Last year I was featured in the Valentine’s issue of Nylon Korea magazine showcasing images of my work on the theme of relationships and love alongside a brief Q&A.

Five years ago I came across a blog called The Art of Non-Conformity. What pulled me in was my passion for travel of course. The author was on an ambitious quest to travel to every country in the world before the age of 35. He also talked about pursuing personal passions while striving to make the world a better place. Since then Chris Guillebeau has not only completed his goal to travel to all 193 countries, but he’s also published three books, his second becoming a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller with more than 300,000 copies sold world wide!Earlier this month, I headed down to my old stomping ground in Old City Philadelphia to shoot Chris’s book signing and listen to him discuss his latest book, The Happiness of Pursuit, which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list at #3. His talk was followed by a brief Q&A with readers at Indy Hall where he answered questions about the book, his travels and his life. Chris was kind enough to answer some questions for me over at Mortal Muses too if you’d like to learn more!If you’re interested in hearing Chris speak too, he’s currently on a tour across the United States and Canada. Head over to his events page to learn more.

For the past two years, I’ve had the privilege of shooting a series of portraits for Philadelphia Fight, a non-profit HIV/AIDS organization. There’s laughter and joking as we try to capture each person’s unique characteristics for their photo in a setting of their choice at the Fight offices. Each image is cropped in a square and printed along with a quote at a large poster size and eventually finds itself gracing the walls throughout Philadelphia Fight’s different offices in Center City.Here are last summer’s participants:

And this year’s participants:

Earlier this year the Matador Network published their book: 101 Places to get F*ucked Up in Before You Die: The Ultimate Travel Guide to Partying Around the World. Where was this book fifteen years ago when I quit my job to travel around the world?! Luckily, I was able to contribute three of my photos for publication in the book alongside playful essays guiding you to the best spots to hit up when you’re looking for a good time. Each of my photos represents a location where I’ve had an amazing, if not f*cked up, time! From exploring Las Vegas’s Fremont street on hot October night…

…to grabbing tossing back a few cold ones in the beer garden off the high line post photowalk with 100 other friends. I promise you both locations offer rewarding adventures even if you’re not aiming for drunken debauchery.

And then there’s this photo, shot on film, from that journey 15 years ago while exploring every facet Cairo had to offer over the course of two weeks. El Fishawi, in the heart of the Khan al-Khalili in old Cairo was at the bottom of our hotel and is reputed to have been open 24/7 for over two centuries!

You won’t find any alcoholic libations at this much beloved institution, for that you’ll have to travel further afield to the expat district in Zamalec, but every time we stopped to kick our feet up with strong coffee, smoke a flavorful hookah or sip on some mint tea before heading up to bed we met journalists, basketball players, expats and locals. What more could a girl ask for?

If you’re looking to further your own personal exploits or perhaps just need a reminder that at one time you found revelry on this planet too, check out the book and check out the Matador Network for some good reads that maybe will spark your memories too!

I am very proud to share that my first 4-week workshop for aspiring Event Photographers, or for all of you who’d like to take fabulous photos at your own personal gatherings - is currently underway at Big Picture Classes!

Starting August 28th, in Gatherings through the Lens, I show you how to shoot captivating photos at events of any kind by walking you through the types of shots to take and how to take them. Registration is open through September 4th.

Here’s What Big Picture Classes has to say:
Special occasions are the spice of life! Races and reunions. County fairs and Christmas concerts. Weddings and weekend barbecues. Any gathering of people you love is worthy of celebrating through the lens of your camera.

But all too often, our pictures don’t quite measure up to the magic of our memories.

In Gatherings Through the Lens, you’ll learn to take the kinds of pictures that take you back—right back to the picnic or the pool party, the birthday or the baseball game. Pictures that capture the spirit of every event, outing, gathering, or celebration that matters to you.

Yes, you can capture memorable moments that you’ll want to return to and relive. You can take captivating photos of the faces you love and the places you’ll never forget, with help from professional photographer Holly Clark.

Portraits, group photos, details, action shots, and candids. Capture it all—at all of life’s events.

Gatherings Through the Lens includes:
• Ideas and instruction for photographers at every level—with plenty of bonus content geared specifically to DSLR users
• Immediate access to a comprehensive pre-classroom that covers:
- Storyline, Composition, Perspective and Angles
- Photography Gear
- Bonus birthday shot list
• Weekly videos introducing each weekly topic:
- Portraits, Details, Action, and Candids
• Comprehensive instructional handouts for each lesson
• Expert guest photographers every Saturday during class:
- Brian Powell, Kristin Rodgers, Hillary Sloss, Elizabeth Dillow
• Bonus handouts, shot lists and checklists to help you get great shots
• Daily emails with photography tips
• Message board to share your thoughts with your classmates
• Private posting gallery to share your work and view the work of your classmates
• Two live chats with Holly
• Discount coupon in classroom for Holly’s self-paced workshop Shooting in RAW
And more!
Would you like to learn to shoot captivating photos at all of life’s events?

You can learn more and sign up for my class here. I would love to have you join us. The group in the classroom is amazing asking wonderful questions and sharing some beautiful work.