On May 17th, Lisa and Jon tied the knot!

I love this shot; the chrome of the antique car blends in nicely with the satin dress and the formal tuxedo.

The down-to-earth couple had a beautiful ceremony at St. Ignatius, and then moved on to a homey reception at Slate Ridge American Legion Post.

The kids, as you can see, were very cute and photogenic. They tore up the dance floor later on.

This shot was a lucky one; I was experimenting with dragging the shutter speed with my flash, and Lisa and Jon just happened to kiss at the right moment.

Lisa and Jon deserve all the happiness they have.

Alex and Jay are getting hitched on June 14th! We planned an engagement session just weeks prior to the busy day, on a balmy afternoon in downtown Baltimore by the Washington Monument.

After having rescheduled due to rain quite a few times, the light proved to be absolutely perfect for the occasion.

They enjoy each others' company so much; they have even taken dance classes together so they can perform a little bit during their reception. Here they are, practicing some elegant moves in the plaza area:

And here's one of my favorites: a sweet moment when Jay (who nearly completely ignored the camera the whole time) stole a kiss from Alex.

They were such great subjects: very relaxed, open to direction, while being unselfconscious and genuine all at once. I'm so excited to photograph their wedding!

It's roasting out today. I hope that everyone is keeping healthy and cool! Here's how I'm surviving:

ICED COFFEE

12 oz. freshly brewed hot coffee
4 oz. cold milk (or cream)
2 T sugar
1 T cocoa powder
3 ice cubes
whipped cream

Pour freshly brewed coffee into large thermos or mug. Add sugar & cocoa powder, stir until dissolved. Pour in cold milk, then add ice cubes. Top with whipped cream.

Delish!

I love taking photos of my family. Most of all, I love taking photos of my nieces and nephews in action (and my daughter, of course, but she's in a whole other category). The other day, my husband and I visited my sister-in-law and her family for an afternoon walk. We trekked around their neighborhood, and I caught their three kids in the midst of their free-flowing exploration.

The kids are so free around me, both performing and distracted by other things. This next picture, one of my favorites, was taken by my sister-in-law, Meg. I was changing a diaper, and so set the camera to auto and let her play. It's classic little kid.

I hope that someday soon I can visit my brother-in-law's family down in Georgia and catch the fun of their five kids in their garden, with all the chickens & the beautiful garden in their backyard.

This summer is going to be a fun one. I get to teach photography at Park School Camps in July.

I have a digital lab and a darkroom. I hope to teach film, digital, and cyanotype to a batch of about a dozen kids.

My class syllabus is complete, and I'm about to order supplies for camp; I'm drooling with anticipation!

Getting ready to teach photography also lit a fire underneath a small pet project of mine. I've been working on a general "how-to" photography syllabus for awhile now, and the first edition is complete. My hope is that eager-beaver shutterbugs can use it to teach themselves a few things. It covers exposure (f/stop, ISO, shutter), composition, lighting, subject matter, and offers a few suggestions for take-home lessons:

Basic Photography (1.1 MB)

Enjoy, and please let me know what you think!