kristen + bill :: married! hillsborough vineyard –purcellville, va.
Category Archives: photography
virginia is for lovers.
Filed under photography, snapshot
goodwin house.
living the good life.
one of the many fabulous, photogenic residents of the goodwin house.
a few weeks ago i was given the opportunity to work with the american association of homes and services for the aging — AAHSA — documenting a day in the life at one of their communities. AAHSA has a clear and admirable mission :: healthy, affordable, ethical aging services for america. AAHSA is an association of over 5,500 non-profit organizations dedicated to advancing policies, practices, and research that empowers aging americans to continue to live life to its fullest potential. i was intrigued and excited by the project — spending a day talking with residents, capturing spontaneous portraits, documenting daily activites, and providing a glimpse into life at a local retirement community.
the goodwin house far exceeded all my expectations of a continuing care community — honestly, i wasnt sure what to expect. offering everything from independent residences to assisted living to full-time care, i found the residents to be a diverse and fascinating group of people. i experienced an immediate feeling of comfort, and a true sense of calm and well-being at the goodwin house. the light-filled community areas were decorated beautifully, and residents sat and chatted with each other, poured over the morning paper, enjoyed coffee, and worked on puzzles. outside i met gardeners actively tending to their plots in the community garden — caring for everything from roses to ripe tomatoes in the morning sun.
i was smitten with the incredible art studio where aspiring artists learn and experiment with painting, pottery, mosaic, and various other art forms. additionally,the woodworking studio blew my mind — i was so impressed! of course i loved checking out the library, computer room, chapel, and dance studio. peeking in on a dance class i was thrilled to meet an incredible 90-year-old sky diving enthusiast who shared her experiences with me. exploring the gym + indoor pool i chatted with the “mermaids” who were doing water aerobics and they told me about performing at events throughout the community!
truth be told, i absolutely fell in love with everyone i met — these self-proclaimed citizens of the world inspired and amazed me with their stories. from the retired professors to the brand new artists, the life-long partners to the newlyweds who recently found love, and the two brothers who escaped from nazi germany to the states years ago and found their way back to each other as neighbors in this community, i was in awe. everyone i met was so happy and full of life — so obviously thriving in such an ideal environment conducive to enabling and embracing individuals of all interests, in all stages of retirement. one man i met was active and healthy, living in one of the apartments, while his wife received full-time care just a few floors above him. in this way he was able to maintain his independence and still live with her, surrounded by a supportive community. i was struck with the same thought over and over — how everyone should have the opportunity to live somewhere like this when they retire, and im truly thankful that organizations like AAHSA are committed to making that possibilty a reality.
with many thanks to the gracious people who let me photograph them, below are just a few of my favorite images from my day at the goodwin house –enjoy!
Filed under documentary, NON-PROFIT, photography
dylan: inspiration through art session!
sweet *dyl* pickle.
one-year-old dylan has a scar that symbolizes strength & love, amidst struggle.
just one day after his birth, newborn dylan was diagnosed with congenital heart defect. unable to breathe on his own, he was placed on a ventilator, transferred to another hospital, and underwent angioplasty for his pulmonary valve. for the next three months dylan’s health steadily declined as he faced serious issues, ultimately leading up to open heart surgery. just days following the surgery on his pulmonary artery dylan was doing something he had never done before — smiling. since then, dylan has grown into a happy, healthy, and strong little boy who just celebrated his first birthday — everything his family could ever want for him!
i was honored to be chosen by dylan’s family for a portrait session in collaboration with inspiration through art (formerly the littlest heroes project) — and i absolutely loved meeting all of them! dylan has two amazingly wonderful parents (who are *so* in love and *so* great!) as well as an older sister and brother who simply adore him. dylan was simply delightful — all too happy to oblige for the photo session as long as we let him rub his little feet in the grass! he was super inquisitive and perfectly adorable and i feel very lucky to know him and his story. dylan will need at least one more open heart surgery to replace the deformed pulmonary valve, but hopefully that is many years away! in the meantime, i know this family will be living and loving to the fullest, never taking anything for granted.
enjoy!
Filed under children, dc, family, lifestyle, photography
it’s wise to be well.
children’s national + united medical center = improved pediatric care.
earlier this week children’s national medical center hosted a very fun event at united medical center to celebrate the new forthcoming pediatric emergency department — made possible in large part by an amazing $11 million grant from the DC government. the event was a wonderful opportunity to introduce the community to the nurses + staff, and everyone had a great time.
