Somali Bantu Wedding Reception :: 07.10 :: the Highlands of NW Denver

In mid July, my dear friend and creative partner Jess Deugan asked if I would photograph one of the girls of the Somali Bantu tribe’s wedding reception.  Though I had never met her friends, I know of Jess’s love and commitment to them;  she ran a 100 mile race to raise money for their families (yes I am serious, she ran a 100 mile race).  Taking photos was the least I could do…. especially since I’m not a runner. :)

Jess got connected with her Somali Bantu friends through Lutheran Family Services Refugee + Asylee program.  She met them when they came to the states in April of 2004 after living in a refugee camp in Kenya for 11 years. The Somali Bantu were stateless people, as they were not recognized by the government of Somalia even though there were at least 15,000 of them.  As a result, they were treated like slaves and had no rights so they fled Somalia when their government was over thrown in 1992.  You can learn more about the Somali Bantu Refugees in Denver by visiting this link.

I did not have the chance to get to know the wedding party or the family before the reception so photographically I was open to capture whatever expression, moment, or face that caught my eye.   There were so many beautiful faces at the reception, and the hospitality of Jess’s friends was quite generous.  Here are a few of my favorite faces and moments from the reception back in July; I hope you enjoy.

This little girl is the picture of the word, “joy”.  Just looking at her smile makes me smile.  A sheer delight!

Thank you Jess Deugan for sharing these lovely friends of yours with me.  I heart you.

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 24th, 2010 at 1:26 pm and is filed under Community, Weddings, Brides, & Engagements and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

4 Responses to “Somali Bantu Wedding Reception :: 07.10 :: the Highlands of NW Denver”

  1. m. scott mclean says:
    10/08/2010 at 10:44 am

    These shots are fantastic. Every one of them should be in a magazine.

  2. Danny says:
    10/25/2010 at 3:54 pm

    Scotts right . You really nailed it

  3. m. scott mclean says:
    01/26/2011 at 7:04 pm

    I love these wedding shots. It’s so nice to revisit them. That child is incredible! Happiness! The Purest happiness ever. ‘Happiness’ might actually be the perfect title of that photo. But this time around…the feet on the rug! Seriously, there’s something about that one that’s really special. Something keeps drawing me back to it. Really really beautiful.

  4. Jennifer says:
    01/30/2011 at 10:23 am

    That child is pure joy! She by far was my favorite subject, and there were so many beautiful faces there!

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