We wanted a unique experience! I was yearning for a beach, sun, and a tropical location, but it was going to be hard to do a day trip to the Bahamas due to COVID travel restrictions. I hadn’t heard of the Dry Tortugas before and it finally hit my radar.

The Dry Tortugas National Park is made up of 7 islands and is one of the world’s most unique eco-attractions. It’s about 70 miles west of Key West, FL and they give you a discount for your day trip when you have a National Park Pass.

We were in for quite a treat!

We heard if you go to the Shark Valley part of the Everglades National Park, you can get up close and personal with the alligators. I brought my longest lens, my 600mm RF lens, but also my RF 70-200 mm because I heard these alligators even like to hang out on the bike path. I wanted to be ready for long shots and not-so-long shots and I got them all.

We went on the bike path and then returned the way we came because we heard you see the most gators next to the canal. These gators seem to know that their purpose is to thrill! Enjoy!

I thought I had paid attention. I hadn’t paid enough attention. There I was, in my naive cocoon, not even close to recognizing the full extent of my white privilege. 2020 was my wake-up call. Girls for a Change helped me see differently and gave me the opportunity to assist in the fight for the Forgotten Women.

I always wanted to explore Austin, Texas as I’ve heard it is a lot like Richmond, Virginia but better! We were about four hours away and we needed a cool place to celebrate our 10 year anniversary!

We stayed at an Airbnb which was conveniently located in Travis Heights and close bike trails. Austin has a wonderful biking infrastructure.

#1 - See the Bats at Sunset on Congress Avenue Bridge

We luckily stumbled across this on our way back from Whole Foods to our Airbnb. We found thousands of people waiting to see millions of bats coming out from under Congress Avenue Bridge to fill their stomachs with food. It is a unique experience. You can see it from the top of the bridge, under the bridge and from Lady Bird Lake.

I was curious to check out Forth Worth, TX the Longhorn Steer cattle drive through the Fort Worth Stockyards. The Fort Worth Herd is the world's only twice-daily longhorn cattle drive, held every day at 11:30 AM & 4:00 PM in the Fort Worth Stockyards. I caught both of the cattle drives.

I drove 2 hours from Athens to Fort Worth, TX to join my local friend Cynthia. We met years ago at a Photography Workshop taught by Tamara Lackey.

I was going for a morning walk with one of my best friends. We saw these 3 beautiful free spirits and exchanged morning pleasantries. A little bell went off in both of us. We quickly talked about it and then promptly turned around.

I asked them if I could photograph them. It is so funny because the reaction is always: Who me? Why me? All the gremlins about getting your picture taken instantly come out.

We came to Melbourne, Florida to see Jeff’s, Uncle Leslie. Jeff shares the same birthday with his uncle but they are 17 years apart.

We found a quiet Airstream community to stay in for the month. We quickly learned that we are considered SOBs which stands for “Some Other Brand.” 😂

We went to several parks where we had heard that manatees hang out, but we couldn’t find a single one. Finally, there was a cold evening that brought the manatees to a local creek where they find a warmer environment.

Most of us probably have more about ourselves that we’d like to change than things we truly love. For example, lots of people don’t like their smiles. It’s not something they dwell on, but it becomes an issue when it’s time to get a headshot or have their picture taken with their loved ones. For someone who hates their smile, being told to smile or having someone shout, “Say cheese!” instantly creates tension and elicits something more akin to a grimace than an actual, genuine smile.

I was recently working in Richmond, VA, doing what I love to do best (capturing the perfect branding photos for corporations and entrepreneurs)! I noticed that lots of the clients with whom I was working didn’t like their smile. This could have adversely affected their shoot if we hadn’t identified and handled it before they stepped in front of the camera.

So, I thought I would share my favorite tips for feeling comfortable during your next photoshoot.

My previous beloved branding clients, Tek Chix, wanted to add to the marketing assets and update their branding images. Here are some quick lessons I learned while doing my first out of my home state of Virginia branding session. You can also apply these to your branding session, wherever you are at!

Lesson 1: Always do a site location preview the day before

You might be thinking where did “BW” come from when her given name is Lisa. Have you watched the play “Defending the Caveman?” We watched it in the late ’90s in Detroit. We both thought it would be funny to affectionately call each other “BW “which stands for “Butt Wipe.” One of the points of “Defending the Caveman” is how men can easily call each other names and the other person doesn’t take offense to it. We thought it would be hilarious to start calling each other “BW.” The name has stuck and we’ve affectionately called each other this for the last 20+ years.

