18 Miles - 3 Women - And A Biker

Posted on August 12, 2007

As the Marine Corps Marathon approaches day by day, so does our mileage to prepare to run that distance (without becoming a patient of the EMS and Hospital systems of Washington DC). So, this Sunday morning, I was asked to do the water stops for the runners doing the 6:30AM run on this side of First Landing State Park. The plan is to have fluids available at 56th St and 43rd St. At 56th, the runners have gone a bit over 6 miles. 7 miles at 43rd. On the return trip to Final Kick on Great Neck Rd, the 43rd stop is at 11 miles and the 56th stop is a bit over 12 miles into the run. From there, we have water available just inside the park, then at the two mile marker on Cape Henry Trail, then the Visitor Center, and finally at the Shore Drive picnic area 1 mile from the finish.

The weather this morning was absolutely perfect. WAY better than this past Wednesday morning when I did 16 miles. The heat index at 5:30 AM was already 90 degrees. I finished my run with the mercury at 96 degrees. (that was not ideal conditions, but I survived).

So, I got up at 6 am and got everything ready to go. Kathryn sliced up the oranges last night so I just had to buzz down the street to her house and grab them out of the fridge and I was off to drop a stop at 43rd, then man the stop at 56th. I brought the paper and waited (with my camera of course).

I was reading the paper and kept getting interrupted by walkers, joggers and runners asking me what I was doing parked there on the feeder road with cups of water and gatorade on my trunk lid. I just answered “trying to find a cure for cancer! thanks for asking!” The reactions were mixed, so I think I need to work on my delivery a little bit.

I was starting to wonder where my teammates were, when out of the distance (and aided by a telephoto lens) came Coach Bob. That ride gets around 25 miles per bagel and a cup of coffee. You can see the three ladies behind him running roadblock fashion.

Coach Bob is the oil on the gears around the team. He keeps everyone running smoothly. I can’t fathom the amount of questions he must field from people regarding training plans, mileage, injuries, marital and relationship issues, dog bites, quiche recipes, and the like, but he always answers with a smile. (He’s that guy that runs around in a Leprechaun costume at the Shamrock Marathon every year)

Then the ladies arrived looking extremely good to go the rest of the distance. Jen, Kathryn, and Kate. Women always run well together. They’ve got cooperation down to a science. Men are different (at least I am). We try to kill each other with pace changes and other manifestations of running passive agressiveness, but that’s another story.

I had put out water, gator, and orange slices but the girls insisted on posing a bit.

And posing a bit more. I think Kat was trying to get the girls to show their Angel wings for the photos.

Then it was time to get going again. So, off they went with another 12 miles to go.

The great thing about Team In Training is that we never really go out and do these things alone. We’ve got a great support system with Coach Bob and all the Mentors. We all volunteer at some time or another for things to help out the group and this is just how it works.

Kathryn and Kate ran the Mud Run yesterday too, and here they are out there today doing an 18 mile long run.

I left some water behind the newspaper stands at 56th and off I went when Coach Bob said that would be ok. So I put some of the pictures up, and now it’s time to get ready to shoot a wedding.

I’m STILL WAY BEHIND on posting events up here, so check back often.

Steven and Ashanti - Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Posted on August 5, 2007

Preparations / Getting Ready = words many brides (I’ve spoken with) equate with getting photographed in their underwear, stepping into the dress. I have less interest in that than the bride does, trust me. Preparations are EXTREMELY important to the way I like to cover a wedding however. Why?

Because being present for preparations gives me a chance to shoot the little details that you’ll probably not see, because you will be too busy to look and take everything in. It allows me to show you all that finery that you’ve pulled together to wear at your wedding through an unhurried, patient eye. I know when to make myself scarce during preparations and avoid the dreaded “underwear shot”. You don’t want to see them, I don’t want to shoot them. But, I DO want to shoot images of your dress. (before you get into it)

And, I like to get shots of things like the shoes you may have had a hard time deciding on and the rings if I can get access to them.

While I’m doing these images, the bride is generally getting ready, and I can’t see her 99.99% of the time. These are private moments
and I don’t like to intrude on them. What I do like to intrude on once everyone is covered up is the final adjustments and putting on
the jewelry and accessories. Things like that usually yield images brides that I’ve worked with love to have.

So, my advice is: never pass up preparation / getting ready images on your wedding day. You may have an understanding of what they are that my not be what I’ve got in mind. I’m there to document the wedding day, not take pictures of you in your underthings.

Steven and Ashanti’s wedding was fabulous! What a great day! I can’t say enough how much I appreciate being treated like family. It was truly a blessing to be part of the day.

Ashanti arrives at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens and waits in the Limo for the ceremony to begin.

The family appointed wedding coordinator (who had everything running like a well oiled machine) gives final instructions.

Steven and the rest of the guys hide appropriately from the wedding coordinator. (we men are good at that kind of thing!)

Steven’s Mom is a Minister, and she was the officiant at the ceremony.

The Ceremony begins, and Steven and his Mom watch the processional get underway. She performed such a great ceremony, I wonder if she does other weddings for her church? (I guess I’ll just ask them!)

The girls lined up and ready to take the walk down the aisle. The guys met them halfway down the aisle to hand them their bouquets, then escorted
them back up the rest of the aisle. That was a nice touch.

Steven and Ashanti’s son prepares to walk the aisle as the bible carrier. Steven waits to see Ashanti appear from the right at the Japanese
gardens at the Norfolk botanical gardens. That was a great ceremony site. Nice view of the perennial gardens below too.

Live music filled the garden and Here comes Ashanti and her Father.

Let us pray. (and everyone did, not just Steven and Ashanti. You couldn’t here a pin drop during the opening prayer, and the reverence of the moment was really nice. I think the planes at the airport stopped flying when Steven’s Mom gave the word. )

I’m going to close with this image because this post is just getting way too long and out of control. I caught a great sequence of the candle lighting, but this last one with all Steven and Ashanti’s children helping to light the unity candle really struck me. This young man was going
to see to that candle being lit, and he wasn’t going to let go of that lighter until the job was done.

The rest of the wedding went wonderfully as did the reception! Stay tuned for more posts on the many events that I have yet to post here. I’ve still got ALOT of catching up to do. (not to mention the wedding I shot this past Saturday at Hampton Yacht Club).

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