2025 Fall Portraits
Mini sessions are here! Four dates, four locations; plus a bonus date at the end of this post for professional headshots. Remember, if you’re interested in a 30 minute or 1 hour session you can book on a different day and choose your location! The sunset time slot for all locations is only available for 30 minute or longer sessions, you may book 10 or 20 minute mini sessions for any other time slot. Reach out to hello@doxandco.space to ask about other dates.
*All locations are dog friendly!
BERRY SPRINGS PARK | Evening of Saturday, October 18th
1801 Co Rd 152, Georgetown, TX 78626
Large trees, gravel and grass paths, bridges
LAKEWOOD PARK | Evening of Sunday, October 19th
2040 Artesian Spgs Xing, Leander, TX 78641
Close to the water, unique bridge, trees
OVERLOOK PARK | Evening of Saturday, November 1st
Parking lot, 508-598 Lake Overlook Rd, Georgetown, TX 78633
Choose between the top grassy area or the bottom cliff area (30 minute or hour sessions may have time for both)
The top is easy walking surrounded by close trees, dried grasses and an expansive lake view. If you are nervous for any reason to go closer to the water we can do a mini session just at the top.
The bottom has a large cliff next to the water you won’t find at any other location. Expansive waterside views and tall grasses are on either side of the cliff area.
GEORGETOWN SQUARE | Evening of Sunday, November 2nd
710 S Main St, Georgetown, TX 78626
A quaint, historic downtown atmosphere with paver sidewalks, benches, iron staircases, bistro tables
PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOTS | Morning of Saturday, November 8th
*Reschedule or overflow sessions evening of Saturday, November 8th*
Headshot location Cedar Park/Leander area (exact location to be announced, but will be somewhere between New Hope Dr. in Cedar Park and Hero Way in Leander)
Includes professional retouching for flyaway hairs, dust specs, loose thread on clothing or glasses, can retouch cuts/scars upon request.
5 minutes, 5 photos, private online gallery with high resolution and web-size files, $50
2024 Fall Portraits
Hello! Here are the three locations and dates I’m offering for fall photos this year! Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns or if all the time slots fill up. I want to do my best to accommodate everyone who is wanting to book with me!
BUTLER PARK | Sept. 21
Austin skyline
Metro park sidewalks
Trees, flowers and greenery with downtown buildings
Dog friendly
Minimal parking - expect to get to session at least 20 minutes early to allow time for Austin traffic, parking and walking to meet me
BRUSHY CREEK LAKE PARK | Oct. 19 & Nov. 2
Lake backdrop
Metal Bridge
Open field
Surrounded by trees
Dog friendly
Has ample parking and a playground
OVERLOOK PARK | Oct. 20
Lake backdrop
Stone overlook - about as close to Milos Beach in Greece as we can get in Texas
Tall grasses and mown pathways.
Dog friendly
Stroller friendly sidewalks up until the stone overlook - if I stroller was needed it would be left within eyesight right next to the photo location.
5 minute walk from a small parking area on sidewalk
Has public restrooms
Photo Locations North of Austin
Photo locations in Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown and Austin, Texas. Fall photos are in full swing and I'm so excited to release new locations this...
Sessions in Cedar Park, Leander, Georgetown and Austin, Texas!
Fall photos are in full swing and I'm so excited to release new locations this year! Here is what to expect from each location I’m offering. All sessions I offer are dog friendly. Take a look and email us at hello@doxandco.space to book your session!
Dates and Locations for Dox & co.’s fall 2023 photos
BLUE HOLE PARK
Georgetown | Sept. 10, 2023 - evening sessions
(NEW LOCATION) This is the first year I’m offering sessions in the water! If you’re looking for something different and relaxed for your family photos this is for you.
We can of course take a few dry photos near the water, but bring your water shoes because we’re getting in!
There is a very shallow spot with smooth pebbles that would be great for barefoot/splashing photos without getting fully in the water. Flowy dresses, casual outdoor attire or even paddle boards are all great ideas for this session.
OVERLOOK PARK
Georgetown | Sept. 24, 2023 - evening sessions
(NEW LOCATION) This park is next to lake Georgetown and offers a beautiful view of the water!
There are large trees and nature trails before getting to the lake. It has a large paved sidewalk leading down to the rocks making it a simple walk down to the main photo area. This is a great location for wide open spaces.
PUMPKIN PATCH
Cedar Park | Oct. 6, 2023 - afternoon sessions
Last year I took some photos at the Rockbridge Church pumpkin patch last year and they turned out so cute! It wasn’t too busy, there are some fun fall backdrops and a playground for kids.
It’s a perfect spot to come get a quick portrait of your kids or pets before spending a fun afternoon picking out pumpkins.
LAKEWOOD PARK
Leander | Oct. 7, & Nov. 5, 2023 - morning & evening sessions
This park is a favorite among my clients! It holds the record for the most sessions at one location.
It has a beautiful bridge next to the lake, large trees and side walks so there is a lot of variety here. It’s a beautiful park with a convenient location, what’s more to love!
