Chris4Life Eat4Life

March 17, 2014 - The Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation is a national Colon Cancer non profit dedicated to permanently eliminating the threat of the disease through the discovery of a cure. At the Longview Gallery in Washington DC, the 2nd annual Eat4Life event was held, where it features a chef cook-off and offerings of food, drink and educational resources. I was glad to be able to support and cover their event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

startupland

March 13, 2014 - The premiere of startupland was at Landmark's E Street Cinema in DC. There were two screenings of first two episodes of the series, with more episodes coming soon.

According to the startupland Kickstarter page "startupland is a documentary series that weaves together the stories of five early stage tech companies in an accelerator together with stories and insights from entrepreneurs and innovators around the country. The vision is to inspire and educate entrepreneurs on the ins and outs, ups and downs, successes and failures of starting and building a company."

Although these first two episodes are set in DC, there is footage from other cities around the nation. It's more than just about tech companies. It's more about a broader message to globally inspire, encourage and support entrepreneurs, innovators and their teams. Viewers of the series should be able to relate with those in the documentary with their stories. Yet the series also shows part of the sacrificial and "non-glamorous" side to the business. It's a sobering look at the prospects of startups, and it may make one "count their costs" or gauge their ambitions within the reality of pursuing their dreams.

Steve Case was there to say a few words about startups and some members of the staff and crew of startupland were there to answer some questions. 

 

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/76065318/startupland-a-documentary-series

A Special Lunch with Maimah

March 5, 2014 - It seems there are many times when we see someone around and don't have much time to talk to them. This was the situation with Maimah Karmo, and we both wanted to catch up and get to know each other better. It was a blessing to have lunch with Maimah at Coastal Flats in Fairfax Corner. Maimah is the author of 'Fearless: Awakening to My Life's Purpose Through Breast Cancer.' What a beautiful, courageous and inspiring woman who helps others.

 

I was shown my table that I reserved and before Maimah arrived, I decided to sit facing toward the front of the restaurant so we could see each other when she arrived and so she could have a window view which was about ten feet behind me. So the window light on Maimah helped and so did the light within her, giving her that expression and smile. I liked her pose and aligned the chandelier above her (sort of like a halo or crown). I took this picture with my iPhone.
Being around people like Maimah can put a person in a great place, and in community we can grow. I'm thankful for her time and encouragement in life. It's a life worth fighting for. Keep on and live well with passion and purpose.

 

 

A Picture of Bri

I enjoy both indoor and outdoor photo shoots, and the weather plays a factor in which one is done. It has been a long cold winter interspersed with some decent weather days. I've got a home studio set up where I can set up seamless paper backdrops. After photographing a few days of Crystal Couture Show & Sale in early February, I talked with one of the models about doing a shoot. I wanted to share a photo from a shoot with a model named Bri. Carlamia Ottey was the makeup artist and Kia Green was the stylist. In this photo I wanted to incorporate more shadow to give the image some mood.