Vieparlafoi

Swipe for the wow factor! ✨

I have a lot to share today, so buckle in! 🥲

First, how magical is the aurora? I never thought I’d see one this wild in the PNW AGAIN. Especially after my last one being so amazing. Honored to have a second chase come through along side my photog dad () and one of my close friends ().

This is emotional for me because this is the first photo (well 3 now!) that I have edited in 3 months. I have been incredibly hard on myself when it comes to my photography journey. I started off with a bang and then I just started to question myself, thinking I wasn’t good enough. Some things happened this year that I let affect my self-worth in not so good ways. And then I started to let it seep into other areas of my life, including my art. But that’s why it’s important to take care of ourselves. And while I haven’t gotten a photo out in months, I still let my creative juices flow, and I still have been capturing memories, whether it be with my camera or phone. I’ve also been finding love for myself in other ways. Because for me it means a lot to have time for all the things I have become passionate about. And this is the way my journey unfolded this year. And I think that’s important because it will make me stronger in my artistic journey too.

Also my other thoughts today, how important and necessary it is to have good people in your life that uplift you and don’t bring you down. I am grateful for the new friends I’ve made and the friendships I have developed on a deeper level. Friends that believe in me, especially when I struggled to believe in myself. Friends that showed up when I was in the dark trying to find my light again. Truly grateful for every one of you. And not only the personal friends I’ve made, but the people who have said a kind word, supported me in some way, or who have found help through my mental health posts. You inspire me daily too! 

I felt really good with the outcome of these! I struggle with editing being a perfectionist. What matters at the end of the day is that I am happy with what I created, and hopefully it brings some joy to others too. This is only the beginning! :)

Watchman Tower at Zion National Park. This place felt magical. I first saw it at night and the next day got to drive through the entire park. It's one of the most incredible places I have witnessed to see. It's rare that something so amazing brings me to tears...okay maybe not.. but this place was no exception. It's really humbling to be before something that took millions of years to create. Grateful for this experience and I hope I get to return someday to spend more time here.

Utah is truly beautiful and there is so much landscape to see. The sky was so dark and clear I got to chase the Milky Way every night I was here. The geological formations are incredible! Can’t wait to share them. Thankful for all that I learned and continue to learn.

I only ended up with a pound of sand in my shoes at the end of my trip. 😂

Panorama of my first night sky in Utah. A new technique I had to learn for this one.

Location: White House campground, Utah.