Safe Park allows homeless families to sleep safely overnight in their vehicles

After Shannon Medlin, 37, and her partner, who requested to go by the name, Thor Shreddington, 31, were evicted from their home in Arizona, they traveled to Vancouver, WA, to stay with a friend. When that situation fell through, they found themselves with no other option than to live in their vehicle. The SafePark church parking lot in Vancouver gives them a safe place to sleep every night. (Ariane Kunze/The Columbian) 

This photo story won third place in the general news category with the National Press Photographer's Association in December 2017. 

Home Birth

“A woman in birth is at once her most powerful, and most vulnerable. But any woman who has birthed unhindered understands that we are stronger than we know.”
— Marcie Macari

I recently had the privilege of photographing my dear friend, Sierra's, home birth. The calmness, focus and intrepid spirit Sierra exhibited through the entire process was truly amazing. Witnessing the teamwork between the midwives, Sierra and David was inspiring. Thank you for letting me be a part of this powerful, life changing experience. 

I was working with very low light to ensure Sierra had a relaxed experience,  so I did what I could with candles and midwife's flashlight.