U.S. Botanic Garden - Christmas Trains

If you haven't been to the U.S. Botanic Garden this year to see the Christmas trains and fairy land, you really should go! Here's a picture, or 24, to give you a sampling of the magical land that was created by Paul Busse and his team in Kentucky. Can you pick out which ones recreate childrens stories?
In true botanical style, all the buildings - down to the tiniest details - are primarily natural materials like leaves, seeds, stems, moss, pods, gourds and much more. Such creativity and imagination to design and construct each piece is almost unbelievable.

















I love the book worm. And the caterpillar train is too cute!


All the monuments and landmark buildings of DC are on display in the main atrium.

And, a moose is on the loose in the National Garden! Does the day look as frigid in the picture as it was? This moose must have felt right at home.

Christmas at My House

While December is flying by just like the rest of 2009, I've tried to soak in as much of the beauty of the season as possible! I started with decorating my house. The Burford holly bush outdid itself this year giving me plenty of red berries to adorn the staircase garland. The beautiful capiz shell star ornaments look amazing! A really good friend hand carried them back from the Philippines for me. We looked and looked for them during my visit in December 2006 but couldn't find them anywhere. Thanks again Sarah, I love them!


I brought back this parol from the Philippines and it's blinking lights in all kinds of patterns and sequences are mesmerizing (or may give you a headache :)). I've also head that the little boys who live across the street from me watch it when they are supposed to be in bed.
And, my beautiful tree! I collect ornaments from my travels and enjoyed seeing them and reliving the memories from Victoria to Moscow.

My mom crocheted all the snowflakes, each of them unique.
On my first trip to Uruguay, celebrating Christmas with ornaments and trees was just becoming popular, so there wasn't really an ornament to buy. We pondered what else I could use and Lisa came up with the idea to give me an extra key from a replaced door lock that makes a fun and unique ornament.
Here's a paua shell I found on the beach in New Zealand. Except for huge scallop shells on one beach there were no shells on any beaches we saw. The paua shell is quite common and in the shops they typically polish them so the outside matches the colorful iridescent inside. This one is in it's natural state.
Here's an ornament my grandmother made at least 50 years ago.
And, an ornament to remember my Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb!
If you're in the DC area and like Christmas lights, then a visit to the Collingwood Lights is a must! Bill Vaughan puts on an amazing show every year with a yard full of lights synchronized to Christmas music. Very fun!

Arlington VA Newborn Photography - Baby Bryn

I had the privilege of photographing 5 day old Bryn on Monday. Such a tiny little thing at less than 7 pounds, she was as cute as a button! She is also strong as she rolled over and could lift up her head. Very impressive for a newborn! Her mommy had quite the exercise regimen while pregnant and apparently that benefited Bryn too!
It took some time for her to settle into a deep sleep, but being so young, once she was asleep, she was out. She was a natural model, smiling for the camera even with her eyes closed. :)

Her alias before birth was Star Spangler, so the hat was appropriate as she joins a patriotic family.
How sweet is a sleeping baby...

Tiny, tiny feet:

Nothing compares to that fresh, innocent look of a newborn baby. They grow and change so quickly! A newborn photo session requires time for diaper changes and feedings (think 3 to 5 hours total), but is so worth the sweet pictures that result!
Bryn's mommy was so organized and contacted me early in her pregnancy to let me know her due date and to get all the info about a newborn photo session. When the due date approached we were in touch to tentatively schedule a date which was confirmed after the baby's arrival.
It's so important to catch babies when they are new and sleepy and before baby acne starts. The 5 to 10 day range is ideal. To get in touch with Jan about a newborn shoot, click here then the contact tab.

Jacksonville Kids Photography - My Nephews: Lenox & Lincoln

Lincoln has turned into a little boy; his first birthday was last Sunday. He was just a baby last time I saw him in July, not even crawling yet. It is amazing how quickly children change and just reminds me how important it is to take pictures often!
I had such a great visit over Thanksgiving and spent as much time as possible with the boys. In between them being sick, holiday activities, etc. we squeezed in a quick photo shoot too. We'll do a full portrait session and use some other neat locations in Jacksonville over Christmas. :)

Here's my sweet Lenox, almost 3:
Lincoln wasn't as happy as usual, but he's cute anyway:

It's so much fun to watch the boys interact:
Though sometimes Lenox loves Lincoln a little more than Lincoln would prefer:
I think Lincoln will be off and running by Christmas, he can take 5 or 6 steps alone already:
And he has that pointer finger working well to communicate his wishes:
If you're in Jacksonville, Florida, I'd love to be your child's photographer too! I'm down from Arlington, VA frequently so it would be easy to schedule your portrait session. Contact me today by clicking here, then the contact tab.

Fall Wedding on Long Island - A Love Story

I don't think Melissa and Oladele could have radiated more joy on their wedding day. You can see the anticipation on their faces early in the day, their excitement at being husband and wife as they leave the church, their mutual adoration as they spend a little time alone for the portraits, and their passion for each other as they dance the night away. To see the Long Island love story, watch their album slideshow here.

Engagement Pictures in Washington DC - Amanda & Jon

I still can't believe what a gorgeous and warm fall day we had in mid November! It was the perfect day for Amanda and Jon's engagement pictures, with lots of fall leaves as the backdrop. As a wedding photographer, getting to know the couple is key to being fully invested in caring about every detail of the wedding day. And the engagement shoot is the perfect, relaxed time to get to know them both, to observe and document their relationship, and most importantly to show them they look amazing in pictures so on the wedding day they are completely comfortable in front of my camera.
Amanda and Jon are so cute together! Jon kept Amanda laughing the whole time and we all enjoyed the afternoon. And, now they can no longer say they don't have any pictures together, instead they have the problem of having way too many to choose from. But I think that's the best problem to have! :)


I love this pocket of late afternoon sunlight that spotlights them among the flowers:

Georgetown Children's Portrait Photography - Brennan & Kiana

I've been photographing these two cuties since before Kiana was born, and we have more and more fun every time! Kiana is a doll and Brennan is getting quite good with his posing ideas. I'm so glad the weather was nice for a beautiful fall shoot in Georgetown!

As a side note, it seems once kids pass the toddler stage that having their portrait taken regularly by a professional photographer drops way down on the list of priorities for most parents. But kids continue to grow and change and documenting that every year, or year and a half, is still important. You'll never regret having those pictures of your children. As you can see with Brennan, once those baby teeth are lost the smile changes forever!

Don't the Ginkgo leaves make the best backdrop? This tree simply outdid itself in the volume of gorgeous yellow leaves it produced. The streets of Georgetown have the best fall color in the Washington, DC area, I've decided.



We're still working on getting simultaneous smiles, but I love the more serious faces too!

River Farm Wedding Album - Allison & Ben's Wedding Story

River Farm, headquarters of the American Horticultural Society, and formerly part of George Washington's property, he gave it the name River Farm, is a lovely setting for a wedding any time of year. I've given you a glimpse already of Allison and Ben's perfect fall wedding day. Now, here's their album design; the day's story unfolding in pictures.

Arlington VA Child Portrait Photographer - Gabriel

When Gabriel's mom warned me that he was "active for his age", I expected the worst, but thankfully it turns out he's a little ham and loved the camera! - Just as long as his parent's didn't try to get into the picture and steal the spotlight, of course. I don't think any one or two year old takes well to being constrained. So, patience, time, and realistic expectations are the key ingredients for a successful toddler portrait shoot.
Gabriel is a beautiful boy and it was so much fun to catch up with his parents, as I was their wedding photographer a few years ago for their Washington DC wedding. You can find some of their wedding pictures here. I just love their old DC church, St. Dominic's, it's gorgeous!
And now, here's their blue-eyed boy! Isn't he a cutie with those curls!? His mom did a great job dressing him too, I love those fall colors in his sweater. And I think the red did bring out his lips and cheeks, good job Susan!

Georgetown Child Photographer - Hadley

Sweet little Hadley is turning two and becoming such a big girl. I'm so glad we had a rare warm fall afternoon for her to play in the leaves with her parents, knock on old doors to see if anyone was there, and squeal with delight in a way only a little girl can. I think I ended up with fewer close up head shots than usual because I didn't want to leave out those adorable striped tights. And have you ever seen such beautiful long hair on such a cute little girl?

Washington DC Childrens Portrait Photographer - Nate

I love keeping up with my little clients and watching them grow. We had a beautiful day for Nate's shoot on Tuesday and he was so cooperative! As a childrens photographer, you just never know how it will go. :) He was so cute, when I'd say "boo" to get his attention he'd start playing peak a boo. Precious!

Fire Island Lighthouse, Old Westbury Gardens, Cedarmere, and New York City

I enjoyed seeing a bit of Long Island and New York City while up in New York for Melissa and Oladele's wedding. Friday morning I went out to the Fire Island Lighthouse. It was a gorgeous day and I was disappointed not to be able to climb the lighthouse due to a school group.



Next Kathleen and I started our site visits for the wedding. She lives on Long Island and would be second shooting with me so it was fun to have her along to explore with me. I always like to know where I'm going so I can make the most of each location on the wedding day when time is flying by. First stop, the regal Old Westbury Gardens. I love these kinds of places and have been looking forward to shooting wedding pictures here! It was amazing and so hard to choose only a few spots to use for wedding portraits! And the fall colors were just spectacular!









As we were driving out to the San Souci of Sea Cliff, the wedding reception location, we spotted this place and immediately pulled in to check it out. It turned out to be Cedarmere with amazing potential for wedding portraits. I couldn't wait to bring Melissa and Oladele back here! The weather and time constraints of the wedding day didn't allow us to fully use the property - Melissa was willing to climb into the old greenhouse :) - but it was beautiful and fascinating none the less.




On Sunday we went downtown New York City and walked about 90 blocks! The left picture is the arch honoring George Washington in Washington Square Park. On the right is the nearly full moon rising over Central Park. There were runners still finishing the New York City Marathon, running to the finish line in the park. Quite an accomplishment for them! It was so sweet to see the people along the road cheering them on by name (when they had their names on their shirts).

Ice skaters in Rockefeller Plaza:
Times Square:

Old Westbury Gardens Wedding Photography - Congratulations Melissa & Oladele!

After living in DC for 13 years, I finally made it up to New York! And what better excuse than Melissa and Oladele's beautiful fall Long Island wedding! Melissa is a cousin and bridesmaid from Anne and Chris's wedding two years ago, so I was thrilled and honored when she called and asked me to come up to photograph her own wedding!
Melissa and Oladele are so in love (you may recall their sweet engagement pictures); it was such a joy to be part of their wedding day! They were a photographer's dream, allowing time in between the ceremony and reception for pictures at the magnificent Old Westbury Gardens. What an incredible opportunity, I just wish we'd had a few more hours there. :)
We also stopped by an amazing find, the Cedarmere property with a stone bridge and an old Gothic Revival style decorative mill. Cedarmere was home to prominent 19th-century poet, newspaper editor and civic leader, William Cullen Bryant, in the mid 1800's and the house (currently undergoing restoration) is designated part of the Underground Railroad. Again, a few more hours of daylight was needed to here! Many thanks to Melissa and Oladele for literally running around these properties so we could make the most of our time! I think it was worth it for these amazing wedding portraits. :)

The handsome groom:

The beautiful bride:

Can you tell how happy they are to be married?

Old Westbury Gardens, what a dramatic backdrop, I love it!

The Temple of Love, how appropriate. :)

Love the little guard house in the walled garden.

Dramatic fall colors!

The mill with so many neat details. Historic and old is such a great combination.

We wanted a picture by the water, but the clouds were rolling in, it was getting dark and the wind was whipping up even stronger, it was hard to stand up, but it made for a really dramatic picture. Again, Melissa was such a great sport and sacrificed her her hair getting blown to pieces for the shot.


The flash didn't fire, but the available light is dramatic and the slow shutter speed showed the movement of Melissa's great dancing dress, so I thought this image was worth saving. It looks kind of like old grainy black and white film.
Melissa and Oladele thoroughly enjoyed every minute of their wedding day, and danced and danced at their reception. I love the connection you can see between them!
Portrait Locations: Old Westbury Gardens, Cedarmere
Reception: San Souci of Sea Cliff
Assistant Photographer: Kathleeen MacArthur of Candid Like Life in Bellport, NY. Thanks Kathleen!
Wedding Photography: Jan with jan michele photography based in Arlington, VA. Contact Jan today to book her as your wedding photographer! Click here, then the contact tab.

Long Island New York Wedding Photography

Melissa and Oladele's fabulous fall Long Island Wedding slideshow. Including pictures at Cedarmere and Old Westbury Gardens.

River Farm Wedding Photography - Congratulations Allison and Ben!

Allison and Ben had the most gorgeous fall day for their garden wedding at River Farm in Alexandria, Virginia last Sunday. River Farm has long been one of my favorite gardens and as the home of the American Horticulture Society, there is always something blooming. This time of year the wild flower meadow is still beautiful and I was so excited to be able to use it as the backdrop for some of the wedding pictures - and one of those ended up being my favorite picture of the day!
I have the most fantastic wedding clients! It was such a pleasure to be Allison and Ben's wedding photographer and to capture the wonderful celebration they had with their families and friends on their wedding day. For more pictures, be sure to watch the slideshow in the following post too.
First, the sparkling rings:
The bride's beautiful gown with all those buttons!
Allison's Dad sees his daughter as a bride. Always a sweet moment.
Simply stunning bride!
Beautiful fall colors for the bouquets and the front door.
All the lovely ladies:

And the men had their moment to shine too.
The ceremony was held in the garden. Presenting Mr. and Mrs.!
The beautiful couple.


This is my favorite! I just love the textures and colors in the fall meadow.

The tented reception was warm and inviting.


And to top off the day, an amazing sunset!

Ceremony & Reception: River Farm - Alexandria, VA
Caterer: Windows Catering Company - Kelsey Hendrickson
DJ: Dan Goldman
Flowers: Affordable Arrangements - Carly Johnson
Dress: Katherine's Bridal Boutique - Alexandria, VA
Photography: jan michele photography - Jan Graves

Contact Jan today to book her for your wedding photography! Click here, then select the contact tab.

River Farm Wedding, Alexandria VA - Allison & Ben's Wedding Slideshow

Allison and Ben's wedding photography slideshow. Ceremony and Reception held at River Farm in Alexandria, VA - a beautiful spot for a garden wedding on a lovely fall day!

SEO Workshop - Washington DC

Yesterday I attended a SEO workshop with the one and only, Lawrence Chan, of Tofurious. He's the SEO guru for photographers and has been traveling the country this fall teaching wedding photographers, and even some from other professions. After all, being "found" on the internet is sort of important to any business these days.
The added benefit of any workshop is getting to know other photographers. Meaghan Elliott, Rodney Mickle and I certainly has lots to talk about and often had to remind ourselves that we should let Lawrence do most of the talking. :) Meaghan is a wedding and high school senior photographer in the Baltimore area and Rodney is a wedding and fashion photographer in Alexandria, VA and Fort Washington, MD. I look forward to keeping in touch as we work on all the "homework" Lawrence assigned us. :)

Aldan and Theron - Arlington VA Twin Portrait Photographer

Aldan and Theron are getting so big, and I love seeing them interact. There are good signs they'll grow up to be great friends, I say!
These twins proved that lots of help is needed with baby photography. Since they were still a little wobbly, mom had to stay close by to play catcher. The blank stares show how much fun a face behind a camera is. Sorry I couldn't be more entertaining, guys. A singing, dancing parent was needed behind me to amuse these two! Often I do wish I could see what goes on behind me to get the great smiles from my tiny subjects... from the sounds, I'm sure it indeed is hilarious!

Laura and Stuart - Georgetown Portrait Photographer

Laura surprised Stuart with a photo shoot for their 3rd Anniversary. I think Stuart may have suspected something before meeting us in Georgetown, either by the request to get a haircut over the weekend or when Laura picked out his clothes that day. :)
The goal was to capture their relationship and personalities in a way that a rainy wedding day didn't. I'd say the mission was accomplished, as the images show both their playful side and how much they adore each other. I was more than happy to be their anniversary photographer and had a fantastic time working with them!











You may recognize Laura from images taken earlier this year for her event planning business Events in the City. She also works for R&R Catering and I've worked a number of weddings with her. It's absolutely invaluable to have at least a day of coordinator, if not more help with wedding planning. Contact Laura to see how she can help ease the stress of your wedding day.

