World Congress of Religions
At this inaugural Congress, held in Washington, D.C. to strengthen the bridge between the East and the West and in particular honor the 150th anniversary of the birth of Swami Vivekananda, I set out to capture pictures of some of the diverse and colorful attendees.
These photos first appeared in The Huffington Post.
Benefits of Urban Forests
Client: American Forests
Production Team: Digital Development Communications
Role: Photographer, Assistant Producer (Milwaukee & Baltimore)
Project: 5-minute advocacy video profiling urban arborists and the importance of sustaining green spaces in cities across the USA.
Faith in Action DC
Working in close collaboration with the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFC), over the coming year I will be photographing the work of diverse religious institutions, groups, and individuals who are serving the DC area. The goal of this project, Faith in Action DC, is to celebrate the service efforts of local people of faith, garner increased attention for our communities’ achievements, and promote the Washington D.C. area as a national and international model of interfaith cooperation for the common good.
Howard Zinn Room Dedication
On September 21, Busboys and Poets–Hyattsville (MD) hosted an event to celebrate International Peace Day and to dedicate the Howard Zinn Room with speakers and a People Speak Live! reading based on excerpts from Voices of a Peoples History of the United States. The evening included a fundraiser for the Zinn Education Project.
Belief Behind Bars
Three years ago, signaling a new wave of attacks on the the Bahá’í religious community in Iran, the seven members of the Yaran, or ‘Friends’, the Iranian Baha’i community’s former acting leadership group, were all arrested, imprisoned, and later convicted on false charges including espionage. Since then there has been an outcry from governments and public figures around the world. To commemorate the third anniversary of the Yaran’s imprisonment, on May 12, 2011 the national administration of the Bahá’ís of the United States organized an event on Capitol Hill in order to draw more attention to the plight of these prisoners in particular and Iran’s human rights situation in general.
Wreck of the Zephyr @ Gallery Trimming (LA), 02.15.2011
Last week I arrived in Los Angeles for a somewhat extended stay and quickly reconnected with friends from college at a gig for their band Wreck of the Zephyr. As the trio took up their instruments in the dimly lit warehouse gallery and began their first number, I reflected on what it means to grow older.
GEMAP Liberia
Client: IBI International / USAID
Production Team: Digital Development Communications
Role: Producer
Project: Program wrap-up video about the USAID-funded Government and Economic Management Assistance Program (GEMAP) in Liberia. The video highlights improvements made to several government institutions and state-owned enterprises since the end of the civil war in this West African republic, such as the Ministry of Finance, the National Port Authority, and Roberts International Airport.
Capitol Dome Tour
The US Capitol Building is one of the most popular attractions for visitors to Washington D.C. A relative few, however, have the opportunity to view the building’s iconic dome from the very top. Recently my friend David Najmi, a guide at the Capitol, invited me to join one of his rare tours given to average citizens.
Pearl & the Beard (DC – March/July 2010)
Ever wonder what happened to that first girl you kissed? Well, in my case, it turns out she’s in an awesome band called Pearl & the Beard. Sometime last year, the lady in question – Jocelyn – and I were reacquainted and I found out she was playing with this group. Then a few months [...]
Corinne Bailey Rae (Baltimore – May 2010)
Corinne Bailey Rae holds the unique distinction of being a musician whose entire catalog I adore, track by track. Not only her two full length albums (2006′s eponymous debut and this year’s The Sea), but even CBR’s B-sides like her take on Led Zepplin’s ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You,’ her rendition of ‘River’ on Herbie [...]
Aikido Shobukan
Aikido is a Japanese martial art that I have been studying for the past couple of years. The training, which is as much spiritual/philosophical as it is physical, emphasizes establishing harmony and balance to resolve aggressive situations. The dojo, or training school, I joined in Washington D.C. is called Aikido Shobukan. Presently I am working [...]
DC Black Men’s Gathering
Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith likens people of African descent to “the pupil of the eye”, which is the source of light for all humanity. In the United States, however, the general perception of Black people – and Black men in particular – has been poisoned by prejudice and therefore is not yet [...]
Bahá’í Pilgrimage
For members of the Bahá’í Faith, Pilgrimage is a sacred journey we are encouraged to make at least once in our lifetime. During Pilgrimage, Bahá’ís travel to Israel to visit the Bahá’í World Center, the spiritual and administrative heart of the international Bahá’í community. In the neighboring cities of Akká and Haifa, respectively, stand the Shrines of Bahá’u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, and the Báb, His Forerunner.
For nine days in 2009, I myself undertook this Pilgrimage.
Madagascar in Black & White
Madagascar is an island nation located off the coast of East Africa in the Indian Ocean. I lived there on and off for four years between 2003-2007, working on a variety of media productions and art projects in service to that beautiful country. Although I lived in the capital Antananarivo, often my work granted me [...]
Music of Madagascar
In 2006, while living in Madagascar, I covered local concerts for the Culture section of one of the country’s daily newspapers. Night after night, I gained entry to see some of Madagascar’s top musicians. Here is a selection of my favorite images.