Fall for the Book 2007

Every year, George Mason University organizes Fall for the Book, a literary festival that is pretty much the best collegiate literary festival in the world. They bring in dozens of writers, from all sorts of genres and from all over the country. I am currently a graduate student in the MFA writing program at GMU, so I was coerced in taking photographs at some of the Fall for the Book events. Actually, I'm did it gladly, I love photography :)

The images here are from the readings by Jennifer Egan, Alexandra Fuller, and James Houston (respectively). I had the opportunity to drive James Houston around the Fairfax area and although I had printed internet directions, I got horribly lost (on both occasions) but he was really nice about it. I wish I had been in his Visiting Writer's class this semester but I did manage to get a spot next semester, when Jennifer Egan will be coming back for it. If you're looking for books to add to your reading list, check out The Keep, Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight, and Birds of Another Heaven.

Operation Crossroads Africa

Those who know me in my personal life know that I spent a summer in Nkubu, Kenya in 2006. I pretty much talk about it all the time and as if I was there for 5 years. I really did have an amazing time and I learned so much about myself and about a land and a community 7,500 miles away from my own. I worked at an orphanage called the Huruma Centre, through a program based in New York City called OPERATION CROSSROADS AFRICA.

Yesterday, I was looking up the OCA website to include in an email to an interested friend. When the OCA main webpage loaded, I was incredibly surprised to see one of my images from my trip! In fact, the entire website, which was recently redesigned, is loaded with my images! I am really honored that my photography is being used to represent this incredible program, which was the progenitor of the Peace Corps. It definitely was a challenge to lug around my camera; there was a time when I slipped into a river bank and my camera was inches away from being soaked in muddy water. Everyone else was worried about my well-being while I was only concerned about my camera!

The OCA website also has a link to my KENYA SLIDESHOW. Here are a few of my favorite images from my time in Nkubu:

A Walk Around the Block

Spring is here and providing a lovely backdrop for portraits. Yesterday I took a short walk around the neighborhood and photographed details of Spring's arrival. Winds blew the cherry blossoms down along the street and it was like snow without the damp chill, but it was a difficult image to capture. With the cherry blossoms in their prime, life is bursting out of its seams in our surroundings. I hope you have a chance to enjoy the outdoors during your day!

Photos in Mandala Magazine

With the help of Julia, the leader from a Kenya volunteer trip this past summer, I have two photographs published in an international magazine! Mandada Magazine is the premier magazine for Tibetan Buddhists. Julia was a former assistant editor there and in the past Dec/Jan issue, she had a personal essay published along with my accompanying photos. Here is the online link: http://www.mandalamagazine.org/2006/dec/summer_kenya.asp As a side note, Julia is one of those all-around amazing individuals, filled with positive energy and white light! :)

The pictures below appeared in the magazine, (top: Julia with Joy, our neighbor's delightful daughter in Nkubu, below: the volunteer group all together planting a peace vase in Masai Mara) as well as the actual page the photographs appeared.

Page 35 is reprinted with permission of Mandala Magazine, copyright 2006/2007.

Jammage, Inc.

Jammage Inc. is an acoustic band consisting of siblings Bradley and Kimmy Perrow and they ROCK! Recently, they performed at an engagement party (which happened to be for John and myself-and yes, there'll be future postings on our journey to "I do!") Here are photos from Jammage Inc.'s stellar performance. To see what they're up to or to request them as a "myspace friend," check out http://www.myspace.com/jammageinc

New Year, New Site!

Alright!

This morning, I released my new website (going live, they say). The link is http://www.kvkphotography.com/ and I hope you get a chance to check out. It was designed by the super talented Josh Hughes, who maintains the main page for George Mason University. His website is http://www.deaghean.com/ and I highly recommend him for web design work.

So, that's about all that I have at the moment... I'll get some photos up here soon enough...