2020 in Photos

My mother is adventurous and loves exploring, especially by taking my father and me to the little corners of Arizona to see new things. Recently we went on a little road trip to Globe and walked around the Besh Ba Gowah Archaeological Park. 800 years ago it was the home to the Salado people, now it stands as a beautiful memory of the village.

October 7, 2020

The Musical instrument Museum in Phoenix is one of my favorites. Before COVID hit, I revisited the MIM with some of my family. If I could, I would spend hours on hours just wandering the exhibits, listening to the different musical styles as I passed. These photos are just a small fraction of the beauty that lies within the MIM.

(These are also some of the first photos I’ve edited in Lightroom! I typically use Photoshop but I’m starting to expand my horizons)

July 29, 2020

Inspired by color film photography, I wanted to deviate from the classic warm tones of the desert and focus more on the softer and cooler side that is often hidden within desert plants. I took some old digital photos that I shot on a field trip in 2019, and re-edited them to look like old photos taken on film. I emphasized the blues, greens, and yellows, while also softening the saturation and adding a more neutral hue. 

May 11, 2020

I love journaling, it has always been one of my favorite ways to write. Maybe because I was obsessed with Dork Diaries as a child, but also because the rawness and honesty that comes with freewriting about your day is euphoric. I find that release of pent-up emotions and feelings and thoughts at the end of the day is one of the most therapeutic things someone can do. However, recently journaling has been difficult for me. I’ve been struggling with a long period of writer’s block that has stunted my creativity to the point journaling doesn’t even come easy. So I decided to create a journal dedicated to getting my voice back and breaking through my writer’s block. It is inspired by @Ashlynlauren on TikTok, where I have found a majority of my prompts and motivation to continue writing. I will be adding in my pages here, but if you would like to join me more on this journey as I fill up the pages please follow my TikTok @Morgannling and Instagram @Morganlingcom.

Thank you!

I was going through my photos a few weeks ago and noticed that I hadn’t taken a photo of myself since my birthday in February. I didn’t have much documentation of myself this past year so I took it upon myself to take a little time to change that. It was an unusually cloudy day, which made the perfect backdrop for some self-portraits. As I was taking photos it made me realize how much I missed photographing myself and seeing how I can turn an ordinary setting into something more magical.

October 25, 2020

I have a fairly large collection of canvases that I no longer display. Some of them are old photographs I’ve taken or old paintings I’ve created, either way, I have decided to repurpose them and create new art from the old. These pieces are all made by me from artworks I’ve made in the past five or so years.