where is your heart?

After having the first three days of the 2012 season behind me, I find it extremely hard to describe what they've been like. These first three days have been different, and not a bad different. It's taken me three days to sit down and write this post, and I'm not really sure why.

First off, I'd like to express my thanks to the coaches and players for allowing me, yet again, to jump into the season with you, starting with Husky Games.

I love attending Husky Games because it's almost a clean slate for me, I get to start fresh with a new season, with some new faces. However, during this time, I'm very grateful for the familiar faces and personalities that I'll get to encounter for the next five months.

I consider Husky Games the first day of the season; I never consider the first game my first day of the new season. I spend countless hours months before the first game thinking about the moments I'll capture every year-countless hours that I never take for granted. How will these pictures be different from last year? I talk to the players and make sure I know what kind of special photos they're looking for (after all, it's their season). I think about the first and last touchdown photos of the season I'll get, and of course, the important plays in between those. I spend time getting to know the player's numbers, and make sure that I'm familiar with them. I spend time freaking out wondering if I'll get tackled again, which surprisingly hasn't happened again, and of course making sure I'm ready to run out of the way if a play comes too close for comfort. I'll spend time thinking about how to make photos tell the story more, and make sure that EVERYTHING that happens in the game doesn't go unnoticed. Like the players say..."From the start, to the finish."

I don't just show up at every game hoping I'll get the "game winning" shot because it doesn't work that way. I prepare myself in advance to get the shot and I walk through those gates every Friday determined to get that shot, no matter what.

Having passion for something, doesn't just mean you love IT. It means you love everything about it, and anyone associated with it.

I don't just love football, I love my team. I love the coaches, players, the families of the players and coaches, the trainers, and everyone involved with the football program. After all, they're my family.

If I say one thing over and over again, it's that I wouldn't trade being the MUSHographer for ANYTHING in the world.

MUSH.

See more photos from Husky Games VI here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=hp#!/media/set/?set=a.10151011986003051.432889.156319558050&type=1

I'm 19 for a moment.

After an overwhelming few months of working everyday, I had a couple of days to have some "me time." Of course, I was still at work when I had this time to myself, but it was "me time" nonetheless.

In this time that I had to myself, I found myself very bored because I'm so used to going all the time. I found out a lot about myself during this time as well. I found myself looking into my life, thinking how I could make the most out of it, and of course, not have any regrets.

Something my parents have told me as long as I can remember is to have NO regrets in life. Of course, everyone has regrets about things they can't control and maybe about things they should've said in this situation, etc. However, with the things we can control, why should we regret our decisions?

At this point in my life, I can't say that I have any regrets regarding the decisions I've made, and the things I can actually control.

Looking back at my life right now, there's not much I'd change. I'd change the people that were with me, but I wouldn't change my accomplishments or my failures. They've shaped me into who I am.

However, when I look forward into my life, I see a ton of different things that I'd like to do, so that I won't go through life and say 'what if?' or 'why didn't I do that when I had the chance?'

So here are the things that I'd like to accomplish in my life:
   *this list will probably have a few things added by the end of this year
   - become a Paramedic
   - become a Police Officer
   - become a flight attendant
   - remain a photographer

And, I think I just read your mind..."Anna...what in the world are you thinking?! There's no way you can do all of that!!"

That's where you're wrong.

Everyone that's said something to me about regrets has told me that they regret not doing something/making a decision they wanted to because of someone else's remarks about it. So yes, it'd be a TON of work to be all of those things, but here's my question to you: If you want something so bad...why would you let someone talk you out of it?

Why are we so wrapped up in what other people think of us and what other people think we should do with our lives?

Wouldn't it just be a lot easier to live our lives for us and HELP others along the way instead of discouraging them from accomplishing something?

Don't let others tell you that you can't do anything in life. It's your life, you can do anything you set your mind to!

This is my encouraging message for the week! :)

Also, thank you to my family for always being supportive and believing in me when I can't believe in myself.

Mom, you've always been the perfect fan.

I could write all of this on a card, but not only do I type faster than I write, but I'd rather everyone be able to read this.

