Hey guys!

Today I have a real treat for you, which comes in the form of 8-year-old Madison. She’s a dancer, and her mom wanted to showcase her talent in the best way possible, especially since she’s beginning to dance more competitively.

You can tell from the pictures that this little girl is energetic–an important trait for a young dancer.  She’s a constant performer and seems to enjoy herself…a lot!

We met up at a private studio in Fairfax, which I loved because of the range of indoor scenery. Madison’s mom, Monica, handled Madison’s hair and makeup herself.

Not only is Madison a talented dancer, she’s also received voice training from Shirley Ables, a member of the Grammy-award winning gospel group, Shirley Ables and the Joy Gospel Singers. As you can see, Madison’s parents have a lot to be proud of.

Her parents also did a really wonderful job choosing outfits for our session.

“We wanted her head shots to accent her natural look, and the dance shots to allow the focus on her dancing ability so we chose a bright pink shirt for the head shots, but a more muted color, simple leotard for her dance shots,” said Monica. I second that info!

Okay, moving on to what you’ve been waiting for. For your viewing pleasure, pictures of Madison, the dancer!

This family was just awesome to work with. I totally look forward to shooting with Madison in the future. “Overall, it was a great experience. Insana is very patient and kind and can really capture beauty with the lens,” said mom, Monica.

Until next time,

Insana

Today I participated in Career Day at Samuel Ogle Middle School in Bowie, Maryland. As a third-time guest, I’m always excited to share the importance of education to kids, and plus, I get to talk about photography! I brought canvas images of the DC Motobomb and other motorcycle images and shared video of my wedding and portrait sessions. But my favorite part is answering questions from forty 13-year-old 8^th graders, and this year was no exception. Here are some of today’s favorites:

“What is your favorite photograph that you’ve ever taken?”

“What’s the hardest part about photography?” [Great question. Answer? People who don’t want to smile.]

“Do you ever take long-exposure images?” [I wanted to high five this kid for asking the question]

“Are you famous? You seem famous.”

“Do you ever take pictures of celebrities?”

“Do you ever have to PhotoShop people?”

[When asked what they like to take pictures of, the whole room chanted:]

“Selfies!”

[When asked what they like to photograph other than selfies:]

“When I go to El Salvador, I like to take pictures of all the cows.”

“I took picture of a monkey once because it was scratching its butt.”

[After learning that I ride a motorcycle:]

“Do you stunt? Do you take pictures while you stunt?”

Hands flew up over and over again and they asked questions until the school bell rang. Some of the kids even stuck around after class to ask questions about tripods and equipment.

It was fantastic, and honestly, it’s ALWAYS fantastic. I truly enjoy doing it and if someone asks you to participate in a Career Day, you should. You never know who is listening and how your visit could positively influence a child.

Until next time,

Insana

With student escorts and WPGC’s Shack Nd Pack.

On Monday, January 19th, I participated in City Year’s Martin Luther King Jr.’s Day of Service at Eastern Senior High School in Washington, DC.  City Year, an AmeriCorps program with a 15-year history in the District, focuses efforts to improve graduation rates. The program has 158 volunteers working in 13 D.C. public schools, including some of the high schools with the highest dropout rates, as well as elementary and middle schools that feed into them.

As a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy of service to others, City Year considers MLK Day as a day ‘on’ not ‘off’. Each Martin Luther King Jr. Day, City Year mobilizes its 2,800 corps members and thousands more volunteers for a day of service in communities across the nation. In coordination with local partners, City Year AmeriCorps members and volunteers engage in service projects that include painting schools, beautifying neighborhoods and parks, serving in soup kitchens, supporting senior citizens, and running educational activities for children.  [http://www.cityyear.org/dc/mlk]

Arriving at 8 am, I was happy to find that I was one of hundreds of volunteers, and City Year members were there to cheer us on every step of the way.

We have a reputation because we do it like this! Service can be so much fun! #dreamliveson #cyMLK

A video posted by City Year Washington, DC (@cityyeardc) on Jan 19, 2015 at 6:02am PST

Participants immediately attended an opening ceremony, AKA a pep rally, featuring keynotes from DC’s Chief of Schools, John Davis, and DC’s newly elected mayor, Muriel Bowser.

Volunteers were given a variety of activities to choose, from picnic table construction, fleece blanket making, MLK Day Value Bracelet making, gym mural painting, safe sex kit assembly, military care kit assembly, SAT math flashcard creation and more. Along with a group of about 12 volunteers, I elected Leadership Actions Mural painting, which took place just two blocks away at Center City Public Charter School.

These murals were intended for the management and leadership offices of Center City PCS. There were quotes like, “Design, Develop and Deliver High Quality Professional Development” and “Lead Outcome Oriented Meetings with Clear Protocols.” We talked, painted, and sang Motown hits.

I met some really cool City Year volunteers and alumni, brushed up on my painting skills (pun intended), and hopefully, made a difference. I honestly can’t wait to participate next year!

-Insana

Couldn’t attend the service day, but still want to support it? Make a donation to support City Year’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/cydcservice/.