Posts Tagged With: photography

Day 30: Legacy (list 10 things you hope to be remembered for)

Posted on August 30, 2012 by momentswithmisty

Today’s the last day for the 30 day challenge, guys! I can’t decide if I’m happy or sad about this.

Today’s topic is to list 10 things you hope to be remembered for. This is kind of hard, how can someone be really good at 10 things? I think this should be like 5 things you’d like to be remembered for, or how would you like people to remember you? Coming up with 10 things that don’t all sound ridiculous is hard (so hard that I think some of mine register as ridiculous).

1. I’d like to be remembered for being kind. If I’m remembered for nothing else in life, I hope that people will look back and say that I was kind. Kindness is such a fading attribute these days. (Yes, sarcasm is my first language. And yes, I hate most of the population, but I try to be nice to people, even if it’s forced.)

2. World peace. I’d like to bring on world peace I think that would be great to be remembered for.

3. And also, I’d like to save the polar bears. And by saving the polar bears, I will have ended global warming. And that also seems like a pretty great thing to be remembered for.

4. In a world full of close-minded, judgmental people, I’d like to be remembered for being open-minded. I try to see every side of an argument and then make my decision based on what I think makes the most sense. Based less on feelings and emotions and based more on logic and facts.

5. Can I be remembered for marrying Zac Efron? Can we make that happen, Zac?

6. For taking legendary photos.  This is a no brainer. Every artist wants their art to be remembered, and that’s no different for me. I want people to see magic in my pictures. And I want my pictures to make them feel something. I want people 30 years from now to say, “Oh, remember that one picture Misty Clay took of -insert person, place or thing-, it was so cool. She was great at capturing that perfect moment.” I know that I remember pictures that I’ve seen that I think are cool.

7. Comedy. I want people to remember that I was funny. That I was good at making them laugh and diffusing tension. That I didn’t take things too seriously.

8. I want people to remember seeing Christ in me. Not just that I talked about Him, or that they knew was I was a Christian, I want them to really remember seeing Him in me. I don’t want them to remember me preaching at them, or me telling them 100 times to go to church, I want them to think, “hey, I think that’s what Jesus would have been like if I met Him.” I know that’s a lofty goal, but isn’t that everyone’s goal as a Christian?

9. That I was 100% me. I don’t want to be remember as someone who followed the trend, or let others influence her life. I wanted to be remembered as being true to myself, no matter what kind of mockery I had to endure.

10. A good influence. I know that I’m a influencer. We all are. We all have influenced, do influence or will influence someone at some point in our lives. Probably lots of someones. Probably lots of someones we don’t even know, and I want to be an influence for good.

Categories: Everyday Happenings | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Day 22: I look once more, just around the riverbend! (where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?)

Posted on August 22, 2012 by momentswithmisty

Oh man. The future is a scary place. I still remember when it was so abstract. It was always something I was planning for, but what do I do now that it’s actually here? And now that I’m really planning for it? It’s scary, I tell you. It’s still pretty abstract to me. I like to dream about the future, but most of what I dream about is not even in the realm of reality. I like to think about an ideal future, so I’m never actually thinking about where I actually see myself in the future. I know where I want to be ideally, but I have a hard time picturing the reality of where I might be.

Who knows where I’ll be. I have so many scenarios in my head that I find it hard to even begin to predict where I’m going to be just next year, or even next month. Right now my life has so many question marks in it. There are so many variables that could have a major impact. Small things and choices that could take me from one path to a totally different one.

Predicting my future is like predicting an earthquake, you think you’ve got the pattern figured out, but really it’s a total surprise every single time. But here’s how I’m predicting my future today, but it could change tomorrow, or three minutes from now.

5 years from now. It will be 2017. I will be 28-years-old. 

