Posted on by Krista Guenin · 9 Comments

On my way home from church…

I know I don’t share a ton of personal stuff on my blog. I wish I did, but frankly, I feel like I hardly have enough time to get the posts of all my shoots up :) And I definitely don’t go in to much detail about my faith or my beliefs – in part because I don’t want to offend anyone, or make anyone uncomfortable. But, I really just have to share this with all of you…

A few weeks ago, I was on my way home from church and I saw a woman walking down the street. I drove past her and felt very clearly that God was asking me to go pick her up and give her a ride. I kept trying to shake the feeling because, heck, Mom always told you not to talk to strangers and to never pick up hitch-hikers, right? But, the Lord kept prompting, and I finally gave in and turned around. It turned out she wasn’t going too far, and I gave her a ride. She was clearly having a hard day and needed a little kindness from someone. After I dropped her off, I prayed for her, and didn’t think of it much again until tonight.

Tonight I was driving home from GENESIS and I saw her again, in about the same place, walking in the opposite direction. So, once again, I drove past her but felt like God was asking me to turn around. And so, once again, I turned around and picked her up. She recognized me and thanked me. But when I asked her where she was going, she told me that she didn’t have anywhere to go. She’s homeless and was just planning to walk around all night to stay warm.

So, I pulled into a parking lot, kept the car running and the heat on, and just listened to her story for a couple hours. I tried to offer to pay for her to stay in a hotel for the night, but she refused. She told me she’d tried some shelters but they were all really scary and that she felt more comfortable risking it with the drunks out on the streets at night. And it broke my heart that I couldn’t help her more. I didn’t think my roommates would be too pleased with me if I invited to her stay with us, and I don’t know of any shelters in my area at all, much less one that I could recommend that would be safe. So, in the end, I had to let her out of the car and watch her walk away. She thanked me for my kindness, but I just felt sad that I couldn’t do more.

What good is it to be nice to someone, or to love them, if you don’t take care of their needs? This is a question I’ve asked myself a lot having seen all I’ve seen in the mission field. It’s a question I have asked of the church quite a bit. James 2:14-18 says “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” What is the church, what is my church, doing to help this woman and others like her? What can I do? I can pray for her. I can give her a ride and a couple hours of warmth. I can give her food. I can give her compassion, mercy, love, and respect. I can listen. I just wish I could do more. And I wish I could point her to others who would do more.

In Chicago, I worked with an amazing homeless ministry called Breakthrough Urban Ministries. I absolutely love that place. In Boston, I’ve heard great things about Rosie’s Place – in fact it’s one of the organizations that benefits from my Give program (check out my website for more details). But, I don’t know of anything in Woburn, or nearby. Do any of you? Seriously, I am looking for suggestions. The next time I see my new friend, I want to be able to truly help her. Give me some great ideas, people! :)


And one final thought, or encouragement. The next time you walk by a homeless person, or drive by someone struggling down the street, what will you do? Think about it. Pray about it. And ACT on it. Don’t just say you want to help people, or say you love or care for people. Do it. Imagine the difference it would make in people’s lives if every one who claims to love Jesus (or anyone at all), actually went out of their way to show that love to others. Just imagine what that would do…

And M, if you found my site and my blog from the card I gave you, and if you’re reading this – please know that I’m praying for you. I pray that God would keep you safe tonight, and warm. And I pray that you would find Jesus out there, and that He would pull you up out of this hard situation so that you would know how much He loves you. And I pray that we would meet again someday, soon.

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 8 Comments

Liana & James’ Wedding!

A few weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of shooting Liana & James‘ wedding. These two are such a fun, sweet, wonderful, not-to-mention-gorgeous couple and I had a BLAST spending the day with them and their friends & family! I shot over 4,600 images that day!!! I told you, I had a blast :) Not so much fun was the editing process of going through all of those images, but I’ve finally narrowed it down and am super excited to share some with you!!

