Elle Effect

{click on double images to view larger}

rehearsal: october 31st, 2009

the wedding day: november 1st, 2009

We gathered in a two-story brick and cement building in the middle of Moravia. Climbing stairs slowly as little feet ran past me, laughing. The stench didn’t matter. The language barrier didn’t quite matter, either. We were meeting to rehearse for the big concert. They had been rehearsing for months, and this was their time to show me what they had learned. I doubt I could be glowing more than when I watched them move.

They motioned for me to join in on the movement. I danced, they danced, we danced — back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. Laughter being our melody continually those two hours of time.

We watched the sun go down together. No flashes with me – just natural light and a high ISO at sundown and then, altogether, no more camera. No more snapshots. Just us.

I’m a little more confident in my skill of salsa thanks to these young ones who could do the steps in their sleep. They shrieked and their eyes widened when I would lift a girl onto my back and walk across the room, spinning her, and placing her back on her feet. Potentially a bad idea, because every little girl in the room now had to do the very same thing. Then, they caught on to the movement and copied… lifting friends and laughing, walking across the room with me.

Movement allowed me to communicate what my tongue could not, and I am thankful.

There are currently very difficult, finanical situations occurring with Open Arms Foundation.
I will be posting a letter from the Founder, Bill Perrow, and express the need to
continue to be aware of in helping these street children in Colombia find a home again.

I will be selling photographs from my time in Colombia to help keep the Foundation doors open.
More information to come this week.

Yes, indeed, this is my beloved family. Late in the evening we had our first family photo shoot since 2001. Thanks to my self-timer, darling Grandma and friend Brittany, we got photos in before it was too dark : ) Christmas family cards, here we come!

Also note that most of these are outtakes… because we simply can’t take a serious photo together. And that’s okay by me.

(click for larger view below)

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It is also my parents 30th wedding anniversary this month. So, as my gift, they received photos from me. By taking their portraits, I learned more about myself and about who they were, how they mesh perfectly… how seasoned they are. What a gift. I’ve taken so many portraits of new couples — and that fresh, beautiful romance is captured on film. This, this was different. Seasoned, selfless, beautiful… love.