We started full-time RVing last November 2020 and we soon realized we couldn’t sustain ourselves on our savings for two years like we hoped. It costs to live and we enjoy exploring!

Jeff used to work in corporate America by working for IT firms. He’s other talents include being really good mechanically and likes helping people. He did lots of research and determined getting his RV Technician and Inspector Certification would work for living on the road. He decided to go the National RV Training Academy.

When RV’s are going down the bumpy roads, they are really ‘moving earthquakes” en route to their destination. Plus RV’s are notoriously made poorly so there is always something to fix and at least do some preventative maintenance on.

Jeff took RV Technician school for 6 weeks. He learned how to diagnosis and repair the RV’s exterior, heat pump, air conditioning, RV refrigerators, water pumps and more.

Then the last two weeks of April, he took RV Inspector school. You know how you have home inspections? You also need an RV Inspection to determine how sound the trailer or Class A Motorhome is.

Please check out Jeff’s website: Umbrella RV.

I wasn’t a big New Orleans fan. I had gone there in the mid-’90s for a neurosurgery conference when I worked at the Cleveland Clinic. I mostly remember the stuffed alligator heads in the gift shops. I don’t drink so Bourbon Street doesn’t appeal to me.

Well, I was in for a surprise! I loved New Orleans and I was thankful to come during COVID when there weren’t a lot of tourists. Of course, I missed the live music and the jazz. But what I love to do the most is to wander and take pictures, so that’s what we did!

“Our relationship with our Mother is birthed simultaneously with our entry into the world. We take our first breath of life and display the initial dependent, human longing for protection and love in her presence. We are as one in the womb and on the birthing table. This woman, our mother…all that she is and is not…has given us life. Our connection with her in this instant and from this point forward carries with it tremendous psychological weight for our lifelong well-being.” Karyl McBride, Ph, D.

We came to Clearwater Florida to see my parent’s friends, John & Sue. It had been about 20 years since I saw them last and I’m hopeful I can connect with as many people as possible on our adventures.

We spent 2 weeks in Clearwater and enjoyed their biking trails and time with John & Sue. They are so generous and kind. They were always a bright spot in my childhood and they continue to shine love on everyone they encounter. They are just that kind of people.

I love horses and there was a gray Quarterhorse mare in the field and lo and behold, what did we see with her? Is that really a young buck?!

It truly was!

Imagine the very first night in your ‘new life,’ you go to sleep hearing bombing and gunfire. We heard that every night for the next 30 days. For some, it is the sound of freedom, for others, it is the sound of terror. I couldn’t imagine this being my everyday existence.

But here we were in Navarre, FL near the Eglin Air Force Base and Special Ops. The Air Force practices its precision nightly and with vigor! One night, it was so loud, Jeff my husband, got up to answer our door because we thought someone was knocking on it. Turns out it was their gunfire in rapid succession.

We had never been to Florida’s Panhandle before and wanted to explore the Emerald Coast. The Hideaway Retreat is also located on a private beach where we could walk daily and take in evening sunsets.

The Hideaway Retreat is decorated in Shabby Chic and the new owner put a lot of attention into the details. Here are some images I captured.

The Organizing shows are all the buzz and Richmond is getting a Container Store. I thought I was ready to downsize…then reality hit!

My husband and I decided in mid-July to sell our home, my car, and most of our belongings in exchange for living in a 300 square foot RV. We quickly sold our home and major items but downsizing presented quite the challenge.

See if any of these ring a bell for you!

Let me guess — You HATE having your picture taken?! Some of my clients agree that they would rather have a root canal then to have their picture taken!

These comments used to baffle me and it felt familiar! How could having your picture taken create so much angst?

After photographing HUNDREDS of amazing people, I identified the top three reasons people hate getting their picture taken. This insight led me to develop my own “Secret Sauce” for getting my clients to feel comfortable and confident during our photo sessions.

They say to leave on a high note and this is what I’ve decided to do.

2020 has been such a year of tremendous change. The forced “pause” in my business gave my husband, Jeff, and I time to reflect on what we want from our one precious and beautiful life together.

After much reflection, we decided to take a big leap to follow our bigger dreams ahead.

Jeff and I sold our home, my car, and our 4 bikes. We turned around and bought 2 more bikes, simplifying our lives all along the way.

I have the best job in the world. I get to create branded portraits of amazing people to help share their message to future clients and open doors to new opportunities. Recently I was awarded Best Richmond Portrait Photographers, which is thrilling! This award, along with my distinction for being a Top Branding Agency and a Top 3 Commercial Photographers in Richmond, is due to my amazing clients.