Mom,

    You've been there for me on my best and worst days, and I can't thank you enough for that. I don't know what I did to have such a fantastic mom like you, but God has blessed me so much. I'm so glad that not only can I call you my mom, but I get to call you my friend. I can come to you with anything and everything and you always have an answer to it. You give the best advice, and I'll forever cherish all of the wise words you've shared with me. You inspire me everyday, not just to do my best, but to be a better person. I'm amazed everyday how you never give up on me, even if I'm on the brink of giving up on myself. All of our laughs we have when we're delirious keep me sane. You've always kept me grounded and have always reminded me to stay humble, no matter what. I love "unleashing the lawyers" every night at midnight during Nancy Grace, yelling "put the dog on 'em!!!!!" or "TAZE HIM!!!" during COPS, yelling "thank you, fan!" when either of us laugh at each others jokes, and just talking about all of the crazy stuff that comes with life. I love the heart-to-heart conversations we have, and the conversations about your childhood and hearing all of the stupid stuff I said as a kid (which is a lot). You're the best mom anyone could ever ask for, and I'm proud to call you MY MOM!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO THE BEST MOM IN THE WORLD!

           Thank you for everything you do. I love you more than you know!!!!!

                                 LOVE,

                                Anna Lynn Malone

I've had my moments

#1 MOMENT:

During the first football game of the 2010-2011 season, and my first football game to ever photograph, I was asked to photograph each game for The Trussville Tribune. With it being my senior year in high school, I just wanted to shoot two quarters of the game, call it a night, and sit in the "Dog Pound" (student section). I went up to my parents at half time to talk, as I always do, and my mom said to me, "you have to go back out there, it's too close of a game." Of course, I did what I had to do, and went back out. I had no idea what was in store for me when I got back out there. This moment is what gave me the name of the "MUSHographer" for the HTHS Football team. Looking back now, I wouldn't change a thing. This moment was one of the best (and most embarrassing) of my life. :)

#2 MOMENT:

Every game I spend with the Huskies. They say "once a husky, always a husky," and it couldn't be more true. My football guys mean more to me than they'll ever know. I'm so blessed to be able to be on the sidelines with them each year, and I wouldn't trade my Fridays in the fall for anything. MUSH!



#3 MOMENT:

Seeing Courtney Porter being crowned Miss Alabama. She told me in an interview during Miss America that before she went on stage, she looked up at her mother and could see her looking down, smiling at her. To capture such a special moment when Courtney looked up and told her mom, "I did it," made me speechless. Courtney has been such a great representative for our state and I'm blessed to have been able to capture her journey from Miss Alabama to Miss America. Read Courtney's story here!

#4 MOMENT:

The number four moment is extremely special to me, because it was the first time I was actually genuinely proud of myself, and what I had accomplished. I'd never even heard of anyone being proud of themselves until I saw Ben Breedlove's story on YouTube, and I thought to myself, "wow, I wonder what that feels like." The first time I was really proud of myself wasn't when I was on the football field or when I was in Las Vegas for Miss America, it was when I was sitting on the floor of the Jacksonville State University basketball court watching the Huskies beat Mountain Brook. I had my lanyard with every credential I'd had in the past year, I counted them. I had seven. I looked down at the credentials and thought of all of the things I've gone through to get them. I've heard my parents and sisters say that they're proud of me before, but to actually say, "I'm proud of myself and what I have accomplished" was a big thing for me. I hope everyone gets to feel exactly how I felt at the moment of my life. It's an indescribable feeling but it's a great one.

#5 MOMENT:

The moment my life came full circle! I was sitting in a room with complete strangers at the Miss America 2012 Judges Press Conference. I was originally on the second row because the first row was completely reserved, and I was excited to find out that the chair in front of me was reserved for an AP photographer, and I was even more excited that I'd be able to meet them. However, about a minute before the conference started, a woman walked up to me, and asked, "would you like to take the Associated Press seat?" Of course my answer was yes! I got to live in my dream, for about 50 minutes. I'm so blessed to have been given that opportunity, and I may not ever be an Associated Press photographer, but I lived in their shoes for a day, and that means the world!

my life is complete.

