Jess & Joe
Some select shots from the engagement session with Jess and Joe, a beautiful and happy couple.
Can you imagine a sunny day with 50 degree weather in Syracuse, New York in late January? For those of you who rock the orange and blue, this seems like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, because you know how rainy and cloudy and gray Syracuse often is. I guess someone on the top floor really wants Joe and Jess to get married because this is exactly what happened the day we went to photograph their engagement! We started off the session on top of the Crowne Plaza hotel in downtown Syracuse. From the roof you could see all parts of the city. Onondaga lake, Downtown, S.U. hill, the Dome, Destiny, East Syracuse, Onondaga Hill, Solvay, Camillus... we could see it all. Visibility was high and the southern winter light was beautiful. After the photo op on the roof, we went inside to showcase the adorable
"Save the Date" signs Jess made. Later, we went for a walk around Franklin Square. The sun was just hitting the perfect position and Jess's golden yellow outfit gave the photos the perfect amount of pop. We finished off the day underneath some birch trees which is the inspiration for the wedding cake!
How to find your heart in the negative(space)
This weekend we decided to go on an impromptu camping trip to the Shenandoah mountains in Virginia. Despite being caught in traffic and arriving an hour later than we expected, not bringing enough wood to cook dinner, putting the tent up wrong in the dark, forgetting a pot to boil water for coffee in the morning, it was still an amazing trip.
Nothing could go wrong that would make these views any less spectacular (well, besides maybe having no coffee, but being the resourceful wilderness explorers we are, we found a camp store that sold some). The mountains behind mountains behind mountains created a backdrop to a fantastic weekend.
After our night of epic fails, we packed up early and set out to hike a 5km journey down to some gorgeous waterfalls.
And, we never expected to see this many stars only a few hours from DC. Who could be mad about eating a balanced dinner of s'mores ( our carbs), trail mix ( some protein), and wine (err...fruit?) when looking up at a sky like that.
All in all, our trip was saved by the beauty of the Shenandoah's.
Great Men are forged in Fire.
Kyle is an inspiration to human beings all over the world.
At this point in my life I consider myself extremely fortunate. I have gone on what could be the most extraordinary adventure of my life thus far. From June 16th until June 28th I was assigned to follow Retired Marine Corps Cpl. William "Kyle" Carpenter around the country as he executed his Medal of Honor Media Tour. This consisted of his closest 100 friends and family flying out to Washington, D.C. and celebrating and honoring his award. Kyle was awarded the Nations Highest award for Valor after selflessly throwing himself in between a grenade and his friend.
Now for those of you who do not know, when you go to boot camp you learn very early on the kill radius of a grenade. You are told that anything within five meters of a grenade when it goes off is dead. Anything within 15 meters is severely wounded. It only takes 3-5 seconds for a grenade to go off once it is thrown and that includes the time it takes to land next to your feet. It is with this knowledge that he acted as selflessly as he did. What may surprise you is that Kyle would still to this day acts with the same intentions in mind as when he was in Afghanistan. This is not because he has received an award. This is because that is the kind of person Kyle is. He is selfless, he is highly self motivated, and he is in my opinion as well anyone who meets him, one of the most humble souls you will ever come across.
This is undoubtedly due to in part by his parents. His Father is one of the most loving fathers a boy growing up could ask for. If you do not believe me, look in his eyes when he recounts the story of Kyle in the video Letters. His Mother, is a classic mold of any great Mom. Caring, loving, with a hint of a southern accent and an amazing cook.
During my last two weeks with Kyle I got to see and experience more than I ever would have in a normal life. I visited the white house and stood next to the President of the United States. I toured Capital Hill, and met the Senators (even got a Gamecocks Cup.) We flew out to San Diego to meet the Padres Baseball team. Went into the locker room and hung out on the field. We went to Wounded Warrior Battalion West (and East.) We even stopped in New York City to see the Stock Exchange, Time Square, David Letterman show, and the 9/11 Memorial. I stood on the observatory deck of the Freedom Tower and wrote on the concrete that was still under construction. I could probably write a book about all the things we did. (Did I mention I spent my 24th Birthday just hanging out with the guy?) I honestly do not have the vocabulary to describe exactly everything we did. It was amazing enough to be able to live through him vicariously.
Kyle is an inspiration to human beings all over the world. His story is so perfect and genuine. He has experienced and suffered so much that he deserves all of the positive feedback he receives. He has touched my life, inspired me to be a better, more humble human being.
Kyle Carpenter was born in Mississippi, raised in South Carolina, Forged in Fire, and it was my unequaled privilege to have experienced the warmth and generosity he has shown me. Thank you Kyle.
