A preview...

I know I haven't posted in a while, the reasons being that I got married, drove across the country, and relocated to California, all within a two-month window! It's been phenomenally exciting. But very stressful and exhausting. All in all, John is enjoying his new job and we are both very happy.

I have a lot of catching up to do with my photography, and I'm starting to edit photos from a while back. Today, I was editing just a couple photos of Max, because his birthday is August 13th, and his parents wanted a few photos for when he turns 1! You'll remember Max from his newborn photos last fall and also his mother Alexa's maternity photos before he made his entrance. Anyways, I thought this one was just absolutely adorable and I wanted to share :)



Stay tuned for a wedding, a newborn, a band, and more of Max! Then after that, I'll post a few of the honeymoon and our cross-country trip :)

Stephen King, Tabitha King, and Owen King reading

It's been a while since I've posted any images here, as graduate school and wedding planning have been keeping me running around like a gazelle. I have so many great images that I want to post: Erica's baby, the Marrakesh dinner, the National Geographic frog exhibit, family photos from the holidays, but I think those will have to wait until I find some free time to sort and edit. But I did recently come across an incredible photography opportunity that I jumped on, also much like a gazelle.

The PEN/Faulkner Foundation organized a reading titled "The Three Kings," featuring Stephen King and also his wife, Tabitha, and son, Owen, who are also accomplished writers. The reading took place last Friday, April 4th, at the Lutheran Church across the street from the Folger Shakespeare Library. My friend Elizabeth is the PEN/Faulkner intern (she's the lovely lady in front of the capital pictured below) and she connected me with PEN/Faulkner. There was so much excitement at the reading; there were fans waiting at the church doors six hours before the reading, to get the best seats. Mary Kay Zuravleff gave a wonderful introduction for the Kings. I had a great time; enjoy the images!

Lynn and Noah's wedding

Here are some images from Lynn and Noah's wedding, which took place at the National Cathedral. It was a beautiful, beautiful ceremony. Lynn is John's step-sister, but actually, I knew her before I met John! We were in the same 7th grade math class (I'm pretty sure). Anyways, Lynn met Noah in college in Florida a while ago, and they've been a happy couple ever since! Best wishes to you two :)

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:

Christine and Nate at Meadowlark...

Take a look at Christine & Nate's SLIDESHOW!

Christine and Nate, the awesome couple I photographed in July, were married at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. The day was particularly special because their good friend Gary married them in the ceremony. The event was catered by Well Dunn Catering and the food was fantastic. Many thanks to my friend Pete for being my assistant. I really enjoyed capturing their wedding day; all the flowers were just so fun! Here are some highlights: