Let me just start by saying if you haven’t been to Kooper’s for a burger, then you’ve been missing out BIG TIME! In fact, I don’t even know what else is on the menu! (There’s lots, but I have only tried the burgers).

My love affair with the Kooper’s burger started several years ago when I lived in Fells Point. Every Tuesday I would walk down to Kooper’s with a group of my friends for half-priced burger night. This is not a scam, this is the real deal. A big ‘ole quality burger and fries for less than a meal at Mickey D’s.

The Chowhound truck takes Kooper’s on the road to various places around the city. I caught up with them at a parking lot in a busy office area. The people basically sprinted to the truck as they opened at 11am on the dot. Chow Time Baby! And I will confirm that the burgers from the truck are just as good as the ones in Fell’s Point. You can check their website to figure out where they are.

Read more about the truck in Urbanite’s September 2010 issue!

I think that if I ever get married, I want a very small wedding with only my closest friends and family around. I’ve attended so many awesome weddings, but there is something about the intimacy of a small wedding that really appeals to me. Julie and Joe officially wed in a small backyard ceremony in their hometown. Now that they live in Baltimore, they gathered their family and friends from around the country to help them celebrate their union. The ceremony, where they exchanged a vintage wedding ring and a bicycle chain (!) took place in the cozy rooftop dining room of the Peabody Court Hotel with a 180 degree view of Mt. Vernon.

As Michele would say “Who-da thunk it?” My very own friend and second shooter, Michele Holcombe, is now Michele Conaway!!!!

Michele found her prince and I’m especially pleased to make this post because I can’t think of anyone I’m happier for. The two lovebirds were each other’s first loves and even attended each other’s proms. After years of separation, they found each other again. Their first meeting after several years only helped re-ignite the fires of their youthful love affair. Watching the two of them proves that love lasts and they are still head over heels for each other.

The couple decided to celebrate their union at a private ceremony and invited her closest friends (including moi!) for a reception at McCormick & Schmicks. Then Michele got to be the photo subject as I chased the two of them around the pier for post-celebration photos. I don’t know Jason well (yet!) but I can tell that they’re an ideal pair. He’s tall, cool and handsome, but still relaxed enough to laugh at Michele’s sassy jokes and tell some of his own.

Congratulations to you both!

Wendy and Donald’s relationship gives me proof that true romance still exists. Watching the two of them journey toward the same life goals warms my heart and spirit. Congratulations to you both!

Wedding Coordination: Blush Wedding & Event Planning Firm

You remember that gorgeous week in May when the sun was shining, the weather was perfect and there were big fluffy clouds in the sky… then it rained on the weekend? That’s the weekend Jasmyn and Jade got married! In fact, they were scheduled to have an outdoor wedding! These two are so happy and calm that the clouds couldn’t steal the shine of their day. The love bubble that they created over the Gramercy Mansion was enough to keep the showers away until after the ceremony and it cleared up enough for us to take a few portraits during the reception.

“You have to find something that you love enough to be able to take risks, jump over the hurdles and break through the brick walls that are always going to be placed in front of you. If you don’t have that kind of feeling for what it is you are doing, you’ll stop at the first giant hurdle.” George Lucas

I’m not the type who enjoys the spotlight (I love being behind the camera) So, I’m jumping in to my first art show ever. I’m nervous, but I have plenty of support from my friends and clients, so I know it will be fantastic.

The Body Language show celebrates body art of all kinds, from tattoos to henna. The show will be the last weekend of September at The Living Well. I’m looking for a few more tattooed folks to photograph for the show this summer. Stay tuned for the details, but if you’re interested in participating, send me a message!

Model: Simone Mooreland
Body Paint Artist: Sophy Tuttle

Hey there! This is a quick note to let you know that I’ll be offering photography lessons at The Living Well this summer.

Topics will cover getting to know your digital camera, posing, black & white photography, digital editing and more! You do not need to have a digital SLR to participate, any camera that allows you to adjust your settings will work just fine to get you started.

Weekend and weekday classes are forming now, so please email me at lakayem@gmail.com to reserve your space and to get the details!

Many people know me as a wedding and portrait photographer, but not many people know about my obsession with tattoos and other forms of body art. The human body is is incredible and beautiful and I love to learn about how different cultures adorn their bodies.

As grad students finishing our last semester at the University of Baltimore, students in my class were given one word to design an entire project around-Language. Deciding on Body Language was my natural instinct. During the semester, I photographed and interviewed several tattooed folks and learning the unique stories behind their art. I’ve been re-exploring the project recently and I’ve begun to include other forms of body art, including body paint, henna, piercings, traditional body jewelry and brands. I got inspired to add body paint to the collection after attending the Tuaca Body Art Ball on assignment for Baltimore.Metromix.com. The show was absolutely amazing and so well choreographed. Each “canvas” was painted to match the performance piece they were involved in. I wrote about it last year and you can read it here. The link to my photos are gone, but you can see them on my flickr page.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a press pass to this year’s ball, but I still attended and had a great time. I even got to meet some of the artists and performers, thanks to Amy Walker, who’s been painting bodies for more than 10 years. Shortly before this year’s ball, I began contacting body painters to collaborate on a project involving models painted to look like animals. In case you were wondering, I got newly inspired watching marathons of America’s Next Top Model.

I put out the call for painters and Sophy Tuttle, a fantastic artist and face painter enthusiastically got back to me. I also found some great models on Model Mayhem and we are now working on expanding the project.

Here is one of the photos from a recent shoot.

Maurissa at The Living Well is allowing me to host an art show in September and I’m planning to unveil my Body Language Project then. To get involved, email me at lakayem@gmail.com.

When Ashley called me to schedule her family portrait session, I was truly shocked and excited! Ashley lives in Texas, and was planning a family outing in Maryland for Mother’s Day and wanted me there to shoot the photos. I’m still amazed by how the internet can bring people together from states away.

After a bit of discussion, Ashley decided to have her family outing in Fells Point. Luckily for us, it was the perfect spring day. The sun was shining but we avoided the 90 degree weather that plagued Baltimore just a few days earlier. The pier, the cobblestone roads and the ivy-laced buildings made for a wonderful backdrop. I’ve lived in Baltimore for 10 years and I almost forgot how beautiful and historic Fells Point is.

The family came together for a relaxed afternoon and everybody was in good spirits. I knew that a group was coming, but what I didn’t know was that Ashley had recently gotten engaged to her longtime boyfriend Paul. We took the opportunity to do a few engagement portraits as well.

It was a gorgeous day and it was a pleasure working with the family.

Please feel free to share this post on twitter and facebook. And as always, comments are welcomed and appreciated!