felice & yah's book release/open mic

I applaud the efforts of anybody who jumps out there on faith and champions their own projects. Last Thursday, I photographed a book release party and open mic in celebration of Freedomstyle by Felice Hodge and Yah Jenkins.

I'm not sure how Felice found me, but I'm glad she did. She and her friends, relatives and tons of talented poets gathered at the Gallery in Silver Spring Maryland and the room was full of love and support.

Thank you Felice for the opportunity to shoot your event!

Additional photos from the book release party can be found here: http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/ThumbPage.aspx?e=4306706&s=75

chris & lisa's wonderful wedding

My co-worker/manager Lisa got married recently and I was asked (along with another co-worker) to shoot her wedding. Naturally, I accepted and just as naturally, I was nervous. Not only was this my second formal wedding to shoot ever, but my success could earn me brownie points and accolades at work.

Lisa is a production manager and gave us VERY detailed instructions for the day. LOL! But it was a blessing because there were so many blended families and so many activities going on at the same time. I would have felt awful if something was missed!

I think I got some really great shots. The one in the limo is my favorite.

See more photos from their wedding at http://www.photoreflect.com/pr3/thumbpage.aspx?e=4311413

my first drink

You would think it would be easy to take a photo of a non-moving wine glass on a white background. But, think again! I was assigned to do this photo for my job and I had to consult many books, including: Light, Science & Magic: http://www.flickr.com/groups/84897717@N00/ to figure out how to do it. It's an awesome book and I would recommend it to anybody.

Here is one photo from the shoot. I'm proud of it!

Stay tuned for more!

euphoria

IMG_0236, originally uploaded by soulsticecity is back.

Unless you live under a rock, you know that Barack Obama has made history as the first African American President (elect). I remember attending the February rally in Baltimore and being utterly euphoric and transfixed on every word this man was saying. He moved thousands of people to an uproar and sometimes to complete quiet as we strained to hear every single word he said.

Well, last night was momentous for this racially-divided country. My niece and nephew- who have never voted or had interest in politics called me last night to express their joy and to tell me about how much they enjoyed going to his recent rally in Virginia Beach. Another niece, away at college studying to become a lawyer, voted by absentee ballot and also called me. My mom, who with her giant afro and dashiki participated in sit ins in the rural south, called me immediately after the announcement to express her joy. She must have been happy-it was way past her bedtime.

Each one of my family members called me independent of each other and I called the people who I loved while they were also receiving calls. I can only imagine this type of excited communication was happening for thousands of family members all over the country (and in Kenya too). And it let's me know that this election has had a major impact and I'm proud to witness this newfound history.

random sunday thoughts

hey there cyberspace and future customers!

i'm almost done with my first wedding book. i'm a big fan of white space and i'm trying to keep the layout simple.

now my challenge is blending black & whites with color. i'm so glad my bride is so patient with me because i still have a while to go. i've been experimenting with some new photoshop techniques and i'm really enjoying the effects. i love this flower and ring shot that i took at this wedding.

thank goodness i have the warm glow of the tv to keep me company as i work.

wish i was here

Park001, originally uploaded by soulsticecity is back.

i'm sitting in bed, sick as a dog and avoiding designing a wedding book that's stressing me out. the client is a friend AND a kick ass graphic designer, so the pressure is on.

i wanted to look at some photos that made me feel like i was back in the spring enjoying the park. this photo makes me feel like i have talent and maybe designing this book won't be so bad. wish me luck. i'll post the results when the book is printed.

stepping into "new" territory...

Hello all,

I've been doing photography for a long, looong time. Almost 15 years! And I've just now gotten to the point where I'm seriously thinking about making this my full-time career. I've let all kinds of things sway me away from it; Excuses like "I'll end up hating photography if I do it full time!" or "I'm just not good enough to charge." Well, I'm here to remind myself and to let you know that I've been doing what I didn't want to do for OTHER people for too long and I'm just as good as half of these photographers out here-the difference is, I'm striving every day to get better.

So welcome to my forray into professional photography. I will use this blog to showcase my wedding, portrait, maternity and event photography.