BERRY SPRINGS PARK
Georgetown | Oct. 14, 2023 - evening sessions
Another favorite - this park has wide open spaces, nature trails covered by arches of trees and quite a few areas that are great for portraits.
As with all my sessions, this park is dog friendly! There is also a small playground for little ones to play at after your session.
STUDIO SESSIONS
Leander | Oct. 21, 2023 - morning sessions
For the past three years I have been shooting preschool school photos and occasional headshots or portraits of animals with my studio set-up.
For the first time I’m offering a morning of micro sessions at my home studio!
This is great for children, headshots and photos of your pet. If you are interested in booking a longer session please reach out!
BUTLER PARK
Austin | Oct. 22, 2023 - evening sessions
If you live around Austin, the downtown skyline is a classic backdrop. Butler park has nice sidewalks with medium and large trees that lead up to a look out point.
This park is busy, but worth the view!
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS
Leander | Nov. 3, 2023 - afternoon sessions
For the first time I’m offering Christmas micro sessions! These sessions will capture the magic of Christmas morning.
I will be setting up a backdrop of a vintage red and green quilt with wrapped presents outside in a local park area. I will have a kids chair and adult stool available if needed.
If you want a Christmas themed photo of your family or a fun photo filled with presents for your kids this is the shoot for you! Pets are welcome as they are with all my shoots.
The photos below show the amount of presents I’m thinking about as well as the exact quilt that will be used as the backdrop. I may even add a small Christmas tree!
VETRANS MEMORIAL PARK
Cedar Park | Nov. 4, 2023 - evening sessions
Veterans Memorial park is a very accessible park with playgrounds and a large dog park (Cedar Bark Park). This is a semi- new location as I’ve photographed a few dogs and their owners in a large field, but haven’t shot inside the actual park.
It is a wonderful park with a large memorial wrapped with a spiral of sidewalks and has a backdrop of trees from almost any angle. If you have a high-energy dog the dog park would be a great place to run off energy before or after your session!
GEORGETOWN SQUARE
Georgetown | Nov. 12, 2023 - Evening sessions
(NEW LOCATION) The Georgetown square has a classic, small downtown setting. If you’re looking for a small town, urban look for your photos this is a great spot! I’ve shot in many areas like this, but not specifically in Georgetown.
There are so many great shops and restaurants, you could make fun dinner plans after your session!
Photo Retouching Portfolio
Take a look at some before and afters of my photo restoring, retouching and editing examples.
Graphic Design Portfolio
A portfolio of my graphic design work. I would love to work with you!
Along with photography, graphic design is one of my passions. I love creating in any way, shape or form and wanted to share a portfolio of my work!
Here you will find a brief summary of my education and experience, portfolio of logo work, branding for a real estate development project I oversaw, as well as various examples of my design work in real-life applications.
Skills
- Photo retouching & restoring (examples below)
- Logo design
- Illustration & typography
- Mural painting
- Digital design, drawing, painting
- Photo & video editing
- Photography, photojournalism
- Logo design
- Advertising, print, layout
- Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, PremirePro, Lightroom, Bridge)
- Handlettering
- Branding
Logos:
Below you can view a gallery of logos I have designed ranging from businesses, projects and student organizations.
Branding:
Brand identity for multi-use property, Century Square, and luxury apartment complex, 100 Park.
During my time at Midway as the Century Square marketing associate a portion of my job was dedicated to creating signage, marketing materials and social media posts. Below are a few examples of my work from the property as a whole and the apartment complex within the community.
Design:
Examples of my digital and physical design work and photo retouching work.
Rough mock-up of a portion of my murals, see video for completed work!
Spotify playlist art
Spotify playlist art
THANK YOU!
Austin Halloweenie Meet Up
Austin Dachshund Lovers Unite! Haloweenie meetup at the Round Rock Dog Depot.
The first of hopefully many Austin area dachshund lovers meetup. Enjoy!
Feel free to repost any of the pictures, all I ask is to tag @Doxandco to help people find my business!
Photography Portfolio | All Genres
Below you can look though my portfolio of my photography from all different genres! My hope is that you will see my excitement for storytelling, that when you peruse this gallery it makes you smile and you feel a sense of warmth as if you are experiencing each scene here and now.
You will of course find animals, including pets and wildlife, but also portraits, landscapes, editorial and event style photography. Maybe seeing this gallery you think I’m a good photographer, but if I have, instead, captivated your attention and leave you not seeing a “perfectly composed photo,” but rather a wonderfully captured moment, then I feel like I’ve done my job.
I love thinking on my feet and capturing life as it happens and would love to tell your story. Hire me for any assignments and bookings by calling me at 281.755.1116 or email me at stuffjennadoes@gmail.com so we can chat and I can add you into my calendar as soon as possible.
Now enough words… enjoy!
- Jenna Friedrich
Scott + Hillary Wedding Video
As my first professional video, I am so glad this couple and their families trusted me with their incredibly special day!
Below is not only the first wedding video I've shot and edited, but also the first time I've offered my video services professionally. That being said I am so glad the couple and their families trusted me with this incredibly special day. I heard there may have been more than a few tears shed as their memories played back before them. That is what makes the work I do worth it. Bringing joy to people is what this is all about and I am so grateful to have that opportunity no matter the project.
