agape photo

fruit of your labor

2011-09-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

It is a wonderous sight to witness seeds come to fruition. Here are some of different natures, each fulfilling the hope they were planted in.

Ejoka

2011-08-09T19:20:00.000-07:00

The greeting in Turkana land is Ejoka/Ejoke . Here is the warm colorful Ejoka we experienced.

There's one photo with an elderly woman kissing a piece of paper... the paper is actually an icon I used in my lesson. I was humbled by her peace and reverence.

The last photo in this set shows the parishioners bearing home-made gifts while singing and dancing. It was a beautiful and heart wrenching goodbye moment.

Its hard to believe we were really there, and now that we're really here.

Ejoke

2011-08-07T03:07:00.000-07:00

We recently returned from the Turkana region of Kenya. It is difficult for me to write my feelings about something so personal and far away. This much is true: hunger is real, culture is essential, and God is God... here and there. Here are some of the black and white photos from the trip.

Ellery the duck

2011-06-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

I had a pet duck this past April. Actually, he was first a pet egg which I incubated and then he hatched out of that little egg. Each day I would turn off all of the lights in my classroom and hold a flashlight to the egg. I saw him grown from a bouncing embryo to a baby duck.. with a real bill, two wings, and two wonderful webbed feet. Each day my heart would leap to see the movement inside the egg. Watching him hatch over a period of days was one of the most incredible things I've ever witnessed. Once he hatched, he never wanted to be apart from Mama (which happened to be me). He would spend time inside my sleeve in-between classes, or while I was doing paperwork. I'm glad to know he is on a farm learning to be a real duck, but I sure miss him as my baby.

Entering The Church

2011-06-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday a very sweet family became part of the church. It was touching to witness their children Baptised, and to see the two of them Chrismated. We participated in a beautiful and holy sacrament that morning. Both children were quiet as they were submerged in the water. I get chills when I remember that it is during Baptism that we receive our Gaurdian Angels.

Fibonacci in the Garden

2011-06-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

I've been peeking through this book: Fundamentals of Photo Composition by Paul R. Comon. I like the book because its divided into relevant chapters. One Chapter might cover the idea of thirds while another explains perspective. The chapter I'm hooked on right now is about the Golden Mean. Leonardo Fibonacci discovered a number sequence that can be seen in architecture, musical compositions, and nature. The idea is to begin with the number 1, then add 1, then add 2, and so on. You continue to add the previous number to the current number for the new sum. I'm sure many people studied this in school, and I probably did too, but for the first time it is relevant for me. It goes like this:

1+1=2

2+1=3

3+2=5

5+3=8

8+5=13

13+8=21

21+13=34....

So I tried an outing in the garden over the weekend, to see if I could do it. Here's what I got

It was interesting to compare B&W to Color in these two photographs. I feel the sequence is enhanced with the B&W above and diminished below.

K E N Y A

2011-05-16T14:47:00.000-07:00

We have been overjoyed with the opportunity to go to Kenya this summer. I post these photos because four years ago in Lodwar, my photographic journey began. I took my mom's 35mm Cannon, and a couple of rolls of film to document my adventure. I met Joy, humility, and the image of God. Their suffering allowed them a closer look at Christ. I pray that we may have a closer look too.

bosco

2011-05-01T17:39:00.001-07:00

I recently got some band shots of the band BOSCO. Two of the members happen to be my siblings, and it was rather freeing to photograph them. There's no one else that you can beeee yourself with, quite like your family. :)

The brighter side COLORADO

2011-04-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Here are the sights, with a little western sort of color. That big white hotel by the way, thats the famous Stanley...

The light and the dark of CO

2011-04-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

We spent some time near and in a national park this spring break. We traveled with friends from near and afar, though I feel we all became a little closer. It was quite lovely and endearing. I've divided the photos into B&W and Color.

fresh country air

2011-02-27T17:43:00.000-08:00

Some dear friends recently got a breath of fresh air, and by that I mean a sweet country home. It is just what they needed in my opinion, and D and I can't help but be a little envious of the space and possibilities. We are happy for them, and for now, we can vicariously breathe these photos in.