The day started as I met Liana and her bridesmaids at her parents’ house up in Nahant. It was totally exciting, and definitely overwhelming, to walk up the steps to the door and have a gaggle of bridesmaids all waiting there to welcome me! They were all soooo excited to “get started”! So started, we got…


Liana opening her present from James – a gorgeous bracelet



Checking out the dress with her sister, and maid-of-honor, Jamie


Waiting at the top of the stairs to go down and see Dad


And this would be when Dad started crying, and when all the rest of us started crying!


Stylist from Peacock Alley putting on the veil


A few shots of the girls outside the house


There’s something about the way that bridesmaid is standing in the background that makes me LOVE this shot!


and there she is again…


The ceremony was at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Weston, MA.


This may be my favorite shot of the day!


There were tons of moments like this one throughout the ceremony. I couldn’t help but smile watching these two whisper and smile at one another the whole time. They got an especially good laugh when the ceremonial crown got stuck in her hair, but we’ll leave those pictures for the proofs ;)



Married!


They don’t look happy at all, do they?! ;)


A cute moment in the Bentley on the way to the reception. I love tagging along in the car!!


We arrived at the Saphire Estate just in time to capture some portraits outside, and to get Liana & James down to the lake for the sweet pre-sunset light!


Careful, these next two are HOT!



The happy couple!


Then it was back up to the reception! I loved the centerpieces by North Shore Fruit & Flowers.



They choreographed their first dance, and it was AWESOME! And you guys were nervous! ;)




The Father-Daughter dance


My favorite thing about this wedding was the party! These guys had one of the most packed and energetic dance floors I’ve ever seen at a wedding! Everyone was dancing and having a great time!



The band, OnLine, really knew how to work the crowd! They were especially good at getting James pumped up ;)

There were also some sweet moments on the dance floor…



But for the most part, it was high energy! Liana’s Dad was cracking me up!!


And this series really just sums up the whole day… very sweet, very fun, and very James & Liana!


Thanks again you guys, for everything! Your wedding was awesome and I’m so glad I could be a part of it!!

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 3 Comments

Britt & Mike – mini eSession

I got an email from Britt earlier this summer. She was looking for a photographer for her wedding next May on the Cape, and she wanted to see if she could set up a time to meet with me and do their engagement session while they were in town. How can you not love a bride who’s ready to book her eSession before she’s even met you in person!?!

Britt & Mike live in D.C. but were coming to town for some wedding planning, and a visit with Britt’s family. They’re big baseball fans, and Britt loves those Red Sox, so we met up at Boston Beer Works by Fenway to talk wedding plans, look at albums, and get to know each other a bit before their eSession. We had a great time chatting and laughing (or gagging) over Britt’s fried pickles ;) It turns out we have a lot in common and it was more like hanging out with old friends than having a meeting with new clients. So, after we’d hung out for a while we decided to head outside to shoot for while before we got caught in the rain…

Mike loves the Orioles, Britt loves the Red Sox – somehow they’ve worked through it and still love each other :)




I love how much they make each other laugh


and how he’s all whole head taller than her!

and I love the views around Fenway!


We had to include a few shots with thier “baby,” Tessa :)



At this point we’d only been shooting for about 15 or 20 minutes and the drizzle was really dampening our spirits, and my camera equipment. So, we decided to hold off and finish our engagement session the next time they’re in town. It may not be until the holidays, but I’m looking forward to some snowy engagement photos of Mike & Britt later this year :)

Thanks again you guys for a fun, albeit short afternoon! I’m really excited to work with you and get to know over the next few months!! And I’m praying that you both passed the bar :)

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 1 Comment

The Flip Flop Regatta

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of photographing a big fundraiser for The ALLY Foundation. The ALLY Foundation was established in memory of Alexandra Nicole Zapp, who was murdered by a repeat sex offender on July 18, 2002. The Foundation, founded and run by Ally’s mother and stepfather, has a mission to prevent opportunities for violent sex offenses, to educate the public and advocate for necessary changes in culture, attitude and policy. For the past six years, her friends and family have celebrated Ally’s life and raised money for her cause by combining some of the things she loved – sailing, celebrations, and flip flops. The result has been the Flip Flop Regatta.

