Six years ago...

Friday 01.16.15

Six Years ago today I hugged my family goodbye for a very long time. I was young and naive but ready for an adventure. I boarded a plane with a one way ticket to Kenya to join a team of missionary storytellers. I went as a photographer, eager to document stories throughout Africa. I remember thinking I was so mature, cultured, and ready for anything. Ha. Ha...Haaa. The next two years were some of the most challenging years of my life. In a world saturated with media displaying despair and destruction, I made it my goal to show hope and redemption. Beauty from ashes, if you will. Some would argue that I'm still naive to think that there is hope out there...I would argue that they aren't looking through the right lens. I've seen quite a few dark places in my time overseas...war, disease, famine, and death. But for every dark place, there is light.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that."
- Martin Luther King Jr.

Brit & Paul's Italian Wedding

Monday 01.12.15

These two are quite the match. Paul's steadiness compliments Brit's charisma perfectly. This August I was honored to join them in Bergamo, Italy for three days of Italian wedding bliss. Brit and Paul fell in love in Italy, got engaged in Italy, and certainly weren't going to miss out on exchanging vows in Italy. They began the celebration with a quiet and intimate dinner on the side of a hill. The next day, we all ventured to the highest point of the town to toast the couple and pass along our well wishes to their marriage for years to come. The main event was the most elegant wedding you could imagine. My words won't do its beauty justice, I only hope these photos will. Thank you again, Brit and Paul, for allowing me to document the beginning of your adventure as husband and wife. And, thank you Virginia Living for the honor of having my work on your cover.

Travels of 2014

Tuesday 12.30.14

2014 was a great year. I've grown leaps and bounds within these 365 days. I had the opportunity to travel a lot and much of my growth can be attributed to traveling. When you travel, you are always learning...learning different languages, cultures, attitudes. Learning from your travel buddies, learning from your mistakes, learning to soak up moments. Learning to leave things behind. I started this year, as I start many years, worried about what is next. And so, I freeze. Instead of freezing, this year, I decided to take some risks. I flew to Montana (Ok I froze...but physically) to see a friend from Kenya (Love you, Bess). I visited old and dear friends in sunny California. I met up with a photographer friend, Kate, and we explored Oregon in all its pine tree glory. My friend Stepha and I traveled to Uganda with an extended layover in Paris and Belgium....its true, Paris is always a good idea...Belgium? Maybe in the spring. While I was in Paris, my good friend Brit got engaged to an amazing man and they asked me to photograph their wedding in Italy...6 months later we were there! And finally, my parents are big supporters of creating lasting memories. They gave us a trip of a lifetime and had all 7 family members in Egypt for Thanksgiving. Each leg of this past year's journey taught me something about myself. I'm thankful for the memories, lessons, and growth that happened in 2014. Looking forward to what 2015 has to offer!

(My family ^)