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.