Living What I Love

Spring shoots

Hello again! Been awhile, so here's a few fun shoots from the spring, starting with a 5K with a local chapter of great org Girls on the Run, which encourages girls to run and promotes a healthy self-image. It was a freezing, rainy day and I was so impressed with these girls' positive attitudes and with how much fun they had, despite the weather.

Next: some maternity photos for Beth and John, who two months later welcomed a healthy baby boy!

And finally, a portrait session with the lovely Inger, who gets told she looks like Jodie Foster a lot - I have to agree! I love doing portraits, and we lucked out with a gorgeous Seattle sunset.

Just another day where I take photos of Dave Eggers.

Or more formally and lengthily (.... that's a word, right?) known as: 826michigan’s Spelling Bee for Honest Cheaters, Dirty Rotten Spellers and Mustachioed Heroes!

826michigan threw down with their latest fundraiser, which raised a whopping $23,000 for their tutoring and writing programs. Ah-mazing. This particular event was a spelling bee, pitting teams of two against each other with a few "cheats" thrown in. The more money each team raised for 826, the more opportunities to cheat they were granted. One of the cheaters' perks was also the panel of celebrity "helpers" ready to give assistance to those who might be spelling-challenged. Sporting a mustache (real or otherwise) also awarded you cheats. The esteemed guest panel consisted of: Davy Rothbart, creator of Found magazine, writer, and This American Life contributor; Phoebe Gloeckner, author, and Dave Eggers, author and 826 founder. Andy Garris of Woodruff's was kind enough to host.

Some shots from the (very fun) evening:

Oh, the wittiness.

If you can't grow one, draw one on!

Or, paste one on.

a whole family of mustaches!

Getting ready to cheer on the spellers

Andy, manager of Woodruff's

A contestant uses a cheat to get a little help from Dave and Phoebe...

Dave Eggers, penning his next book perhaps?

Davy Rothbart

Thanks for coming, Dave!

the glöggbööth

a few weekends ago i planned my office's holiday party, and like last year we went with a swedish glögg theme. glögg is basically a mulled red wine served warm and traditionally enjoyed in tiny mugs as it can be rather strong, and meant to be savored. i had to make the glögg via shortcut and more cheaply than my family's recipe (which has all sorts of crazy stuff in it!), so i found a great winery in vermont (boyden valley winery) that sells it by the bottle and ordered a few cases. to that i added a little vodka and brandy, along with almonds and golden raisins and heated everything up in a few crock pots. i think our party-goers enjoyed it as all 18 bottles were gone by the end of the night. evidence below in the glöggbööth. ;) 'god jul', btw, is 'merry christmas' in swedish. ridiculous accroutrements courtesy of our prop closet. 

 

 

ross got talent

the U of M ross school of business hired me to capture their beginning of the year event (ross got talent) a few weeks ago. this year,  it was a southern-style bbq behind the school followed by a pretty hilarious (and often rather vulgar) variety show in the auditorium, put on by the incoming first year students.

the students had all been given the night prior to split off into their sections and come up with some kind of impressive 'show' to be performed in front of a panel of judges (including the dean of their school). most of the skits were great; some even required quick escape maneuvers on my part to avoid a high-kick or two. the last shot was one of two variations on 'west side story', one of my all-times faves. but alas, they were not the victors....

off to capture another wedding tomorrow afternoon. can't wait!

gimme shelter

last weekend, i had the privilege of photographing a lovely benefit dinner and auction for alpha house. alpha house is a nonprofit here in ann arbor that provides counseling, childcare help, meals, and temporary housing to homeless families. it truly is a great organization - they help so many families get back on their feet every year - it's pretty amazing. "gimme shelter" was a smash success, thanks to the careful planning of alpha house's staff, a bevy of great items and services donated by people all over the area to auction off, and a bunch of volunteers who helped the night run smoothly. the food and cakes were amazing, the short presentation inspiring, and the washtenaw community college's jazz band kept the mood swingin'.

thanks to my friend lindy,  who works at alpha house and did such a great job getting volunteers together for this event (and every week at the shelter!), for asking me to come take photos. it was an honor and i had so much fun!

if you'd like to learn more about alpha house, or be a super cool person and donate your time and/or money, go here.

one of three beautiful cakes; this one by zingerman's bakehouse.

so ppppst: not only does my friend lindy run the throngs of volunteers a.h. gets, she also is a super talented jewelry designer. she donated this piece for the auction - it got a lot of attention!

a former alpha house family, back on their feet and doing great.

lindy and kris

 

Here we go...

First official wedding shoot is THIS WEEKEND. La Crosse, Wisconsin, here I come!

Not sure the groomsmen will be into the whole 'army crawling over the hill' thing, but I'm sure we'll get creative. ;) Lots of Midwest summer wedding goodness to come! Peace out!

giving it a go...

The world of wedding photography, that is. I'm second-shooting with a friend of mine tomorrow... excited + nervous but very much looking forward to seeing a full wedding from a photographer's viewpoint and learning as much as I can. Two weddings of my own to shoot in the next few months! I'd better take notes.... wish me luck! Oh, and have a lovely weekend.

Photo from a friends' wedding last week in Livermore, CA (attended as a guest but obviously I couldn't NOT bring my Canon). ;)

Thanks guys!

826Michigan gave my photography a very nice shout-out in on their website this week.  Taking these photos was not only an honor, but fun and delicious (I got to sneak bites of the amazing food in between shots)! Again, if you haven't checked out the wonderful, wonderful 826 here in town, definitely do so.

http://www.826michigan.org/article/956/the-storymakers-dinner-wrap-up

If you live in a city other than Ann Arbor but want to help support 826, *please* go here and check one of the other six great centers so far across the U.S.: www.826national.org (if you're not the tutoring type, don't worry! There are literally tons of ways you can help. You can donate supplies, funds, time working in the various fun storefronts, copyedit, design book covers, and on+on+on.)

Dinner with Dave

Last week, I was asked by 826Michigan to take photos of a benefit dinner they were having. 826, in case you don't know, is a fabulous writing and tutoring center for kids ages 8-18 that has 7 different locations across the US. There happens to be one here in Ann Arbor, and I volunteer tutor for them once a week. Anyway, they knew that I shoot photos so they asked me to do this for them. It was a fundraising benefit dinner at Zingerman's Roadhouse with lots of wine, good food, and nice people who would hopefully donate lots of $ to 826. Oh, and Dave Eggers, Pulitzer-prize nominated writer, McSweeney's head, screenplay writer, and founder of 826 was also going to be there. AWESOME. Here are a few shots from the night. The food, by the way, was also outstanding. Definitely going back to the Roadhouse again!

Dave with two high school students who read amazing pieces they'd written.