While I absolutely love photographing puppies and kittens, sometimes it's fun to do different projects like this! Videography is is a whole different animal and really stretched my creative muscle... and my arm muscles. While there are definitely ways I feel like my video skills can improve, I'm proud of this first video and am glad to show it off!
So without further ado, enjoy:
My Wedding | #FriedToBe
Read our story, view photos and videos from the day-of and take a look at my vendor list!
It was a magical day and I am so excited to share it with you!
Pt. 1 — Our Story
John & Jenna
Once upon a time the bride and groom started dating on September 22, 2013 after meeting at their apartment complex two weeks prior on September 6. It was a regular night at the pool, 9 p.m., each with their own group when some mutual acquaintances came to talk to the girls. John walked over to join and really didn't talk at all after introducing himself — Jenna had made him speechless I guess. After politely declining invitations to Texas A&M's Midnight Yell and teaching the guys how to dance, still in the pool at this point, the girls decided to meet the guys at Hurricane Harry's for some good ol' country western dancing. With Stoney LaRue performing in the background, this is where the two really fell for each other, but that's not the end of the story. Jenna drove the whole group back and participated in a race down Texas Avenue, windows down and everything. John was the only one who thought this was cool and you could say the rest is history.
The proposal happened on July 13, 2016 on top of Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming (pictured above). After Jenna rode the resort roller coster, John finally convinced her to ride the chair-lift to the top of the mountain to "explore." On the ride up John blamed his nervousness on dangling so high off the ground — Jenna bought it and remained oblivious. When they got to the top, they took some photos for much longer than John was hoping for then started walking down a dirt path to a "flat spot" that John liked. This is where he started getting sappy and also where Jenna was still oblivious. He recited a poem he wrote and got down on his knee and Jenna was STILL oblivious. He pulled out the ring box and Jenna thought "is he pranking me? That box looks like the Aggie Ring box." Spoiler, it was not the Aggie Ring box and it also had the most perfect diamond ring inside. John asked "will you marry me?" to which Jenna replied "No... no way! Seriously? Are you joking?" Eventually she said yes and now the two will live happily ever after.
THE END
Pt. 2 — The Day Of
Honestly I feel like I don't even need to write anything due to our amazing wedding photos and videos! The day was perfect even with a few hiccups. View snapshots throughout the day below and take a look at my vendor list at the bottom of this post!
Click here to view photo blog post by Century Tree Productions
Click here to view full documentary film (50 minutes) by Reverent Wedding Films
Wedding Ceremony
Second Baptist, Cypress Campus
29900 HWY 290, Cypress, TX 77433
Wedding Reception
Giddings Stone Mansion
2203 Century Cir, Brenham, TX 77833
Pt. 3 — Vendor List
Church — Second Baptist Church, Cypress Campus, Cypress, TX
Reception Venue — Giddings Stone Mansion, Brenham, TX
Photographer — Century Tree Productions
D.J. — Century Tree Productions
Videographer — Reverent Media
Barbecue— Papa's Catering
Cake — Fabulous Fare Bakery
Pie, Lavender Lemonade & Plates — Royers Roundtop Cafe
Rentals — Details Party Rental
Flowers— Moosefeathers Florist
Make-up and Hair— Myself, Maid of Honor & Bridesmaids
Wedding Dress — Ventura Bridal Fashions
Bridesmaids Dresses— Azazie, Kailyn Dress, Dark Green
Flower Girl Dress— JJ's House, Ivory
Tux's— Men's Warehouse
Sparklers— Sparklers Online, 36"
Invitations — Designed by me
Shoes — Bought a few years prior at Hemline Boutique, but are Kristin Cavallari Chinese Laundry Pewter Glitter heels (it's actually silver glitter at the front with an ombre fade to gold glitter at the back!)
How To Create a Brand
7 steps on what you need to think about when creating a brand.
1. Know the purpose of your brand.
Is the brand for a company, a product, a campaign? What is the purpose you want to convey – is it to provide a service, fill a need or to raise awareness? If you understand the purpose you can start brainstorming a concept.
2. Create an Identity.
Imagine your audience – how do you want them to see you? What do you want them to think or feel when they see or hear about your brand? Try to think of your brand as a child developing its own personality. What characteristics do you want your brand to have? There should be something that sets you apart, which is the key to making an interesting brand.
3. Speak your brand’s language.
Come up with the name of your company, product or campaign and think of a catch phrase or slogan that defines who it is. Think about how people should feel when reading about your brand – do you want them to laugh at your unique sense of humor, feel sympathetic towards your cause, know that you are trustworthy and responsible? Whatever it is, branding is all about “talking the talk” to accurately communicate your “walk.”
4. Now you need a logo. (My favorite and arguably most important part.)
You should know if you are creating a new logo or revamping an old one. If there is an existing logo, know what needs to be changed and why.
