Latoya & Shawn: Married November 11th, 2023

On Latoya and Shawn’s wedding day, time danced in harmony with their love – a surreal blend of moments that lingered and flew by in a heartbeat. It feels like just a whisper of seasons since Shawn surprised Latoya during a family photo session, yet in reality, a whole year has woven its tale. On a serene Fall day at a country club, nestled not far from the heart of Fairfax, friends and family of Latoya and Shawn converged to witness the couple's union and commemorate the commencement of a new chapter in their lives.

Engaged in shared glances, a symphony of happy smirks adorns both Latoya and Shawn when their minds drift to one another. I sensed their magnetic connection the day Latoya unknowingly spoke of Shawn, just materialized before he materialized for their proposal. That same smirk, perhaps embellished with a dash more sass, graced Shawn's face when Latoya sent over a box of breath mints while Shawn was suiting up for saying “I Do.”

Shawn, a fellow photographer, got to experience being on the other side of the lens; you can catch glimpses of his photography on Instagram @828Visuals.

Amidst the breathtaking canvas of Autumn's final flourish, Latoya and Shawn exchanged vows just before the sun dipped below the horizon. The celebration continued with the dance floor alive with lights and favorite songs. As the night embraced its final moments, the Latoya and Shawn stole away for an intimate last dance, savoring the essence of the day. Loved ones bid them farewell in style, showering them with confetti and streamers, creating a dazzling spectacle as they kissed beneath the moonlight before embarking on their honeymoon.

What a magnificent conclusion to 2023! Wishing you all a Happy New Year – dive into Latoya & Shawn’s wedding pictures to usher in the magic of 2024!

Kaiser Permanente’s Caton Hill Medical Center: September, 2022

On September 19th, 2022, the Kaiser Permanente Caton Hill Medical Center opened, replacing the Woodbridge Medical Center with a new 245,000-square foot medical center in Prince William County.  Four days before the first day of service, Kaiser Permanente held a ribbon cutting ceremony with addresses from Kaiser Permanente directors and Prince William County leadership.

The new Kaiser Permanente hub includes 24/7 advanced urgent care, an outpatient surgical facility, a full featured radioimagery center, and 30 specialties including family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics & gynecology, neurology, oncology, behavioral health, cardiology, pain management, ophthalmology, and optometry.  The complex is LEED Silver certified, and is expected to serve ~40,000 patients and ~320,000 visits each year.

I’m sharing some highlights from covering the event and new facility here.

After the ribbon cutting events, groups of guests were taken on guided tours and allowed the opportunity to explore the new medical campus.

BMW XM Launch Cocktail Party

If you’re a regular follower, you know I frequently attend various car events.  Some of my favorites are those sponsored by automakers showcasing their latest performance and technology offerings, which often has a driving or interactive component.  I have to say, of all the manufacturer events I’ve been to thus far, this cocktail party absolutely wowed me the most.

BMW definitely knows how to run events, I can confidently say from experience after last Summer’s BMW Ultimate Driving Experience featuring an autocross component of their i4 M50.  Likewise, BMW definitely knows how to throw a party.

This wasn’t my first time at the Long View Gallery; in 2015 I attended McLaren’s unveiling of their new 570S, so I expected something like that; I was pleasantly proven wrong before I even got inside the gallery.  The music could be heard from out front, and the mood lighting was a spectacle capturing the attention of passers by.  Inside, guests were welcomed and invited to enjoy signature cocktails at one of the multiple open bars, sample the numerous hors d'oeuvre, (including sushi and ceviche served on a BMW branded ice sculpture), and mingle around the cloaked BMW XM.

Also, any event with a cigar roller is going to automatically win points from me.  This is exactly the second I have seen this; the first was a wedding I photographed over a decade ago.  This cigar roller had cigars for every taste and experience level, with mild, medium, strong, and amaretto; I’m admittedly not knowledgeable about cigars, but I know enough to know I enjoy the extremely occasional one with an Old Fashioned or glass of single malt.  I grabbed a few for myself for a special occasion, and a few for some friends; although there were matches and cutter available, nobody in attendance indulged at the event.

There’s a bit of a joke that I can’t go anywhere without being recognized, and while that’s not entirely true, chance would have it that I got spotted by a fellow commercial photographer also attending the party, and we enjoyed chatting off and on throughout the evening.

Soon it was time for the big reveal.  A brand VP and engineer gave an introduction of the vehicle, and discussed the XM’s vision and performance as the performance crossover was unveiled.  A notable design point of the XM is that it is the first M series SUV to have its own fame design, not sharing its platform with any other model in the BMW lineup; the XM’s platform is entirely BMW M.

Inside, the XM is all performance, with large flappy-paddles, and dedicated M Performance buttons on the wheel.  Passengers are pampered with ventilated leather, and treated to moodlighting and geometric design cues.  In the boot is a custom leather BMW XM travel bag, with dedicated strap and hook to ensure it stays put during spirited drives.

In the alley behind the Long View Gallery sat the original BMW M1, which served as inspiration for the XM.  The mid-engined coupe sports a more traditionally enjoyable 5 speed manual transmission, and propelled 277HP to the rear wheels; only 453 examples exist.

