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!

Through the Lens: The Perfection of Simplicity

As cameras get more complex and expensive and studios begin to resemble operating rooms with intense lighting systems and every other gadget you can imagine, it's easy to forget that as a portrait photographer, it's really about the simple relationship between photographer and subject. I like this stripped down way of shooting - photography's equivalent of playing acoustic. I'm a huge fan of the Holga, mostly because of its imperfection. The portraits below were taken at the end of a portrait shoot with my Holga lens, one light, and one reflector. There is a quiet intensity to the images. Thanks to my model, Meredith, for being such a great subject:)

Through the Lens: New York City from 32 Stories Up

There's always something interesting to see on the streets of New York City, but my favorite views happen well above the city streets. The play between the skyscrapers and the sky create dramatic shadows or moments of quiet beauty. 

"Honeymoon in Vegas: The Musical" and a Couple of Stage Door Johnnys!

In a play, it's all about the timing, and what great timing I had catching Tony Danza, Brynn O'Malley, and Rob McClure in the musical, "Honeymoon in Vegas" before the blizzard of 2015 that's currently shutting down New York City. The play was so much fun, and the post-show tradition of fans waiting by the stage door was even better. Not even the cold rain could dampen our spirits! Here are a few photos:

Actress Brynn O'Malley from "Honeymoon in Vegas:The Musical"

Actress Brynn O'Malley signing autographs after "Honeymoon in Vegas: The Musical"

Actor Rob McClure greeting fans after "Honeymoon in Vegas: The Musical"

The crowd cheers as actor Tony Danza greets them

Actor Tony Danza signs playbills after the Saturday matinee for "Honeymoon in Vegas: The Musical"