To create a logo, you need to know what type of logo you want. Do you want a mark that can stand alone, a logotype that includes the name or both? Think about how it will be used in the real world – if it will be embroidered on a polo maybe don’t include a lot of intricate detail. You can start the design process once you know the kind of logo that will fit your needs.
For the design, discuss the kind of feeling or persona the logo should convey – this goes back to your language. Is the brand structured and modern, laidback and handmade, or classic and traditional? Do you want any kind of history or symbolism incorporated into the logo? Answer these questions and start brainstorming on paper! Pick a few solid ideas and take those thoughts on the computer. While designing the logo, you or your designer will need to experiment with different fonts that fit your vision for the brand. Try your initial ideas, but also try new ideas and combine ideas. Continue to brainstorm with others as you come up with various concepts until you’ve narrowed it down to some final options. Get the opinions of people who haven’t been involved in the design process. Make sure the logo conveys what you want it to say and then choose the logo that will best represent your brand.
5. Introduce the world of color.
Now that you know who you are, what you stand for and what you look like it’s time to give your brand some pizazz – this is the step that really brings the brand to life. Again, who is this brand and what does it say? Choose colors that appeal to your audience. If it is eye catching and fun, choose brighter colors. If it’s sleek and sophisticated choose neutral tones like white and grey. How about earthy and natural? Choose calmer colors and earth tones. Every color says something different and evokes different feelings, which goes back to how you want to people to feel. Calm and safe? Blue. Eye Catching and exciting? Red (this also makes people hungrier – who knew?). Bright and Happy? Yellow – however, don’t paint a baby nursery yellow. The color yellow is harder to process in your brain. When your little one is surrounded by it all the time, they can get agitated and this causes them to cry more. That may not apply to your brand, but there is a ton of research on colors and having a reason for each color you choose makes for a stronger brand.
6. Tie up loose ends.
You’re pretty much done by this point; all you need to do is make some final decisions. Finalize your fonts and make sure you have no more than three. There may be fonts included in your logo already, but remember to have an easy to read font to use in your documents. You may also need something for headlines or title pages – this could be the same font in a different thickness.
Now that your brand is complete, get other team member’s opinions. If there are any suggestions or critiques, now is the time to speak out and make changes if necessary. Once all changes are made, put it all in a brand guide and stick to it! If you’ve been successful at growing your brand, people should be able to look at a poster or advertisement without your name or logo and still know that it’s you.
7. Rebrand.
In 5-10 years your brand might start to feel outdated. If so, repeat this process.
First Class and Namibian Cash
Houston to Washington D.C. to Dakar to Johannesburg and finally NAMIBIA! Blog on traveling from the U.S. to Africa.
Houston to Washington D.C. to Dakar to Johannesburg and finally NAMIBIA! We made it after one connecting flight, one pit stop, one night in Jo-burg and one last flight till we head home in four weeks. We’ll be bussing it around Namibia from now on. The A&M mascot Reveille gets a first class seat in my bag so you be able to see what she is up to also. I’m the official plush Reveille handler for this study abroad as deemed by the Study Abroad Programs office (I volunteered). I don’t think they know how obsessed I am with this, they only asked for 10 and I’ve already taken 18 in the first three days… they don’t even know what’s coming.
Flight Experience:
The three hour flight to Washington D.C. was pretty normal, we flew United Airlines and I decided watched Into the Woods on the plane which took most of the time. There were so many movies to choose from! We arrived to the D.C. airport with enough time to walk around and get something to eat; the time flew by so fast! We ended up getting a call from our professor saying that the plane was boarding so everyone rushed from all over the airport to get to our gate. Since our boarding passes were with United, everyone needed to get a South African Airlines pass. I was the last one in line and figured my seat would be the same as the one on the old boarding pass, right? I didn’t even look at the new pass. Much to my surprise my seat was in row 15, not on row 70-something. I walked all the way to the back where my group was, getting confused as to why my seat number was so low. Well a flight attendant told me I was in “Premium Class,” and proceeded to escort me to the front of the plane. At this point everyone hates me, luckily another girl, Janesha, had also been upgraded and took the heat with me. It was great, let me tell you… first class is the best way to take a 17 hour flight. Comfortable, reclining seats, delicious food, cool air… ok I’m done, you can look at my pictures. Anyway, I sat next to an older man from Zimbabwe who had been in Texas visiting his daughter. He talked quite a bit, but was pretty quiet so I don’t really have any other information about him. I thought the flight attendants were really nice, but some of the girls in the back mentioned they were kind of rude, it might have been the specific one assigned to their section, but there is a little review for you. They provided us with two dinners, breakfast and lunch. We had an hour-long pit stop in Dakar then proceeded to fly into Johannesburg. It was such a coincidence, I watched the movie Chappie which was set there so I thought that was cool. After staying the night in Jo-burg we boarded a plane to Windhoek, Namibia! Apparently there was lunch, but I slept the entire time. I was glad to have the very roomy emergency row window seat. I’m not sure why I got to choose my seat, but it was the last window seat available on the British Airline. I was able to convert my U.S. Dollars to the Namibian currency at the airport, their bills are so colorful! The shops in the Johannesburg airport were so cool! Some of them were very ‘African’ looking and sold zebra skins/rugs! I asked and the cheapest ones were a little under $900. I seriously want to come back to Africa one day with an empty suitcase and small carryon just so I can get all the things to decorate my home. It’s going to happen. Zebra print everything, except the woodcarvings of other wildlife. Our advisors told us we would be able to find most of the items elsewhere on our trip for less so I didn’t buy anything. They also said they like to buy from villages because you get to physically meet the person who carved, sewed or made the item, as well as supporting some of these people’s only income.
