unkonda, thrilled to be back in shela, lamu island, kenya, laughs aboard felice.

i am so excited to announce that the above image was chosen to be included in WPOW’s annual photo exhibition “women by women.” i absolutely love this portrait (and the subject!) and i am so proud to see it on display this week in dc! unkonda is an incredible woman with an exuberant spirit and infectious energy. her magnificent laugh and broad smile are among her best features and just looking at this image makes me so happy! the photo was taken earlier this year off the coast of kenya, but unkonda is currently working with the peace corps in burkina faso. i miss her and her amazing laugh, but i am so proud of the work she is doing and count myself lucky to call her my friend.

the juried show features the work of some of dc’s most notable photographers and i am so honored to be among them! the images are on display during fotoweek at AYN studio in dc from 11/5 – 11/14, with the opening reception on tuesday november 9th. below in an excerpt from WPOW’s event page and you can read more about the show is HERE.

“In association with FotoWeekDC, WPOW: Women Photojournalists of Washington is pleased to announce the opening reception on November 9, 2010 for our annual juried photo exhibition, “Women by Women.” The event is open to the public and a silent print auction will be part of the festivities, the proceeds of which will help WPOW continue our mission to educate the public about the work of women photojournalists. All 16×20 prints will be signed by the photographer.

Images were selected by renowned jurors: New York Times photographer Ruth Fremson, Reuters photographer Larry Downing, and Aperture Books editor Denise Wolff.

The photographers featured in the exhibition are Irene Abdou, Andrea Bruce, Gabriela Bulisova, Mary F. Calvert, Michelle Frankfurter, Alexandra Garcia, Alexis Glenn, Melissa Golden, SERLI, Nikki Kahn, Yanina Manolova, Jenna Isaacson Pfueller, Astrid Riecken, Molly Riley, Jamie Rose, Erin C. Schwartz, Allison Shelley, Vanessa Vick, Sarah L. Voisin, and Jaime Windon.

The prints, which were generously donated by Nations Photo Lab, will also be presented as a national traveling photo exhibition to photojournalism schools.”

“people of the sun”

last week i had the pleasure of attending the gallery opening for my friend + local artist ramon matheu at west annapolis art works!

i met ramon at last year’s honfest where he took second place in the “what is a hon?” juried art contest. i absolutely love ramon’s vibrant and inspired work which he describes as “a combination of radiant black outlines and vivid colors that put a fun spin on the various subjects” that he illustrates. his style is “distinctive post-pop” and i think it’s simply fantastic!

check it out and enjoy!

the artist, ramon matheu.

juri valdov, chairman, credit union miracle day, inc.

last week the atrium at children’s national medical center was a very exciting place – dozens of patients participated in an awesome event to decorate piggy banks and hang out with 2010 miss america! the lovely caressa cameron serves as a goodwill ambassador for children’s miracle network – an international non-profit serving hundreds of children’s hospitals, and the official platform for the miss america organization. the kids loved meeting her, posing for photos with her and the crown, and she even helped decorate and play games with everyone. during the program following the arts + crafts she also spoke on behalf of the organization and what it means to her to be able to work with the children.

in addition to celebrating the children, the event commemorated the absolutely amazing $923,000 raised by the 2010 credit union cherry blossom run. credit unions have sponsored the run since 2002, and contributed over $4m for children’s hospitals nationwide. on sunday april 11 over 15,000 runners took to the streets of dc, marking the 37th year of a great tradition.

enjoy!

lead partner PSCU financial services presented one of last year’s auctioned piggy banks to juri valdov.

design house :: washington, dc.

last night children’s national medical center welcomed circle of care members to the 3rd annual dc design house benefitting the foundation. the evening began with self tours of the spectacular home – designers were available to discuss their renovations and inspiration, and cocktails and delicious food were served poolside by ridgewells catering. following the reception, the program featured friends, family and doctors speaking on behalf of the child health advocacy institute.

it was truly a gorgeous evening and a superb event – enjoy!

earlier this week i photographed the most wonderful birthday party for joe robert at CNMC! the kids call him “mr. joe” and they were delighted to surprise him in the art center at children’s national medical center with a fantastic party – complete with cupcakes, bubbles, silly string, noise makers, hand-made cards, a super banner, and of course, their smiling faces!

joe robert is an amazing man and one of hospital’s great philanthropists, as well as a cancer survivor. as part of the celebration, the kids helped joe make his own BEADS necklace – an awesome arts project where patients make beaded necklaces that pay tribute to their treatments. BEADS stands for Bravery, Endurance, Achievement, Determination, Strength – qualities which abound here at CNMC in not only the patients, but in all of the doctors, staff, volunteers and donors that come together to treat and care for the children. every time i have the opportunity to visit CNMC and work with this amazing group of people i am touched and inspired beyond words.

enjoy :)

the blonde photo 2009 holiday card!

once again, the super talented + fun quinn peyser has created a phenomenal holiday postcard for blonde photo! yay!

i’m officially closing down the office and heading out on the road tomorrow – traveling the up + down the east coast, visiting family + friends and celebrating the holidays! i’m sending out hundreds of these joyous little postcards, but if you’re not on my mailing list please enjoy this e-version and have a fabulous holiday season!

here’s to love, life, and memories worth capturing!

last night’s critical exposure fundraiser was a fantastic success! i was so excited to attend their fotoweek reception and was thrilled to be among the 40+ amazing photographers that contributed images to the silent auction. it was an inspiring evening and i was truly honored to speak to guests about my experiences working with the organization over the last year. critical exposure is amazing and i feel so lucky to be part of such an outstanding group of dedicated individuals that are making such a difference in the lives of dc students. enjoy this glimpse of the evening and check out the links below to learn more about the work critical exposure is doing and my experiences in the classroom!

wish you could have attended to support this incredible non-profit? no worries – click HERE to make a donation or EMAIL me about sponsorship opportunities :)

MLK photo student DeMarco did a great job speaking to guests!

LOVE that a soldier won the “bidding war” on the canvas i contributed to the auction – moody monument!

and what fun is fotoweek without a fotobooth? me + photographer michael bennett kress.

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critical exposure :: the power of photography

critical exposure :: gallery opening!

critical exposure :: in the classroom!

critical exposure :: photo students!

the uber-fabulous new canton car wash recently ordered four HUGE canvas wraps for their swanky lobby! 

at 24×36 the vibrant images look amazing printed on heavy canvas and stretched over 1.5 inch wooden frames. you might recognize the photos from the dc auto show that i photographed earlier this year. the owners selected my favorite images and they truly compliment the decor in the lobby perfectly. i was thrilled to hear that so many customers have already remarked on how much they love the new artistic addition! i’m planning to do more canvases for CCW, i’m thinking b+w scenes of baltimore city perhaps…enjoy!

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canton car wash: now open!

the dc auto show.

are YOU ready?

the blonde creative is gearing up for this weekend – 2 days of fun in the sun with hons on the avenue in hampden – oh yeah!

click HERE for more info!