If you would've asked me a year ago today what my goals were for the year, I'd tell you to shoot Miss America, the BCS National Championship, and the 2012 Olympics (yeah, that's a little far out there). Anyways, I really didn't think much about these goals, because everyone has resolutions or goals at the beginning of each year, right? Right. So, when I looked at my life in the fall, I said to myself, "what do people know me for? What am I doing with my life?" It was then that I decided to do something more, that not everyone can say they did. After all, life's all about experiences. Anyways, most of you know how I got to Miss America, but I thought it would be something that a TON of people come to photograph.

Not only was I completely wrong, I was shocked when I walked into the first press conference, and I was the only photographer in there (at the moment). The first conference started at 10am, and I got there at 9:30, to get a good seat..I didn't know that seat would be one that completed my life. At 10am, a woman came up to me, with an empty seat in front of me, and said "would you like to sit in the Associated Press seat?"....I wasn't the ONLY photographer in the Press Room, so why'd she ask me? I'll never know why she asked me that, but at that moment, I felt everything I'd ever photographed and witnessed in my lifetime was finally worth it. I was living the dream, well, my dream at least. Then, I thought of my grandmother. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here. I don't know why certain things have happened in my life, but I wouldn't trade the things I've gone through for anything. Those things have shaped me into who I am.

This week has been amazingly worthwhile for me. I've gotten to represent The Trussville Tribune, which is an honor in itself, but to be the youngest member of the press, makes me feel even more honored to represent them.

To everyone who's supported me in the last few years, thank you. I feel like my dreams have come true, but I know I have a while to go until they actually do, but thank you for believing in me.

2012.

Well, before I get started on 2012, let's rewind a little.

Last year, at this time, I was about 5 months from graduating high school, and I had NO idea what I wanted to do. I kept going back and forth between a photographer and police officer- yes, you read that right; a police officer. I decided around March that I was going to put off school, for now. There was no use in wasting my time at college and wasting money on tuition that wouldn't help me, since I didn't know what I wanted to do. I had decided around April that law enforcement was something I wanted to do, so I found out what I had to do to get into the Birmingham Police Academy, and I couldn't even apply until I was 19 going on 20. I had some support from family, but from people at school, not so much.

I made it to graduation, even though I felt like the day would never come.

After graduation, I of course drifted away from everyone I talked to on a daily basis, and I'm pretty sure if I saw some people I went to school with today, they wouldn't even say "hey," but I was warned.

I went through football season, without getting tackled, and making some new friends along the way. Hewitt football in general is something I'll never forget, but the 2011 season is the best season so far. I laughed with the guys, and I cried with the guys; they made me apart of the team-which I'm extremely thankful for.

After making a goal list for the first time in my life, I found out I'd be fulfilling one of those goals, going to Miss America 2012 as press!

So why did I mention the whole police story?

Great question.

I've decided to stick to photography, but also find something else that I love. I'm planning to go to college to be an EMT, but for now, I'm staying with photography, just to see how far it'll take me.

This year has been full of up's and down's, but I'm incredibly blessed with all of the new opportunities coming up in my life. I've been blessed with the best support system in the world, that not everyone has. For anyone who's ever supported me, thank you.


So, what are your goals for 2012?

Mine are to enjoy life, travel a lot, photograph everything, be successful, and continue to work with photography and continue to build my portfolio.

Here are some of my favorite memories from 2011!

Thanks to everyone who's supported me this year! :)

An amazing opportunity

I've been blessed with an amazing opportunity and I'm happy to share that I'll be traveling to Las Vegas, Nevada for the 2012 Miss America Pageant for The Trussville Tribune. The Trussville Tribune will be covering Courtney Porter, Miss Alabama, during her week at Miss America.

I never thought at 18 years old, I'd be traveling to Las Vegas to photograph an event for a newspaper I love so much! I'm so thrilled for this opportunity and I can't thank Scott Buttram and Gary Lloyd enough for this opportunity with the paper. Also, thank you to the Miss America Organization for making this possible. I'm looking so forward to this journey.

Don't forget to watch for Courtney on ABC on January 14, 2012 from 9pm-11pm from Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino as she competes for the title of Miss America 2012!

Read Courtney's story here.

Vote for Courtney's video here.