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.

Kelly is one of my closest friends. You might see her appear on my blog from time to time because she allows me to practice new photo techniques whenever the mood strikes. She’s an awesome model and now that she’s a yoga instructor, I can have her do all kinds of twists and turns and she’ll hold the pose until I get my lighting right.

You can find out about her yoga sessions on her blog Kelly Blue Yoga.

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.” I think this applies to us. Thanks Miss Kelly for your continued support!

Here’s a photo from one of our sessions.

I met the most adorable family ever on a warm afternoon in October. The setting was perfect, the sun was shining and the clouds were gorgeous. The whole family had on adorable color-coordinated outfits; The girls in pink & green (my sorority colors!) and the boys were in blue.

I think there was a nervous excitement about the photo session. The two little Gillis’s had an especially skeptical eye on me during the shoot. In my typical manner, I started with the large family group shot just to get everybody comfortable in front of the lens. Then I let them run loose! There was running and jumping and even a little golf. Teresa (the mom with the mostest) kept apologizing for the dirty knees and hands the kids got while running around. Little did she know that my favorite part of any photoshoot is when the kids get dirty. A lil’ dirt lets me know they’re having fun.

I knew it was a success when I got the little ones to smile and I got hugs all around when the sun set and the shoot ended.

We had so much fun last weekend at The Living Well. It was wonderful to meet new people and reconnect with dear friends. We took a lot of great photos, but here are a few highlights. Enjoy!

I have a confession. I love autumn and I am a sucker for costumes and candy! We gave out free photo keychains to everybody who dressed up and came to The Living Well. The kids were too cute, and I must say the adults had fun too! If you like what you see, please leave comments!

Next up: We’re booking Holiday & Family Portraits for 11/14 and 12/5 from 10-5pm. The sitting fee is just $25 for up to 4 people and you have the option to create your own package. We’ll also have greeting cards. Call 410.261.3200 to schedule your session!

It’s amazing how many Virgo’s are around me. My mom and plenty others have graced my life and attempted to organize my hectic and crazed world. (Much to their dismay I revert back to the craziness as soon as they leave.) I’ve learned a lot from them and most recently have learned from Makeda, who turned 21 and was organized enough to have a very grown up and sophisticated day planned for herself and her best friends. She’s a proud Morgan State student and was my first official photography student. Without our weekly meetings I don’t think I would have been as prepared for my first photography class I taught this summer. Thanks Makeda!

I was very excited and honored that she asked me to document her milestone birthday.

I just wanted to take a moment to wish Happy Mother’s Day to all of those hard-working moms, Godmoms and fairy godmoms out there. Here are three compilations that I’ve put together from recent shoots in celebration of mothers and their first-borns.

Enjoy! 

This was  little GiGi’s first official photoshoot. 

Barbara with her oldest son, Paxxon.

My great-niece Jourdan Noelle is so cute I can hardly stand it!

High school drama, job promotions, career set-backs, demanding husbands & kids… These ladies have been through a lot together and they’re still hanging tough. Make-up artist, Wendy Tucker brought her crew together for a day of beauty and photography at the beautiful Living Well Yoga Studio in Charles Village. The model-friends (frodels? miends?) spent the day laughing and catching up, Wendy spent the day creating art on their faces and I did my best to capture it all.

Here’s a peak into their intimate sister circle.

Comments are welcome!

Felice came to have her family photos taken with her pint-sized twins and her mom. The twins have such distinct personalities and had no problem posing for the camera. We took a ton of great photos, but I thought the black and white process captured the beauty in their eyes.  Comments are welcomed!

We lucked out and shot a maternity session outdoors in February! Once we discovered that my favorite place to shoot was closed for repairs, we found a beautiful site not too far away. See if you can guess where we were.