I wasn’t able to actually photograph the race that weekend, but I did get to shoot the Mount Gay Rum Tent Parties on both Friday and Saturday nights. Both events were so fun, and I’m so blessed to have been a part of it!

Friday night’s party got off to a very, very wet start…


But the The Cocabanana Band was great and helped keep everyone’s spirits up, and feet moving!


The event chairs, John Ricci and Koryn Okey (formerly of Boston Weddings Magazine)


Ally’s mother Andrea, step-father Steven, and sister with a friend at the party on Friday night. Andrea and Steven were two of the nicest people I’ve ever met. It’s really amazing what they’ve done with this tragedy in their lives, and the hope they’ve been able to see through it all.


Me and Koryn at the end of the night :)


Saturday turned out to be a PERFECT day for sailing!! Not a drop of rain, and plenty of wind and sunshine.



After the race, everyone came back to the Tent Party for some more fun, as well as a silent auction. There were some amazing items up for bidding!


There was also some delicious food & drinks provided by PapaRazzi, Hot Tomatoes, and SoulFire.


Saturday night’s festivities included a brief address from ALLY Foundation founder, Andrea Cassanova. There was a lot of excitement about the event…


…and a lot of emotion. The regatta is a fun time and an exciting opportunity to raise money for a great organization. But for those who knew and loved Ally, it’s also a reminder of why they’re doing this in the first place.


One of the winning teams from Saturday’s race


And on to some fun from the dance floor!






I ran into my friend Tiffany, of Alternate Angles, that afternoon. She was having a blast!


The dance floor was rockin’ all night long – thanks to the awesome band that night, Infractions!


A final shot of Steven & Andrea


And the view from the pier on Saturday night… amazing!!


Thank you, Koryn and Andrea and Steven, for inviting me to be a part of this event! Thank you for making me feel so welcome and so appreciated. And a special thanks to the sponsors of the Flip Flop Regatta: Mount Gay Rum, Vineyard Vines, Sperry, Atlantis, US Sailing, CleanHarbors, Island Issue, SmartWater, Long’s, Fairmont Copley Plaza, and Papa Razzi. This was a great event, and they couldn’t have done it without your help!

It was a fabulous weekend, and I’m so glad I could contribute to such a great cause! If you’d like to learn more about The ALLY Foundation, or make a contribution, please click here!

If you’d like to see more of the photos, click here.

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 2 Comments

Portraits for Mimi


That’s my Mom – or Mimi as her grandkids call her. She’s pretty great. She owns her own business and has worked her butt off for as long as I can remember (except those 2 years when I was a kid and we lived in the Bahamas – when she played Bridge and sat by the pool with me all day, but whatever ;). The older I get, the more I realize that I am so much like her – or is it that I’m just becoming more like her? Either way, it’s both a little scary and comforting at the same time :)

My Mom needed some new photos of herself and her employees for work – and hopefully for a website someday… Mom works in the glamorous world of nursing home consulting, and that market hasn’t really gotten too techy just yet ;) Since she’s the most wonderful Mom, she hired her daughter to take the photos. And since she’s the most wonderful boss, she offered all of her employees the opportunity to get some family portraits done as well! So, when I was in Indianapolis earlier this summer, we headed down to Greenwood (the town I was born in) to spend some time with the women of Herrin Associates, and their families…

First up, my Mom, Shelia. She doesn’t really like having her picture taken (kinda like me), but has started getting used to it over the past 6 or 7 years. Do you think I look like her?



Next up was Beth :)


and Beth’s husband and 4 grandchildren


The kids weren’t too excited about the whole thing, but they put up with me, and we managed to get some great shots of them!



I love these…





And then there’s Kathy! Kathy’s family wasn’t able to come for photos, so we just stuck to business…

…at least mostly. I got her laughing quite a bit when I was asking her about whether or not my Mom’s a good boss :)

And last but not least was Nancy. Nancy has worked for my Mom for like 20 years, and is such a great lady!


