Today was the annual Day of Play celebration for the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum, a place I have volunteered for many years! Last year I wished I had my camera to take pictures of the foam, so this year I made sure to have it with me (such a photographer thing to do) :) Kids and adults played in the foam and didn’t mind getting wet. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the celebration of the museum’s 27th birthday!
At the end of May I enjoyed watching and photographing the annual dance recital for Arts in Motion, a local studio that provides dance, music, theater and fine art classes for individuals with disabilities. I might be biased because I serve on the board, but they really do create a family like atmosphere for the students. Despite dropping my most used lens, I got some photos that capture the personalities of students and the fun they have while preforming so I just had to share :)
This was my third year photographing Laugh Fest, my city’s annual fundraiser for Gilda’s Club which allows them to continue providing free support to adults, kids, families and friends of those going through a cancer journey. In past years I’ve documented late night/ adult comedy shows, but this year I chose to photograph kids and family day instead which was so fun! First there was a kids joke show, then drumming for all with Josh, and finally a family improvisation class with the comedy project. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the day!
For 6 weeks this winter my city is hosting the largest winter festival in the US! Ironically the opening weekend events of Word of Winter were cancelled due to a snow storm a couple weeks ago, but “fire and ice” was rescheduled. Last year I was able to take some pictures of fire performers on the ground so this year I brought my camera again to capture some of the ice skating. Thanks to Grand Rapids Entertainment Group and Greater Grand Rapids Figure Skating Club for putting on a great show despite the rain! Here are some of my favorite pictures of the night.
Foster the Family is a new organization in Grand Rapids which provides physical and emotional support within the fist 24 hours of foster care placement to both parents and children as they adapt (sometimes with little notice) to changes in living arrangements. A few weeks ago they had a 5K fundraiser and I got to photograph the day! It was fun seeing other community organizations such as the humane society and the zoo show up to entertain the kids along with inflatable slides and games. I can’t wait to follow along and see how Foster the Family continues to grow and impact more people in Grand Rapids the next few years :)
Last week I went to a really fun event put on by Professionals of Grand Rapids to support an organization that is close to my heart, Arts in Motion which provides art, music, and dance classes for individuals with disabilities. This was such a fun night with live music by the Oxymorons Band , dancing, drumming, a silent auction, and even an Elvis impersonator showing off his skills all to raise money and awareness for Arts in Motion. I’ve always wanted to photograph an event at Meijer Gardens and I know some of the dancers, so when I was asked to document this “winter soiree” it was an easy yes! Here are some of my favorite pictures :)
Just for fun on the last day of this year I thought I’d post my favorite 22 photos taken in 2022. The more I looked through old posts today the harder it became to choose so few pictures to share! Eventually I settled on this combination of professional and personal photo projects and tried to include something from each season :)
The day after Proposal 3 was passed in Michigan to restore women reproductive freedoms, I remembered these photos I took (but never edited) of the protests last June when the supreme court ruled on abortion. Since my days taking pictures for the high school newspaper, part of me has always been drawn to photojournalism. I think it’s important to document and remember what is happening not just nationally but also right in my city. I am proud of the hard work so many volunteers did to make history in my state with drafting petitions, gathering signatures, and encouraging others to vote! Here are some of my favorite pictures from a rally and protest June 25, 2022.
Friends of mine started a tradition back in 2017 of hosting a theme party each September, and I have been able to photograph the fun. Due to Covid (and their having a baby) the 1920’s theme party was delayed two years, but finally it happened. Mary and Aaron have a great backyard for hosting events, and this year the party had musical guests and a magician. Plus, they set up a photo booth with props in their garage! It was so fun to see everyone dressed up and all the themed decorations and food! Here are some of my favorite pictures from the event :)
At the end of June, my niece Sophie turned one! My sister in law set up a cute photo backdrop in their home and decorated for a mermaid themed birthday party. Sophie was in a good mood and eager to show off her new skills of pointing and waving to everyone at the party. She loved eating her cake and looking at all the gifts she was given. Unfortunately, the day we took family pictures Sophie had not slept well and was very attached to her mom. We managed to get a few smiles when she saw dogs or other kids walking by and she loved the few bites of ice cream she was given! Here are my favorite pictures of Sophie from the two photo shoots :)
Last month I was volunteering at Pride Festival in the Open Circle booth, and because I love documenting events, I brought my camera with me :) After two years off due to Covid, all of the festivals are back in Grand Rapids this summer and it’s great seeing people outside doing things that are “normal” in the city! This was my first time visiting Pride and it was a lot of fun seeing the kids, families, adults, and even dogs enjoying food and activities. Plus, everyone was so creative with how they incorporated rainbows into their outfits/ makeup/ hairstyles. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the day.
After a two year hiatus due to Covid, it was so exciting to see Festival of the Arts return to my city last weekend! In true Michigan fashion on Friday I got sunburned while walking around and then Sunday I wore a sweatshirt and raincoat when taking pictures ;) The first two groups to perform Sunday morning were friends of mine, so it worked out perfectly to be there with my camera to capture both of their dance sets. Arts in Motion are the ones featured in this post, they are a local dance and art studio for individuals with disabilities and watching their joy while preforming is contagious, even in the rain they bring smiles. I hope these photos make you smile and if you know anyone with a disability who likes art, dance or music make sure to check them out!
One reason I enjoy photographing events is because I get to learn about all the great organizations in my city. Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids provides free emotional support to children, adults, friends or family of people on a cancer journey or those grieving the death of someone they love from any cause. They run support groups, social events, and provide meals to people in the community and Laugh Fest is their big annual fundraiser. After two years off due to COVID the festival was back for 5 days mid March and I was able to take pictures at two different events. The first was a clean comedy showcase and the second was a family improvisation. I hope that next year I’ll be able to photograph even more events!
I can’t believe this little guy is officially a year old! It’s been so much fun getting to photograph him every three months this last year and see how much he has grown, plus his mom is a good friend of mine so it was a great excuse to see her too! We took a few photos of him while family was arriving for the small backyard party and Ian loved the balloons. Although he didn’t know what to think of his gifts all wrapped up and was hesitant of the cupcake at first, eventually he realized how good frosting is and ate every last bit of it! Here are some of my favorite photos from last weekend :)
In the midst of a busy fall family photo season I had the chance to take pictures of something really fun and unique, a virtual marathon. Courtney got my name from another photographer and luckily I was available on the day she would be running and I was familiar with the course location, around Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids. I was so impressed with the organization and creativity of this event, and of course impressed with Courtney and Jeff running so many miles in the first snow of the year! Here are some of my favorite photos from that day.
Another great event in support of Black Lives Matter happened in my city last weekend and this time it was focused on children. Despite the heat and humidity (even at 10am) there was a great turnout of families for the short march and many of them stuck around for the dance party, crafts, and snacks at the end! I love that this event can be a conversation starter for parents and their kids and it was so great seeing all their homemade signs. I personally don’t have kids but I love them and I wanted to be part of this event so I volunteered to be their photographer :) Here are some of my favorite images.
Last weekend I attended a rally/ march in support of Black Lives Matter. I used to be very hesitant to speak up and show up for causes even if they mattered to me, but I no longer feel comfortable staying home and staying silent. I have also always had a passion for photojournalism and I wanted to document what has been happening in my city. So I listened, I marched, and i took pictures. These are some of my favorites.
My friend Mary and Aaron started a tradition last year of hosting an annual theme party and I’m so grateful they’ve asked me to photograph the event. This year’s theme was the 1970’s and though it was a smaller crowd everyone seemed to have fun playing games and eating foods that were popular in the 70’s. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day!