Night in Johannesburg:
As I mentioned before, we spent one night in Johannesburg, South Africa before arriving in Namibia. We stayed at the City Lodge hotel which is connected to the airport, it was so nice! At this point it didn’t really feel like we were in Africa yet, didn’t walk outside and the hotel looks like it could be a nice hotel in America. We went to our rooms to unwind for a bit then met downstairs for dinner. I had a tomato and cheese sandwich that came with salad and chips (less than $5! It would probably be about $10 at Panera for the amount of food I got) and an apple crumble dessert which was delicious, it was surrounded by this yellow liquid which looked weird, but was so good! We were able to take hot showers from a rainfall type shower head and relax before bed, its was so nice. Plus I roomed with a super nice girl in our group named, Demi. I had fun talking with her and some girls across the hall! A breakfast buffet was provided in the morning and it had so many options, I tried a little bit of everything so I wont go into detail about the food options, but the had a pot of tea on every table! We have been told we have tea times in the future on this trip and I think that is just so exciting! The only downside to this hotel was we only had one plug in the room so it was hard to charge all of our electronics. In Africa, their voltage is higher so it charges faster, but you can’t leave anything plugged in for a long time or else it could kill the battery. This means we couldn’t charge things during dinner or breakfast or during the night while we were sleeping. That was pretty minor though, I could deal without my laptop for one day until we got to our new location, but you’ll hear about that in the next post. Spoiler alert, this place has three plugs per room, but also it doesn’t like extension cords with surge protectors… Stay tuned!
Overall this trip has been so great and amazing, I’ve seen some wildlife (there were baboons like squirrels by the airport in Windhoek) and have had so much fun getting to know everyone! I’m just so thankful to finally be here since I was supposed to come last year, I can’t believe that I’m actually in Africa. We had a game tour, so you’ll see a lot of wildlife on the next post!
Follow my group by searching the hashtag #TAMUtakesNamibia15 or follow Reveille with the hashtag #RevOnTheRoad
P.S. I’m in Africa!!!? Ahhh!!
Where to Stay in Africa
Everywhere we stayed on our study abroad trip to Namibia!
When you think of Africa what comes to mind? Safaris, tents, mission trips, deserts and lions? Do you think of cities, nice hotels or lodges and breathtaking scenery? Well based on the itinerary I received for this study abroad, I and the rest of my group will get to experience everything Namibia has to offer and I can’t be more excited! If you, like myself, have never traveled to Africa and have no idea what you would even do there, where you would stay or what you can expect, then this may help you out. Below are excerpts from my itinerary along with descriptions and links to where I will be staying over the next month. Follow along with this blog to see what these places are like in real life! You will see plenty of pictures, and some video of my travels so make sure you subscribe to the mailing list (scroll to the bottom) to get updates as soon as I make a post! We travel between locations every few days so there is always something new to see!
City Lodge O.R. Tambo | https://clhg.com/hotels/152/City-Lodge-Hotel-OR-Tambo-International-Airport
Located at OR Tambo Airport, this hotel offers a resting place for travelers commuting to and from Johannesburg and is great if you need immediate access to the airport. Guests have access to the wide variety of airport amenities as well as a fitness room, pool and coffee shop within the hotel.
Heja Game Lodge | http://www.hejalodge.com/facilities.htmlt
While staying here my group will get a tour of the city, spend time at the Neudamm Campus at the University of Namibia, meet with Peace Corps and US Embassy representatives and enjoy a game drive at this lodge. I linked you to the facilities page where you can see the wide variety of activities this lodge has to offer, it seems like a great place for families wanting some recreational downtime as well as some adventure!
Kalahari Farmhouse | http://www.gondwana-collection.com/the-kalahari-experience/accommodation/kalahari-farmhouse/
This location is described as “an oasis in the desert” on their website. Based on the photos and the 360 ˚ virtual tour of the lodge showcasing the lush grass and palm trees it certainly looks like it. We get to see the “Soul of the World,” better known as the Kalahari Desert, home to the largest continuous expanse of sand on earth according to the desert’s website. You would think that title would belong to the larger Sahara desert, however sand dunes only take up 15% of that area. We will also be touring a family farm during our visit to “Patria Boerdery” to understand how a commercial farm is run in Namibia.
Sossusvlei Lodge | http://sossusvleilodge.com/gallery.html
This lodge has an award winning eco-friendly design and has won several awards of excellence from the Hospitality association of Namibia. From the pictures inside of their tent-like units you would not be able to tell the difference between a room in a nice hotel building, both include all the amenities you need to be completely at ease. We will visit one of the oldest deserts in the world, the Namib, explore the surrounding area, climb to the top of the dunes and visit the Sesriem Canyon – carved from occasional floods during exceptionally good rainy seasons.
