Summertime Mini Session Fun for Yoga Heights DC - Cheryl Tanski

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but here in Washington, D.C. we've been blessed with a beautifully cool weekend and early start to the week. Think: 80 degrees, zero humidity and sunshine for days. . Why can't it always be like this...

In celebration of these gloriously spring-like summer days, I thought I would share the next installment of my Yoga Heights mini sessions with you, featuring the flawless Cheryl Tanski.

While I love most mini-session client photos (I really, truly do), there's something about Cheryl's demeanor in these snaps that just fills me with joy, don't you think?

Take & look and let me know.

Summertime Mini Session Fun for Yoga Heights DC - Juliana Cole

Happy hump day! To help start off your Wednesday in style I thought I'd share the latest installment of my marathon mini session at Yoga Heights featuring the fab Juliana Cole.

Aren't her asanas awesome? I wish I could bend like that!

Until then, I'll just keep taking pictures of people that can :)

Summertime Mini Session Fun for Yoga Heights DC - Bethany VanderSluis

Another day, another week and another awesome mini session to share with you! 

Meet Bethany VanderSluis -- another yogi from the Yoga Heights family that had the privilege of photographing a few months ago.

I'm totally in love with this mini session -- I think Bethany totally nailed every aspect of her mini shoot. From her outfit choice to her poses, this session looks absolutely gorgeous!

Stay tuned for more posts from my Yoga Heights mini session marathon 

Summertime Mini Session Fun for Yoga Heights DC - Jess Pierno

There's something about yoga mini sessions that I just love.

The set up is always simple -- 20 minutes and one location -- but the results are almost always fabulous.

Take Jess Pierno's mini session for example. She's the fabulous co-owner of Yoga Heights, a mom and busy business lady. She looks so strong, confident and poised -- you'd never guess we were moving through poses as the rate we were.

Jess's is the first of a few Yoga Heights mini sessions I'll be sharing over the coming weeks -- get ready to see alllllll the poses!

My USO VETOGA Video in Honor of International Yoga Day!

Today is the longest day of summer and -- not coincidently -- the International Day of Yoga.

In honor of this extra-long day of daylight, I thought I would share something that is the perfect expression of the wonders of yoga *and* the wonderful work I get to do as part of my job for the USO: a video piece (and photos. and a print story.) about a local nonprofit in the DC area -- VETOGA.

I don't want to give away too much of the story, but here's a sneak peak at what it's all about:

Justin Blazejewski knew something was wrong.  

In 2008, the Marine Corps veteran — who had been working as government contractor in active war zones on and off since 2005 — noticed that the stress of his job near the front lines was beginning to take its toll on his mental health. 

“The stress and depression and all that stuff started coming in,” Blazejewski said.  

Aware that Blazejewski was battling depression and extreme stress, Blazejewski’s roommate at the time invited him to attend a yoga class with her under the guise that it might help him recover from a recent ankle surgery he had earlier that year.  

“She was trying to trick me because she knew the meditation would help with the stress and the depression,” Blazejewski said. 

But by the end of his first yoga class, he was hooked.  

“I was like, there’s something special going on here so I have to get more of this and see what this is all about,” he said. 

Almost immediately, Blazejewski began to incorporate yoga into his everyday life, practicing five to six times a week. After a year of attending classes and one life-changing yoga retreat in Bali, Blazejewski decided to become a yoga teacher so he could bring the transformative power of yoga to others like him... read more here!

Sounds interesting, right? Oh! I forgot to mention, I also shot some sweet photos in addition to shooting the feature video and writing a mini story about the organization.

Check them out!

Yoga Heights: March Shoot in the District

Another day, another shoot for my fabulous client Yoga Heights.

Earlier this spring, I had the opportunity to snap these fun, colorful pictures of the current Yoga Teacher Training group in action. The result? More colorful, fun photos for my latest client.

Everyone at the shoot was so smiley, welcome and genuinely happy to be there -- all things that make my job as a photographer about 8 million times easier.

I already can't wait for my next shoot with them!

Better Late Than Never: Fall Back to Spooky Savasana with Grip the Mat at Capitale DC

Guys, it's spooky how long it's been since I've posted.

Between grad school midterms, USO work travel, freelance clients, more USO work travel, Thanksgiving and everything in between, to be perfectly honest, I just haven't found time to sit down and talk about all the work that I've been out and about doing!

So, today, I thought I would take a moment and try to make up for my silence by showing you some FABULOUS photos from a Halloween-themed Grip the Mat event I shot at CapitaleDC about a month and a half ago (eek!).

As you guys know, I've shot several events for Grip the Mat over the years. I think each event has been so fun to be a part of and this was no exception!

Spooky music? Check! Ghoulish decor? Check check! A man in a tutu? Triple check! What's not to like?

Falling into Fall at Grip the Mat's Vinyasa to Vino at A Baked Joint

I'm convinced there's something magical about Grip the Mat events.

I've been taking photos of their yoga social events in DC for almost two years now and each event still feels as exciting as the first (if you want to know the details of how I ended up as their go-to photographer in DC check out my past posts!).

Take this awesome Vinyasa to Vino event I captured a few weeks ago at A Baked Joint in DC:

Was this this first Vinyasa to Vino event ever? Nope. Was it even the first Vinyasa to Vino event at this location? Nuh-ugh. Was it freakin' awesome? You betcha!

I mean, yoga + wine + cool people... what's not to love?

Here's a look at some of my favorite shots from the event: