Singing in a choir is another one of my passions. I got to be a part of the church choir this summer and am really looking forward to being in it come September. We put on a huge American musical for 4th of July and I found it to be a really great opportunity to reflect on both God's sovereignty in our nation and on the sacrifices men and women have made for our country. These three pieces of music feature words that really speak volumes about this country.

Again, this photo was entered in that Americana photo contest I told you about. I'm an English major so reading is something I actually do for fun...and I do lots of it! The Americana theme of the contest inspired me to find a collection of some great American literature I've read over the years. I loved the effect I created in which I made the entire photo black and white and the colored back in the red. Photoshop rocks!

Growing up I always heard that the American dream was enclosed by a white picket fence. I never really thought I'd live in a house that had a white picket fence, but it is kind of fun having one! I love the contrast in this photo--which I achieved in Photoshop--and the odd spots of focus. Normally, I would focus up close or far away, but I tried focusing in the middle this time and achieved a neat effect.

I love me some black and white! Yes, the flag is still in the shot, but you can see that the focus is really on the fence. I loved the shadowing and the muted white tone of the fence; sometimes black and whites have a huge contrast between the shades, but this one seems very fluid.

Essentially the same shot as yesterday, but for this one I really muted the colors in Photoshop while the one yesterday featured intense saturation, vibrance, and contrast. I love the bokeh in the background (the blurred parts) and the dark shadowing up front. This shot was taken right after the shot from yesterday but it achieves a totally different effect on the viewer.

I can't begin Americana without first showing you some shots of the American flag. I love the crispness and the clarity of this first photo. I also really enjoy the criss-cross pattern that the stripes made in the front flag. Finding a perfect shot took--literally--forever! I must have taken 100 photos of flags flying in the wind. I wish both flags would have been unfurled and flying, but it just wasn't my lucky day!