One October evening while walking to my car in a mall parking lot, I checked my facebook messages on my iPhone and found a long message from someone that had read an article about me and Star Shooter.  I was thrilled to see someone’s excitement in what I was doing with children, as well as in my career.  I replied thanking Katelyn Ruth Hansel for her encouragement… and this was just the beginning!  Katie and I since have discovered other photographical common interests to discuss as well as networked with other photographers around the country, such as Holt Webb with his one-of-a-kind project Vanishing America and Danny Goldfield in his amazing project, NYChildren, that I am especially fond of and hope to collaborate with in the future. Katie and I have had a blast learning about each other and our dreams for photography and thought it’d be cool to someday meet each other.

Then, I was offered a photo shoot in Myrtle Beach this past weekend, and when I discovered  that Katie and I were going to only be 6hrs. away from each other, we both planned to jump in cars and drive 3hrs. each to Columbia, SC.  So, yesterday, my “virtual friend” became a real live friend in the flesh!  ;)  We both had fun shooting each other and had a super special treat of visiting the Columbia Museum of Art with the famous photographer, Ansel Adam’s “Masterworks Collection!” Much more images of our day of shooting will be posted in a facebook album, so feel free to check ‘em out! HERE (but not now! check out a few of my faves below first!)