What the heck? I thought 23 was old. 28 is older. That’s almost 30. I never picture myself that old. Somehow in my head I’m eternally like 21, looks like I’m going to have to marry a vampire (that’s a joke, just fyi, I’d never marry a vampire, a werewolf maybe, but never a vampire). By the time I’m 28 I hope to have a real career. In something that I love. Hopefully I’ll be taking pictures professionally. I hope to be on tour with a band by that time (Case two: or working for a football team as their team photographer, traveling with the team, still sort of like being on tour). I see myself traveling the world. Planes, trains and automobiles are definitely going to be a part of my life right now. If not for my career, then for some other reason. I may not be totally financially stable at this time, because I’m probably still going to think I’m a kid. Or maybe I will be? Perhaps I’ll be married, perhaps I’ll be engaged or dating someone seriously (perhaps in some kind of convent), who knows? Definitely no children at this point (unless I’ve managed to snag Zac Efron, or someone of that caliber of attractiveness, and I’m forced to reproduce as many times as possible to make the world a more beautiful place one baby at a time). I still plan on being the coolest aunt possible. Unless one of my siblings reproduces again, my youngest niece will be  6 and my oldest will be 16, with everyone else filling in the space. I definitely see them traveling with me.

10 years from now. It will be 2022. I will be 33-years-old.

I seriously hope to be married by this point in my life. I want to be a young bride, and I don’t want to have all these individual memories of my life. I want to have them with my husband, and 33 years is already a lot of individual memories. Hopefully he and I will be working together. He can do whatever he wants, but maybe he’ll be in a band (or case two scenario, maybe he’ll be a football player). Or I guess he can do something else, but depending on what his job is we might not be spending a lot of time together (and that would be very sad), because I still want to be on tour. So it would obviously be ideal if he was some kind of musician (or athlete), or at least did some kind of behind-the-scenes work (like me) too so that we could be on the road together. Though I still want to be on tour, and I definitely want to still be traveling the world (I’m always going to be traveling) I’d also like to have a home by this time. I for sure don’t want to be in LA anymore (at least not permanently, maybe working here sometimes). I want to own a beach house in North Carolina, even if it’s just a small one. Somewhere that is cozy and personal. And barring some kind of crazy stint of craziness, I’ll 100% financially stable by now.

15 years from now. It will 2027. I will be 38-years-old.

What? 38-years-old? What happened? 38 is almost 40! And 40 is over the hill. That is ridiculous. By this time I will either be married, or I will have checked myself into a nunnery. If I decide to have kids, I will probably already have had them. They’ll probably be toddlers at this point (and hopefully they’ll be boys). Which means that I’m not longer touring the world (unless I’m touring it with my husband as a full-time wife and possibly part-time photographer), and probably living in North Carolina, or at least somewhere in the south/midwest. If I’m going to raise kids, I want to raise them in that type of environment. Not in LA, or in DC, or NYC, I want to raise them somewhere where people are real, polite and safe. Hopefully I’ll have a bigger beach house. I’d like to be wealthy by this point. Not disgustingly wealthy, but comfortably wealthy. Where I can live comfortably and also take care of the other people in my life. I want to still be taking pictures, but maybe not in such a dedicated manner. Like, maybe just for special events. Hopefully I will have made such an impact in the world of photography that my name will be recognizable and people will seek me out to cover things for them. Like maybe just certain concerts (or games), and things like award shows (or the Superbowl). I just want to be settled and comfortable in life by this point.

Categories: Everyday Happenings | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Day 14: I’m stronger than yesterday, now it’s nothing but my way (describe 5 strengths you have)

Posted on August 14, 2012 by momentswithmisty

“Hi, where are you from? What’s your major? What are your top 5 strengths?”

STRENGTHS QUEST! Okay, you’ll only get that if you went to Evangel. Every person who goes to Evangel takes this test called Strengths Quest. You answer a series of random questions and then it tells you what your top five strengths are. And then you are defined by those strengths for your entire four years. Don’t think I’m joking. They even make shirts for it. Yes, I’m making fun of it, but in reality I kind of loved it. I used to try to guess what everyone’s strengths were before I asked. It’s important to know what your strengths are.

