you can select one of the organizations on that list to receive 10% of the cost of your session. If you make a purchase through the Adventure Store, you can select one of the organizations to receive 10% of the total cost of items in your cart.

I recently booked an engagement session with a wedding. Since they are two separate bookings, the client can choose two different organizations (one to receive 10% from the engagement session, and the other to receive 10% from the wedding booking).

This is one small step in the right direction​ that I hope makes you as joyful as it does me.

If you have any suggestions on changes or additions to the list of organizations on the Get Involved page, feel free to comment on this post or email me at photography@imbeccableimages.com

Jeremiah and I went to Minnesota and Wisconsin last year for my birthday week. I wanted one last big hurrah before my parents moved to California, as I knew I wouldn't go back very often after that.

One of the places to visit on my checklist was the Minnesota Zoo. I hadn't been since I was a child, as my family and I normally would go to Como Park Zoo. I wish we had time to do both, so maybe we'll just have to fly back again one day and have that on our agenda.

It's always amazing to me how similarly house cats and large breeds behave at times. This leopard, for example, was in a very playful mood the day we were at the zoo. 

Zoos and Wildlife Sanctuaries have been hard at work at keeping the Amur Leopard from going extinct. To learn more about this beautiful creature and how we can help the Amur Leopard from going extinct, please click on the link below.

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/amur-leopard/

A second large breed cat featured at the Minnesota Zoo is the Amur Tiger - that's right, from the same region as the Amur Leopard.While tigers are slightly safer from extinction than the leopard, it is still important for us to do what we can to save the species.

One fact I was surprised about that I read on the Minnesota Zoo's website for the Amur Tiger is that it's the largest of all cats! I seriously would have thought lions were bigger, so thank you, MNZoo for educating this girl!

https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/amur-tiger/

In case you can't tell by the order of these photographs, they are being posted in the order that I took them at the zoo. First the Amur Leopard, then the Amur Tiger, and now the Takin, which is another animal native to Asia.

This Takin may not look that large, but they can weigh up to 700 pounds! From the MNZoo website, it sounds like they are a matriarchal society, with females and young offspring making up the herds. Older males tend to live in solidarity.

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/takin/

Coloradans are no stranger to this beautiful creature, but that may have not been the case if protective measures were not enforced to save the bison back in the 1800s. There was a point in time where there were less than 600 bison left, but thanks to conservation efforts, the population is up to more than 30,000, meaning this animal is a top conservation success story!

It just goes to show that if we put forth the efforts to save a species (or, hey, the planet itself), we can succeed.

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/american-bison/

Another animal familiar to Coloradans is the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog. When I first moved to Colorado back in 2015, I was so excited to see these little ones popping up all over the place in the eastern plains. I was warned by locals not to go near them, however, as apparently they carry the Bubonic Plague. Sounds fake, right? It's not, unfortunately.

I do love how these two looked to be in a serious conversation, and then both looked my way after they heard my shutter click.

https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/black-tailed-prairie-dog/

Who else was taught as a child that the humps of the camel hold water for when they are out in the desert for a long time? Anyone?

Apparently they store fat, not water, to help them survive long periods of time without food. They have special blood cells which help with hydration. 

Read more about the Bactrian Camel here: ​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/bactrian-camel/

Another conservation success story involves the Asian Wild Horse.

In the 1960s, the wildlife populations of this horse disappeared completely. Thanks to zoos and conservation efforts, there are now about five hundred horses living in their natural habitat.

https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/asian-wild-horse/

Our favorite part of our trip to the Minnesota Zoo was the Llama Trek, which is a seasonal exhibit (summer tiiiiiiime). I love seeing llamas and alpacas, so I was extremely excited for this exhibit. 

There was even a younger llama which is in the second photo below, looking very zen. Jeremy and I decided if we ever adopt a llama that we would name it Kuzco, as in Emperor's New Groove, however, his dad brought up the ingenious idea of getting two and naming them Barack Ollama and Michelle Ollama. Ha.

Another favorite section of the Minnesota Zoo that has been there since I was a kid is the Wells Fargo Family Farm.

There's a goat barn with a guarded area where the goats can eat along with a kidding stall. You can join the goats outside where they gently bump you with their heads and demand lots of attention. I could definitely have a couple of small goats in my future - they are so cute!

There were a couple of goats that were a few weeks old while we were there, and they decided to show their little faces for just a moment - but the moment was long enough for me to photograph them.