A fairy tale Evening

2011-02-26T11:58:00.000-08:00

We recently hosted a Literacy Night at our school. The perks included Skyline Chili, Fairy tales told by a childrens' theater group, and of course dressing up like your favorite fairy tale character. I've been more interested in the moral teachings of fairy tales after hearing Dr. Vigen Guroian speak at a recent conference. They are important, and It was a joy to see them celebrated.

oh baby

2011-02-21T15:46:00.000-08:00

There is a babe we see here and there. Every time I see him, I still can't get over how amazing it is that he is here.

Food Pantry- only a glimpse

2011-02-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

These are some images from our weekly food pantry at St. Michael Orthodox Church. Serving with the pantry has opened my eyes to an entire people group I had no real understanding of. These photos certainly reflect the view I have. I mean literally where I'm sitting/standing while it all takes place. Its hard to capture many, when there is work to be done... So for now I can only give a glimpse Here are just a few that I've been able to grab. The first shows the recipients, who are overwhelmingly Cuban, waiting in line to get their ticket. The second shows the last of the "walkers" waiting to carry their bag of food home. And in the last photo you can see the volunteers preparing bags on the inside while others wait outside.

Baby Man

2011-01-29T14:01:00.000-08:00

My Baby man turned 31 a couple of weeks ago. He is the one I most often photograph, because he is so accessible. It was so wonderful to have the whole day off to celebrate his birthday, and as I told him... I am so glad he was born!

in pleasant company

2011-01-03T17:16:00.000-08:00

These pleasant couple of weeks off have felt like a season all their own. We have been blessed to be able to share this time with friends and family. There have been more bodies in this small apartment than ever before, we like to think of it as a sort of christening! These have been some of the most enjoyable meals and moments of the year!

Christmas and Chrismation

2010-12-27T10:01:00.000-08:00

It was a wonderful finish to the Nativity fast, and a beautiful beginning of celebration. I was very blessed to be Godmother to a certain girl, and to celebrate the birth of our savior.

photo by D

a family christmas

2010-12-27T09:28:00.000-08:00

It is refreshing to spend time with others, especially with the anticipation and celebration of the birth of Christ. Here are a few photos of joy. I love the photos D took :) and had to share them.

photo by D

monastery

2010-12-03T03:57:00.000-08:00

Over the Thanksgiving break, D and I along with my parents, ventured off to a monastery in West Virginia (Holy Cross Hermitage). It was a still weekend, visiting the monks. Their love for the land and the animals there is evident, and humbling. Their work milking the cows, making soap, and crafting incense is so tangible! I loved hearing the bells. Those pictured below are made from old oxygen tanks!

those love birds

2010-11-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

My dear friend Ariana is getting married. It is a sweet thing to witness... Here are some images of the love birds in the neighborhood.

Hayden Christmas Photos

2010-11-14T17:54:00.001-08:00

It was a lovely day with lovely people. Love seeps out from these photos.

family in the fall

2010-11-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

I've gotten to see quite a bit of my family recently, and have been trying to capture some of the moments. For me, it is a challenge and a joy to try and capture these pieces of our lives in real time. Here are some photos of late:

a walk in the neighborhood

2010-10-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

One of the loveliest and most appealing aspects of where we live, is the simple charm. Our eyes soak in the beauty of the old homes on our street, all seemingly built with such deep thought. The trees yield brightly colored leaves which trim the sidewalks, yards, and cars. It is the perfect break from lesson planning, and with each turn around the neighborhood... we are always inspired by something we didn't catch the last time.

a little late

2010-10-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

We have been married for almost 3 months now, and still are trying to put together all of the photos from the wedding! I realized recently that we never got photos of our clothes. Just our clothes I mean. So I decided to take a few myself :)

lately

2010-10-12T16:58:00.001-07:00

It is a challenge to take photographs on a regular basis. My mind is so consumed with all the newness of my life, that it can be a challenge to see things clearly through the lens.

my first pie as a wife!

a weekend at the lake

2010-09-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took the yearly trek to Lake Cumberland with D's family. the brightness of the water against the rocks and sky is always stunning. Here are my favorites

a tennessee weekend

2010-09-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend has been our 3rd wedding in three weeks! We headed south for another beautiful wedding and time with friends. Last time we visited these folks we watched the baby kicking around on the ultrasound... this time we played with her in real life!
From there we made the trek to the lovely montpier in Franklin where our beloved friends H and B made their vows. The epic setting, tasteful treats, and sweet couple filled our eyes, mouths, and hearts with joy!

photo by D

another sweet one!

2010-08-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, my very sweet friend Izabella walked down the isle. It was a special day to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. Here are a few of the shots I snapped before and after the wedding.

