| Olivia Migacz Photography

Autumn in Austin | Jamie

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

This weekend I caught up with Jamie, a good friend who's graduating this December. Jamie's fun and full of energy - always a great combination!

Her lively personality led us to some creative shots around campus and my favorite place in Austin, Red Bud Isle. The park is small and usually features a crowded parking lot, but I love the tree-encompassing path up toward the island. The island has a stellar view of Lady Bird Lake (not to mention the tree itself is a beauty - check out those roots!).

See more pictures from this Sunday below. Congrats, Jamie!

Hello, Austin!

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Hello, everyone!
It's incredible how much you can miss the familiarity of a place after being gone for quite some time. After a busy summer full of traveling adventures to Peru and New England, it's a comforting feeling to settle back in Austin for my senior year. Yep, senior year.

I actually started this blog toward the end of my junior year of high school, so it's pretty neat to see how I've grown through my photography over the years and all the places I've had the chance to explore. To see 2011 photoshoots, click here and here. My work was a little dark, you could say. Either way, I'm happy with my progress as a photographer and can't wait to see where else I'll get to photograph soon!

One of my favorite parts of living here is the amount of beautiful photo opportunities that present themselves - and having the chance to photograph some of my closest friends at those places! Here are some photos of a recent shoot with a close friend throughout my time here at UT, who is graduating this December and entering the real world soon! Proud of you, Chanel!

Congrats, Grads! (Pt. 2)

Sunday, May 24, 2015

To not overwhelm one post, I created another to congratulate a few other seniors I got to photograph this season. Check them out below, and Part 1 here.

Congrats, Grads!

With graduation yesterday came the end of the senior picture season. In the past two months I had the chance to photograph several incredible UT graduates who I can't wait to see what's coming next for them. Some of the graduates were coworkers, another was my brother, while others were new friends. Nonetheless, it was a pleasure to photograph these now college graduates - congrats y'all!

Below are a few of my favorites from different sessions, enjoy!



Naturally we took on campus photos, but we also explored Red Bud Isle, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (highly recommend!), Austin murals, the Boardwalk, and a few other gems in the city.

New Orleans

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

I've driven through Louisiana before but never stopped to enjoy all that it has to offer. From the incredible food, to the beautiful swamps, to the creepy crawlers, I saw a lot in the few days I spent there. The drive was long but the views were worth it.

One of the first places I wanted to visit were the swamps - I find Spanish moss beautiful and I couldn't wait to photograph it. We took a boat tour around the swamps and made a few friends along the way. Once the sun came out, so did the gators. We also saw egrets, turtles, and a family of wild pigs - normal, right?

New Orleans sure knows how to make an impression on its visitors with its food. Suffice it to say that Cajun food is delicious and I'm craving corn and (insert type of fish here) bisque - so good!

Aside from the cuisine, we visited the French Quarter (of course) and the architecture was gorgeous. I couldn't put my camera down. On the sides of St. Louis Cathedral there were several artisans selling their work, which reminded me of a street in Krakow, Poland that offers a similar experience. After a wait at Cafe Du Monde, I indulged in their famous beignets and cafe au lait - don't monde if I do!

We continued on and checked out the waterside view of New Orleans. No trip is complete without a night on Bourbon Street, but I was excited we had some extra time before our return to explore the Barataria Preserve, about 30 minutes south of downtown New Orleans. A beautiful area full of marsh, forest, and swamps, we started out on the Palmetto Trail and checked out an overlook afterwards, which ended up being the best part. We even passed by a maple tree and I couldn't help but throw some of its fallen helicopter leaves in the air.

The trails are very well-taken care of, and there's a wooden path for majority of it. There are plenty sightings of snakes, turtles, and insects, but we wanted to see gators most. On our trek to find gators, we stopped by some stunning trees that were hundreds of years old, and panoramic views of the marshland that we can't find in central Texas. Toward the end of the trail, we passed by two guys who mentioned there was an alligator off to the side soaking up the sun. Up to this point, we'd only seen 3-5 foot gators so it was a must to find this one. The catch? This one was 8+ feet. Curiosity intrigued us and we ventured off to find this alligator. We reached the overlook and after heading down the other side, we stood about 30 feet away from a huge gator and we couldn't help but walk closer toward it.

After a few snaps with the gator in the background, we retrieved to a safer spot. Overall, the preserve is beautiful and a great way to see more of the swamps on your own terms. I had a wonderful time in Louisiana and hope to go again soon.

State Park Explorations

Monday, September 1, 2014

Pedernales Falls has been on my list of places to visit for awhile now and I finally had the chance to check it out this Labor Day.

My friend Katie and I started out on the Wolf Mountain Trail hoping to reach some water, but needless to say, we only had some false alarms and some snakes nearby. We found out it was the most challenging trail and also the longest, which we figured as we hiked about two and a half miles before turning back.

After the hike, we used our handy maps we kept in our Junior Ranger backpack (awesome packs that state parks let you check out for free with tons of info on wildlife and animals in the area). We really wanted to see the Pedernales Falls overlook and after a short drive and short hike, we reached the breathtaking panoramic view in the picture above. No editing necessary--it was beautiful.

No one is allowed to swim in this area due to flash flooding (even when there's no rain), but we definitely explored all across the rocks. We took a small trail of steps on the right down to the largest body of water, dipped our feet in as we took the sights in.

We explored all over this area--from one body of water to the next. This is absolutely worth the hour trip outside Austin.

Here are a few more pictures from our adventure.

After a slight sunburn and some blisters, we headed back to the city for an early dinner at a food truck before heading back home.

