Arizona Event Photographer - An Open House

I love it when people gather together. There are so many different perspectives to be captured. From children to parents to grandparents to aunties and so forth, the possibilities for capturing a fun candid are endless. This particular gathering was no exception. These are from Easter weekend (as I mentioned in the previous post - I'm trying to catch up on blogging) and the group was diverse in many ways. Here are just a few of my favorite moments.

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Arizona Event Photographer - A Film Premiere

I was privileged to photograph the film premiere event of _Afghanistan: Between Light and Darkness_ directed by Dr. Penelope Price. Held at Filmbar Arizona in downtown Phoenix, the middle eastern decorated venue was intimate and artful. As far as photography is concerned a theatre is, of course, a challenging place to shoot with its lack of light. The images turned out rich and dreamy with the glow from ornately colored ceiling lanterns.

The film was incredibly beautiful capturing a side of Afghanistan I've rarely seen depicted. From the wide and peaceful snow covered mountainside imagery to smaller scaled details of every day life, the film offered a glimpse into the culture and country that seemed fresh and pristine on one hand and also heavily encumbered on the other. I was struck by the child throwing a rock at a donkey and the sense of danger that emerged in stories about the pursuit of education in a Taliban run society. I was captivated by the careful stitching of imagery, sound and storytelling. It was a well paced 22 minutes offering a wealth of information in both image and narration.

From the Q&A, I learned a little more about the sense of hospitality demonstrated toward the filmmakers by the Afghans. I was left inspired to share more of what I have with those around me and I was inspired to learn more about what motivates people like Mary MacMakin and Marnie Gustavson to make a difference in our world through organizations such as http://www.afghanistan-parsa.org/. The stories of Yasin and Palwasha were somewhat inaccessible for me, not sharing the same social and cultural history, but their visible courage and perseverance were universally recognizable.

I was left with a sense of gratitude for the abundance in my life and with a strong sense of humility about my place in this world.

Elaine Kessler Photography - Arizona Event Photographer

Arizona Event Photographer - A Baby Shower

My friend is having a baby and she asked me to take a few pictures at the shower. It was a mid day event and it was held outside on the patio at a restaurant. The light was harsh but I think the overexposed background looks kind of interesting with Kim in the foreground. She had a mountain of gifts to open - she and baby Trevor should be all set!

Elaine Kessler Photography - Arizona Event Photographer

Arizona Event Photographer - Kids at Play

We hosted a kids' dinner party this weekend where my 5 year old created the guest list, the menu and decorated the parting gifts. We opted to have dessert outside and the kids played for a little while before we served them. As it was close to sunset, the light was "sweet" and I grabbed a few moments with the camera. I really enjoyed how the essence of the kids playing was so niftily captured in these images. The kids had a ball and I think the parents enjoyed themselves too!

Arizona Event Photographer

Happy Birthday Anne!

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Baby Naming

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