A heartfelt thank you to all of my clients and willing creative photography subjects – thank you for making 2011 a great year!

I got the chance to head out to Memphis to visit one of my best friends last month.  Adrienne and I were roomies in college and have been the best of friends ever since.  We have one of those friendships that inevitably, when we are together, something is going to happen that will have us laughing so uncontrollably that our sides, stomachs and cheeks will hurt!  It had been awhile since I’d been out there, so it was great to finally get back.  Along with hanging out, catching up and cracking up…we spent some time walking around.  Adrienne totally supports my photo habit…lol…so she had some places and things she wanted me and Gordon & Parks (yep, that’s the name of my camera and favorite lens…lol) to see.  Not only did I get to capture some good stuff, but she decided to capture me capturing them…you’ll see.  Truly hilarious!  Oh…and about the title…I LOVE Marc Cohn’s “Walking in Memphis”…we couldn’t help but bust out singing it every so often while we were…well, you know…walking in Memphis.  If you haven’t heard it, check it out…you can use it as background music while you’re looking at the images!

Anywho…here are some of my favorite shots from the day…

Unfortunately, the famous Arcade Restaurant had just closed when we walked by…gotta go back for the sweet potato pancakes!

And yay!  A cool set of walls with lyrics from a bunch of songs about Memphis…and you guessed it…

The Pyramid Arena…

The Hernando Desoto Bridge I believe…

Beale Street at night…

Adrienne shooting me while I’m shooting the bridge…lol!

And as promised…me in action…ha…

Can’t wait to go back!

]]> http://soulfullyspeaking.wordpress.com/2012/01/12/and-i-was-walking-in-memphis/feed/ 2 swt16ba walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis walking in memphis http://soulfullyspeaking.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/taiya-sweet-sixteen/ http://soulfullyspeaking.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/taiya-sweet-sixteen/#comments Tue, 10 Jan 2012 01:10:52 +0000 Cipriana http://soulfullyspeaking.wordpress.com/?p=1284 ]]> Taiya ~ Sweet Sixteen! ~ National Harbor, MD ~ December 30, 2011

Family and friends gathered at the Thai Pavilion at the National Harbor to celebrate Miss Taiya’s sweet sixteen birthday.  With her fresh new hair cut and cute dress on, Taiya was all smiles and the center of the party!  Take a peek at the evening…

Happy birthday Taiya!

It was a beautiful morning for a wedding.  Clear blue skies, comfortable temperatures and one of the most relaxed brides I’ve ever seen.  I had the opportunity to meet Chris and Samia last year when we did their engagement photos in Alexandria (http://soulfullyspeaking.wordpress.com/2010/11/29/chris-samia-engaged/).  They are a fun couple who seem genuinely at ease and at peace with each other.  So, it was my pleasure to capture Chris and Samia’s beautiful wedding day.  (Make-up: Erica Coates.  Venue:  Dorsey Chapel)

Take a peek into their special day…

Congratulations Chris and Samia!

I met up with the Young family the weekend after Thanksgiving for an afternoon at the park.  It was an interesting day filled with laughter, excitement and even heroics…more to come!

Soooo…they say if you love something, let it go, right?  Well, little Cullen really loves his Thomas the Train.  So much so that he was willing to let it go and uh…let it fly…into the water way below!  It was almost in slow motion and we watched (in amazement) the Train land in the water.  We, and all the other onlookers, peered over the railing figured it a lost cause.  But, wait!  Daddy to the rescue!  He hopped over and down and proceeded to rescue the sinking toy from the water.  (Only for Cullen to continue to throw it to other various places…lol!)  Nonetheless, it was truly an awesome thing to see.  Parents, never forget, you’ll always be the first heroes in your kids’ lives…

 What a great day!

I got to spend the afternoon hanging out with the Williams crew.  Near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, we got plenty of exercise in to get us there!  But, the girls were troopers and we got some cool shots.  Here are a few from the day…

On a recent visit to my beloved Carolina, I hung out with one of my favorite crews – the Jones Family.  Love them!  It’s amazing watching AJ grow up, I swear time is just flying by!  Anywho, me and the family, armed with an Elmo slipper…lol, hit the open field to play for the afternoon and here’s what we came up with…

And finish the day off with a little tickle time…

Model:  Roger Payano
Stylist:  Apuje Kalu

I had a great time doing this concept shoot with my fellow alums…and ironically enough, we all were engineering majors…funny how things turn out.  And a special thanks to Jared for letting us use the room!  (How many engineers does it take to turn on a speaker system?  Apparently, more than the four of us that were in that room…lol.)  Roger, a talented actor, was in town giving awesome performances as Othello in the Synetic Theater’s production of Othello, and we decided to get together for a shoot.  Apuje, a complete wiz stylist, pulled it all together with his perfect choices.  And here’s the result…

It was a perfect fall afternoon when I met with Melvenia and crew at Brookside Gardens for her fabulous shoot.  As one of many things that she had in mind in celebration of her upcoming 40th birthday, the shoot was truly a lot of fun.  I think the theme for the day, and for her year, might be Carpe Diem!  Here are a few of my favorites…

(Make-up by:  Brandi Page – www.4manycolours.blogspot.com)

Stylist:  Apuje Kalu
MUA:  Franeka Kirby
Models:  Nia, Ochieng, Tavon

It is perhaps an age old dilemma…somewhere between wanting someone who wants someone else and having to choose between your heart and your head.  He…a serious, intelligent, successful man that is ready for commitment.  She…a smart, ambitious, focused woman who knows that when she’s with him, she will be well taken care of and never have to question his reliability, faithfulness or maturity.  He makes her feel…safe.

He…is serious…

A power couple indeed…

But…as much as she wants the dream…she has a hard time saying yes…

…and seems to be in search of…in need of…something more…

And then, there’s him.  Spontaneous, funny, romantic and free-spirited.  When she’s with him, she laughs a lot and never knows what to expect, including when she’ll see him again.  He makes her feel…butterflies.

He…is exciting…

A connection indeed…

But…as much as she wants him…

…she’s always left…wanting…

She’s left wondering if she should choose the one who wants her…or the one she wants…

Torn…

What would you do?

Prisoner of Love.