To read more on these goats, read the MN page ​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/goat/

The Wells Fargo Family Farm also features chickens, cows, pigs, rabbits, and horses. Chickens creep me out, but these two were okay. ​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/wells-fargo-family-farm/

If you don't know this about me already, I freaking love moose. I would love to see a moose in the wild, but I have not been blessed with this experience yet.

I have to get my moose satisfaction from seeing them at zoos. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs has Tahoma, and Jeremy and I go see him maybe once a year. I was excited to see moose at Minnesota Zoo, especially when there was a calf! So cute.

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/moose/

Jeremy and I attended the bird show, and I'm pretty sure we were the only adults there without kids. Oh, well.

It was fun watching all of the birds performing their tricks and flying over the crowd. Here are the links to the birds we saw in the show in the order of the pictures below.

https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/blue-throated-macaws/
https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/greater-sulphur-crested-cockatoo/
https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/eurasian-eagle-owl/
Couldn't find a link for the fourth and fifth birds :(
​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/harris-hawk/ 

If you or your kids have ever watched the movie Madagascar, then I'm sure seeing this animal makes you want to break out into the song "I Like to Move It".

The ring-tailed lemur spends more time on the ground than other lemurs, spending their time foraging and playing, so they truly do like to move it ;).

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/ring-tailed-lemur/

One of Jeremy's favorite creatures to spot at the zoo is the Komodo Dragon. While these creatures are large, I was still surprised to find out that they are large enough to feast on water buffalo!

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/komodo-monitor/

These two were not having play time when we stopped by their exhibit. It was nap time. They never even opened their eyes for a peak at me when my shutter went off.

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/langurs/

We were both excited to see a red panda at the MN Zoo, and when he started sticking his tongue out at his viewers, I knew I had to capture his personality in a picture.

I find it amusing that they are named red pandas. Apparently, when they were named, it was believed that they were closely related to the giant panda. DNA evidence shows they are more closely related to the raccoon, which I think makes complete.sense when you compare their physical characteristics.

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/red-panda/

I was surprised to see a coyote at the Minnesota Zoo. They are a common animal across Minnesota, and the midwest in general, and are not experiencing a decrease in population. I'm sure there's a good reason this coyote is at the zoo - perhaps health related reasons. While a lot of people dislike coyotes, I think they are beautiful.

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/coyote/

The gray wolf is a symbol of Minnesota (Timberwolves, anyone?)

They used to be found all across the state, but now, due to growing populations, have found refuge in the forests of Northern Minnesota. Wolf populations have been introduced elsewhere throughout the United States, the most popular release being in Yellowstone National Park. Studies have shown that introducing wolf populations can help ecosystems thrive - interesting, right?

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/gray-wolf/

Pumas go by many names: mountain lions, cougars, and panthers, being common names.

Their populations are also doing well. I know they are relatively common in Colorado, which is cool!

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/puma/

The Canada lynx is a beautiful cat known for its short tail and big feet.

While populations have dwindled in Minnesota, their wildlife populations are still doing well elsewhere. Their numbers dropped to nearly zero in Minnesota in the 1980s, but have slowly been recovering, so we shall have to see what their future in the North Star state will bring.

​https://mnzoo.org/blog/animals/canada-lynx/

Thank you, everyone, for taking the time to look at these photographs and read about these beautiful creatures!

I was in Texas last November (2019) to shoot my cousin David's wedding to his beautiful bride, Lacy. Jeremy and I decided to stay a few days after the wedding to enjoy exploring Texas, and my mom happened to have the same idea! Jeremy, Mom and I all flew out the same day (different airlines, different airports), and since we each had evening flights, we decided to go explore the Dallas World Aquarium. We also explored that area of Dallas a little bit. It was a bit drizzly and foggy that day, so I captured the photo below before we went into the Aquarium.

Isn't he cute? Also, that's my amazing mama in the background with the purpley-gray top.

In case you don't know this about Jeremy already, he loves monkeys. I just told him about Monkey Island in Peru while writing this, and his response was, "That sounds cool!". So, I guess I'll add that to the list of future potential vacation spots.

The monkey below is a Pied Tamaran, and you can read up on this little primate here: ​https://dwazoo.com/animal/pied-tamarin/

I loved these birds. They were very vocal, and I thought they looked like baby "Toucey Toucey Birds"! George of the Jungle, anyone?

However, these little fellas are not toucans, they are aracaris. The ones pictured here are Humboldt's Lettered Aracaris, and they are pretty young!

​https://dwazoo.com/animal/humboldts-lettered-aracari/

The sloth was sleeping.... I don't think this will take anyone by surprise! Ha. 