Inside, artist David Garibaldi began live-painting a BMW-inspired piece combining the DC skyline with the BMW XM’s headlight design.  The canvas was also live-silent-auctioned while he was painting.  The entire process took around 30min, but seemed much faster.  It was fascinating seeing his mixed tool process, switching between brushes, blades, and his fingers between strokes.  By the end of his painting, his glasses were smeared, his suit was speckled, and his hands were completely covered in various colors of paint.

Although the main events were finished, the party was still going, with many still lingering to enjoy drinks and get their chance to explore the XM.  With the playlist spinning, I’m surprised an impromptu dance floor never broke out.

On my way out I captured a few photos of the gallery front since I didn’t get any on my way in; besides, it looked better at night with the lights from the party still bumping inside.  BMW had fed us well, but I knew I’d be hungry again a little later after getting home, so I grabbed a go bag from nearby Ghostburger to enjoy as a midnight snack later in the evening.  It’s a spot I’d like to go back to when they’re not about to close - it definitely rounded out the theme of the evening, which was pretty colored lights.

2023 Annapolis Irish Festival • Gaelic Storm

To kick off my birthday week, and give myself a well-needed break, I took myself to the Annapolis Irish Festival.  Having the whole day to myself with no expectations or responsibilities to others hanging over me for the day was such a refreshing sensation I can’t remember the last time I felt, and filling it by being surrounded with my own Irish heritage with a backdrop of Celtic music, my soul felt overwhelmingly unhindered happiness and freedom.

I explored the vendors for some time, mainly in search of a Claddagh ring to hold me over until I settle on options for a bespoke piece; unfortunately, shopping for rings for myself is akin to shopping for pants, because I’m between sizes, and half sizes simply aren’t stocked at such a craft fair.  After browsing, and finally getting something to eat, I settled in to enjoy some of the music more purposefully.

Bastard Bearded Irishmen

Bastard Bearded Irishmen were in the later portions of their set once I finished eating, and I took some pictures of them playing a few of their last songs of the afternoon.

They finished their set with a cover of Sweet Child o’ Mine.

Gaelic Storm

The star act of the Festival was Gaelic Storm; a Celtic band headlined by Patrick Murphy on lead vocals, accordion, and spoons, and English guitarist Steve Twigger, the two remaining original members of the band that shot to fame after being featured performing in 1997’s Titanic.  They are joined by percussionist Ryan Lacey, Peter Purvis on bagpipes and flutes, and the group’s newest member, Natalya Kay, a talented fiddler who joined the ensemble last Summer.

I admit, I’d never heard of Gaelic Storm until a few months ago when a friend in another state saw them perform at an earlier stop on this same tour, and raved to me about them.  (I also have still somehow never seen Titanic in its entirety.)  Coincidentally, the Annapolis Irish Festival had already been on my radar for several months, so between the rave review by a friend, and a sense of reclaiming a tarnished St. Patrick’s Day, I was absolutely going to make sure to see Gaelic Storm play, whether at the Annapolis Irish Festival, or the night before at Leesburg’s Tally Ho.  In the end I’m glad my festival plan ultimately came to fruition.

Suffice to say, Gaelic Storm has a new “storm chaser” (what their fans are known as). I’m not new to Celtic music; I’m a lifelong fan of The Corrs, and was lucky enough to see The Chieftains perform a few years ago, but having already previewed and enjoyed some of Gaelic Storm’s music in the weeks before their concert, I was excited to finally see them live.  As the sun set, Gaelic Storm took to the stage, and I think the pictures will do the rest.

Video

I did take some video, but wasn’t intending on focusing on video, so the audio is trash using the internal mic.  This served me well, however, because it gave me a great set of files to learn on - I’ve been teaching myself Final Cut Pro, as Adobe Premiere Pro still doesn’t have a proper DolbyVision / HDR workflow (come on Adobe, get it together; it’s been 3 years, fix your Rec. 2100 support!).

Ilana and Chris: Married April 28th, 2022

In my blog post about Ilana and Chris’ engagement session, I explained my history with film; how I have never shot on it professionally, and only reached for it for fun, finding novelty in its charming imperfection, and how this appreciation of film for fun and interesting cars is what ultimately brought us all together.

For Chris and Ilana’s wedding, however, like their engagement session, I changed this history, if ever so slightly.  Just like Chris and Ilana love the artistry classic, quirky, and quick cars, they also appreciate share my appreciation of analog’s allure.  So while their big day wouldn’t be the first time I snapped Polaroids at a wedding, it would be the most film I’ve ever shot at any professional session, even if it was a few handfuls.

After getting prepped, and strategically keeping the wedding parties separate, Ilana had a first look with her family on the Anchor Inn’s dock immediately before the ceremony began.  In the refreshing breeze on the Patapsco River, Chris and Ilana took their turns going down the aisle, finally letting Chris choke up seeing Ilana in her dress; a tradition Chris was adamant to keep.

After the breaking the glass (mozal tov!), Ilana and Chris danced on a cloud to kick off their reception.  After dinner and toasts, they cut the cake to the tune of some zany TV theme songs that perfectly fit their silly personalities; King of the Hill, South Park, The Simpsons, and more.  Now it’s officially party time!

Winding down the evening, Chris and Ilana slow danced solo, just them and the music on the dance floor… and maybe a few excited guests who peeked inside through the portal window.  Under an arch of fiber optic sparklers, Ilana and Chris departed, but not before dipping for a kiss one more time, and one more Polaroid.