Shannon the Photo Gal New York Fashion Week Recap

For those of us who await the Vogue September issue with the joy and anticipation of a child awaiting gifts under the Christmas tree or a football fan getting ready for the Super Bowl, New York Fashion Week is a must. I took my camera and hit the sweltering streets of NYC to catch the fashionable "working it" under the hot late summer sun. Fashion is rarely about comfort, and the men and women of fashion suffered for their art with leather shift dresses, leather skirts, leather leggings, and tall leather gladiator boots. Some tried to keep things cool and sophisticated with billowy pajama-inspired silky separates. It was a great time and I'll have enough fashion memories to keep me happy - at least until the 2014 fall shows:) 

Leather never looked so ladylike

Perforated white = one of my favorite dresses. The beachy blond strands are a bonus!

The royal blue of the turned back cuffs just makes a girl want to get dressed!

Joanna Coles, Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine is strength and beauty in this
fitted sheath and leather booties.

Seeing double with these sophisticated safari-inspired looks

Bare midriff, leather a-line skirt with grommets, and a sexy bondage-inspired heel is
how you work Fashion Week

While the mercury didn't agree, this Fashion Week guest certainly thought it was Leather Weather

Downward dog doesn't seem to be happening at this sidewalk yoga installation

Hey! There's no SMILING at Fashion Week!!

Sometimes the photographers become the stars of the show:)

A little Goth, a little 90s, and a jewel-toned floral print 

Keeping it cool in custom shades

J. Alexander and Robert Verdi keeping cool in the heat at New York Fashion Week

Putting the "style" in stylist:)

Made in the Shade on the way to Betsey Johnson

The Pyjama Game grows up!

In Good Company - Three friends enjoying Fashion Week and each other!

Red and blue make stunning!

Simple elegance beats the heat every time

Who says fashion can't be fun AND pretty??

Two stylish, walking billboards:)

Joe Zee of Elle magazine is in the mix with his palette of navy and black, and his great smile

Violet the Beautiful:)

Black and white and faaaaaaabulous!

Taking a page from Mrs. Carter or Minnelli?

An unforgettable fashion foursome!

Beautiful blooms balanced by a structured black beauty of a tote

The Lincoln Center Fountain doubles as waiting room

Mesh is the word!

A Three Way Tie - Three different ways to work the dress/structured tote/gladiator-bondage sandal

Leather isn't just for fall and winter anymore

Some of the most important people at fashion week don't walk the catwalk - All hail the photographers!!

Purple Power

It's gotta be the shoes!!??

Parting shot from the steps of Lincoln Center

On the go in head to toe leather!

Portrait of an Artist: Baritone VaShawn Savoy McIlwain In Black and White

Washington, DC may be known mostly for its occupant of a certain white manse at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but it is also home to a thriving community of performing artists. When I first met baritone VaShawn McIlwain, he looked like a nice young man with a brilliant smile. And then I heard him sing and it was like someone turned on every light in the room. There is a buoyancy to his delivery that draws you in, and a depth that keeps you there. This young man is an old soul and I can't wait to hear more from him.

VaShawn, photograph by Shannon Finney, Washington, DC, August 2013

The Dream Continues: The March on Washington 50 Years Later

Growing up in Washington, DC, I was always keenly aware of the history that flowed down our city streets and around every corner. Imagine opening up your social studies book and realizing that you had walked down the same street as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the thousands who gathered 50 years ago for the historic March on Washington. This past Saturday, the streets of DC were alive once again, with busloads of students, churchgoers, activists, and curious onlookers gathered to remember and recreate that March on Washington. There were the union members handing out signs calling for more jobs; advocacy groups such as the National Urban League and their Young Professionals shouting out fun chants that preached positivity. There were the college students - from the historically black colleges and universities as well as from Berkeley College, a career-driven college with a sharp focus on employment after graduation. The black sororities and fraternities were there, as were the black churches, like Alfred Street Baptist Church in Historic Old Town Alexandria, VA, and preachers, such as the Rev. Marina Skinner of North Carolina. The day had the feel of a massive family reunion, with groups of friends, old and new, meeting up under the bright blue skies. The World War II Memorial acted as meeting place where one could take a seat by the fountains and away from that persistent cloud of mosquitoes that greets you among the trees alongside the Reflecting Pool. It was a very good day with families bringing their small children to experience history, and as the day went on, watching these little people asleep in their strollers, I wondered what their dreams will be:)

Remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington

This weekend, Washington, DC is getting ready to commemorate the March on Washington. As we remember the March, I want to remember one of the men at the center of this gathering - the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I am an alumna of Boston University's Graduate School of Theology, and knowing that I walked on the same hollowed ground upon which he did when he earned his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University is humbling, yet energizing. And it makes me wonder if there is some current Boston University student who will be inspired to work for social justice.

Photograph by Shannon Finney, August 24, 2011, Washington, DC

Photograph by Shannon Finney, August 24, 2011, Washington, DC

Photograph by Shannon Finney, August 24, 2011, Washington, DC

Photograph by Shannon Finney, August 24, 2011, Washington, DC

Beach Blanket Memories: Good Morning, Spring Lake

Spring Lake, New Jersey has become a second home for my family. With its pristine beachfront, gorgeous homes, and charming B&B's, it's little wonder. I can't pick my favorite time of day in Spring Lake, but early morning is a strong contender. The stately homes that line the streets of Spring Lake are quiet, beautiful monuments to summer days that end all too quickly. And the sky - the early morning sky in Spring Lake is at its most intense, with blues that reflect the waters below, and streaks of yellowy-orange.