End of July Recap

It was an extremely busy July and it's hard to keep up with all that's going on, but it's important for me to keep a record of what's transpired. Alright, so it's been a month. Here's a recap of the last half of July. Soon to follow is a recap of the first half of August. :)

July 14 - Kastles vs Breakers: I knew that this evening's World Team Tennis game was going to be a big deal with Serena Williams playing, but it was bigger than I expected. The stadium was alive with the buzz that Serena was around, and it was also good to have Billie Jean King present. After the press conference, I headed over the side of the Kastles tennis court to find it filled with photographers and camera people. I got to a spot as close to the court as possible and did what I could to capture the games.




July 15 - Verizon Wireless Best of Washington Party: I had never been to this party, so I wanted to check it out and also see the various restaurants and what they offered. It's best to get there early to get the food and drink goodies. The tickets may seem a bit pricey, so get all you can out of it.




July 16 - K Street Kate Third Anniversary: K Street Kate celebrated it's Third Anniversary at Muleh in Washington D.C. K Street Kate is an online magazine by Kate Michael. It's about people, politics, philanthropy, fashion, restaurants and nightlife in Washington D.C. With thanks to the sponsors: Muleh, Corcoran Vineyards, Emperor Vodka, Domaine de Canton, Smartwater, THE Artist Agency, L2, Ferrari & Maserati of Washington, and the PGP Event Planning Group.




July 18 - Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk - This was the second annual worldwide photo walk and it was much bigger than last year. The fire caught on with this and more people and sponsors jumped on board to be involved in this high profile event. It's more than just photographers getting together and taking pictures, as it's also about community and networking, encouragement and inspiration. I went on the photo walk that Jeff Revell of PhotoWalkPro led, and I also joined him again this year along with a few of my photographer friends. I submitted a couple of my pictures for the contest, but no matter how it turns out, it was a rewarding event. I hope to make it next year too.




July 18 - John & Sunny's Wedding: After the world wide photo walk and lunch at a packed Fuddruckers with photographers, I headed to the church where a wedding ceremony was to be held, and I was privileged to be the official photographer for the wedding. The couple John & Sunny were referred to me by a friend of the bride whose wedding I photographed the previous year. It was a nice wedding and one of the most amusing moments was when the ring bearer and flower girl both sat on the steps in front of the alter and sighed, waiting for the ceremony to progress. The reception was at a very nice and roomy house, and it had everything needed. I especially enjoyed the food. :) I kept taking pictures till I left around 10:30pm, so it was a long day, but it was filled with many great moments.




July 19 - Willowcroft Vineyards Wine Tour: A friend of mine celebrated her birthday with friends at a winery, and it's a fantastic idea. Willowcroft Vineyards is along the Catoctin Ridge in Leesburg, VA. We went on a tour, had wine tastings and then had a picnic with an amazing backdrop of the Blue Ridge mountains.

July 20 - Rehoboth Beach: I spent some time with relatives from France and Tennessee by going with them on a day trip to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. We didn't leave the area till close to 1pm and arrived at the beach around 3:30pm, so we only spent a short time at the beach. Before leaving the beach, I had to get me some Salt Water Taffy from the Candy Kitchen. Check. I also got some fruit slices...a past time treat. We headed to the outlet mall for some shopping, then off for fun at the Go Kart place. One final stop at Baskin Robbins and we were all happy campers.

July 23 - National Zoo: As long as I've been in the DC area, I had never gone to the National Zoo. I know, shocking. Talk about a photo safari. Since my visiting relatives were going there, I met them there and tagged along with my camera.

Later that evening after dinner at my parent's house, I set up my 28" Apollo Softbox to take some fun portraits. There wasn't much of a background for the portraits, so I draped a white sheet over a three-panel divider. The kids got into the little impromptu photo shoot too.

July 25 - Chris & Michelle's Wedding: This couple rocks! Their wedding and reception was filled was so much style and fun. Weddings should be a joy to watch and the reception should be a fun celebration. I've enjoyed getting to know these two better and their admiration of each other is so evident. It was good to be around them as they emanated such joy throughout the day and on into the evening. Everything from the ceremony, the vows, the clothing, the giveaway gifts, the reception at a house with lanterns in a huge tree and candles by the walkway, the fun dancing, the garter and bouquet toss, the amazing food (Coppi's), and the sparklers for the departure. This wedding was well planned and it was a pleasure being there to capture it.




July 26-29 OBX Vacation: After all the busyness of July I was looking forward to a vacation with friends at the OBX, but just getting ready for the trip was challenging. I photographed a wedding and reception the night before which went just past 11pm. I hadn't had time to pack so I started packing, only got a few hours of sleep, and finished packing early in the morning. I'm glad I didn't drive there, so I could relax. It was an enjoyable trip and the friends in the house and the weather helped to make it a great vacation. I got to play a good amount of beach volleyball. Even with being on vacation, I still took a good number of pictures to capture our time there. One of the most amazing moments is when a few of my friends and I went for a walk along the beach at sunset and we saw a couple who just got engaged!. I was able to take a few pictures of them and I've since heard from the guy and shared pictures with him.

July 31 - Sky Bar at the Beacon Hotel: I had never been to the Sky Bar, but a friend was celebrating her birthday there and also celebrating her completion of a triathlon. From the rooftop we had great views of DC, especially as the sun set. I'm having my share of rooftop events this summer, and it's cool to see places from such a high perspective.