Gobabeb Training Centre | http://www.gobabebtrc.org/
Gobabeb is an internationally recognized center for dry land training and research. We may get to see Springbuck, Oryx, Ostriches and Mountain Zebras during our time there! We will learn about the research this center had done over the past 50 years during a tour of the grounds as well as learning how residents of the Namib have survived in this hyper-arid environment. It should be interesting to learn the uses of different plants and animals by the Topnaar people and their cultural traditions.
Hotel Europa Hof | http://www.europahof.com/main_e.htm
Along the shore of Swakopmund the German architecture and atmosphere of this hotel located between the cold Atlantic Ocean and the sweltering Namib Desert will be different and exciting to see – I always look forward to experiences relating to my heritage, maybe I’ll get to see Germany in person one day! We will get to sail along the coast via catamaran with the possibility of seals joining us on the boat in return for some fish, hopefully we’ll get to see dolphins surfing the waves as well.
Farm Habis | Family home
Farm Habis is a normal farm where we will learn about different challenges Namibian farmers face as well as general information about cattle and livestock farming.
Twyfelfontein Lodge | http://www.finesse-namibia.com/twyfelfontein-country-lodge
This lodge, located in Damaraland is surrounded by the gorgeous wilderness and mountainous region and is only 2.5 miles away from the rock engravings at Twyfelfontein,. We will get to see this “open air art gallery,” home to many engravings and paintings. Other sites around the area are the Organ Pipe rock formations, hundreds of years old Welwitschia plants and Burnt Mountain which gives off various colors during the day including purple, reds, browns and creams. Hopefully we will see Elephants during a game drive while we’re there.
Okaukuejo Camp | http://www.nwr.com.na/index.php/resorts/okaukuejo-resort
This resort gives visitors a unique view of its flood-lit waterhole where we will get a close look at wildlife interacting. Most often people see rhino, elephant, giraffe, lions, hyenas and possibly some zebras and springbok. During our stay we will visit a traditional Himba village and learn about the nomadic tribe’s traditions.
Mokuti Lodge | http://www.mokutietoshalodge.com/game-drives-etosha-national-park
This lodge is located near the eastern Von Lindequist Gate near the historical Namutoni Fort. The lush greens and beautiful grounds get you as close to nature as it can. While accompanying one of Mokuti’s experienced game guides we will explore Etosha National Park, a one of the largest and diverse wilderness areas in Africa. We will see the dense Mopane forest which support many antelopes, predators including leopards and offers safe cover and nesting sites to various types of birds.
Kavango River Lodge | http://www.natron.net/kavango-river-lodge/
This small location offers beautiful river views and is great for nature and bird watchers. During our travels we will visit the Ombili Foundation, founded 25 years ago by farmers, consisting of around 350 San (people).
Popa Falls Lodge | http://www.nwr.com.na/index.php/resorts/popa-falls-resort
Located on the beautiful banks of the Okavango River, this lodge opens up to woodlands, forests and floodplains in north-eastern Namibia. We will enjoy a game drive through the Mahango Game Reserve which is considered one of Namibia’s most varied and fascinating conservation areas. It is home to rare species including Puku, Lechwe, Roan and Sable as well as attracted predators such as lions, cheetah and leopards.
Protea Hotel Zambezi River Lodge | http://www.proteahotels.com/hotels/Pages/Protea-Hotel-Zambezi-River-Lodge.aspx
This location is our gateway to beautiful Victoria Falls, as well as the Chobe National Park. Rooms at this lodge can overlook the Zambezi River, garden or pool areas that allow guests to soak up the beauty of the natural surroundings.
The Kingdom Hotel | http://www.africansunhotels.com/stay-with-us/victoria-falls/the-kingdom-at-victoria-falls/
We will drive across the Namibian border to one of the seven natural wonder of the world, Victoria Falls, which is only five minutes away from this Zimbabwe hotel. It is also near the Victoria Falls National Park allowing visitors to fully experience the beauty of this region.
I don’t know about you but this trip sounds amazing. I read through my itinerary and researched the different locations and sites for the first time while writing this and I could not be more pleased with the variety of locations my group has the opportunity to visit. I hope that anyone who is interested in traveling to Africa gets the opportunity to do so, I could not be more thankful. As a last reminder, the easiest way to stay updated on my travels is to subscribe to the mailing list, I look forward to sharing my experiences with you!
So I'm Going to Africa
Update: I’m traveling to Namibia, Africa, follow along with my blog posts from the trip.
So I'm going to Africa, all over Namibia to be exact. It gets it's own blog page so you know exactly where to find information about my travels and updates while I'm there, including lots of photos (of course). I am going on a study abroad with Texas A&M University and will be studying "Photojournalism and Cultural Pluralism," aka photography and communicating agriculture. I'll be there for four weeks in July and August 2015 so stay tuned and subscribe for updates when I post about the trip!
