McNally Smith College of Music 25th Anniversary

I love working for McNally Smith College of Music. Last week they had their 25th Anniversary celebration and asked me to come and photograph it. Here are a few of my favorites from the night!

Roosevelt University : Jazz!!

This was my LAST visit to Chicago for the Roosevelt University Performing Arts series and what a note to end on! It was two days full of incredible jazz music. You know your job is fun when you get to shake your hips to a latin jazz ensemble while working! I feel so honored to have had the opportunity to work with such talented people. One of my absolute favorite things in the world is watching people do what they love. 

Roosevelt University : Student Opera

I have been traveling to Chicago to shoot events at Roosevelt University and have loved watching students do what they love and are so good at. All of the people involved in this opera from the actors/singers to the crew to the orchestra were so dedicated and fiercely talented. It is never easy to choose an artistic path, there are many uncertainties and challenges along the way, so when I see people who are embracing it I get so excited. 

“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.”

YogaFresh!

I'm so inspired by and drawn to people who are athletic and who challenge their bodies in ways that make them more balanced, more confident, more interesting and more engaged with life. Yoga does exactly that. I have been a newbie yogi for some years now, dropping into a class here and there when I can. Jen Wyman, owner of YogaFresh in Woodbury, contacted me about photographing her studio and staff in exchange for classes and I immediately said yes. I thought this was the perfect opportunity to accomplish one of my goals for 2010-deepening my yoga practice. I have seen it change people and have always wondered what I would feel like if I were consistently practicing. Like anything new, it can take a leap of faith to jump in and be completely open to learning. Thanks to Jen for a great photo shoot and the inspiration to bring yoga more deeply into my life!