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 :)

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!

New Client Alert: My First Yoga Heights Photo Shoot!

New things -- whether it be a new recipe, a new outfit or in my case, a new client, are always exciting.

Earlier this year, I started working with the lovely ladies of Yoga Heights to shoot class videos, take photos and generally step in as the visual guru for the studio.

The result? I'm in love with my new client and all the fun images I've been able to capture for them so far.

Here's a look at some of the shots of my first shoot with them back in the cold, chilly days of winter. Enjoy!

Hello, It's Me: Playing Catchup After a Long Hiatus (and Snaps of Move Well DC's Amy Rizzotto!)

I feel like I should serenade my blog readers with an Adele medley to make up for the months its been since I last posted.

 January, really? Has it been that long? Yikes, I'm embarrassed, but not really, considering all I've been up to in the time since I've last posted...

Forgive me yet for my hiatus? Good. Let's play some catchup then, starting with this fun little outdoor mural shoot I did for Amy Rizzotto of Move Well DC back in December 2016.

If you're a regular follower of my work, you know that I've done several projects with Amy in the past, so its no surprise I was jazzed when she approached me about doing a colorful, tabata shoot for her social platforms for the early 2017 fitness rush.

While the focus of this shoot was actually video (we shot about 20 mini videos which she's been pushing on Instagram!), we took a few moments to take these fun snaps after the video portion was done. I just love how fun and colorful this wall in Rosslyn is!

Where is your favorite mural in your city?

Autumn Mini Session with DC Yoga Teacher Charlotte Bowden!

Happy almost Friday world! 

I thought I would keep to my fall flashback theme from last week and share about another yoga mini session I had in October. I mean, who doesn't love looking at fall photos, #amiright?

On Halloween weekend, I had the pleasure of snapping some photos of local DC-area teacher Charlotte Bowden. If you're a local yogi, you may have seen her teaching at Grip the Mat events or at Corepower Yoga in DC.

Charlotte and I had an early morning session, which was absolutely magical. The fall colors contrasted perfectly with her outfit and the scenery of Rock Creek Park was stunning.

I think I'm going to let the photos speak for themselves...