She brought a bunch of her family with her and we got a ton of portraits of them – starting with her son and his adorable daughter…




Then we shot Nancy and her husband with their grandson, Garrett.


Then it was just Nancy & Ernie. They’re pretty cute!


While we waited for Nancy’s daughter to get off work, my Mom & I took Garrett across the street for some ice cream from this little walk-up place, called Mrs. Curl. It’s so small-town Indiana, I love it! (I loved the ice cream too!)



Last up was Brittany and Garrett.


He’s a cutie!


I swear I’m good with kids! Really! I think Garrett was just squinting, not snarling!


Brittany arrived just as the sun dropped down to the perfect spot, so we got some beautiful, warm light to play with…


And I’m fairly certain that this was Garrett’s favorite part (next to the ice cream, of course).


It was such a fun afternoon! Thanks Mom for letting me take your picture :) And for being such a great role model for this business-owning daughter of yours. I’m amazed by all that you’ve done, and all that you’re doing – and I’m super proud of you! I love you so much!!! S.W.A.K. ;)

Posted on by Krista Guenin

Wanna See More?

Thank you so much to everyone for the wonderful, humbling, and encouraging response to my images from Haiti! My great desire as a photographer is to impact people with my images. To think that these have done that, is just amazing! Special thanks to those of you who have been spreading the word – especially Bryn and Stephanie. It’s been especially cool to hear from so many parents who are adopting Haitian children – from HFC and all sorts of other organizations. You parents are an inspiration to me, and I have really been blessed by your comments and emails!!

So, for those of you who are interested, or who are personally connected to the kids at HFC, I thought I’d offer you a peek the other 2,000 images! You can view them here. Enjoy!!

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 8 Comments

Haiti

Ok, this is my last post on Haiti, and then I’ll have it all out of my system. Well, I may never really have Haiti out of my system, but at least I’ll stop blogging about it every day :) I just wanted to share with you some of my images from the rest of Haiti – outside the pension. The parts of Haiti that aren’t supported by foreign donations…

As I mentioned a couple posts ago, HFC is situated in a rough neighborhood – Bolosse. The school and the pension are closed off from the neighborhood with guarded gates.


Even the kids who live directly next door, only get to peer in from over the barbed wire. This kid’s house is actually above the fence, and I often found him looking over the wall watching the children playing. It made me sad. He can see these kids having fun, eating food, going to school – and he is kept at a distance. Maybe his family can’t afford to send him to the school? Who knows? But I wonder what goes on in this kid’s heart. Is he jealous? bitter? angry? Does he even care? Only God knows… but I know he watches these kids, a lot…


A few more scenes of the neighborhood, taken from inside the walls of the pension.



oh, I love how she’s standing. her stance is so full of attitude.


this. is. haiti.


We wanted to go for a walk around the neighborhood to get a better picture of what it’s like, but we had to wait until one of the men from the pension could escort us. (there’s a very real danger of kidnapping in Haiti). So, we walked up this hill, and at the top was a garbage dump, of sorts. It was also a soccer field where the local kids play… The garbage is everywhere though. Everywhere.

This kid was playing up there, riding his bike around the dump. And he did NOT like me taking his picture…


We also got to tour one of the high-schools nearby. The school is on the property of a seminary that is loosely affiliated with the pension. This was one of the few places we could walk freely. It was a beautiful campus.


We found some boys in an empty classroom singing and playing instruments. They were happy to let us sit down and listen as they rehearsed for graduation. They were such sweet guys and they drilled us with questions about the US, and how it might be possible for them to get there. For each of them, and for many people in Haiti, the dream is to get to America. That’s the only way they can see their life improving.



