The Payne Family Graveyard

PayneGraveyard3, originally uploaded by erinkoneill.

In my parent's subdivision in Georgetown, Kentucky, there is a small graveyard with gravestones dating from the 1800s. The subdivision and golf course sits on land that was once belonged to John Payne, a veteran of the Civil War. The graveyard is the final resting place for John Payne and a few generations of his ancestors.

I've been meaning to make photos of the graveyard for some time, but a new lens made it more exciting. I love my 50 mm f/1.8 lens! More photos can be seen at my flickr photostream.

Say YES! to Michigan

My cousins Carah, left, and Cate Hoitenga with their respective boyfriends at sunset on a Lake Michigan beach.

In June I had a holiday in Holland, Michigan, home to my maternal Dutch ancestors. My mom and brother drove up from Kentucky, too. Holland is on the west side of Michigan, right on the beach. I had a lovely weekend visiting with family, turning myself into a lobster and enjoying the surf.

More photos are at my flickr photostream.

Once A Bridesmaid

Preparations, originally uploaded by erinkoneill.

Katy Montague got married! We had a lovely and long day, in and out of the very posh bridal lounge at Temple Israel in St. Louis. I didn't make many photos on the day because I was busy being photographed myself, but I did lend the official photographer my strobe flash unit when his broke. Glad I was prepared!

I promise I won't publish the one photograph where the Groom can't keep his eyes off the Bride's boobs, even if it does show off some nice direct flash technique....

Hi, Dad.

Dad, originally uploaded by erinkoneill.

At Jake's baseball game. Yes, it is supposed to be upside down. It's how I made the photo. Jake's team, the Marlins, won 14-3.

American Pastime

Home in Kentucky with the family, attending the JakeMonster's* little league baseball games, I decided to entertain myself with working on my shooting. Over 500 frames, and I really only like one of them (it's the top one, nice, clean, in focus). And it's not even of the JakeMonster (bottom). I find baseball to be an intelligible sport in the first place, which makes things even more difficult on my end. But, I have been informed that I need to improve my own technical photography abilities, and I shall do so come hell, high water, or little league baseball games.

*JakeMonster is Jake, my 8-year-old brother.

I'm Dutch, damn it.

Tulips, originally uploaded by erinkoneill.

It's Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan. This is not in Holland, Michigan, but I wish I could go see the Klompen dancers in the parade.

Mom: DON'T LOOK!!

Day10, originally uploaded by erinkoneill.

My mother's day present to my wonderful Mom is a photographic journal of my day. Check out the full project at my Flickr photostream. Mom: don't go look! It's coming in the mail!

Spring Fever

"It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want - oh, you don't quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!" ~Mark Twain

A really lovely Friday afternoon in Peace Park, Columbia, Mo. I read, got ice cream, took a nap in the grass, and sunburnt myself. I really love summer.

Blast From the Past: My Sister's Wedding

Hey, I found these photos this week too. My sister Katey was married to her husband Aaron in 2003. Her kids, my nieces Meighan and Abbey and my nephew Kyle, were really cute then. It's kinda all awkward all the time with those kids now....

Blast From the Past

I found two rolls of 400 ISO film in my desk this week, and got them developed. Turns out, one of the rolls was of my last weeks in Australia as an exchange student when I was 17 years old. So, some scenery, some Sea World, and some former host families at my farewell dinner.