New Year, New Blog, New Photos, New Adventures....

New Year, New Blog, New Photos, New Adventures....

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

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Hey everyone,

This year I have decided to run my blog a little differently. Normally, I would procrastinate and decide to blog only when I feel like it, and post only photos of models or clients or friends... This year, that is all going to change.

Don't you ever feel like you censor yourself? Your thoughts, ideas, emotions? Well, I know for a fact that I censor my photos based on what I think my audience will approve of, like, comment on, and share... ( I am one of those people... yep...) I get so nervous when a post doesn't get as much attention as a previous one. If clothing brands don't want to collaborate, or better yet actually pay me for my work, I start questioning what is wrong with my vision. If I don't get my set number of inquiries a day, I am worried I am going to go completely broke, so basically, in a nut shell, I am worried I will end up a starving artist with no work and no passion.

I realized something these past couple of weeks into this new year though...I am starving. I'm starving to be myself again, to actually love my work again, and to feel fulfilled through my visions, ideas, and images.

So... here I go. It's called the adventures of Jenny Megenney for a reason right? Here I am, out on a limb, telling you all that I am going to get raw and real starting right now.

This being my first new post of the year, I wanted to start on a positive note. Below I have listed my hopes and dreams for the new year with my business. As I fulfill or fail on each one, I will write a post about it.

So, here goes nothing:

- Get published not only digitally, but in actual print.

- Get in front of the camera more often and actually post the photos.

-Work with a brand I believe in.

-Post more with less hesitation.

-Throw the coolest workshop ever that inspires and influences others artistically.

-Work for the passion.

Alright... there's a pretty solid list there. I feel good!

I typically don't post my iPhone photography photos but lately I feel like they have been on point! So here are my top few favorite iPhone photos from the new year! I did an iPhone photography workshop a few years ago and it was so much fun... I am thinking of hosting another one closer to summer for all of the fun adventures people typically tend to take around that time of year. Keep an eye out for all the fun!

Christmas Love

Christmas Love

Saturday, December 24, 2016

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Two days ago I was sitting in my most favorite spot to edit, the sun room of the A.K. Smiley Library in Redlands. I always choose to sit in two spots, either right up against the clear glass windows that faces a beautiful garden filled with orange trees, wooden benches, and birds, or back one table so I can see the entire room. It is absolutely beautiful, that room that is filled with vintage wooden tables and chairs, lanterns that illuminate just the right amount of light, and a magical aura. Although just describing this room gives my body chills, while inside of it, it is as if you can feel the souls of each of the authors who's books resides there.

As I was editing Jessica and Alexander's session, I laughed out loud, wiped away several run away trickling tears, and I then decided to reflected on what love meant to me in that moment...

Love is unconditional, it allows us room to grow together. It is laughing at each other, encouraging each other, and respecting each other. It's compromise and hard work. It is raw and authentic. It is playful and fun. It is honesty and trust. It is giving everything you have got to one person without hesitation. It is passionate... but above all, it is coming together as two individuals and growing as one soul... and it is so much more.

This Christmas, and holiday season, I hope we can all take the time to reflect on what we believe love is and express it to each other. I defined my idea of love with two people, but there are so many other kinds to reflect on as well, self love, family love, love for your pets, your job, your children, etc.

Allow love to grow. Allow it to flourish.

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland...

Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland...

Thursday, December 15, 2016

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Alright friends, I am not going to lie to you I am the Queen of Christmas and this year has been a little on the rough side getting into the spirit. The weather was 90 the other day, I wore shorts and a tank top, school doesn't get out until the 23rd (pure torture), and I have been so busy editing I feel like I have barely had a minute to breathe let alone soak in the season (hug your local photog today...) 

There have only been a few really big holiday moments for me so far, my annual ugly sweater party, Christmas movies, and my senior session with Sam. Here in SoCal, snow is pretty much a foreign language. We don't know what to do with it, we think all snow is the same (except the yellow don't worry...) so I am sure you could imagine our excitement when driving and seeing all this gorgeous powder on the ground! 

