Addis Ababa, Ethiopia I photographed this incredibly sweet baby just over a week ago. As a result, this image will join a new portrait gallery in the orphanage where he lives in Addis Ababa. The making of this shot - and pretty much all the others - was the product of a group effort. For instance, I photographed him in a darkly-lit, rather crowded baby room. Firstly, we squeezed him between two other babies who helped to prop him up on a diaper-changing shelf. Secondly, he la

Photograph by Tamara Lackey THIS Thanksgiving - we are SO grateful for everyone who fosters puppies in need of homes. Check out our newest episode, airing tonight at 8:50pm on PBS / Public Media NC UNC-TV. It is all about how organizations like the amazing Peak Lab Rescue are caring for puppies and dogs in need of rescue! Photograph by Tamara Lackey Go to ChasingFramesShow.com for bonus content. Check out an overview of the photography & gear used in this episode. As well as

Photograph by Tamara Lackey This episode is all about the stunning Spanish Colonial Mustangs who live on the shores of the Outer Banks. This show is particularly moving to us because of what happened shortly after we wrapped filming at the Corolla Wild Horse Fund's sanctuary. Photograph by Tamara Lackey In Early September, Hurricane Dorian slammed into the North Carolina coast. As a result, a massive wall of water blasted Ocracoke Island. Tragically, that storm created a ter

I met these two beautiful boys for the first time while they were still in Ethiopia. They were babies at the time, twin boys who lived in a rural orphanage far south of Addis Ababa. Photograph by Tamara Lackey They had just met their family, our friends Angela & Clint, parents who would shower them with love, expanding to a family of eight. These two joined four older children who adore them - and a mom and a dad who are SO grateful to have them in their lives. At the time th

Bat Blitz Photo by Tamara Lackey This week on Chasing Frames, we venture into the back country of Eastern North Carolina to capture wild bats IN THE PITCH DARK with a team of researchers and scientists on their annual bat blitz. This episode airs on broadcast Thursday night on PBS / Public Media NC. Which also just happens to air during Bat Week, a completely unintended bonus! Bat Blitz Photo by Tamara Lackey I was astounded to learn how integral these insect-eating animals

On our new Swift Water Rescue episode of Chasing Frames, I spent time on a COLD and very FAST-MOVING river, joining elite first responders who train for a specialized, and very risky, form of rescue. They save others in swift-moving water emergencies. Photo by Tamara Lackey - Episode 03 - Swift Water Rescue As I experienced some of what they do, photographing them while in action, I heard remarkable stories. One story that struck me the most was a team on night rescue after a

This episode of Chasing Frames Show made us cry while watching it. And we were there for it! Andrea Lytle Peet, who has been living with ALS for over five years now, is an extraordinary athlete and woman, and her love story with Dave Peet is a true demonstration of what love really is. Photograph by Tamara Lackey Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Andrea. Here's to Team Drea Foundation, *much* more speediness in ALS research for a CURE - and the power of just how

We are thrilled to announce that Chasing Frames, the TV show we have been working on all year, premiered October 3rd! Our new show Chasing Frames is focused on people doing GOOD in the world - those who transform lives, protect our planet and rescue those in need. And it’s been incredibly inspiring, spending time with so many people who spend their days, and many nights, caring deeply about the work they do! As a result, I get to learn more about the extraordinary good they d

We founded Beautiful Together over four years ago. Since then we have been able to start and, gratefully, finish fourteen projects and establish four funds. The projects all focused on supporting children without families. Along the way we have done our best to advocate for these children. For instance, many of these children living in institutions do not have an opportunity to even be adopted. Mainly, this is due to a significant amount of red tape and doors closed by gover

We are soooo close to fully funding for our Orphan Prevention Care Center in Ethiopia! Help us set up daycare rooms (one of the current ones is pictured here - may need to zoom in to see all the babies) that offer these little souls more space, mind/body stimulation, early literacy education opportunities and are also connected to an eating area that would provide children with regular meals - ALL while empowering mothers through education, vocational training, and an opport

