Katie & Chase

Being in the mountains with such a magnificent view, was quite an experience.  Gorgeous views and lusciously white snow called for a beautiful photoshoot of some sort.  Fittingly enough this couple has shared a year of love under the vows of marriage. I feel such a spirit of love around them, it radiates.  I feel that these pictures capture a gaze stuffed with love and affection.  Post production touching up of the snow was conducted, but I feel it appropriate because dirty snow is a tad distracting.

Oregon My Oregon

So this past week, my cousins and I took a trek to Depoe Bay, Oregon.  It was absolutely stunning and I loved waking up to an ocean view.  I spent a profuse amount of time out on the balcony reading, resting, and enjoying the exceptional view.  Over the course of the week, we went to sea lion caves and lots of different beaches.  Also, we took lots of walks and I even took early morning jogs in the great fresh air!!

As I walked along one of the beaches with my cousin, we came to a point and realized that they were sand dunes, so we entertained ourselves by pulling each other down into the sand and running into the water.  I got a lot of sand in my camera, but thank goodness for an air compressor!
 This vacation has allowed me to test out my newly purchased, Polaroid Cube.  It is such a great camera, however I am very appreciative of the screen display on my Canon.  It will take some getting use to, but I think I can take it!  I highly recommend the camera because it is small, cute, and super easy to use.  To learn more, go to www.polaroidcube.com.

 While in Oregon, I definitely added it to my list of places to maybe live or go to college when I am older.  I love that there is foliage everywhere you look and that you still have access to the wonderful ocean.  I love the nautical style home too because it seems so fresh and good feeling.  I can not get over how cool it feels all day long, I love that so much.

 One of our vacation days was spent in a glassblowing studio where we went through a tutorial.  I can not give you a play by play, but what I can tell you is that lots of heat and tools make that masterpiece in the picture below.  I chose blue and white, while the pink swirls were my cousin, Meredith's idea.

On the way home we were hit by a distracted driver.  The accident totaled both cars, but luckily all of the passengers in each car were all okay.  It was so scary, but I am just glad that it wasn't worse.  After hours of waiting, we were able to get a taxi and eventually a rental car that would fit our whole party and lots of stuff.  So, cheers that we are all great.

I hope that your summer has been full of great fun like mine.  It is bittersweet to say that school starts again on Monday the tenth.  It will be great to be at a school, because it has been a while.  Have a great school year.  Floating down the river is on my agenda to conclude the summer.

Time to start setting the alarm, not sure how I feel about that.

Bye now

Mexico Cruise

This past week, my family and I went on the Carnival Inspiration to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Baja Mexico.  It was the definition of fun and my first cruise.  I have never eaten so much food in my life.  There was an endless buffet with everything from hot chocolate to fro-yo to kinda gross pizza.  The view on the boat was gorgeous and then on land in Catalina.  Mexico was not all that much to look at though.  The performances were wonderful.  I love all the dancers and singers.  I actually think that it would be so cool to work on a cruise ship, something to add to the bucket list!!
For our shore excursion, we went on the Catalina zip-line eco tour.  It was so exhilerhating and made me love zip-lines SO much.   Our guides were super cool and absolutely hilarious.  They taught us all of these fun tricks to do like the superman, the jellyfish, and others.  I was so freaked out at the beginning, but in no time I was not even holding on.  I brought my GoPro Hero with me and got some good footage that I will post shortly.  The videos are pretty sweet because they are at such an amazing perspective.
Our Mexican excursion was a bus tour to the La Bufadora natural geyser blowhole.  Luckily the bus had a functioning air conditioner, hallelujah!!  It was really cool to see the way of life down there.  In certain aspects it is very similar, but then you feel bad for all of the privileges that their society lacks, that we seriously take for granted.

We did not really have a shopping list, but can I just say, all the salesman down there are attackers and we are their prey.  We wanted some of the usual souvenirs, but they literally attack you and try to force you to buy their product.  We just told them we would "come back" in order to save ourselves.  We had some deliciously real Mexican food at a restaurant that had a long metal slide which was also lots of fun.  The snakes were of a great nuance to me because I have a large ophidiophobia.  I ventured off to make a purchase of a brightly colored serape blanket and I absolutely love it.  I could not decide on one color, so I of course got a rainbow one.

The cruise ship was extraordinary, despite the rocky motion it seemed to have in the bathroom and in other odd, unique places.  The pool was rather small, however the water slides made up for it.   I just loved exploring the little world that the ship embodies.  It is quite amazing that such a thing exists in our world.  There are so many nooks and crannies that I am sure I missed.   For next time I guess.

I am now off to the Northern coast of Oregon with my cousin.  We shall indulge in another part of the great Pacific, learn to blow glass, and read books that are required of us through school.  Everything else, well we will just see. 

    

Stepping Back to Spring

Stand Up

Through the bistle and bustle of the streets, the world never ceases to define people and discern them from their right to self-expression.  There is always laws that tell you to do this or not that and there are personal morals, commitments, and rules that you must adhere to.  However, life is so much more and it all starts with you.  Parents, mentors, and friends will all influence you in a certain way and may even command you, which I believe happens all TOO much! Yes you come from a family, we all do. But you are still your own person.  Be careful because the world also has an image of what you should become, but you are so special the way you are and can choose for yourself what to be.  We see casting out, shunning, disrespect, discrimination, and persecution all around us.  It is wrong, no one- absolutely no one has any right to tell you what to be- just you.  So, this day I encourage everyone to stand up for yourself and be strong because you mean so much.  Have the perspective that you can be anything and that will help you trump anyone elses negative opinion.  Good luck, it does help, I know.  

Happy Monday!

Jake Ballantyne

Salve All

Salve all, to whoever may be reading this.  My name is Jacob Cody Ballantyne, you can just call me Jake.  Momentarily, I am a 'rebel teen', until I grow up ONE day.  I live in good ol' Modesto, California.  Yes, the slight hometown of the famous George Lucas and Jeremy Renner. I created this blog to share with all y'all my life and mainly my life through my camera lens.  I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY, you will definitely come to understand that.  My wish is for y'all to be impacted by my pictures.  Please Enjoy.  Stay Sweet. Bon Voyage for now.  -Jake

Michael