The Scene: The 2015 Capital Pride Parade

It was hot and it was humid and it was fun! The Capital Pride Parade is one of the must-attend events capping off Pride Week here in Washington, DC. Here are a few highlights:

The Scene: A Congressional Celebration for WTOP Congressional Correspondent Dave McConnell

Dave McConnell of WTOP has covered Capitol Hill longer than any other reporter, and members of the House and Senate gathered to celebrate his 50th anniversary with Washington's all-news WTOP. On hand to fete McConnell were Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Senator Patrick Leahy, DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, Representative Barbara Comstock, and former members of the U.S. House of Representatives Jim Moran and Tom Davis.

Senator Tim Kaine (Virginia), Dave McConnell, Senator Mark Warner (Virginia), and former
Congressman Tom Davis

Senator Patrick Leahy (Vermont) shares a laugh with Dave McConnell

Dave McConnell with Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland

Dave McConnell surrounded by well-wishers including former Congressman Tom Davis (far left) and Senator Ben Cardin (second from the left)

Dave McConnell accepts a very special 50th anniversary commemoration from DC Delegate
Eleanor Holmes Norton

Dave McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell

Dave McConnell with WTOP Senior News Director Mike McMearty and former Congressmen Jim Moran

Radio host Joe Madison (far right) of SiriusXM celebrates with Dave McConnell

Don't drop this mic - a touching present from WTOP to Dave McConnell

A very special present from DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton for Dave McConnell

Representative Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26) with Dave McConnell

Dave McConnell with Representative Barbara Comstock (VA-10)

Have You Ever Had This Much Fun with an Accordion?

Lauren Cook plays clarinet and accordion in the United State Navy Band, as well as in the New Orchestra of Washington. In addition to her tremendous talents as a performer, she is one of my favorite people to put in front of my camera, as this photo clearly shows. 

Women's History Month Portrait of an Artist: Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell

There are so many words you can use to describe Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell. Singer, composer, violinist, speech pathologist, activist - but the word that truly sums her up is this: storyteller. Dr. Barnwell has led thousands of people in communities around the world in using the framework of African American music traditions to tell their own stories. Her vocal community workshops bring amateur and professional singers together to learn and sing. You enter as strangers and throughout the course of the evening, a bond forms, and soon these strangers are singing as if they were a choir that's been performing together for years. It's a study in how we can dissolve the boundaries which, on the surface, separate us from each other. By the end of the night, new friendships have formed and people are sharing their personal stories with each other. 

March Madness Meet March FABness!

They say that March roars in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, so here is a fierce, fashionable welcome to an outrageous March, courtesy of a couple of fierce fashion kids:)

Staying Warm while Staying Fashionable: A New York Fashion Week How-To!

Arctic winds and single-digit temps aren't enough to keep the fashionable off of the frozen streets of New York City for New York Fashion Week!

Top 5: Five Things You Don't Know About Actor Meredith Richard

Actors spend so much time learning the interior lives of the characters they play that it's only natural that we're all a little curious about the actors playing these parts. So here are The Top 5 Things about Washington, DC-based actor Meredith Richard that you didn't know, and if you'd like to see her onstage, check out the NextStop Theatre Company production of "The Secret Garden" in Spring 2015!

Meredith's Top 5 Things:

1. I got my B.A. at LAMDA in London and I lived there for four years.
2. BBQ ribs are my favorite food - both to cook and to eat!
3. My favorite color is green.
4. I enjoy writing poems, especially comedic/story type poems, but I rarely read them aloud.
5. My favorite animals are house cats and bats.

And to see my Top 5 portraits of Meredith, click here to visit my Shannon Finney Photography Facebook page!