On the Wall

Photos by James Nachtwey from September 11, 2001. Read more about his experience that day in his interview with TIME.

Last weekend I took some pictures of my friend Roxie's baby, Kylie, and her friend Amie's baby, Maci. It was extremely hot and muggy that day (we went to a park to take the pictures) and the poor little beebs were not having it, but I did get a few good photos.

Photographer Peter Menzel spent time traveling 24 countries to document what families in different cultures consumed in a weeks' time. The results may be shocking to some. In Chad, a family of six survived off a meager $1.23 a week, while in Germany a family of four ate off of $500.07 per week. It was very eye-opening to see how little one really needs to survive, especially when we come from a country where food is literally bursting at the seams. Not only did I appreciate the concept of Menzel's project, but his photos were very thoughtfully composed as well. Read more about his series here.

Discovered after his death for his tremendous collection of Polaroids, Jamie Livingston took one Polaroid every single day from March 31, 1979 until October 25, 1997. I was blown away when I read the article and looked through Livingston's pictures. Not only is the amount of Polaroids overwhelming, but they are actually really good. It's literally like looking through someone's visual diary and reading about a stranger's life through pictures (which I guess can also be said about Facebook photos these days). Too bad Polaroid film is so ridiculously expensive now.

I found this interesting article today about composition and thought it appropriate to share for any beginners out there. In CNN Photojournalists Share Their Tricks, CNN's John Nowak, David Holloway and Mark Hill share some basic rules/ tips for photographers just getting their feet wet.

It's hard to believe how fast a year really goes. This time last year I had just moved back in with my dad after graduating, and it was the first time in four years I was actually living in Cincinnati for an extended period of time, not to mention I hadn't lived with my dad since I was around 11 years old. Leaving behind my boyfriend and my comfort zone wasn't easy for me, but in the end it was definitely necessary for me. I explored my dad's large property nearly every day with my Mamiya, attempting landscape photography. It became very therapeutic and personal for me, as did running (until I inevitably injured my knee). My camera was basically my only companion during that time and saw me through. I didn't necessarily create masterpieces from this time, but I cherish each photograph because I see them as representations of what I was going through emotionally.