Contact Jan at jan michele photography (click the contact tab on the jan michele photography website) to schedule your portrait shoot or for wedding photography.

Jacob - Arlington VA Children's Portrait Photography

It's always a pleasure to photograph Jacob, this is the 5th time in his 2 and 3/4 years. He's lost his baby look and grown into a little boy this year. It's amazing how fast kids grow up - another good reason to have their picture taken regularly. :)
Once Jacob warmed up, I think he had fun posing and playing for the camera. It's so cute to see his personality continue to emerge. While smiling pictures are great, I love the more serious looks too!

Hunter & Jack - Twin Portrait Photography

These adorable brothers have grown so much in a year, it was fun to work with them again, just before their second birthday. It's really amazing how innate personality is - in that way they hadn't changed much at all. Still so sweet in their different ways. Hopefully they are young enough not to mind being called beautiful, but they really are beautiful boys!

Washington DC Childrens Portrait Photographer ~ Megan is One

Megan is turning one and has her parents wrapped around her little finger - literally! She's happiest when she has one by each hand, so she can walk like they do. She's the daughter of wedding clients from a few years ago (gorgeous wedding ceremony at Holy Trinity, pictures at the Willard Hotel and reception at the Ronald Reagan Pavilion Room) and it's so much fun to have an excuse to see them again and get to know their daughter too!

Gaylord National Harbor Wedding Pictures

The album design for Ruby and Waynne's fabulous wedding at the Cathedral of St. Matthew and Gaylord National Harbor is finished! Check out all the fun had by their 53 person wedding party: Wedding album.

Georgetown Engagement Photography ~ Melissa & Oladele

Melissa and Oladele are crazy about each other, which made taking their engagement pictures so much fun! They're having a Long Island, New York wedding that I'm super excited to be shooting at the end of October. Melissa was a bridesmaid in her cousin's wedding almost 2 years ago, so I'm thrilled to be her wedding photographer too.

Melissa's crystal clear blue eyes are so amazing!

Washington DC Engagement Photographer ~ Melissa & Oladele

Melissa and Oladele's Georgetown Engagement Shoot Slideshow:

Gaylord National Harbor Wedding Photography ~ Congratulations Ruby and Waynne!

Ruby and Waynne’s wedding day was the most perfect wedding weather we could have asked for: cloudless blue skies and almost fall-like weather. The vibrant fuchsia bouquets matched the day and the festive mood. I just love flowers!
The Cathedral of Saint Matthew is a regal setting for a wedding and perfect for a gorgeous bride like Ruby. It’s unbelievably ornate and fabulous to photograph. Fortunately a bus load of tourists didn’t come through during the wedding!
The wedding party were all great sports as I took them down on a wobbly floating dock for a shot with the sun setting and the Gaylord National on the Potomac in the background. It was worth the risk, and thankfully no one got wet!
This was my first wedding at the Gaylord National at National Harbor and it was amazing. The views were beautiful, and the hotel is so huge that even on a rainy day there would be plenty of places to use for wedding pictures. I’d love to shoot there again.
It’s always great to see former clients at weddings, both because I love seeing them again and because I’m so thankful for happy clients who refer me to their friends and family! I shot Ruby and Waynne’s cousin’s wedding several years ago, so I knew this would be a fun group of friends and family. I wasn’t disappointed; it was a wonderful day and an honor to be the wedding photographer! Now on to the pictures, just a "few" of my favorites. :)




















Church: Cathedral of Saint Matthew
Reception: Gaylord National Harbor Rachel Chadderdon
DJ:Oliver SantaMaria
Cake: Alexandria Pastry Shop
Florist: Heaven on Earth by Linda Merritt
Makeup: Kate Ricasa
Assistant Photographer: Christine Meulemans Thanks Christine, your help during the day was invaluable!
Photographer: jan michele photography ~ click here, then the contact tab or call me (Jan ~ 703-920-5425) to book me as your wedding photographer for your amazing day!

Washington DC Wedding Photographer ~ Ruby & Waynne

Presenting the wedding slideshow of Ruby and Waynne's gorgeous wedding at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew and the Gaylord National on the Potomac.

