Monday, June 27, 2011

Coming Home


Photographs by Shannon Finney, June 27, 2011

In honor of Veterans' Day, here is a repost of one of my favorite
Shannon the Photo Gal moments:)

Monday morning was one of the best mornings I've had in a while. I skipped
my usual double espresso and, instead, headed out to the airport to
witness the arrival of my friend, David, from a yearlong military
deployment. Looking at his wife Julie and their daughter, Evie,
throw their arms around each other, I wondered about this
innate impulse every creature has for home. Home is a place of
rest and a place of joy, and on days like today, I can't help
but feel that this longing for home isn't God's way of showing us
a glimpse of God's nature. So welcome home, David, and to the
hundreds more who are taking this same journey.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Selections from the Summer, Sand, and Sea Series

"A Prayer", Photo by Shannon Finney, April 2007, Outer Banks, North Carolina

When I'm at the beach, my favorite time of day is early
morning, before the brightly colored umbrellas begin
to dot the sand scape, before the first sandcastles of the
day have been constructed, and before the screams and
giggles of the children at play on a day at the beach. In
the morning, the only sounds are waves and gulls. On
the morning that I snapped this photo, I had noticed this
lone surfer striding down the beach, board in tow, each
step more deliberate than the next. And then he stopped,
and stood looking out. I don't know if he was praying or
meditating or just simply looking out, enjoying the view.
But for that moment, the beach was transformed into
sacred space.


Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Portrait of the Artist: Composer/Conductor Julian Wachner


Photograph by Shannon Finney, July 2010, Washington, DC


It's always fun when a portrait shoot takes an unexpected twist, and when
the shoot involves Julian Wachner, well let's just say that it wasn't all
THAT unexpected:) Julian sports lots of titles: doctor, maestro, composer
organist, pianist, professor, and, the most recent addition, Director of Music
and Arts for the renowned music program at Trinity Wall Street Episcopal
in Lower Manhattan. But behind all of the genius is a generous man
with a great sense of humor, and hence the photo above. While it
may not make his next CD cover, it's got a place of honor on my wall.