The BIG DAY- Sarah and Andrew

2010-08-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

I was blessed to whitness and document a very special wedding on Saturday. Here are a few images from the day.

Our Maine squeeze! (Honeymoon in Old Orchard Beach)

2010-08-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well we did it, it finally happened... The months of planning, which were more fun in the beginning BTW, the long days of errands, and the sleepless nights of worry culminated into a single day of bliss. We got married!!!! The day was beautiful and remains somehow perfect in our minds. I tried hard to not let the so called "blur" come over me that day.... I kept hearing it would happen and I wouldn't remember a thing. The first part of the day before and during the ceremony was still. Almost a sacredness I felt, as my closest friends helped to dress me and make up to be a bride. The photographs captured our colors, our expressions, and excitement... but I'm somehow grateful that they didn't... they couldn't... grab the stillness in those moments.

The fuzziness didn't make itself manifest until the reception, where the hundreds of faces and emotions came pouring in. It was sacred, and I feel a peaceful warmth each time I play back those moments. The real reason I'm writing this however, is to share some of the photographs from our honeymoon. The trip took us somewhere around 18 hours. It really was surprising to see the contrast between life in Kentucky and life on the coast of Maine . I normally don't post this many photos at once, but I like each one so individually, its hard to make the cut!

We found a certain architectural antique store. With 3 floors of things like this, you can imagine it was hard for us to leave!
toysThis was taken during one of our favorite evenings in downtown Portland at Street. & Co. We had raw oysters for an appetizer (MMMMMMMM!) (photo by D of course.)

fire dancers on the walk to our car
his take
my view

photo by d

Sarah and Andrew engagement session

2010-06-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

It was cloudy this morning, and we were worried about our photo shoot. Thankfully the sun came out and offered some nice lighting. Here are some of the photos we took this morning! Congrats Sarah and Andrew! Looking forward to August!

Grayson's first birthday!

2010-05-31T16:39:00.000-07:00

I met Grayson a year ago. He was the tiniest baby I'd ever held. Today I photographed his first birthday. It was a beautiful celebration with friends and family. I love this boy so very much, and was honored to be able to capture a few of these special moments.

meskerem

2010-05-22T19:19:00.001-07:00

I was recently asked to take photos by a fellow church member and friend. I spent most of the morning being served tea and delicious Ethiopian food, but here are a few of the photos that also came out of the visit. Meskerem has the sweetest demeanor and it really comes out in the photos. :)

Graduation Pictures

2010-05-05T15:04:00.001-07:00

Student teaching had come to a close and summertime is finally at hand. This season always brings so many exciting possibilities! Today I was able to take graduation photos for two of my dear friends! We had a wonderful time exploring Cherokee Park together!

Hawaii

2010-01-26T12:18:00.001-08:00

These are some of my favorites from our recent family vacation to Hawaii and Alaska. It is remarkable to see the creativity of God

mom

. As we stood on hardened lava we could see the lava tube bellowing into the ocean. Hawaii is the only island which continues to grow larger as the others shrink.

This is one of the aviation buildings which sits next to the museum in Honolulu. It has not been touched since the attack on Pearl Harbor, and stands as a memorial to the event.

My sister and brother on the Ferry

My parents

incredible hanging flowers all over the botanical gardens

A curly little plant which caught my eye while we toured the rain-forest

favorites from 2009

2010-01-04T16:44:00.000-08:00

These are some of my favorites from the past year
A good friend comes to town
The fountain at St. James

My Dad, clearing out our driveway the morning after the ice storm.

A certain boy I know

hayden Family photo shoot

2009-11-23T08:28:00.000-08:00

These are photos of the Hayden Family! It was a beautiful day to take pictures of such sweet people!

Haden

2009-10-23T15:35:00.000-07:00

summer of 2009. Grayson is only a couple of months old here. It was a beautiful day at a beautiful country home.

Oregon and Washington

2009-10-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

This summer Derek and I went to Oregon and Washington to visit friends for a weekend. It was a beautiful experience. The Earth truly reflects Our Lord.

The Oregon Coast, this shot was taken from inside a cave

A wonderful bridge we couldn't take our eye off of.

alaska- summer 2008

2009-10-18T13:17:00.000-07:00

These are photos I took a few summers ago while on Kodiak Island

summer 2008

2009-10-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

these are some of my favorites from the summer of 2008