Monday, June 25, 2012

Wedding Bells

There was this one time when a couple trusted me enough to allow me to take their wedding photos for them. I was so excited to do it, but ever so nervous that I would mess it up. This is something they were going to look back on to remember their wedding day. I don't think I would have been as nervous had it just been a bridal session or even engagements (except those go out on the invites. That's a little scary). The photos of the actual wedding day are a whole different beast. Everything just happens so fast and it's a matter of getting the right moments at the right time, otherwise there are many awkward and unusable photos.

I shot this wedding right before I went to Vienna in January but haven't gotten around to posting about it until now.

It was pretty chilly up in Idaho, but I think that they turned out quite well. I felt much better after I started to edit them and see that I had some good stuff to work with. This couple was fantastic and it was so much fun to be a part of their wedding.

I present to you Mariah and Jordan.











Saturday, June 23, 2012

Setting Sun

Across the lake rages a fire that started a couple of days ago. The flames fly off of the mountain and the smoke fills the air all around. While this is a tragic event and a struggle for a lot of people, it managed to put on quite a show this evening at sunset. I give you the setting sun 






I have left a note on the crane's windshield informing the operator
that he can never park there again.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Turkey Soft Taco

I made these delightful soft tacos yesterday for lunch. I could have eaten five of them they were so good and so simple to make. Just some ground turkey breast, sauteed onions, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and some sour cream. 


Low calorie, high protein, high fiber, 100% delicious. All the good stuff.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Where the Magic Happens

I have been on the fence for a while now regarding my own website. I thought that it would be a good idea but I always hated maintaining it, especially since I had a blog (and I love my blog). I can do everything on my blog that I did on my website, but I couldn't quite get my website to be as cool as my blog (All I have to say is carbon fiber). So, after looking at the pros and cons of a personal website, I have decided to delete it. I will probably still have a personal website in the future, but for now, this is the best for me.

Now, for those that enjoyed listening to my compositions, dry your tears and listen to this. I have worked hard throughout this night to preserve the recordings from my website and have created a handy tab titled "compositions" at the top of the right column on my blog. Yes, all of the recordings are there for your enjoyment. Almost everything from that site has been moved over here. "Zach with a Silent 'h'" is now your one-stop shop for everything Zach.

One of the nice things about having a personal website is that I knew a lot of people weren't going there and thus my fragile, tender pride was protected. Those who are artists understand this a little better (see my friends post about vulnerability). It's very hard to put yourself out there. I feel extremely vulnerable having my compositions so accessible to family, friends and whoever else comes across my blog. And that's ok. I'm just trying to get where the magic happens. I'm trying to get out of my comfort zone.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Marina and the Diamonds

Almost the exact opposite of my last post, here is another song I can't stop listening to and cannot, for the life of me, get it out of my head.


http://youtu.be/Gj5L9SYhoSE

I stumbled upon this artist when I was recording the Graham Norton Show on BBC for my sister. Nobody in my household even watches that show, but my sister heard that her heartthrob, Zac Efron, was making an appearance. He was just as dreamy as she was hoping.

Marina was the highlighted artist at the end of the show and I just loved how in-your-face pop this song was. Maybe I'll be tuning into this show more often near the end to see if there are more interesting artists. She is Welsh, by the way, and has a very attractive accent.

Oh, and Charlize Theron was on the show last week. Oh, Charlize.
Definitely a Hollywood crush.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Jónsi

I have not been able to get enough of this song lately.
So beautiful.


Thanks, my dear friend, for showing this to me.

Friday, June 8, 2012

Consistent Change

To be honest, I don't remember much of what happens during my day. I do so many of the same things every day that everything starts blending together. Recently, there has been one thing that sticks out. The sky has been offering amazing, beautiful scenes the past few evenings. 




I have always been very fond of the sunset.
It is consistent, yet always different and always beautiful.
It's peaceful.
It's mesmerizing.
It helps me clear my mind and sort through my thoughts.
I'm fascinated no matter how many times previous I have watched it.
It's a soulfully sweet escape.


Friday, June 1, 2012

Best Shots of Vienna :: The Hinckleys

I finally got around to introducing my study abroad group. They are a bunch of amazing people and we had such a wonderful time together. It is about time to show everyone what made the Vienna Study Abroad run so smooth and the reasons it was such a huge success. Though I'm sure that from their side, there were some trouble spots and some rough moments, but from the students point-of-view, it was perfect.

Introducing, the Hinckley Family!

The Fearless Leaders



The planning and preparation of these two was impeccable. As you can see from my many previous posts, we did a ton of amazing things. We are all so thankful for everything that they did and we love them so much.

The Children









The kids were so much fun! I was so happy they were able to make it to my most recent waffle night. We had tons of adventures and imaginary adventures. It was a blast being in Vienna and experiencing everything it had to offer, but it was even more fun developing relationships with such an amazing family and friends.