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Andrea + Jameson :: Engagement |
Friday, November 21, 2008 | ENGAGEMENTS
I know you're all thinking that I fell off the earth, but I can assure you that's not the case. 'Tis the season for hectic schedules, orders, and photo sessions galore... oh yea, I almost forgot Thanksgiving and Christmas. Seriously though, I know that everyone's schedules are all over the place so don't think for a minute that I'm complaining... I just want you to know that I'm still alive (and no, I didn't catch anything while in Africa, but thanks for all the worried emails and calls!).
Speaking of Africa, I was able to shoot an engagement session for Andrea and Jameson right before I flew out. It was such a great time to get to know them as a couple and understand the nuances of their relationship. As with most every couple it took a few minutes for them to get used to a camera in their face, but they warmed up in no time at all! Andrea and Jameson are planning a killer wedding next September in Pennsylvania and we cannot wait!!!! From all we've heard of the planning it's going to be awesome!!
You may remember this shot from the preview of their session... it's quickly becoming one of my favorites. |
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Saturday, November 15, 2008 | PERSONAL
Before leaving for Africa I was able to get away for an extended weekend with my wife to visit both Boston and Kennebunkport, Maine. It was a great trip overall and incredibly relaxing to say the least. We spent the first two days walking all over Boston (which is one of the coolest cities we've ever explored) and basically just window shopped and sampled the local restaurants... good times.
We managed to swing by Fenway, but they were in Tampa, FL, playing the Devil Rays at the time. Bummer that we couldn't experience a game, but we had a great time nonetheless. |
| We tried to time our trip just right so that we could catch a bit of the fall foliage. I'll admit, I did feel like an "old timer" basing our trip around looking a leaves... living on the edge, right? |
| And then after taking in a few days in Boston, we rented a car and drove a little over an hour north to Kennebunkport, Maine, and it was absolutely gorgeous. We'll definitely be making a trip back in the future. We stayed at this little place called Hidden Pond, where they have designer-inspired cabins... 14 cabins on a cul-de-sac to be exact. At night (weather permitting) they have a bonfire going with smores and other snacks available... it was great. |
| We were celebrating our anniversary (a few weeks late, but at least we found time) and the staff had wine and cheese waiting for us as their way of saying congratulations. It was a great touch. |
| It didn't take long before we headed out into the quaint town of Kennebunkport for a little sight-seeing. I couldn't get over the fact that so many people had these gorgeous older boats just sitting on their property... for some reason it made me want to move to Maine. |
| We stopped by this little sandwich shop in town and I ordered the "Dragon-slayer"... let's just say that it's basically roast beef and horseradish... strong, strong horseradish. I'll admit, I cried 'cause it was so hot, but it was sooo worth it! |
| Then we grabbed some of the bikes that Hidden Pond provided and went for a ride through town. We're not extreme bike-riders, so we basically just goofed around most of the time. Yea, I'm a dork... |
| and the rest of the time we took in scenery like this... what an awesome trip. Can't wait to head back! |
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Africa :: Looking Back... |
Friday, November 7, 2008 | PERSONAL
It's almost been a full 48 hours since my feet landed on US soil, and since that moment I've had quite a bit of time to ingest all that I've seen and experienced. I don't know that I'll ever be able to completely express in words what my two weeks consisted of... yet a range of emotions floods my mind when I look back. Moments of heart-melting joy were shared between myself and small children through a simple smile. Confusion and frustration came from a lack of understanding how to communicate with those around us. Tears were shed at the sight of extreme poverty, yet a glimmer of hope seemed to always break through our vision. All in all, I am incredibly humbled by the blessings that we encounter here in the states on a daily basis... we truly don't understand how blessed we are.
From the perspective of a photographer this trip was full of opportunities to capture emotion, gorgeous landscapes, and even new friends, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to capture all these things on film. As I continue to process through all of the photos I am reminded of how quickly moments are forgotten. It's only been a few days since I've been a whole continent away, and yet it's so easy to fall back into our old way of taking things for granted... I never want that to be the case. Therefore, in an effort to keep a fresh perspective on all of the blessings we have, I now am framing several prints for our home; prints that are seen on a daily basis and not just tucked away in a corner. In the coming days I will post a gallery showcasing all of the images from my trip (both medical and social photographs) and will be making them available to the general public. Along with making prints available for purchase, I will also be making a coffee table album in the coming weeks (where a portion of the proceeds go towards World Medical Mission). If you are interested, please keep your eye here in the coming days for more specific details, otherwise you may email me directly for more info.
Thank you for all of the kind words of encouragement and support... it was much appreciated. I am so grateful to have experienced a trip such as this and it only makes me more excited for the next trip... whenever and wherever that may be. |
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Tuesday, November 4, 2008 | PERSONAL
| Today's post will be a bit different from others in that I'm not posting the typical adorable children's photos or landscapes, but instead will focus on the medical aspect of the trip. After all, one of the main purposes that my parents have on this trip is to serve in some capacity medically... I'm just along to document the trip. |
| ... brace yourselves. If you have a weak stomach you may want to look away... the next few photos are a tad graphic! |
| ok, maybe not this one... |
| yeah, this is one of 'em... |
| In case you're trying to recover from that image, I threw in a local pic for good measure! |
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Africa :: Day 9, 10, and 11 |
Monday, November 3, 2008 | PERSONAL
These past few days have gone by so incredibly fast and there's much to share... I wish I could bring ya'll out here to Mali to experience everything firsthand 'cause it's so difficult to verbalize (and photograph) all the many aspects of this country. :)
Saturday was spent photographing a youth soccer game... get ready for some adorable shots!!! |
| Kama, kama, kama, kama, kama, chameleon... |
| Today began back at the hospital with a few shots... tomorrow (Tuesday) I get to photograph an actual surgery... crossing my fingers that I don't pass out! |
Then I was able to photograph a special event (led by police escort) where a man named Bruce Overstreet raised quite a bit of money for the hospital by biking from California to Maine. He flew to Mali and then rode his bike to the hospital (to present the hospital with the monetary gift) where a crowd was there to welcome him.
Before I got in the back of the truck to photograph, I managed to get a shot with the local police (sing it... "Bad boys, Bad boys, whatcha gonna do" sorry... random imagination just kicked in). |
| When we came within the last three miles (or thereabouts) a huge crowd of locals joined in to cheer Bruce on... so cool. |
| Bruce addressing the crowd... |
| ... and I've been trying to get a good photograph of the children on their mother's back. Finally got a shot!! Can you believe that as little as 10 days old these children are strapped onto their mother's back??? It's a cool sight for sure, but I'd be nervous that I didn't tie the wrap well enough! |
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