We were like two kids in a candy store running around in this winter wonderland! 

Merry early Christmas to us!

Rooftop Daze

Rooftop Daze

Monday, November 21, 2016

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There's nothing more exhilarating than sneaking on a rooftop in an old apartment complex in Los Angles with model and blogger Nikia from Mad Maven Style. Looking across the city of Angels from this view was already an incredible experience in itself, but the afternoon created a gorgeous backdrop where the shining city met the blue sky and the breeze was just right, crisp and subtle. 

Our time on that rooftop was just like any others I am sure you all have experienced. At first we were nervous and anxiety ridden, tip toeing across the sunken ground below our feet, hoping we wouldn't get caught. Then the adrenaline perished, and we were faced to listen no more to the hard beating of our hearts, but to the whispering wind. Moments passed, a friendship was built, and we began what everyone does when faced with a gorgeous view and a free afternoon...we talked. 

Our words were filled with mutual understandings of the industry both of us are in and the struggles we face on a daily basis to remain unique enough to have companies want to work with us. We talked collaboration, failed attempts at fashion, and then we moved into the deeper conversations of friendships and our passions, and of course love. 

I am so thankful for that day on that rooftop, to have made a new friend. I am also so excited to say that only a few days later, Nikia got engaged to the man of her dream, the love of her life. I only got to meet him for a quick second at their home, but I could tell their love is something sweet...

Aces at the Ace

Aces at the Ace

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

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Let's talk about one of my favorite spots in all of Palm Springs, the Ace Hotel!

 This place is THE happenin' spot in the desert. They are most known for their minimalistic rooms and their vintage decor... but I have heard their pool parties are pretty wild too... I'm not sure, it's still on my bucket list, ha! But really Lisa from Lmpcolletctions blog and I had an amazing time for our short visit. We got to lounge around in the gorgeous courtyards, have some sweet heart to heart talks about life and our love of fashion, and of course we took tons of fun photos.

My favorite thing about the Ace is just the overall atmosphere. Everyone is so laid-back and relaxed, without a care in the world. It is truly a place of peace. There are macrame everywhere, warm yet subtle Earth tones, and rock music always playing. It really is a desert paradise.

On a totally random side note, the entire time we were walking around, and even as I was editing these photos, I thought about how people used to say "aces" back in the day as a way to say cool or awesome and right on, and I don't ever hear it spoken anymore... I think it's super rad and I think we need to all bring it back... who's with me?!

Upon the Open Land

Upon the Open Land

Thursday, November 10, 2016

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"The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, 

and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, 

for each day to have a new and different sun."

- Christopher McCandless

I will always remember the first time I went to Joshua Tree. I was with my friend and fellow photog. Gabi Adams. We went to go check out a venue for a wedding I had planned a few weeks out. I had always driven by never thinking much of it. Gabi insisted that we had to go watch a sunset on top of a rock, so we drove through the park, climbed on top of a huge jumbo rock, sat down, and embraced the golden sunset. In that moment I had felt more peace and serenity than I had in a long time. I will always treasure the vivid memories I have from watching that sunset, where the sky melted into the Earth and along with it, so did my soul. 

Since that day, many memories have been made upon the open land sprinkled with bunches of yellow wild flowers and spread a crossed with these magnificent Joshua trees. I can remember in my undergrad talking about sublimity, and my mind always went to that exact spot before traveling anywhere else in the world. I always felt that said more about my encounters among the desert than anything else could. 

I'm sure you could understand my excitement when high school senior Savannah told me that this is where she wanted to have her senior session. Only moments before this absolutely gorgeous sunset, it was pouring down rain, the entire Yucca Valley had gone under a storm watch, but we decided to wait it out... I am so thankful we did.

 All of us can relate for waiting for the storm to pass, and let me tell you all, once it does, it is truly magnificent. It is a life lesson all of us need to embrace and hold onto. Sometime the storm has thunder and lightening and is too dangerous to dance in, so we wait, patiently, but we wait... until we can get up on our toes once again and move swiftly and delightfully through our lives.