In case you were wondering, my top 5 strengths according to Strengths Quest were/are:

1. Empathy

2. Strategy

3. Individualization

4. Futuristic

5. Input

I’ve always had some doubts about them. I mean, empathy? Really? My number one strength? I don’t even like people, why would I empathize with them? Maybe it’s some kind of weird, latent thing. And what is individualization anyway? It sounds like a word that was made up. But, the other three I will agree with. I am pretty strategic. And futuristic just means that I’m always thinking about the future, in real words it means I’m a dreamer, which we all already knew. And input means that I like to know random knowledge, and that I like to know everything about things, and that is definitely true.

So those are my “tested” strengths. These are what I like to think my strengths are.

1. I’m a good friend (or at least I like to think that I am). If my career could be “friend,” that would be ideal. I think that may be what I am best at in the entire world  (or maybe I’m not actually a good friend and this is all an in my imagination). I am extremely concious of their feelings and I’d like to think that I’m always there for them when they need to talk, or when they want some kind of advice. I am extremely loyal to my friends. And I would do anything for them. One day when I’m famous (or sort of famous, or married to someone famous), they will all be hooked up with cool jobs, concert tickets, football/basketball/hockey/baseball tickets, advanced screenings and whatever other swag they might want, I’ll make sure of that.

2. Hugs. What can I say, I give good hugs. There’s no contesting that. If being a professional friend doesn’t work out, I’d like to be a professional hugger.

3. Sarcasm. I am very good at this. Practice makes perfect, right? And boy do I have a lot of practice in this. Anyone who has ever had a conversation with me can attest to this. Sometimes I’m concerned that people I don’t know will think I’m serious when I say things, which to me, means that I’m doing it right. If they can’t tell you’re joking then you’re mastered this skill. I’m pretty quick-witted, it’s a gift.

4. Capturing moments. This is my forte as a photographer. I can’t pose people or shoot good portraits to save my life. Any kind of portrait I try to take always has that awkward-we-are-uncomfortable-and-being-posed feel to it. But, I am good at capturing moments. Action photography is what I’m someday hoping to get into. Sports, concerts, anything where there is dynamic movement. I’m not going to say it’s harder than portraits, because that’s not the case, portraits photography is hard, but it takes a different kind of talent and creative mind. It’s composing on the fly, and having to anticipate movements. So much fun.

5. I have a strong sense of who I am. I’m pretty headstrong and I’m a nonconformist. I like what I like no matter what people think about it. I am way too lame to every be a hipster. Yes, I’m 22-years-old (almost 23!), and I like boybands and Disney. I wear what I want, despite what might be popular or trendy. Yes, I live in LA, and I sometimes dress like I live in Nashville. It’s just not in my character to to base my thoughts, beliefs, opinions, likes, dislikes, or actions on what is popular or cool. I am me, and I’m proud to be me. Judge me if you want, totally not my problem.

Categories: Everyday Happenings | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Day 7: Workin’ for the Weekend (what is your dream job, and why)

Posted on August 7, 2012 by momentswithmisty

My dream job is working on a concert tour as the photographer. That is why I am in LA, to hopefully figure out how to make this dream a reality (possibly making some headway on that, so keep me in your thoughts!). I obviously have certain bands that I’d rather work with/for (NSYNC reunion!), but I’d be open to pretty much anyone. Ideally my job would consist of me taking pictures of the band while they are on tour, not only during shows, but also just in everyday things, and then blogging about it.

Why is this my dream job? Because it combines basically all of my favorite things. Taking pictures, live music and traveling. And, I think I’d be perfect for it.

My heart was meant to be on the road. I’m just a wanderer. I love road trips, and that is basically what a tour is. It is a summer (or fall) road trip. And sometimes, if the band is popular enough, the road trip extends to planes and you get to go across the world. And that would be perfect.

For anyone that knows me I’m sure it is no surprise at all that my dream job has something to do with taking pictures. That’s all I really want to do with my life. I can not see any other career in which I will be happy. All I want to do it take pictures. It’s what I’m good at and it’s what I love.

And concerts are my favorite thing. I’ve expressed multiple times that I am a concert junkie. I just love them so much. So getting to see one every night (even if it was the same band) would be a dream come true.

*Honorable mention: photographer for Sport Illustrated. For obvious reasons, getting to take pictures and getting to go to sporting events everyday.

Categories: Everyday Happenings | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.