Sometimes the “weeds” shine brighter than the flowers. I was inspecting my garden this morning and had to run back inside the grab the macro lens.

I had the pleasure of taking a free Knowledge Commons DC class taught by Mitch Goldstein and Anne Jordan of Hypothesis, Ltd. It was entitled “Looking Closer: A Photographic Image-Making Workshop.” The main focus was on the difference between looking and seeing. In this current trend of capturing snapshots of everything, we often document the world [...]

I discovered the best seat in the house is not the front row – it’s the cat walk. I crouched in costume with my camera for the entirety of the show because it was just so beautiful to watch.

I joined the Gin Dance Company in January 2012 and have loved every minute of it. We recently performed at the Kennedy Center Millenium stage (for my birthday!) I offered to photograph my fellow dancers in “The Core,” choreographed by our director, Shu-Chen Cuff. Here is my favorite shot!   Photo copyright – Stokefire, Inc.

Eric Lieberknecht is a talented designer that specializes in custom cabinetry and millwork. He designs a lot of kitchens, and when one of them won a prestigious award, he asked me to take some new business portraits.

I’m always seeking to learn new things and broaden my knowledge of the world. Curiosity hasn’t killed me yet. On Saturday I took a calligraphy class with Michele Hatty Fritz of Meant to be Calligraphy. I’ve taken an eight week class focusing on broad tip traditional calligraphy before, but I felt more accomplished and excited [...]

Upon discovering that the name Meals On Wheels has 99% name recognition, the national association decided to unite the thousands of local programs across the country with a new visual identity. The requirements included creating a logo with the entire phrase: “We Are Meals On Wheels, so no senior goes hungry.” It also required a [...]

Food photography has great perks – mostly in that it sits still for the camera and you get to eat it after you’re done. While photographing all the food for Made with Love: The Meals On Wheels Family Cookbook, I’m pretty sure I gained a few pounds. I worked with the talented Chef Danielle Turner, [...]

Seniority is a journal that offers unique and critical perspectives on nutrition, healthcare, and wellness issues affecting individuals 60 and older. It aims to fill a significant gap in practical, evidence-based insights related to these issues. The publication seeks to bridge the gap between theory and practice and be a definitive resource to a diverse [...]

I met Sara Jansen and Emily Mott while we were all dancing at the Richmond Ballet as trainees. Sara and Emily co-direct the Charlottesville Ballet and recently opened the Charlottesville Ballet Academy. They contacted me to give them an updated, elegant look to celebrate the new school. Incorporated into the mark is movement, pointe shoe ribbons, and [...]

Experimental artwork made for a school alumni show in 2006. I created the sculpture with threads, then photographed it and added a few trailing threads digitally.

Original logo design, food photography, and recipe card and book design for the S.M.I.L.E. program.

About ten years ago I registered my birthday in Chase’s Calendar of Events (the most comprehensive calendar of holidays) as National Kite Flying Day. Ever since then, I get yearly fan mail from teachers and curious people around the country asking if I have any promotional materials. I finally got around to having my answer [...]

Every year hundreds of Meals On Wheels programs around the nation gather to learn from each other, share ideas, and work together towards ending senior hunger. The 2010 conference was held in Atlanta, Georgia, so it was only fitting that summery peaches conferencing together become the visual theme for the three day event. Crisp, light [...]

My letterpressed Jack’s Mannequin poster that was printed at the Bowe House Press has been spotted in the Wordplay exhibit! (Even if they did hang it upside down.)

There’s an awesome group in DC called Photohispana. I’ve been having fun working with them for a few months now. It is a collaboration between models, photographers, costume designers, and makeup artists getting together to create art.

I had the honor of photographing the VCU 2010 Dance graduates and designing the collateral for their last show at their school. Postcard: Poster:

Bauer Bodoni is a great font for wedding invitations and fashion magazines. It’s time to take it off the pedestal and into every day life! I had fun not using Photoshop in these posters. Everything was made by hand, that is my car, and the grocery list is still on my fridge! Thankfully though, my [...]

I had the pleasure of art directing, photographing, and editing this full fashion spread for RVA Magazine. It was a fun experience to gather the clothes and accessories from across the country, let alone gather all the lamps for this shoot.

These two spreads were a part of a larger magazine whose focus was on teaching design principles to students. I researched the content, wrote the articles, took all the photography and laid out the spreads. The first article teaches students how to create contrast in their design, stating that design and contrast are inseparable beings [...]

A great tragedy befell Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, leaving many grieving hearts with lost loved ones. My postcard series is an effort to honor those who died that day. I researched the victim’s lives and find out a memorable trait or quirk that could be illustrated and remembered. Delving into folk art, I [...]

These were a labor of love and I’m quite happy with how they turned out! I learned a lot while letterpressing these, including how to create custom polymer plates, mix inks that complement the paper, and how to manipulate the paper to get a beautiful impression. I printed these at the Bowe House Press at [...]

Hans Wegner is regarded as one of the greatest furniture designers. He was trained as a cabinetmaker in Denmark and his work demonstrates impeccable craftsmanship. His designs were modern, functional, and beautiful. I developed an interactive Flash site with a coordinating printed catalog. Printed Pieces:

I designed the identity system and collateral for a fictional lighting company that sells light bulbs and advocates the proper usage of the right kinds of light for specific tasks. Take a look!

In the summer of 2007 I had an internship with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It was amazing to work with a non-profit where I could see the results of the work I was doing give someone suffering some hope and support. The MS Society does amazing work for people living with MS everywhere. This [...]

Some of my favorite memories in college took place at the Richmond Ballet.

People happen to be my favorite subjects.

Radiohead is hailed for being experimental in not only their music, but also their distribution of it. This packaging was designed for their most recent album, In Rainbows. The lead singer, Tom Yorke, spoke of the lyrics as being about the relationship between a man and a woman, and this packaging is an interpretation of [...]

Every year I publish a calendar featuring my latest dance photography.

I’ve been working on photography for a recipe book, take a look at the progress!

Willie Hinton performs his self choreographed piece Strange Fruit in Rapture’s premiere performance in the summer of 2008.

This was a video I made fusing together old performance footage and new rehearsal footage to bring new life into one of my favorite variations ever. Please excuse my under rehearsed dancing though! I art directed and edited this film, the filming was done by Jelise Chung, Mike Garrett, and David Benson. Choreography is by [...]

A movie inspired by an excerpt from Alan Lightman’s book, Einstein’s Dreams. The music is by Phillip Glass, the video was shot by Jelise Chung, and I art directed and edited the whole thing. Enjoy!

Ben Day was an awe-inspiring professor. Any time he offered his soft spoken critiques or drew with his shaky hands, you got the feeling you were in the presence of graphic genius. These are not genius, but I still like the work I did then. Below is a spread for an exhibit featuring Isamu Noguchi. [...]

I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding of Darlene and Will in October.