Click here to view the slide show of this event: 2010 Dinner on Stage

What I’d like to know is why there is no ice cream being handed out at the finish line for the adult race?!  Kids get all the fun!

This year’s Race for Justice is Saturday, JUNE 19th.  Click here for more information.  It is easy this year to register and ask for pledges online!  Hopefully I’ll see you there!

SALC helps bridge the gap for families who do not qualify for Legal Aid and can not afford to hire a private attorney. As a result of the legal representation that SALC provides, families have increased financial security, stay off of welfare and are overall more productive members of our society. And more children also grow up in positive and safe environments as a result of SALC’s intervention.

To see the guests playing “British Officer with Harem Girl spy” or “Sheik with #1 Harem Girl”, look under “Photos” tab at the Joni Photo Fan Page on Facebook.  You don’t have to subscribe to Facebook nor become a fan to view!

Click here to view the embedded video.

This slide show is from the November 11 dinners:

- Bergstrӧm Wines and Evening Land Vineyards at The Heathman Restaurant

- Sokol Blosser Winery at El Gaucho Portland

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is my fifth “adventure” in covering these Winemakers Dinners. With each event I get the pleasure of reconnecting with winemakers and chefs from previous events and meeting new and exciting talent!

I reconnected with the charismatic and always entertaining Josh Bergström and his beautiful wife, Caroline of Bergström Wines.  Making its debut is Evening Land Vineyards with their petite and enchanting winemaker, Isabelle Meunier.  Wines from both winemakers were paired beautifully with dishes artfully presented and created by Chef Andrew Biggs and his staff.  As I overheard one guest saying that one will never be disappointed when dining at The Heathman!  To view more images from this dinner, click the following link:  09 CWA-Heathman

My second stop brought me to my first visit to El Gaucho located at the base of The Benson Hotel.  El Gaucho does nothing but impress with impeccable customer service.  Maitre d’ Sherwood Dudley greets you with the warmest smile and handshake leaving you feeling like a long lost friend.  With a full house on a Wednesday evening, Chef Alex Parsons runs the kitchen like a Swiss watch – extreme precision.   This dinner took place in El Gaucho’s intimate Vintage Room, where their wine selection would make any vinophile drool like a kid in a candy store.  Alex Sokol Blosser was every bit as charming and gracious as his handsome demeanor.  To view images from this dinner, please click on this link: 09 CWA-El Gaucho

So why is this also categorized as “Techie Talk?”  I’ve been playing with setting up directional lighting to give dimension and interests to my images.  This is the first time using it in an “event” situation.  Usually these dinners take place in low light situations so this would be a perfect time to practice.  I have to say it was a little more challenging to move lighting as I moved to grab different angles, adjusting power levels from the various light sources on the fly, and adjusting settings on my camera.  I do like the way that they turned out and this was one of my favorites from this event that illustrates this “directional” lighting technique .

Storm is also very philanthropic.  My first encounter with this charismatic personality was back in 2006 when she was the emcee for NARAL.  The images above were taken at a private residence where she performed as a fundraiser for Portland Center Stage. It was an unforgettable experience for me to see her in such an intimate setting.

Couple and group shots taken at this event can be viewed by clicking on the following link:  Heart of Doernbecher.  If you would like a copy of the digital image, please send me an email.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jan Black - "That Zing You Do!"

Not many people can cause an “Ah Ha!” moment.  Jan Black consistently does this with her clients and the people she touches.   Jan has the ability to get at the “core” of what an individual is “all about” and guide the individual to utilize this “awareness” to their advantage.  Jan is the founder of Quiddity and was the guest speaker at the Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon’s September meeting.

A standout example came after listening to one of our members’ story about protecting her dying father’s birthday wish for a small intimate family gathering and fighting off the wishes of her siblings to throw a huge party.  Jan then asked this individual to describe her business and other interests.  Her reply told of her not only creating websites for her clients but teaching her clients how to manage the site on their own so they are not at the mercy of the web designer.  She also founded a group that  makes and donates blankets to families with premature babies.

From this, Jan found that this individual’s core “brilliance” is to be an “advocate”, or champion – she protects her clients from being taken advantage of by educating them and she champions premature babies by providing them with warmth and comfort.  Jan encouraged this individual to use this descriptor in how she promotes her business and her charity.  I know I’m not describing it adequately because in real life, this was a pretty powerful “Ah Ha!” moment.

Do you know what your “core brilliance” is?

To view more images from Jan’s presentation, click on the following link:  More images

Webtrends Packing Up Tools for Schools

I was asked to photograph a terrific volunteer team from Webtrends packing up back packs to be delivered to Peninsula Elementary School.  Webtrends is sponsoring Peninsula through Schoolhouse Supplies Tools for School Program.

A large part of “on location” shooting is problem solving.  So what do you do when you have a back lit situation as is seen here with windows behind the subjects on the left of this image?  I could leave them in shadow but I would also miss the detail of the pencils stacked in the foreground.  I could use an on camera flash but I might risk either blowing out the pencils in the foreground or having the people be too dark in the background.  And neither of these solutions would give me the “natural” light look that I personally like.

Hmmm, what to do, what to do?  This is a perfect situation to use an off camera flash.  Look at the left edge of the image below to see  how this issue was resolved using an off camera strobe on a light stand.

This is one of Women Entrepreneurs of Oregon (WEO) networking events. Participants formed teams and went on a scavenger hunt through the complex testing their McMenamin’s Edgefield knowledge or just their sense of direction.

These are fun events and a great way to meet new women in business to get connected, inspired and re-energized!