meet me on...tuesday?

so, as you can tell, meet me on monday is being posted on tuesday this week...i spent time with the guys from highschool last night, as one member of our group moved back to new york today...so without further ado, here's this week's featured blogger :]

erin sunday

tell us a little about yourself...

the name is erin sunday, and i'm 24 years young. my hometown is technically rockford, il (i moved around a lot), but i have currently found a home in springfield, mo

what is your favorite craft?

probably crocheting right now. it is a new craft i am learning so it's incredibly fun for me!

if you would only have one outfit to wear every day forever, what would it include?

oh geeze! i am really bad at this sort of thing! i LOVE to play dress up so i would probably wear something incredibly fun and maybe a bit out of the ordinary. let's see, let's see..out of the stuff i have? since i am currently growing out my hair, i hate it. haha. so, i would hide it, most likely, under a hat of some sort. very little makeup, but enough to accentuate my eyes (my favorite feature about a person). i would wear a tank top tucked under my favorite vintage red skirt (it's corduroy!). since it is soooo cold out right now, i would definitely wear a cardigan with it (grey). grey with white polka dot tights would cover my scrawny legs and i would warm my feet with black knee socks and my black cowgirl boots. crazy? why, of course! :] i wore something similar in this photo:

how did you get started in photography?

i feel like i really got started as a child, when i was more of a model than a photographer. i have four sisters and we are close enough in age that we all wore matching outfits most of the time. every chance we could get, mom would pack us into our van and drive to different parks and whatnot. once we got there, she pulled out the disposable camera (all we really could afford at the time) and snap away! i remember always wishing to have a camera of my own. i didn't really make the commitment to pursue photography until about 5 months ago. however, i feel as though photography has always been a part of me; something i have yearned to learn and play around with.

what and/or who inspires you?

oh gosh! this is a never ending list that literally grows everyday. i will keep my sharing to just 4 individuals.

first and foremost, will vastine. big surprise, huh? haha. this is not just because he is a talented (CUTE) photographer. he is the one person who has consistently encouraged me to be myself, whoever i decided that was. we've been dating just under 2 years and in that time, he has ridden one heck of a roller coater ride with me. i've lost my job, had some serious health issues, moved, experienced fear, grief, excitement, happiness, sadness and STRESS. will has been there for it all and, even cooler, has been excited to be there experiencing it with me. when i finally bit down and made the decision to pursue the possibility of making photography more than just a hobby, he was the first to offer encouragement and introduce me to a huge variety of different photographers and artists. this has helped as i have begun to find my unique style. most importantly, he's helped re-open my eyes, mind and my heart to the idea of making my life what it should be and going after my dreams, no matter the size.

second, zack arias. zack is an atlanta based editorial photographer who teaches workshops on a minimalist approach to lighting. he also has a great sense of humor and seems really down to earth. i have learned some great stuff from what he has taught, and i am sure that learning with never cease.

third, chase jarvis. not only is this guy a great photographer (understatement), but he has really inspired me wiht the concept that the best camera is the one that you have with you. he even has an iphone application and book to support this. enough said. consider me inspired :]

fourth, allister ann. this girl has such a beautiful eye, and her sight extends beyond the camera lens. she seems absolutely lovely and i hope to be spending some time with her soon.

my life in general serves as my greatest source of inspiration. i am so blessed with friends and family that give me the courage to rely on my creative side to help pursue my dreams. it is they who help shape the ideas behind every project i start and guide the steps toward each accomplishment.

what or who prompted you to open an etsy account?

it was a combined effort of will and myself, i believe. after sharing that i was thinking about it, many crafting friends encouraged it.

what was life like growing up with quadruplet sisters?

it was pretty much the same as growing up with any other siblings. i guess it was cooler. i don't know. i am only 20 months older than the sisters, so it was something that never really changed. i was used to having them around. it was my "normal". although, i am incredibly thankful for it. imagine picking your 4 favorite people in the whole world to live with. that was my childhood. i couldn't possibly imagine being an only child! i would be incredibly lonely. my sisters are amazingly pretty and creative and SO DIFFERENT! it makes my life incredibly beautiful and fufilled.

what album or playlist is on your ipod right now?

the XX. i love how simple their music is. it has such a good groove to it. right up my alley for sure!

describe your style

i don't know about fashion style, but...uh...ask me again in a couple of years. ha.

i guess the best way to describe my photography "style" is to describe my favorite way to take photos. i continue to dream. i strive to encourage dreaming and making dreams come to life. so, i love when people share a bit of themselves or dreams they have with me and it turns into a great photo shoot idea. i love to create a whole world in each photo i take, whether it be over the top, make believe, more traditional, whatever. i just want to go all out to make it something that draws you in. i also want for the concept or setting i use in photos to be an idea at least partly from the person/people in the photos. this allows them ot have an ida in their mind already and makes them more comfortable to get into what we are doing. my favorite shoot to date is a mother-daughter shoot i did with my friend, katie, and her daughter, hope. they turned out so great that hope squealed when she saw them! :] i am always up for shooting many types of photos, whether it be basic portraits, more fashion-esque, boudior, or conceptual photos. i love photography and am in the process of figuring out my style, so i would like to try a bit of everything to help me figure out what to tell you the next time you ask this question. :]

so you're a marine, huh?

yes, i am a former marine. i spent 2 years and 8 months in the marine corps, and it was one of the best decisions i have made in my adult life. unfortunately, i was injured and was discharged in june of 2006. i was incredibly disappointed at the time to find out that a career was not in the cards for me. however, i am thankful for the life that has erupted from the end of my time with the military.

what is your biggest goal for 2010?

since getting out of the marine corps, i have endured many "issues", as i will call them. while i do truly believe that everything i have gone through, and still go through daily, will make me a stronger, better person, i say that currently through gritted teeth. i won't lie, my life is not perfect and it won't be for quite a while. 2009 kicked my ass! 2010 is not starting out very promising either, but i refuse to be defeated!

i am working extremely hard to get to a point where photography and etsy are my main sources of income. will this happen in 2010? i have no clue. i will be happy if, in this year, i can continue to grow the shop and my photography presence to where i see a real improvement.

i want to continue working with elsie at red velvet art. i love her and i love working there. she has offered so much to me in the opportunity to work with her. i am not sure if i will ever want to stop helping encourage that wonderful business.

so i guess i have said all that to tell you that my biggest goal of 2010 is to be able to stand on my own feet and to gain balance again.

here's where you can find erin:

blog

flickr

etsy

facebook

twitter

red velvet art

thank you so much, erin, for sharing with us this week! leave erin some comment love! :]

if your interested in being featured in a future meet me on monday post, email me at emjay0121(at)gmail(dot)com :] there are still 2 spots open for february.

xoxo

emjay