In the past month I've also had the chance to see McKinney Falls twice, which is just a fifteen minute or so drive from UT. Great place for swimming, hiking, and a bit of a history lesson with the homestead they have there. Check out those adventures below!

New Places

Saturday, July 19, 2014

With both of these graduates officially out changing the world, take a look at their senior pictures we took a couple months ago.

Mary is now in Dallas preparing for her first year of teaching, while Ricardo recently embarked on his Peace Corps journey to the Philippines. Best of luck to you both, I know you'll do big things!

Capturing the Moment

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

With graduation around the corner, senior sessions are coming in. Recently, I photographed Carter for a Mother's Day gift. How sweet!

Big on UT traditions, Carter and I went all around UT capturing pictures at iconic places at UT, and iconic things as well (Smokey the Cannon and others).

Check out his session below, especially the last picture for a little twist on the typical Tower picture:

April in Austin

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Senior sessions are back! In April, I had the great opportunity to photograph an amazing woman whose made a big impact on an organization we are a part of. Combined with great weather and a beautiful smile, Chelsea and I went around Austin for her senior pictures.

We did the "must-haves" of campus with the Tower, Littlefield Fountain, and others. Outside of campus, we visited the Austin postcard sign and reveled in its newly painted glory and later adventured to South Congress. Check out the pictures below!

A Day With Ney

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

About a week ago, my friend and I were driving in Austin and noticed a castle-like tower in the distance of the neighborhood we were driving through. Always down for exploring, we decided to drive toward the tower to discover what it was. Turns out it was a museum for Elisabet Ney, a German sculptor. We missed the time the museum was open, but we decided to explore it outside anyways. There is a beautiful bridge and stone structure, with a creek as well.

There wasn't enough time for a shoot so I resolved to come another day. That day came this past Sunday and I, along with two friends, Annie and Olivia, explored Ney's backyard. They were down for any pictures I imagined, which including getting into the freezing creek. We came during museum hours and got to check out Elisabet's sculptures and her studio. It is on 44th Street if you are ever in the area and want to check it out!

Below are some photographs of her work and the second floor of her studio.

Enchanted Rock

Sunday, March 30, 2014

This weekend my friends and I road tripped to Enchanted Rock, near Fredericksburg. Enchanted Rock has always been on my list of places to visit so finally having the opportunity to check it out was breathtaking (literally).

Lines weren't too long to enter the park and as soon as we entered, we started to hike to the summit. We couldn't have asked for better weather--it was sunny, 75°, and a little windy.

I haven't been able to photograph a lot this semester (which is why there hasn't been any posts), so it was nice to let my camera breathe and take some pictures.

It took about twenty minutes to reach the top and it was beautiful! From the vernal pools to the view of the hill country, we sat down to take it all in. It was the perfect time to go, season-wise, with seeing bluebonnets and greenery amidst the rock.

After a short break, we ventured off to the cave at the top of Enchanted Rock and soon found ourselves in a dark, chilly hole. The rock formation that led to the cave had the phrase "This way to Trippyland" written on it with an arrow pointing into the cave. Lovely, right?

After more exploring (and picture taking), we walked to the other side of the rock and saw some more beautiful scenery. Afterwards we took what we thought was the easier way down (it wasn't), and eventually got to the trail and were on our way!

Above is the "easier" way.

Sparky Park

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Last weekend, my friend Emma and I went on a little adventure to find a small park I was told about named Sparky Park. This park is off 38th and Grooms and used to be an electric substation (hence the "sparky").

The park features an art wall that makes it so unique. On the wall there is a variety of stone, mirror balls, wood, shells, and other neat objects. It's definitely worth a stop!

We walked on a sidewalk lined with sunflowers which were beautiful.

Graffiti Walls and Historic Halls

Saturday, November 16, 2013

This past weekend I had the opportunity to photograph Landon, a graduating senior at UT. We took pictures at various places on campus and at Castle Hill. You might notice a few pictures feature someone who isn't graduating quite yet, but he was a delight to photograph alongside his big brother and the pictures turned out great. Check out Landon's session below!

Adventures in Turner Falls

Monday, August 5, 2013

This past weekend I discovered the beauty that is Turner Falls in Oklahoma. Only about two hours north of Dallas, this place is gorgeous and there is so much to explore. We left in the morning and once we got there we already saw children swimming and playing in the Blue Hole Pool area.

We decided to go on a two mile trail through wooden bridges and dirt paths, passing by a few wooden benches. The trail opened up into an empty field at the end so we took a different way back to head over to the main attraction: the waterfalls.

The falls were beautiful and the water was filled with people having a good time. You can hike, go for a swim, relax in a stream from the falls, or explore nearby caves.

Near the falls is a cave to the right inside the large hole you can see. We noticed children climbing into the cave and naturally we were curious. After climbing over some rocks and finding our way inside the cave, there was such a lovely view. The cave was pretty small inside but it was neat to see.

Turner Falls with the cave in the top right corner.

Castle from afar.

Little stairs!

The next part of this area features a castle. Yes, a castle. Built during the Great Depression as a summer home by a University of Oklahoma professor, this castle now attracts tourists and several children who although scared something may come out at them, still venture down small stairs into dark rooms with tiny ceilings. This castle is beautiful and it is sad to see graffiti on the walls and the lack of care it has received in the past years.

As we started to head back to our car, we passed by an artist creating his next work. This man paints on mirrors. How creative! I never would have thought of that but he creates such beautiful pieces.

As you enter the park, you pass by an optional turn to see Turner Falls from above. This overlook is breathtaking, and you can see the falls and the castle. I definitely recommend stopping by the overlook if you get the chance.

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