This school is also where the kids go for Sunday School before church. There are a bunch of other kids there, and a ton of people at the main church as well. It was cool going to church with them, but I did almost fall asleep ;) When you can’t understand creole, it’s a lot harder to pay attention! So, to stay awake, I took pictures of the cute kids…




But, there’s more to Port-au-Prince than just Bolosse! Here are a few shots from our travels around the city…

The President’s house. It was kind of crazy to see this in the middle of everything else…


local markets line many of the streets


And as I said, there’s garbage everywhere. One of the big problems with this is that when it rains areas can flood because drains are filled with garbage. But one of the reasons flooding in Haiti can be so horrible is because there isn’t good infrastructure to allow for drainage. There is just water everywhere, rushing in torrents down the street, and just everywhere. You can easily see why hurricanes that hit Haiti can be so devastating.


Yeah, this is a street we’re trying to drive on. It gives new meaning to the idea of a traffic jam.


And the lovely tap-taps. The tap-taps are like a cross between a taxi and a bus – but the guys who drive them go all-out to make them unique. Each one seems to have a different theme, and often the music blaring out of them will go along with the theme. It was totally entertaining, but I never did get to ride in one…


A view of Port-au-Prince from the hilltop in Bolosse. You can see the President’s mansion, and the football stadium, and the giant section of blue-ish concrete near the bottom is the cemetery – it’s enormous.


This kid approached our car as we were stopped at the light and asked us for money. This kills me when I’m traveling because I know I can’t give it to them without the car being mobbed, and so I can’t give it to them at all. I apologized, but he was a little annoyed with me…


And this is one of my favorite shots. It is exactly what I think of when I think of Port-au-Prince. Miles and miles of concrete dwellings squished together, taking over every inch of space. The reality that I didn’t get to see is that outside the city, where there’s fewer people living in such tight space, it’s very green and lush and beautiful. Maybe on my next trip to Haiti, I’ll get to experience more of that…


And this last shot is one I took on the plane as we left.


Thank you to Hope For The Children for bringing me down to see and experience Haiti and the work you’re doing there. I hope and pray that the images we captured will help you tell the story of your efforts, and of the children – and that God would use them to bless and increase your ministry.

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 5 Comments

HFC – The School

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I went to Haiti to document the work of Hope For The Children of Haiti. Their Mission is this: Hope for the Children of Haiti is called by God to give Haitian children, particularly orphans, the opportunity to become well rounded adults who are self sufficient in Christ. One of the keys to fulfilling this mission is giving these children a quality education. And so HFC has started a school that teaches not only the orphans who are part of the Pension, but many other local children as well. Here are some images from my time at the school…

When we first arrived at the school that morning, the kids were in the middle of recess, and were playing all over the place. And MAN do the they love the camera!!! I was instantly mobbed! Since I’m supposed to be documenting life at the school, I was getting a little frustrated because this was not a day in the life of the school – this was mob the photographer day :) But, come on, look at how cute they are! Who can stay frustrated for long?



Of course, not all the kids were interested…


Finally, recess was over and everyone went back to class.
This teacher was totally embarrassed that I was taking his picture (in fact, they all were), so I had to crouch outside the door and try to be incognito. Not too easy with my 80-200mm f/2.8 lens on, but it worked somehow :)


The girls taking rigorous notes on the Haitian Revolution


And one of the boys listening attentively


The little ones couldn’t concentrate that hard. Nor could they see very well. We happened to show up the week the generator died, and there was no power at all during the day. Many of the classrooms, like this one, didn’t have any windows and were almost pitch black. But, school continues…




These poor teachers! Every time I walked by the classroom, the kids went nuts trying to get me to take their picture. Kids were coming out into the hallway, getting out of their seats, and totally freaking out. It was a little funny, but the disciplinarian in me wanted to tell them to go sit back down and listen to their teachers! :)


A teacher going over homework in the light from the hallway since her classroom is windowless.


I love this shot of a teacher going through a book in class. There’s something about the way she’s holding the book and the pages that is just beautiful to me.


