2012 Year in Review – One

Ah, 2012 (here's 2011). What a crazy year, the one George keeps referring to as "the best in our lives." Seems pretty premature to put that label on it, but by all accounts, it has certainly been the best year yet. I've got my eye on 2013, though, don't you worry. Without too much musing, I'm going to move right on into the images. There are a lot, so go grab a cup of coffee and come back and take a walk through the last year with me. What follows are a set of images - one for each session I photographed in 2012. No personal work, no second shooting and one choice I made just now mostly through gut - not necessarily my favorite, just the one that caught my eye, just now. My 2012, in order: Tara and Dustin's engagement session on the National Mall: Karen and David's Mayflower hotel wedding: Anju and Brian's Frederick, Maryland engagement session: Emilie & Zack's courthouse wedding and Segways and cherry blossoms and portraits at the National Gallery of Art: Kristin & Chris, all up in the cherry blossoms: Dana and Josh, rocking out the National Mall: Amelia and Javier, engagement sessioning it on up at Barrel Oak Winery: Anastasia and Nick's cooking engagement session. The one and only engagement session I've photographed that included T-bone steak: Joanna and Michael's Brooklyn engagement session: Ann and Chris' wedding at the Chapel at Quantico and Fredericksburg Square: Marla and Eric, among the falling flowers at Dumbarton Oaks: Pamela and James rocking out the National Cathedral's Bishop's Garden with the young 'uns: Laura and Adam's industrial chic wedding at Corradetti Glassblowing Factory in Baltimore (I'll be headed back there this year - yay!): Two awesome cats partied it up for their wedding at The Oaks - I'll be back there again in 2013, too: Sara and Cory chose L'Enfant Plaza for their engagement spot. I worked there at the time, so it was pretty seriously convenient. Amelia and Javier's super-rad wedding at the Patapsco Female Institute: Suee and Tad's Indian wedding at St. Francis Hall in DC: Pamela and James got married in their DC neighborhood - in a pair of back yards. Anju and Brian's Indian and Western wedding: Amanda and José's intimate wedding in Alexandria: Maria and Russell's Charlotte, NC wedding at the Levine Museum of the New South: Marcy and Emily's intimate legal ceremony in DC: Sara and Cory tied the knot at the Arts Club of Washington: Claudia and Glen's wedding under the stunning linden trees at the Meridian House: Joanna and Michael's rockin' Seaford Yacht Club wedding: Heather and Anthony's food-centric engagement session at Eastern Market: Tiffany and Humberto's Glen Echo Park engagement session: Sara and Aleko's engagement session at Navy Yard ended in the fountain: Anastasia (not pictured!) and Nick dominated Longview Gallery at their wedding: Megan, Pritpal and Jack invited me into their old and new homes for a documentary family session: K and B did it big for their wedding at Woodlawn Manor: Vaishali and John engagement sessioned it at the Hirshhorn: Marla and Eric had absolutely perfect weather for their Princeton Mountain Lakes House wedding: Rachel and Joe's Marriott Ranch wedding - classy country, all the way: Sara and Aleko's fabulously Greek wedding in DC: Shubha and Chris' Indian wedding at Garden Falls in Jamesburg, New Jersey: Amy and T.J.'s wedding at Historic London Town and Gardens in Edgewater, Maryland: Heather and Ben rocked out their wedding gear one last time at Meridian Hill Park: wedding photography at meridian hill park Elizabeth and Ryan's elegant intimate wedding in Easton, Maryland: The Barns at Wolf Trap got a big dose of Heather and Anthony and all their friends and family at their September wedding: Mark and Stephen had one of the most eclectic weddings I've photographed in a friend's back yard: Natalie and Joseph did it big in Arlington for their intimate wedding: Nancy and Ilan took me back to Longview Gallery for their wedding: Yes, another engagement session that ended in a fountain - Caitlin and Trevor were great sports: K and O hit up the DC courthouse and the National Gallery of Art for their DC wedding: Susan and Senthil wanted hot air balloons for their engagement session, but the weather had other plans (for now): Liz and Dave got married on their Arlington rooftop: arlington intimate wedding There is ooooooone more 2012 session, but I can't show you yet. Next year. It's weird looking through an entire year of images and travels and musings and work. The visual nature of my work and passion means that I get to see my year unfold, if I am, say, going through an entire year of my blog to facilitate posting this year-in-review. It has been a really great year. As always, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to pursue this work and capture such important times in the lives of my clients. I am so... happy. More so than I think I can probably say I have been since college and maybe not for a long, long time. Bring it on, 2013.

