Kristina Kumpel for Building Hope Ministries :: Maryland Event Photographer

Being a photographer has filled my life with some very unique opportunities. A couple of months ago, I had the great honor to participate in a project with a local non-profit (Building Hope Ministries) whose mission is to share the gospel by supporting orphans all the way on the other side of the world in India. They paired up with an up-and-coming vocal artist, Kristina Kumpel, to create a CD of music inspired by faith and the glory of the Lord. They asked me to join them in creating images to be used for the promotion of their project as well as provide them with some strong visuals for album art. I was delighted and humbled and I gladly accepted the invitation.

I worked with Kristina and Mike Callahan (of Building Hope Ministries) for months. We did multiple photo shoots - one that was hours long and went well past midnight on a weeknight/school night - and spent many more hours meeting, discussing, and figuring out the details of how everything should come together. Above all though? The most important thing that we did was pray. We prayed for inspiration to direct our steps, we prayed for wisdom to know exactly how and what should be done, and we (most importantly) prayed for endurance in times when it seemed like things were too daunting or things might not work out. And just like how the Lord always does, He provided and just this past Saturday, I joined Kristina and Mike at the concert that debuted their CD that was (only months ago) barely a wish of something that we couldn't even begin to imagine happening.










It's not often than I'm speechless, (Seriously. Ask any of the students I teach!) but being a part of this project with Kristina and Mike was nothing short of amazing. There were so many "hitches" with the overall project happening that I had to stop counting them because I started to become convinced that it wasn't just that it couldn't happen but it also wouldn't happen. Still, I prayed that all that I did would be to serve God. I prayed that I would (if nothing else) create a reflection of His glory that people could not stop themselves from looking at and experiencing.

Now that I'm at the end of the project, I've got a whole new appreciation for things that I never knew before...

• Performing artists need visual artists and vice versa
• If you think only one photo shoot will be enough, you're wrong
• Album art and design will always require more hours (and people!) than you could ever project and plan for
• Don't even think that God's plans won't be carried out... just pray about it, wait, and then watch and see what happens!

As we say in my church, "God is good all the time! All the time God is GOOD."

Pictures so good you want to eat them

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I'm easily bribed with delicious food.

The ability to make delicious food is a talent I can't even begin to comprehend. I'm a visual person and trying to wrap my brain around one flavor and how that mixes and merges with other flavors is something I don't even have. And I can't even lie and say that I have a very refined palette either. On any given day, I am just as happy with Lobster Thermidor as I would be with a bowl of the ultimate in faux food dishes - Velveeta Shells and Cheese. But what about food that is just as amazing to look at as it is to taste? What about that?

One of my all-time favorite jobs ever was teaming up with an awesome catering company called My Thyme. They taught me to have a new appreciation for food because they specialize in making some of the best food you might ever taste! Now, the job itself was no "walk in the park" because though you'd think food is lifeless and should therefore be easy to photograph but it's not all that easy. You can't just set up a plate and snap a picture. There's so much more that goes into it! Not only does the food itself need to be "styled" so that you can take it's textures and angles at the most right perspective, you've also got to worry about keeping it fresh looking long after it's been prepared. And then when you finally get it looking so good that you just want to eat it, you can't! Because then you won't be able to take the picture!!


If you ever get the opportunity to try your hand at food photography, don't hesitate to try your hand at it. It's very creatively challenging and (if you're really lucky) you might get to enjoy an all-you-can-eat feast of the things that you were told you could shoot but not eat.

Liz :: Baltimore Senior Portrait Photographer

Liz is another member of this year's class of 2011. Take note of a few things you will NOT likely see in her senior portrait session: her incredible culinary skills and cooking prowess, barely a smidge of makeup, even a hint of "girly"-ness, and anything more than a hint of a smile.

Despite the fact that Liz might seem like the ultimate "tough girl," I'm here to confirm for you once and for all that she's a serious sweetheart with the biggest and softest heart of gold. She's also got an incredibly infectious laugh and she can get just about anybody to crack a smile with some of the funniest and silliest things I've ever heard. Makes no sense for someone who doesn't like to smile, right? Well... it's only because she has a kind of smile that's all her own and even though it's just barely there sometimes, that's how it's supposed to be and that's how Liz likes it best.

Someday you might cross paths with Liz (but hardly realize it) because Liz is headed off to be a classically trained culinarian at ECPI College in Virginia Beach. She has great aspirations of opening her own restaurant one day and - trust me on this one - you WILL want to be there when it finally opens its doors.

Congratulations on all you've accomplished, Liz! Have the best senior year EVER.

:: Locations for this session - Henryton, Patapsco State Park, Baltimore, Maryland, Annapolis Inner Harbor ::

LOVE this girl!

You can call me biased but I think this little girl is easily the most adorable and precious little lady on the planet.

(OK. She IS my daughter and she IS an only child but pictures don't lie people! I mean LOOK at it!)

For as much as I love anything having to do with visual arts, the one thing in the world that will always trump that is the love I have for my sweet little girl. She's my shining star and one of my favorite muses and I thank God every day for making us mother and daughter.