Lots of answering questions on the chalk board


even when there’s no light to read your work…



Thankfully, the generator has since been fixed the kids have light to read by again! Lack of power in Port-au-Prince and the cost of running a generator is one of the MANY reasons that HFC needs your support!! If you can, please think or pray about supporting this important ministry, so these kids can get a good education and grow up to be self-sufficient adults that make an impact on the future of Haiti!

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 2 Comments

HFC – Life at the Pension

Here’s a little peak at life at the Pension (that’s what they call an orphanage in Haiti)…

They have two main buildings. The main building is the school, girls’ dorm, and space for another adoption agency. The other building is across the street – it’s the boys’ dorm, and it’s called Woodworth’s House (I can’t remember who Woodworth was and why they named the house after him…). Here’s a view of the boys’ house, from the main building. It was laundry day :)


I found this hanging on the wall in the girls’ room. It was incredibly humbling to think of how much this passage must mean to the girl who tacked it on her wall, and how much I have to learn about it’s meaning…


A regular ritual of braiding each other’s hair.


One of the most difficult parts of the trip for me was visiting the babies from the adoption agency. It’s comforting to know that almost all of them will get adopted, most by American or European families. But, seeing their life as it is now… was heartbreaking.


These babies sit in their cribs all day. all. day. There’s a woman in the corner of the room “watching” them, but mostly sitting around. These kids are sitting in wet diapers, stimulating themselves by banging their heads on the mattress, and some seem to have given up and just lay there. The teenage girls from HFC like to play mommy and come get some of the babies a couple times a day – but they don’t take all of them, just the ones they like. I got a few out of their crib and played with them, but I couldn’t take them all out, and it killed me. If you’re even thinking of adopting a child – please consider adopting a child from Haiti or another 3rd-world country. This is the alternative until a family comes along to care for them…


Some of the toddlers from the same agency. It cracks me up that a 3-year-old is braiding the younger one’s hair! Most 3-year-olds can’t tie their shoelaces, how are they gonna braid hair?!


This is one of the little ones from the agency. She followed me around all over the Pension. She wouldn’t let go of my leg, or stop touching my camera, and was just always there. She’s pretty cute, huh? I had to try really hard not to bring her with me…


One of the fabulous cooks at the girls’ dorm. I’m not exactly sure what she’s making there, but I do know that I had to eat it. If you know me at all – you know I’m very picky. A bowl full of mush is not my idea of dinner. But, it’s all they had, and they shared it with me. And I ate it, gratefully.


The view from the dorm. This is practically all these kids see of their community. They live in a really bad neighborhood – very dangerous and violent. They are fiercely protected, and therefore don’t get to play out in the streets or spend time with neighbors. But, they are safe…


This is what teenagers look like at Sunday School… a little bored, and trying not to get in trouble for talking :)


Dinner at the boys’ dorm


The boys’ house-mother


One of the beautiful things about the kids at HFC is that they really are a family. A gigantic family of 60 kids, but a family nonetheless! I love this picture of Wislandy, the youngest girl with her arm around one of her big brothers. It just tells you so much about these kids.


Next up, a look at the school at HFC!

Posted on by Krista Guenin · 4 Comments

Hope For the Children of Haiti – the boys

So, you’ve met some of the girls from Hope For The Children of Haiti – now meet a few of the boys…

Mikenlove hanging out on the porch at the Boys’ House


stuck inside on a rainy day



oh, forget, let’s just go play in the rain! Boys don’t mind getting wet and dirty, right?



they sure love football!



I can’t get over their view from their football field!


Rejoicing over a goal :) This is back at the orphanage where they were playing football with a plastic bottle. It was rather impressive.


One of the things I love about boys in other cultures… They hold hands with each other! It’s precious.


Jefthe looking very serious


studying hard


Richecarde smiling for the camera


and this kid was laughing so hard he fell down :)


The boys were a totally different set of characters than the girls. Much less camera-shy. Some even went out of their way to pose for me – too much even. :)

They were also a really fun group of boys who laugh a lot – which is always a good thing, especially in a place like Haiti!