My Year in Review, 2011, Part 3

Continuing my year in review through photographs. If you missed the last post, click here, it covers April – June.

July

I photographed the Festival of India on July 2. It was part of Harrisburg’s Multicultural Festival which was held along the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg. Click the photo to see more photographs from the event.

I celebrated the 4th with a new friend, Kim Quigley. Her husband-to-be Brad, set off fireworks which I photographed. Kim and Brad have a nice home in New Cumberland and I have become friends with both of them over the last few months. They open there home several times a year to entertain guests. Kim is a great host and Brad makes sure things go according to plan. These two people have become a huge part of my life this year. Brad has helped me learn a bit of HTML while Kim helps me learn new Zumba moves in addition to many things. I am very thankful for meeting them this year.

I traveled to Ocean City, Maryland for a short vacation for much needed rest. I spent the weekend relaxing, singing to the bay, and meeting new people. I had a great time just reading a book, this was the first time I have ever went on vacation alone. I met and had a great time getting to know the hotel staff, who laughed at my stories. I sang to an entire “drunk” bus full of people on my way to karaoke. It was simply a great time. It was a much needed break from my crazy-busy life. It gave me a chance to relax, so I could figure out my next move, in life.

August

I spent much of August trying to figure out what to do with my life. I started talking to news people in the industry, to figure out where to go next. I thought about joining the military, spent many hours thinking and talking with mentors to develop a plan and become financially stable. I blogged several times about efforts in photography and reached out to many photographers locally and nationally for information and support.

I did get a chance to hang out a few times with another new friend, Christine Porter, at Harrisburg Senator’s games. She sang the National Anthem, then we had a few drinks and chatted, while checking out the available men in the audience. Many times we talked about my life struggles. She was always great to talk to and this year, I needed so much support, I am glad that we could talk.

September

I have never photographed a wedding, until now. I agreed to photograph a wedding for some friends that I had known growing up. They liked my work and really wanted me to photograph their special day. Being that this is the year I am trying new things, I decided to take on the assignment, knowing that it would be tough, since I have been very busy with work and would have a limited amount of time to shoot and edit. I am very happy with the images and feel that for the situation, I did a pretty good job for my first time. Here’s the link to the photos from the wedding.
The Flood. Yes, the flood of 2011 will be the thing I remember the most about this past year. On Sept. 8,9,10 I was all over Middletown, Royalton, Highspire, Lower Swatara, and surrounding communities, photographing the flood evacuations, road closures, damage to structures, and other events. I also photographed the cleanup efforts. I continue to write, report, and photograph flood-related stories.