Metropolitan Imageworks

Although I was hired to photograph the Wanderlust Yoga In The City, YITC, event in Santa Monica at the Third Street Promenade, I walked away from a full day of working outside while carrying a loaded camera bag and standing (kneeling, crawling, climbing) for hours on end, and I am still OMing and in my happy place. Maybe next year I’ll be able to grab a mat and strike a few poses!

YITC had an amazing line-up of talented and inspirational Yogis, Kia Mille + Tommy Rosen, Shiva Rea with live background music by Steve Gold, and Hala Khouri, who carried the crowd through three classes over the course of the afternoon. While each class had a distinctive vibe, it was an incredible scene to watch hundreds of folks pose and dissolve into their own meditational zone right in the heart of the Promenade. This is what YITC is all about!

Namaste.

Wanderlust Festival

Smartwater

C9 by Champion

Third Street Promenade

Hilary and Wayne and a fabulous group of family and close friends gathered for a delightful afternoon tea in honor of Hilary and Wayne’s upcoming wedding this fall.  In lieu of a Wedding Shower with gifts, Hilary’s sister and mom themed it as a Sprinkle and asked guests to bring their favorite recipe.  The delicious tea-time treats were prepared with care by mom and sis and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who went back for seconds on the cucumber sandwiches and sugar cookies!  It was so much fun watching the guests of honor open cards and share the recipes, and unsurprisingly there was an underlying bacon theme.  Check back on the blog soon for a sample from Hilary and Wayne’s engagement session that I shot the following weekend!

Giving back is good for the heart.  I like to have one event each year where I combine my photography efforts with the talent of an organization to raise funds for a worthy cause.  This year I partnered with the Crystal Lake Jaycees to raise money for the Burleson Scholarship Fund.  If you are not familiar, the Burleson Family Scholarship is named in honor of Crystal Lake resident Thomas Burleson and his family.  In 1999, Thomas Burleson and his family were struck by a drunk driver.  Thomas survived the crash, but his wife Eva, 34, and their three children, Daniel, 14, Tiffany, 11, and Dallis, 7, were killed in the car accident.  The Burleson Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, will be awarded to a high school senior.

Together with the help of the Jaycees, we photographed eleven portrait sessions on the grounds of the historic Dole Mansion and raised $360.00 for the Burleson Scholarship Fund.  Many thanks to all who participated.  Here’s a sampling of some of my favorite shots from the day.

Olivia’s House is an amazing non-profit organization in York, Pennsylvania that helps children and young adults in times of loss and grief. On Friday night they hosted a fantastic fundraiser fashion show with clothing lines on display from Flair Fashions, Shoe Gallery Etc and Renaissance Bridal. Hair and make-up for the models was provided by Bella Chevoux Salon. About 170 tickets were sold for this event and the ballroom at the historic Yorktowne Hotel was packed. Between each fashion showcase attendees were treated to cocktails and delicious treats.

Location: Yorktowne Hotel, York, PA

Lighting: Events Done Bright, Pennsylvania

Hair & Make-up: Bella Chevoux Hair Studio, York, PA

View full event gallery.

Wow. This is what it’s all about – family and togetherness. Jo celebrated her 90th birthday in Muscatine, IA surrounded by her family members and this was one of the first times in a long time that everyone was able to come together in one location. Jo’s four daughters planned the event from start to finish. They even incorporated a talent portion in which some of the grandkids shared incredible skills such as mastering the Rubik’s Cube, playing the keyboard and singing and one grandson even found the music and lyrics to a song Jo would sing to her grandkids that she originally learned from her own grandfather! Everyone joined in for the chorus and you could just feel the excitement. With the help of a technical spouse, one of Jo’s daughters spearheaded a multi-media project and put together a slide show of photos and video clips and every family member sent in a video clip of their favorite memory of their mom/grandma/great-grandma.  There was not a dry eye in the house, mine included.  The love and fondness everyone has for Jo was downright humbling and heart-warming. And the carrot cake baked and decorated by Jo’s granddaughter-in-law was delicious!

Jo and her great-grandchildren

Jo and her grandchildren

As a photographer, I get invited into many different aspects of my clients lives – from weddings to births to milestone portraits to small events. When I work with the same families over and over again, my clients begin to feel as if they are my family too!

Rose celebrated her 90th birthday surrounded by family and friends that included 4 generations!  Honestly, there is no better way to celebrate.  Rumor has it she renewed her license and drover herself to the party too!

Happy Birthday Rose!  See you on your 100th, I’ve already been booked!