Hi there! I can’t wait to catch you up on my month!

What I’ve Been Up To:

By the time this journal entry goes live, I’ll be in Switzerland! I can’t wait to share some of my travel journey with all of you!

This past month involved a little lull in my shooting schedule, so I actually had some weekend time with my family. I loved our little break in the middle of the summer!

I also had the opportunity to take on a last minute job to take pictures for the amazing charity Our Amazing Fighters, or OAF. OAF provides community for families facing the struggles of pediatric cancer. They also host overnight experiences so that these same families can take a night off and just have fun as a family.

OAF is based in Virginia, and their New England experience was their first time traveling to host an event. They, along with their sponsor organization Strong Little Souls, hosted over 40 families at Great Wolf Lodge. My own family got to play in the waterpark while I worked, so my kids got to see a little bit of what I do.

This event reminded me of the power of photography. None of us know what happens next in life, and sometimes what we consider normal becomes a memory much sooner than we’d want it to. It was my honor to help capture joy for all the families involved.

What I’ve Been Reading:

I’m currently in the middle of I Have Some Questions for you by Rebecca Makai. I call this genre faux forensics; it’s like true crime, but the story is fictionalized. In 1995, a senior named Thalia Keith is found murdered in her private boarding school’s pool. One of the athletic trainers ends up convicted for the crime. Thalia’s junior year roommate, Bodie Kane, still wonders what really happened and if the right person is behind bars.

While working through Bodie and Thalia’s stories, it’s clear that the author, Makkai, heavily questions her readers interest in real life true crime. Makkai doesn’t outright condemn our love of true crime, but she doesn’t make it easy for readers to look away from how they sensationalize, consume, and then forget about real life tragedies. I don’t think Makkai wants true crime to go away, but she definitely advocates for higher responsibility when sharing human beings’ stories.

While the story asks these hard questions, it also completely sucks you in. I’m halfway through, and if I had the time, I would just hunker down and read this straight through. I can’t say for sure, but I have a feeling this will be one of my favorite reads for the year.

What I’ve Been Watching

Big Brother is back! I was able to sneak in the first few episodes before traveling, and I will have lots to catch up on when I get home. I don’t love the new twists this season, but there’s already lots of mess, so I really can’t complain too much.

I also will be bingeing the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and as much gymnastics content as possible when I get home!

What I’m Excited About:

My little lull from work is officially over! August and September are super wedding heavy, so I’ll be back to hustling until about mid October. Even though I’ll be busy, I’m still so excited! For August, I’m looking forward to:

-A Cape Cod maternity session at Mayflower Beach

-A surprise project that I can’t wait to share more about!

-Another maternity session with one of my past couples! They’re heading over to the gorgeous Larz Anderson Park

-A wedding at The Oceanview of Nahant

-An Ocean Edge Resort wedding

-A Umass Amhert wedding

-A wedding in Meredith, NH

-A Danversport wedding

Next time I promise to share a few Switzerland pictures!

Until then,

Christine