“it’s wise to be well” focused on educating parents through information on children’s health, from identifying flu symptoms and ear infections, to basic injury prevention, healthy eating + exercise practices, as well as free car seat checks! the tents were set up in the hospital parking lot, alongside the community farmers’ market, complete with balloons, awesome music, snacks, great give-a-aways, and face painting for the kids! as always, i had a great time documenting another fabulously fun event for children’s national medical center — enjoy!
\
vancouver island :: bamfield.
part VI :: the idyllic island town.
sunset fog — bamfield, vancouver island, BC.
there’s only one road that takes you to the remote village of bamfield, a semi-private, narrow and winding, ultra-steep, gravel logging road. with no cell service. and lots of logging trucks. we made the harrowing 80km journey from port alberni on a sunday afternoon — literally on the edge of our seats the entire trip. however, it wasnt until the return trip on tuesday morning that we passed no less than five hugemongous logging trucks barreling down the slippery gravel road, kicking up dust storms that rendered us unable to proceed for minutes at a time. we quickly learned that logging roads are no joke, but an adventurous way to travel (in an SUV) and in retrospect.
as out of the way as it is, bamfield is a world-renowned fishing destination located on the barkley sound and part of the pacific rim national park. 100 lb halibut and 30 lb salmon are not uncommon in these waters, and the lifelong watermen take out numerous groups of sport fishermen in the summer high-season. we were lucky enough to meet del thompson — one of the kindest, smartest, funniest men i’ve ever met, and the owner of red eye charters. we spent the morning on del’s boat salmon fishing just offshore (the catch of the day was a 28lb chinook!) and the evening touring the harbor and observing the abundant wildlife. scores of sunbathing sea lions, spunky families of river otter, and precocious deer lined the shores, while eagles and herons soared above us.
bamfield was the final stop on an absolutely amazing tour of vancouver island, and for me it was the highlight of the trip. bamfield was exactly the small village experience i hoped to have on the island — both because of its simple and remote location and the kind and honest people we encountered there. it is exactly the kind of place i would excitedly return to year after year, anxious to see familiar faces, swap stories, and revel in the thrilling simplicity of a day spent on the water.
enjoy!
posing with the catch of the day — a 28lb chinook salmon!
* * * * *
vancouver island, 2010:
part I :: vancouver island :: telegraph cove.
part II :: vancouver island :: knight inlet.
part III :: vancouver island :: down island to campbell river.
part IV :: vancouver island :: qualicum beach to cathedral grove.
part V :: vancouver island :: tofino + ucluelet.
part VI :: vancouver island :: bamfield.
* * * * *
Filed under animals, photography, travel
vancouver island :: tofino + ucluelet.
part V :: sandy beaches + logging sports.
long beach — tofino, vancouver island, BC.
vancouver island’s west coast is where surfers and loggers come together — visitors and locals alike flock to beach to stretch out on the soft white sands and relax on the one and only long beach. situated halfway between the trendy town of tofino to north and the slightly more rugged ucluelet to the south, long beach is a mecca for beach lovers and surfers. in the winter the surf is increasingly intense, but consistent enough through the year to draw surfers at all times of day into the crisp pacific waters. the ultra wide beach backs up to huge pieces of driftwood and verdant trees, and the thick fog gives way to bright sunshine, transforming the scene from magical to spectacular in an instant.
tofino was certainly charming and hip, if not a little more modern than what we desired. after eating some of the best food ever at shelter, we decided to push back to ucluelet and as luck would have it, stumbled into the middle of their annual ukee days festival. early morning pancake breakfasts followed by parades down the main street, a music festival, crazy amounts of drinking, and logging sports contests spanned the three days we were in town. it was about as fantastic as you can imagine.
enjoy!
loggers competed in various contests at the annual ukee days festival in ucluelet.
keg tossing!
* * * * *
vancouver island, 2010:
part I :: vancouver island :: telegraph cove.
part II :: vancouver island :: knight inlet.
part III :: vancouver island :: down island to campbell river.
part IV :: vancouver island :: qualicum beach to cathedral grove.
part V :: vancouver island :: tofino + ucluelet.
part VI :: vancouver island :: bamfield.
* * * * *
Filed under photography
blonde photo :: have more fun! 