I wanted some travel related photos to use as cover photos for my blog posts and what not, plus I couldn't get the idea of using my grandparent's suitcase in a photo shoot out of my mind! So my brother reluctantly agreed to take some pictures for me (I had to help him address graduation thank you cards in return). He took a photography class once so he has a good eye, however, I did set the camera to the correct settings, told him what to do and I edited the photos so don't give him all the credit (haha)! I'm glad he suffered through all my directions and we made it out with some good shots.
Cy-Falls Prom 2015
So I'm a little late getting these pictures edited and put up, but these are from my brother's third and final prom (this year). Unless, of course, he gets asked again by his younger friends who are about to become seniors. This was the same location as his Cy-Fair prom group (as you can see in a previous post), but this time I didn't take pictures of everyone so we had so more fun exploring new locations and poses. I hope you enjoy and maybe get a few ideas for any future prom or other formal photos!
*P.S. In case you thought three proms was a lot, my brother went to two last year, escorted at two Brigade (drill team) balls, attended or escorted maybe two or three senior presentations for the National Charity League I used to be in... I've lost count.., participated twice in the Mr. Cy-fair Fundraiser pageant and there are probably a few I'm forgetting. Needless to say, the tux place knows him by name and he will definitely be embarrassed that I shared this on the internet. Thats what sisters are for, right? #sorrynotsorry
Unfortunate Disasters at Dances
I have unfortunately witnessed multiple tragedies surrounding formal dances. I was able to capture the moments, but not save the victims. I do not want their story to go untold so I am posting the tragic events to my blog as they happen. Hopefully I will never witness another unnatural disaster such as these, but if I do, please know that I will make it my life goal to remember the individuals involved.
Disclaimer: The backgrounds, T-Rex and Meteor are not my own, they were found on Google for these fun photos per request of my brother and his friends. All images were edited by myself.
Cy-Fair High School Prom 2015
My brother texts me at midnight (the night before prom!) and asks if I'm taking pictures of his prom group. After finding out that his prom is the next night, I thank him for the advanced notice and go to sleep. That Friday afternoon I rush from work in College Station to Houston in order to make it in time for their prom photos and here they are! All the girls looked gorgeous in their dresses, they had some pretty lucky dates! *Meteor/dinosaur photo coming soon*
By the way my brother is ridiculous and won Prom King, Most Handsome and Most Versatile. I don't know how he tricked people into voting for him, but I guess I'm a proud sister.
Enjoy these photos!
Cy-Fair High School Senior - Chase
Having a sister as a photographer has definitely has its perks. My brother and I got to have fun a a ton of different locations in our dad's home town of Weimar, TX as well as travel to his favorite spots around our hometown of Cypress, TX over the course of two days. I love that we got to experiment with locations, poses and expressions during this two day "session." I would call it "Chase tells Jenna how take pictures of him while trying to be a model." Which one do you think is more accurate...? Enjoy these fun photos!
Texas A&M Senior Pictures - Camryn
It was so fun to do these senior photos for Camryn! I posted these photos on my Facebook page last May and thought I should start posting on my website. Check out a few of my favorite photos of her at the Academic Building and George Bush park at the George Bush Library!
Opinion: In Defense of Valentine's Day
Nowadays, you see anti-Valentine’s parties, people that believe Valentine’s Day is overrated and too mushy or individuals that only love it when they’re in a relationship. For me, it’s different.
There are two types of people on Feb. 14 — those who think Valentine’s Day is an overrated pit of commercialism and those who consider it a treasured holiday. So let me make it clear. I love Valentine’s Day.
Nowadays, you see anti-Valentine’s parties, people that believe Valentine’s Day is overrated and too mushy or individuals that only love it when they’re in a relationship. For me, it’s different.
Now that I’m 19, it’s considered weird to look at the back of card boxes and laugh at the one that says, “Here comes the smolder.” But, as far as I see it, the only downside to Valentine’s Day is that Rapunzel Valentines didn’t hit the shelves until 2011.
Good thing being weird doesn’t bother me.
Let me take you on a journey back to Valentine’s Day in elementary school, where my love for the holiday began.
Your teacher probably gave you homework to decorate a box, bag or other Valentine-holding device. For me, the annual process was more than just an assignment. I remember decorating my shoebox with wrapping paper, sticker hearts and some drawings from my little artistic hand.
Shopping for your perfect Valentine’s cards is the next step. You get to choose from cute distorted animals, your favorite animated characters and funny puns, all of which come with matching stickers, tattoos or possibly some lollipop hearts.
The icing on the pink cupcake with heart sprinkles was always that moment when you walked into the classroom after recess and saw how the “class moms” decorated the room for the Valentine’s party. Between the brightly-colored plastic decorations and the table of sweets the teachers would soon regret offering, it was the best day of school that semester where I got to walk around, cookie in hand, giving Valentines to my fellow students.
It’s unfortunate that some people think it’s just a day to remind them of how forever alone they are.
