Cuba 2024

The first week of January (including New Years Eve) I had the opportunity to travel to Cuba with a group put together by Laura Ericson Group Trips. Our guide for the week, Cassie, made sure we ate in the best restaurants and saw the real Cuba outside of the tourist areas. We spent a few days in Havana then got to see the beautiful countryside in Vinales before returning to Havana again. Classic cars are just as common as modern cars on the roads in Cuba, and made for some great photo opportunities. Here are some of my favorite pictures from the week :)

Michigan Scenery

I’ve traveled to northern Michigan twice in the last two months and am finally taking time to look through the photos I took! Fall is such a pretty time in this state and I have pulled over on the side of a road more then once to take pictures of trees (or a rainbow) ;) Here are a few favorites, the locations are:

1 and 2. Grand Haven State Park lighthouse/ pier

3 and 4. Laughing Whitefish falls, Munising

5. Wagner Falls, Munising

6. Miners Falls, pictured rocks/ Munising

7 and 8. Rainbow near Interlochen

9, 10, 11, 12. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Sleeping Bear Dunes

13. Empire Bluff trail, Sleeping Bear Dunes

14. Empire Beach, Sleeping Bear Dunes

15. DH day farm, Glen Arbor

Hudsonville Varsity Lacrosse

Before yesterday I had never been to a Lacrosse game so I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I showed up to support a high school student I know. Since photo season has not gotten very busy yet I thought this would be a fun opportunity to try taking pictures of the game. I am not trying to be a professional sports photographer and since this project was just for fun I gave myself permission to edit creatively :) Here are some of my favorites from the game!

Italy 2021

Back in September, between COVID variants, I was lucky enough to travel to Italy (rescheduled from April 2020). I had the opportunity to visit Rome, Florence and Venice which was a photographers dream! I took so many pictures but finally this winter had time to go through and edit them. It was hard deciding what to share but I hope you enjoy seeing Italy though my eyes and maybe get inspired to take you own trip in the future :)

Winter in Grand Haven

I feel so lucky to live less then an hour from multiple beaches on Lake Michigan and Grand Haven is one of my favorites because the pier is so photogenic! I’ve photographed many summer sunsets at the state park but never ventured out in the winter - until now. Friday was a “warm” winter day with sunshine and no wind so I decided it was the perfect time to bundle up and try out some winter photography. I ended up spending two hours at the beach walking around, taking pictures and people watching. Here are some of my favorite photos :)

Black Lives Matter Protest

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.

Tulip Time 2020

Although Tulip Time festivities were cancelled this year due to COVID-19 I am fortunate to live close to Holland and had the opportunity to go see the Tulips and take some photos earlier this month. It was really fun to walk through places like Windmill Island without having to deal with huge crowds of people, but I do hope the festival can return next year because I know these places are taking a big financial hit without the tourists. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the tulips :)

Belize Trip

I’ve been home a week from my trip to Belize with Highland Park Church youth group and Experience Mission and couldn’t wait to start editing my photos. I’ve been on several mission trips in my life and always enjoy traveling to new countries and learning about their culture. However, this was the first time I had no other job aside from photography. I am so grateful for the opportunity to spend a week with some wonderful people doing things like exploring Mayan ruins, building an addition on a church, and snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea! Here are some of my favorite pictures :)

Winter Scenery

Last week a friend asked me if I had any scenic winter photos and after looking through my archives I realized I did not have many.  I love being outside in all seasons and I always take a ton of photos in the fall, but never think to walk around a park with my camera to capture the beauty of fresh snow.  West Michigan is due for a warm up this weekend so I went to Aman Park Tuesday after work and captured a few photos before the sun set and before I slipped and fell on the ice that was hiding under the snow ;)  I'm now hoping for more snow before winter is over becasue there are more places around Grand Rapids that I want to explore and take photos!

Northern Michigan Scenery

It's been a busy summer but I've managed two quick trip "up north" and wanted to share a few of my favorite photos from Ludington, Mackinaw, and Fish Town.  I am not much of a nature photographer but am so thankful to live in a state that has places like this within a days drive!  Pictures don't do it justice but I had to try :)

HIS Dance Ballet

I love ballet and last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing a rehearsal for HIS Dance Academy's spring show "Desert: A Good Samaritan Story" which they are preforming on March 11 and 12.   The girls (and guy) did a great job and I can't wait to see them on the stage next weekend! To purchase tickets to the show go here: http://dcaw.org/events.php?eid=283

Here are some of my favorite photos