DSLR Practice: St. Louis Edition

I recently traveled to St. Louis to visit one of my best friends, Laura.

Laura and I have been close since high school, but we haven't lived in the same city for nearly five years. She stayed in Florida when I moved to Atlanta for grad school. Then, her husband's residency program brought her to St. Louis, where she'll be starting her residency herself this summer. I hadn't seen either of them since my wedding last year!

{by H.Photography}

I was excited to visit her in her beautiful new hometown, and I was really excited to practice with my camera in a new environment.

While wandering around her neighborhood, Laura and I found a museum called the World Chess Hall of Fame. We decided to go in because I wanted to play in the giftshop it looked interesting. It turned out to be quite beautifully designed, and I jumped at the opportunity to shoot all the lovely details.

The next day, we visited the Missouri Botanical Gardens. I was delighted to find some Chihuly glass in the atrium...

...as well as a diverse sculpture garden.

And of course, the gardens were breathtaking.

I even got to practice playing with shutter speed!

The best part of the trip wasn't the DSLR practice, though. The best part was getting to meet Laura's son for the first time.

Today is this little guy's first birthday. Happy birthday, Parker! I can't wait to see who you will become.