The Mother-of-the-bride

The Mother-of-the-bride, photographed by Shannon Finney, Alexandria, VA, January 2013

 

The pathway from newly engaged to walking down the aisle can be fraught -

packed with binders over-stuffed with details, and hours of planning. And

while good friends are there to assist, there is one member of the

wedding party who often takes on the Herculean task of project manager and

that's the mother-of-the-bride. She is catering manager, transportation

coordinator, and dresser. I snapped this photograph during a wedding

shoot and I love it because within it is the essence of the bond between mother

and daughter - the constancy of care no matter when and no matter what. 



An Inauguration Memory

Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, Washington, DC /Photograph by Shannon Finney

Now that the holidays are over, denizens of the Beltway have turned their attention to the

upcoming second Inaugural celebrations for President Obama (or POTUS, as we

affectionately call him). And as Washington, DC gives itself a good polish, I have been

thinking about the first Inauguration of President Obama, back on January 20, 2009. It was

freezing that day, and as my husband and I stepped out of the warm Metro station and

onto the cold streets of Capitol Hill, I realized that those hand warmers were going to be

insufficient. Security was tight that day, with concrete barriers and chain link fencing everywhere you

turned. And while the throngs of people were impressive, the most visually jarring

thing to me were instances where there was an absence of people and cars. When I took

the above photo, I was having one of those "Vanilla Sky" moments where it was

eerily quiet and still. 

In Celebration of Small Wonders

Photograph by Shannon Finney, December 2009, Alexandria, Virginia

One of my favorite childhood memories was Grandma hauling out the big box from the back of the closet with our family Nativity scene. The figurines were small and chipped from decades of wear and tear and Christmastime appearances. Grandma would let my sister and I set up the figurines on the coffee table in the living room, though I would wander in and out of the room throughout the holidays adjusting the figures, and treating them like Biblical action figures. My love of miniatures continues, but it reaches its zenith at Christmas. I photographed the above Nativity scene several years ago at a church in Old Town Alexandria, and it's one of my favorites. It feels like a three-dimensional, pastoral painting, set in rural Europe, rather than in the Middle East. The humans and the barnyard animals all have that calm, bemused expression on their faces, which makes this small wonder a visual treat.

 

Portrait of an Artist: Molly Smith

Photo by Shannon Finney, October 2012, Washington, DC

When Molly Smith was named artistic director of Arena Stage in Washington, DC, people wondered how a risk-taking champion of new plays, and old plays in new ways, would do in this buttoned-down town. Now, the question is what would this buttoned-down town have done without her. And while there have been countless articles written about her, seeking to describe and dissect her approach to theatre, the photograph above shows the simple of truth behind her dedication to this art form, and that is love - a pure love of theatre's ability to communicate directly to an audience. I took this photo as Ms. Smith was being serenaded by Nicholas Rodriguez, star of Arena Stage's current production of "My Fair Lady", singing "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face."

Oh, Deer - Or, How a Wedding Shoot Became a Wild Adventure

Oh, Deer!, Photo by Shannon Finney

While wedding crashers may not be common, far less common are

wedding crashers galloping top-speed through a wedding reception,

but that's exactly what happened at a recent wedding shoot. Bambi

appeared at the edge of a nature preserve that backs up to the reception site,

and when the poor dear (or deer) noticed the hundred or so guests

dining inside of the tent, he or she sped off, running towards the

two trees where the wedding ceremony had taken place earlier. Looking

on were two of the wedding guests - a mother and her son who were

mere feet away from our galloping gate crasher.

Say "Cheese!"

Photograph by Shannon Finney Photography, October 2012, Burke, Virginia

Photographs of large groups are usually a study in proportion and precision, but that's only in the finished product. I've found that the time between the takes is the most fun. My favorite moment in this photograph has to be the little girl standing arm-raised on the left side of the image - she's a superstar in the making!

A Love Letter in Photos to Jaylee Mead

 

This week, all of Washington, DC and the theatre world beyond the Beltway celebrated the life of Jaylee Mead. Her passing this week brought forth tributes from several generations of actors, actresses, directors, and writers. We have all been touched, in some way, by Mrs. Mead's passion for performance and her generosity. I first met Mrs. Mead, along with her late husband, Gilbert, at a charity event about fifteen years ago. I was working at a radio station and trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and there were the Meads, talking excitedly with the young artists we were there to fete. Over the years, I would see the Meads, and later, just Mrs. Mead, at other arts and charity events, always excitedly talking to the performers and encouraging them to live out their creative dreams. When I made the decision to pursue photography full time, there was Mrs. Mead, talking excitedly to me. I spent one of the best afternoons at Mrs. Mead's home. With the sparkling Potomac River glistening just beyond her balcony, Mrs. Mead shared with me a bit of her story, including old scrapbooks and photos. She taught me that generosity isn't just about writing a big check - no, it's simpler than that. It's about giving your whole heart enthusiastically and unreservedly. She will be missed.