​https://dwazoo.com/animal/hoffmans-two-toed-sloth/

I absolutely love this blue/purple, pink and red bromeliad above, left. The image below is of a different type of bromeliad as well. I tend to be drawn to them, photographically speaking.

The orinoco crocodile didn't really move at all while we were there, and I was somewhat convinced it was fake... until it twitched. Eek!
​https://dwazoo.com/animal/orinoco-crocodile/

I love sea life exhibits that are lit up with black lights. The little guy above is a Banggai Cardinalfish. 

https://dwazoo.com/animal/banggai-cardinalfish/

There was this part of the aquarium where you could look through and see people on the other side. It was fun seeing my fiance (then boyfriend) and mom enjoying the fish.

Aren't the colors of the world just gorgeous? The colors of the coral with the brightly colored fish, the octopus puckers, the greenery with the bright pink flamingos,  and even the slight pink on the penguin's feet all bring me such joy. This is why I love photography. 

Thank you all for your time in reading this blog about my trip to Dallas World Aquarium, and I hope you enjoy the links I have provided to their website which give you educational information on each creature pictured in this blog! For the final images, check out the links below.

https://dwazoo.com/animal/black-footed-penguin/

https://dwazoo.com/animal/carberryi-anthias/

https://dwazoo.com/animal/giant-pacific-octopus/

https://dwazoo.com/animal/american-flamingo/

Jeremy and I were convinced that the puffer above was broken. All it did was swim into the glass of the tank. Poor thing. She wants out!

By the time we made it over to the penguins, I think they were all tuckered out. Most of them were napping, or just standing there and staring off into space. Do penguins have third eyelids that allow them to sleep with their eyes open? I'm going to Google this....
....
....
....
Yes, yes they do. So they were probably just sleeping standing up.

There were two penguins doing... um... naughty activities, but I decided to not share the penguins' intimate moment. Ha! My sister, Jeremy, and I had a good laugh about it though.

I loved the Sandy Shore & Aviary exhibit, because I love looking at all of the different birds. The bird pictured below is a phalarope.

One of the other birds featured was the western snowy plover, which reminded me of the adorable birds in the Disney Short, "piper".PS, the bird in the Disney Short is a sandpiper.

After dinner, we did drive out to an ice cream place, so I was pretty happy with how the night ended! Thank you, family, for showing us the West Coast, and we can't wait to be back! Love you all.

Once upon a time, back in my days living in Winona, Minnesota, I shot a senior portrait session for a young man named Josh. Josh was a straightforward young man. He only wanted to incorporate two outfits in his session, and he wanted it to be as brief as possible, so we opted for the Half Semester session: 30 minutes.

We started off on the bridge down in Lake Park. Getting these bridge shots can be tricky, as there is usually a lot of foot traffic. Thankfully, when people see that you're trying to get a photograph, most of them will stop and let you get the shots you're looking for. Otherwise, it's just all about timing, and sometimes a little bit of PhotoShop ;)

I was able to walk along the bank of the lake to get the shot with him leaning on the railing of the bridge. Don't worry, I wasn't swimming to get the photo!

1. Highly recommend NOT swimming in the lakes in Winona.
2. Water is not friends with cameras.

After getting a few shots in the park, we got into my vehicle and drove over to Winona State University, my Alma Mater. The ivy in the two photos next to each other above runs along the walls of the oldest building on campus - Phelps. Phelps is also where I spent a majority of my time on campus as that is where the Mass Communications department is, along with the dark room! 

The steps Josh is sitting on in the photo directly above lead into another one of the oldest buildings on campus - Somsen Hall. The steps are made out of Limestone taken from Sugar Loaf, Winona's landmark and tourism draw as you enter the town.

The story of Sugar Loaf is really interesting in how it helped rebuild the town of Winona after the great fire of 1862. Here are a few great articles on Sugar Loaf and the Fire of 1862 if you are interested:

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/sugar-loaf

https://www.winonadailynews.com/the-unconquerable-fiery-demon-that-destroyed-downtown-winona/article_06793913-54a7-576d-9d3d-36a2bd5e6bec.html

https://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC15538_a-look-at-winonas-past-sugarloaf?guid=cde79a27-cd42-4f59-baff-0594acf7cb8a

Anyway, I'm going off on a tangent here. Josh was a wonderful client and was super easy to work with. Thank you, Josh, for being my first male senior portrait client! It really helped open up the doors to a wider audience and clientele, and I will always be grateful for the experience.