Engagement Session FAQs

I get a lot of questions about engagement sessions.  My clients have often never been professionally photographed and are therefore understandably nervous about getting in front of the camera.  So I thought it might be helpful to answer a few FAQs for anyone considering an engagement session.

Why should we have an engagement session?

Obviously, engagement sessions mean different things to different people.  Some are specifically looking for an image to use for save-the-dates or want a big photo for their friends and family to sign at the wedding.  Other times, the motivation is a bit more subtle. engagement session at glen echo park My thinking about engagement sessions is that they are a way to capture how you really were before you got married.  On a wedding day, it can be hard to show life.  You’ve got a lot going on, it’s a huge day – a lot of emotion, family drama, etc. – and there’s a huge party going on.  An engagement session is a quiet, personal look into your lives pre-marriage.

Where should we go?

I always encourage my couples to pick somewhere meaningful for their engagement session.  Sure, we can rock out whatever old park you like or cherry blossoms or whatever.  But wouldn’t it be neat to go to the place where he proposed?  Or hang out in your neighborhood?  Or go horseback riding?  Or scope out your local library? (That’s where George and I did ours.)  Bonus points always for activities.  Maybe you guys like to cook and we should go shopping at the farmer’s market and then you can make something together.  Maybe your favorite thing ever is hiking and we should roll out to one of your trails.  Whatever it is that speaks to who you are as a couple is what I want to include in your engagement session.

What happens at the session?

I keep my photo sessions as low-stress as possible.  “Stand over there and hug each other” is a cue I might give.  Some people are instantly cuddly and giggly – others are a bit more reserved and I have to tease it out.  I make fun of you, make fun of myself, joke about how exciting and fun picking out centerpieces is, etc.  If it makes you laugh, I’ll say it. engagement photography at roosevelt island

How long is this going to take?

Oh, hello mens!  Nearly every guy I’ve worked with has had this question.  I don’t like to put any strict time limits on photo shoots, but most tend to last around an hour.  That’s enough time to get you guys tired enough that you’ll stop fake smiling and actually have a good time!

What should I wear?

I (sort of) covered that in this post.  It’s on my to-do list to flush that out and make a real post out of it but for now, that should get you started with some tips and examples.  Some people like to bring a change of clothes and I’m cool with that – as long as it’s not a bunch of stuff that you need to keep putting down or hanging up.  Bring as little stuff with you as possible so we can keep moving.

Should we bring props?

Aaaand hello ladies!  The blog world has everyone thinking that props are where it’s at for photo sessions.  A pinwheel here, a piano in a field there.  I can work with that, if it’s what you guy want, but I personally think it gets in the way of showing who you are.  If you’re bringing a chess board because you play chess all the time, then by all means!  I always ask my couples to look to the future – what are you going to want to see of yourselves in 10 years?  I doubt it’s a “themed” shoot.  Then again, if you’re the crafty, DIY type… washington dc engagement photography

Should we bring our dog?

Yes and no.  And it depends.  A lot of couples want to incorporate their pets – part of the family and all.  But they are unpredictable.  And they must be watched.  This can be very distracting and can really be a drag on a session.  I move my couples around a lot to different spots, try different ideas, etc.  If we’re constantly tying and untying a dog or trying to get the dog to look at the camera, it kinda ruins the vibe.  If we’re shooting close to your home, maybe we can do a halfsies session part with and part without the dogs – that is my ideal scenario.

What if we book you for an engagement session and then want to hire you for our wedding?

Um… awesome!  So you’re not ready to book a wedding photographer yet, but you want to get your engagement session on.  And then you love me (because that is what happens, y’all) – do you get a discount?  My answer is: of course.  I always have special portrait/engagement pricing for wedding clients and I'll deduct the difference between a "wedding client" engagement session and a "regular" engagement session. washington dc engagement photography

I have another question!

Ask, ask!  Feel free to ask any other questions direct to me or in the comments - I'd be happy to speak to any other queries/concerns.  Hope to hear from you soon!