Running for Risa April 2011

This was a very special day. My beloved friend, Risa Whitaker, passed away on March 31st, 2011 after a very rough year of battling a rare and very advanced form of cancer (her doctors assume she had had it either for most or all of her life). Her funeral wasn't until almost a month later, because all of her relatives had already bought plane tickets to come for the marathon fundraiser that had been in the works for something like half a year. So just imagine what kind of day it was- a 5k fundraiser in the morning followed by a funeral for the same beautiful girl that evening. Everyone at both events was touched with her sweet spirit; we were all blessed with GORGEOUS (and even warm!) weather at the lake. Many said it was as if Risa was smiling real big and thats why the sun was shining. Enough money was raised to pay off all of Risa's medical bills. 

So enjoy these shots! And of course everyone loves pictures of themselves running, right? Right. ;)   

 meet my crazy friends and I :)

 checkin the times

 Stuff like this, is what I was made for. Sure, 'normal' sessions and posed shots with models are great, so much fun, and really push me as a photographer sometimes, but overall...times like these where I get to be a part of something so amazing, big, heartwarming, testimony building and memory preserving/creating...really makes me feel like I've achieved some good with my talent. I hope that I am able to bring at least a little bit of this to all my shoots.