August 17th from 6-9pm - Union Square Ballroom, New York City We're very excited to invite you to join Nikon Ambassador Tamara Lackey on Thursday, August 17th from 6-9pm for a one night only exclusive gallery event at the Union Square Ballroom in New York City supporting the incredible work of Beautiful Together. See imagery from some of the life-changing recent projects, hear from Tamara about the inspiring work still to be done - and enjoy generous raffle prizes (list const

Beautiful Together is working to create a Relief Center for the families displaced by a devastating landslide that occurred on March 12th. A disastrous landslide occurred in Korah, Ethiopia on March 12th. The death toll has now risen to 115 people – mostly women and children – and a significant number of injuries. Many more are still very much in need of rescue, medical supplies, food, water, and fundamental shelter. 100% of donations to this project go directly to a Korah R

The Good News Post & a $150 Adorama Giveaway This can be a stressful time of year for a lot of people (especially photographers!). Knowing this, I recently shared this image on my Facebook page of an iridescent hummingbird I photographed because, as a spirit animal, they symbolize enjoyment of life, lightness of being, being present, the lifting up of negativity, and resiliency. (I know all of this only because I read it here.) But it feels right. : ) The wonderful team a

Lighting Classrooms & Education Center Repairs - BeautifulTogether.org We are so grateful to have completed renovating the orphanage bathrooms in Ethiopia – the children living there now have clean, safe bathrooms with new toilets, lovely sinks, updated plumbing, and (my favorite) hand sanitizers! These newly renovated bathrooms have made a big improvement in the orphanage. We are also currently finishing up our last project, Safeguarding The Orphanage, which we've heard is

Beautiful Together's Orphanage Bathroom Renovation: Officially Completed!! We are thrilled to announce that the orphanage bathroom renovation that has been in process for nearly two months is finally, totally, beautifully completed!! When we first announced this Beautiful Together project, we weren't sure exactly how long it would take or what kind of complications we might run into, but much of the work was done before we traveled to Ethiopia, and it was done well - so whe

When we founded Beautiful Together, our 501(c)(3) all-volunteer, non-profit organization focused on supporting children without families, we knew that one of the benefits of doing this type of work would be meeting others who were doing similar work. We knew we would want to partner with a few key organizations and have found that it has been a surprisingly natural process to determine who that would be. We are currently partnering with two organizations. One of our partners

I am now back in Arusha. I apologize that our remoteness made updating the blog during Ride TZ quite difficult, but I am happy to report on our phenomenal experience now. The past eight days were unlike any other eight days of my life. In fact, every day was remarkable and brought about countless new sights and experiences to create something that collectively was quite unimaginable. Let me begin with the riders. Each person in this amazing group has a unique story of invol

I am now back in Arusha. I apologize that our remoteness made updating the blog during Ride TZ quite difficult, but I am happy to report on our phenomenal experience now. The past eight days were unlike any other eight days of my life. In fact, every day was remarkable and brought about countless new sights and experiences to create something that collectively was quite unimaginable. Let me begin with the riders. Each person in this amazing group has a unique story of invol

Hello! I am finally checking in to catch you up on my current adventure in Arusha, Tanzania. I returned to this amazing pocket of the world at the end of June and will stay through the beginning of August. This summer my time here is divided among a few different projects: continuing my work with the Literacy Through Photography program (which you can read in last year's blog post), acting as the photographer for The Foundation For Tomorrow (TFFT, an amazing organization here

Hello! I am finally checking in to catch you up on my current adventure in Arusha, Tanzania. I returned to this amazing pocket of the world at the end of June and will stay through the beginning of August. This summer my time here is divided among a few different projects: continuing my work with the Literacy Through Photography program (which you can read in last year's blog post), acting as the photographer for The Foundation For Tomorrow (TFFT, an amazing organization here