Today marks the FOURTH YEAR ANNIVERSARY of this here little blog. I’ve documented my life for the past four years through photography and thoughts on my personal life, my work life, my travel life and everything in-between. You have seen me go through internships, my undergraduate degree, my graduate degree and now, my *adult life*. Thank you so much for supporting and reading my posts and most importantly my photojournalism and photography work. If you are new here, check out the history.

In honor of today’s anniversary, I decided to make this post about you guys.  My friends, followers, readers, peers and colleagues have always offered me advice and criticism. If it wasn’t for you all reading and commenting my posts (both on here and social media) this blog would have gone to blog heaven a long time ago; you know, the place in internet limbo where your LiveJournal went to die back in 2004.  Because of your feedback and attention, this little blog went from a homework assignment to award winning. It’s been read in almost every country and visited by over 100,500 different people. This post is for you!

I posted a status on Facebook asking for selfies that make people feel good about themselves. What’s a selfie? For those who live under a rock (or outer space, or the mountains, or Antarctica) a selfie is a photo one takes of themselves. You can usually just use your front camera on your iPhone or smartphone to take it. Selfies have garnered a lot of attention in the news and pop culture. Some people say that they facilitate the narcissistic ideals of the millennial generation. Some say that they promote body positivity, which is something I think we all need.

Sure, selfie overload isn’t a good thing and there are other things to take photos of besides yourself, but there’s no shame in the selfie game when you are feeling good about yourself and want the world to know. There’s nothing wrong with having a good hair, makeup, outfit, skin, goal accomplishment day and posting a photo of yourself documenting the moment. After all, isn’t that the point of photography? To document important (and even not so important) moment in our lives?

Some people feel beautiful alone, in the quiet moments between work and school. They feel beautiful being content and enjoying a quiet moment in a day that is typically always so fast-paced.

Some feel beautiful when they get a new look. Maybe a new hair color, or a tan, or a new makeup product that works wonders on the eyes. A new outfit can do amazing things for someone’s confidence, maybe they found their perfect color or accessory.

Some feel beautiful traveling and want to document the world and adventures around them. Travel photos are fun to look at but they are much more fun when the people you know are in them.

Others feel beautiful with their pets, families and children. Providing them with the care and love every one deserves. They feel beautiful knowing that they created a tiny human, one that could maybe change our world one day. They feel beautiful spending time with the ones that they love.

Then you have people, like me, that feel most beautiful when they accomplish something that they’ve worked hard on, whether it be something small or big. Their confidence comes from finding success in the challenges that they take on themselves.

My point? People feel beautiful because of different reasons! With that being said, check out the lovely faces of my friends, internet buddies, blog followers, peers and family in their best forms.

My friend Natalie sent me this lovely quote from Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend: “I’m definitely pro-selfie. I think that anybody who’s anti-selfie is really just a hater. Because, truthfully, why shouldn’t people take pictures of themselves? When I’m on Instagram and I see that somebody took a picture of themselves, I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ I don’t need to see a picture of the sky, the trees, plants. There’s only one you.”