May and July lead me to Washington, D.C. for two inspiring shoots.
The first was at the Lincoln Memorial where I was introduced to a true gentleman, Mr. George Haley. I shot the video and interviews of Mr. Haley for Reader's Digest along side my friend, Jeffrey Salter, who made a series of compelling photography portraits of the 86 year old lawyer, diplomat, and younger brother of the Pulitzer prize winner Alex Haley. The weather was nearly perfect and despite a long shoot day, Mr. Haley's biggest concern was our well being. It was a real treat to meet him and hear his stories of the seven Presidential administrations he served.
Later in July, I was commissioned by the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum to photograph the winners of the 13th Annual National Design Awards and a group of select high school students at The White House with Michelle Obama. Dining on the Presidential chinaware was pretty cool (a definite step-up from the Ray's Pizza I ate the night before), but I'd have to say meeting the First Lady was the most memorable part of the afternoon.
