PGR/ AIM Winter Soiree

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 :)

1920's Party

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 :)

Grand Rapids Pride Festival

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.

Festival of the Arts

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!

Laugh Fest 2022

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!

Miss G Ballet summer recital

This was the second recital I’ve been able to photograph for the kids of Miss G ballet and even though it was a super humid day they were a joy to watch! Miss G, or Gia as I know her, runs an awesome dance program from her home which instills self confidence in kids while teaching them the foundations of ballet. Her group continues to grow each session and I absolutely love being an honorary member of the club/ official photographer. Here are some of my favorites from their summer recital two weeks ago!

Ian's first birthday

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 :)

Virtual NYC Marathon

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.

Children's March

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.

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.