Baby Boy



Photograph by Shannon Finney, January 2012, Washington, DC

There is nothing more peaceful than a sleeping baby, and on the day that

 I first met little baby Justin, he was slumbering away. His stillness and

his smallness make him so vulnerable, and it was these two qualities that

made this photo for me. His father quite literally holds the life of this little

one in his hands. This fragility anchored in strength in a way sums up the

parent-child bond.

Shannon the Photo Gal's 2011 Year in Review

It's been an amazing year of incredible stories, from earthquakes to epic winter storms, and stories closer to home. I've taken thousands of photographs in 2011 and here is a brief highlights reel of the year in review as captured through my camera lens. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

JANUARY- In January 2011, we were singing "Ice, Ice Baby" with
brutally cold temperatures and treacherous ice storms that left
thousands stranded on Washington, DC area highways for hours.


FEBRUARY - While most east coasters dream of sunny skies and warmer

climates during February, Washingtonians who are more

theatrically inclined look forward to the announcement of nominees

for theatreWashington's annual Helen Hayes Awards. Below, Rick

Hammerly of Factory 449 and theatreWashington's Linda Levy

Grossman share a dramatic moment for the camera.



MARCH - While the New York City St. Patrick's Day parade is legendary

and larger than life, I'm a fan of Old Town Alexandria's celebration. Below,

two dancers take a well-deserved break in the courtyard of the

historic Christ Church.

APRIL - Who is that high-flying young girl? Why it's Margot, enjoying

a fantastic Easter Sunday moment with her dad, Chris.

MAY - It's a great thing when two friends come together and make a family.

For John and Tiffany that dream came true and the joy on their wedding

day was palpable.

JUNE - Homecomings come in all different varieties, and when David returned

to U.S. soil after serving his country in far-off hot spots, all he needed was a

comfortable tile floor at Dulles Airport and his daughter.

JULY - Summertime and the living in Washington, DC was anything but easy.

It's during times like these that a park bench and a shave-ice are your

only chances for relief, until your little brother attempts to pick off

of your cold treat!

AUGUST - Washington, DC's National Mall is a rarefied parcel of land that

has managed to avoid the slapdash architectural sprawl that can ruin a city.

So it was with great anticipation that Washingtonians awaited the

construction and dedication of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. national

memorial. When the memorial opened in August, neither DC's

outrageous humidity nor the swarms of mosquitoes dogging our every

step could keep tourists and locals away.

SEPTEMBER - In late August 2011, Washingtonians were shaken, not stirred, by

an earthquake and a series of aftershocks that made us all think we'd been

transported from the banks of the Potomac to the Pacific coast! All of that

rocking and rolling put some of the landmarks of the Nation's Capitol

at risk, chief among them being the Washington Monument. By September,

a high-flying team of inspectors repelled down the side of the monument,

a stunt you'd more likely see in a Nick Cage movie, and not in real life.

OCTOBER - For those of you who want to step up your Halloween game,

the annual High Heels Race in DC's Dupont Circle neighborhood is the

scene. The 2011 race marked the gathering's 25th anniversary and the

two divas below showed us why this ain't no simple game of dress-up!

NOVEMBER - For 2011, we kept the turkey, ditched the football, and picked

up the Jackman, actually, actor Hugh Jackman at his one-man Broadway show. After

nearly 40 rain-soaked minutes outside of the Broadhurst Theatre, my patience

was rewarded when the Jackman appeared!

DECEMBER - If you think there are angels hovering around, well then December

is the month for you! These little cherubim put on their best halos for an annual

Christmas pageant.



A Christmas Pageant

An annual holiday tradition is the children's Christmas Pageant. Some pageants feature splashy lighting and production numbers that rival Broadway shows, while others opt for the homespun feeling of little kids deciding to put on a show. One of my favorite pageants takes place at Christ Church in Alexandria, Virginia, with the children portraying Mary and Joseph, the Shepherds in the field, and the animals who shared the stall where baby Jesus was born. I can't think of a better way to get in a Christmas mood:)

November Sky



November Sky, photographed November 26, 2011 in Washington, DC by Shannon Finney

Sometimes the perfect photograph happens when you're busy doing
something else. That was the case with this photo. My husband and
I were driving through Washington, DC after a birthday party for my mom.
We were fighting heavy traffic when my husband decided to take a detour
home, up Pennsylvania Avenue. It was dusk and and the warm day was giving
way to a cooler night. We decided to take our detour even farther, ending

up at the west front of the U.S. Capitol, and that's when I looked to my right.

My husband barely had time to stop the car when I darted out, camera in hand.
Dozens of people were milling about but all was quiet. I think we were all
captivated by the dazzling November sky blanketing us from above, this
celestial sea of pinks/oranges/blues. In a city with so many amazing
landmarks and architectural splendors - the Washington Monument,
the Capitol dome, etc. - it's nice to marvel at a truly natural wonder.

Picture of the Day: All in a Day's Work



Photograph by Shannon Finney, November 6, 2011, Alexandria, Virginia

A "must-see" event in the life of a church is a baptism. While this is a sacred rite of passage, in churches where children and infants are christened, this solemn moment is sometimes punctuated by the unexpected and the humorous, as in the photo above. Rector Pierce Klemmt of Christ Church in Old Town Alexandria, VA, though, handled this temperamental tot like a pro, and soon she was all smiles.   

The Stars Come Out: theatreWashington's 2011 Star Gala and Benefit Auction

theatreWashington celebrated it's official launch this week with a gala and auction benefiting their ongoing efforts for the Washington, DC theatre community. Jaylee Mead, benefactor extraordinaire of Washington theatre, was presented with the "Helen's Star" Award and Eleasha Gamble, actress and star of Arena Stage's production of "Oklahoma!", gave Star Gala guests a marvelous musical send-off.

Molly Smith of Arena Stage and Linda Levy Grossman

Ari Roth of Theatre J

Helen's Star award recipient Jaylee Mead along with Victor Shargai

Jaycee Haywood with Victor Shargai

The Picnic Theatre Company

Michael Bobbitt of Adventure Theatre with Dorothy McSweeney

Eric Schaeffer of Signature Theatre

Felicia Curry and Eleasha Gamble

Victor Shargai

Highflying Moments at the Washington Monument

Photograph by Shannon Finney, September 29, 2011, Washington, DC

We've seen it all here in Washington, DC, from hurricanes to flash
floods to political parties locked in conflict, and even the odd Presidential
Inauguration, but this past August topped all when an earthquake,
centered an hour down the road, hit the area. While most of us
were spared major devastation, several iconic structures, including
the National Cathedral and the Washington Monument, were damaged.
This week, engineers took to the skies, repelling down the sheer
face of the Washington Monument to assess the earthquake damage,
and we're all taken out our cameras to capture this very rare sight.