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.

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.



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.

Portrait of an Artist: Actor Christopher Bloch

Christopher Bloch, photographed April 7, 2008 by Shannon Finney

This month, Shannon the Photo Gal is celebrating the creative arts, and

actor Christopher Bloch is featured in this edition of Shannon the Photo Gal.

Washington, DC theatre audiences have enjoyed watching Christopher

the Camelion transform himself from a Russian fixer in, "Chess" to the swarthy

Esteban in "Kiss of the Spider Woman". Critics also love his versitility, as

evidenced by his 2009 Helen Hayes Theatre Awards win for his supporting

comedic role in Signature Theater's "Les Miserables." I photographed

Christopher in 2008 when he was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award for

"Christmas Carol 1941." I like this photo so much because it's

Christopher minus the stage make-up and the costumes. It was a

great opportunity to get behind the curtain.

To view more Helen Hayes Awards portraits, click here:

http://www.shutterfly.com/pro/ShannonFinneyPhotography/2011HelenHayesPhotos

Portrait of an Artist

Photograph by Shannon Finney

I've always been curious about movement, which is why I've always

been fascinated by the people who think about and design movement.

Natsu Onoda Power is a theatre director/set designer/author who is

thinking about movement and narrative in ways that challenge

the way audiences experience theatre.

 

Holy Week 2011

Palm Sunday 2011, photographed on April 17, 2011 by Shannon Finney

I spent this past Sunday out in the early morning with my camera, looking

for a little bit of the Easter spirit. Growing up, I thought that Easter was about

shiny new shoes and Easter bonnets and dresses the color of cotton candy. This

year, I wanted to get back to the simple core of meaning of the Easter season,

and I found it in a church yard just outside of Washington, DC. 

A Very Special Cherry Blossom Festival 2011

In Full Bloom, photographed 2010, Washington, DC by Shannon Finney

The 2011 Cherry Blossom Festival officially opens this weekend in

Washington, DC, an annual ritual that celebrates the historic gift of the

cherry blossoms from Japan. And with the recent triple calamities that

have befallen the Japanese people, this year's festival has an almost memorial

feel. Growing up here in Washington, DC, I spent hours down along

the Tidal Basin, walking among the pink and white blooms. I also remember

how sad I was when the blossoms ceased their blooming, and all that once

lived seemedshrouded in death. But, then another year arrives and the blossoms

come back to bloom, back to life. It is a timely message of hope.