Contrary to popular belief, I don’t love Valentine’s Day just because I currently have a boyfriend. Ever since elementary school, I have been a fan. I love getting to be creative, I love chocolate, I love puns and I am a hopeless romantic. I blame Disney movies and books for that one.
While I have been lucky enough to celebrate this holiday twice with a Valentine, this holiday rooted in my childhood isn’t just about a “significant other.” My parents always make my brother and me a little Valentine’s gift basket. Even now that I’m in college I still look forward to the small present.
To me Valentine’s Day isn’t the one day in the year you show your love. It’s a fun holiday that gives you an excuse to do something special for someone you care about.
Also, having access to an endless amount of chocolate is pretty great too
Duck Dynasty: Controversial Christians?
In short, my opinion on this Phil Robertson vs. A&E controversy is that a lot of people, both “Christians” and “non-Christians” alike, have gotten overly defensive trying to stand up for “their side” of the issue. You can stop reading here if you want, but I’m guessing you’re here because you want to know my thoughts so let me break it down.
In short, my opinion on this Phil Robertson vs. A&E controversy is that a lot of people, both “Christians” and “non-Christians” alike, have gotten overly defensive trying to stand up for “their side” of the issue. You can stop reading here if you want, but I’m guessing you’re here because you want to know my thoughts so let me break it down.
First off, if you haven’t read the GQ article and the extent of your knowledge on this subject is a few Facebook statuses, please do not form an opinion until you’ve researched it a little. I decided to read the GQ article and a few blog posts. I realize that I’m still not totally knowledgeable on the subject, but just hear me out. One Phil Robertson quote stood out to me from the original article.
“We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort ’em out later, you see what I’m saying?”
For some reason I haven’t seen this quote shared very much. Is it because it was just overlooked? Maybe it’s because people are so quick to judge that they want to ignore the fact that Phil is not trying to judge them. Maybe I’m completely wrong, but again, these are just my thoughts.
Some of the more popular [and more controversial] quotes I will admit are worded a little crudely.
“It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”
Honestly that comment grosses me out a little. I don’t want to read anything like that because it makes me uncomfortable. It is very easy to take this quote out of context and think of it as “hate” or, on the other side, take a stand to support Phil because he believes exactly what you believe. This is him stating his opinion on what he believes to be truth. That’s it. I’m not supporting what he said because he can’t speak for individuals that practice this, I can’t either because I don’t understand it. However, I am not against this comment either, (SPOILER ALERT I’m about to share my personal beliefs) I do believe that homosexuality is a sin. From a biological standpoint it is obvious that men and women are meant to be together. That’s how we reproduce so there’s that. Also the Bible states many times that relationships were designed to be between a man and a women. While there aren’t a whole lot of passages that actually address relationships between two men or two women, Leviticus 18 is all about unlawful sexual relations and verse 22 addresses this issue. In this passage God is speaking to Moses and he says “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.” You don’t have to agree with me, but I believe that the word of God is truth. I have a lot of friends who associate themselves with the term “gay,” “bisexual” or whatever term is politically correct these days. Do I believe their lifestyle is sinful? Yes, but guess what! Everyone sins! So do I believe that everyone is sinful? Yes I do. Personally I am really lazy, ever heard the phrase “idleness is the devil’s workshop?” How you sin is up to you, but theres no escaping it. Humans are sinful creatures.
I read a blog post by a friend on this same issue. He decided to talk about mercy and I thought it was very well thought out. He brought up the bible story of the woman caught in adultery. She was sentenced to death by stoning, but in John 8:7 Jesus says to the men standing before her, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” After each man had walked away Jesus asked, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” “No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”
Don’t be so quick to judge those who are different than you. Spreading hate can only end up in isolation. (Personal belief spoiler alert) Studies show that about 95% of the U.S. population partakes in sexual relations before marriage. I believe that is sinful based on God’s word. Imagine if I decided to be hatful and not associate with 95% of the population. I like my alone time, but not that much.
I hope you don’t read this and automatically put me on Phil’s “side.” While I agree he speaks lot of truth, he doesn’t necessarily say it in a way that is considerate towards everyone. I don’t agree with A&E either because they do not have the right to punish someone for their opinion just because it’s not popular. I hope my fellow Christians realize that while “its about time someone speaks some truth,” Phil Robertson isn’t the only one who can do it. And to anyone “hating” on him because you don’t agree, or if you’re “hating” on those individuals because you’re on “Phil’s side,” don’t be hypocritical. If you hate someone because of their supposed “hatefulness” towards you or your beliefs then how are you any better? Just some food for thought, how would A&E and the rest of the media react if a gay person said they didn’t agree with the heterosexual lifestyle? Phil paraphrased 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 in the GQ article so here is the actual passage.
"Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers — none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God."
I’m not the best writer, I’m sure there are tons of mistakes throughout this post. I don’t know everything, Google helped me out a lot while writing this. I don’t want to pretend like I have it all figured out because that is definitely not true. I just wanted to speak my mind on this particular topic because I think it’s an important issue in today’s society and I wanted to share some of what I believe in. If you have a problem with anything I said please tell me, but know that I’m not trying to create conflict in any way. Thank you for reading.