Contact jan michele photography (then click contact tab).

Tara and Brian's Oxon Hill Manor Wedding Album

Another masterpiece is finished. :) I'm only half kidding. I do pour hours and hours into carefully selecting images and crafting a wedding album, a unique creation for each of my clients. I know their album will become a treasured possession, so I consider it my labor of love to tell their story in pictures to the best of my ability. I want the album to showcase the couple at their best, enjoying the beautiful moments of their wedding; to remind future generations of the day they became a family. It's truly an honor to be invited to witness a wedding day as a wedding photographer and to be entrusted in telling that story.
Here is Tara and Brian's Oxon Hill Manor Wedding. Each of these images is a two page spread, imagine them 26 inches wide and 10 inches high in beautiful metallic paper. Gorgeous! If I do say so myself. :)




















My method of album design is to choose the images to be included in the initial design of the album so it can be finished within a week or two of the wedding. I like finished albums to be in my clients hands within weeks of the wedding, not months or years! By working on the initial design while the couple is on their honeymoon, it gives them something to work with, rather than trying to select their favorites from 700 hundred images and giving them to me in groups that work together to tell a story on a page. At least 1/2 my clients order their album exactly as designed, and the rest tweak it to make sure it includes all their favorite images. I happily go through two rounds of edits to make sure the couple is completely happy before the album and parent books are ordered.

To book Jan to be your wedding story-teller, click here (jan michele photography), then the contact tab and ask about Washington DC wedding photography. Or call Jan at 703-920-5425.

Happy Honeymooners - Washington DC Wedding Photography

I just had to post this note from Tara and Brian (with their permission). They are on their honeymoon in Bermuda and enjoying reliving their wedding day through their pictures, I think. :)
It totally makes my day, maybe my week, to receive an e-mail like this!

Jan -
THESE PICTURES ARE SOOOOO AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to tell you - Brian and I pulled out our phones after dinner
just in case and I saw your email and he literally grabbed his laptop
and RAN to the front desk lounge area, which is the only place in the
hotel that has wifi, and we just spent the last two hours pouring
through every single picture and watching the slide show about six
times!!! SOOOO incredible!!! Then other hotel guests started watching
the slideshow with us and they sat through the whole thing twice with
us too - hahah! We love everything so much - every single picture came
out so wonderfully - there is not a bad one in the bunch.
You did SUCH an amazing job,truly. And - THANK YOU so much for encouraging
all the veil shots -once I saw them, they became the new favorites. :)
We are so thrilled! Thank you!!!
Talk to you soon -
Tara and Brian

I'd love to make you a very happy client too! Contact me today about photography for your wedding. Click here and select the contact tab, or call 703-920-5425.

Oxon Hill Manor Wedding Photography ~ Congratulations Tara and Brian!

As a wedding photographer I have the privilege of being a part of many happy days. But Tara and Brian's wedding was an especially love and joy-filled day, with numerous thoughtful details and surprises to make the day meaningful and memorable.
The wedding and reception were held at the historic Oxon Hill Manor in Maryland. It's a lovely wedding venue with so many great possibilities for wedding photography, I hardly knew where to start!
Tara was such an elegant bride, isn't she stunning?! They had gifts for each other to start the day, but she also surprised her groom with a band who played a rendition of his favorite Hawaiian song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for the recessional. You can tell by the smiles that he loved it. Just before the get away, Tara and Brian released a box full of butterflies! They were so pretty!
The timeline at Oxon Hill is a little tight, especially for a day packed with sentimental and sweet moments, but that left us with a little extra time to go downtown Washington, DC for a few more wedding portraits. We were able to incorporate Tara's love of bridges with a stop at Memorial Bridge. It's so nice to have time for portraits when the couple knows that no one is waiting on them and they can relax and have fun. And the evening light is beautiful! A lovely end to an amazing day!
Thanks, Tara and Brian, for allowing me the honor of being your wedding photographer!




























Florist: Suzann Stotlemyer
Cake: Fluffy Thoughts Cakes
Dress: Carine's Bridal Atelier
Lunch: New Course Catering
Chauffeur: Carey
Wedding Photography: jan michele photography - click then choose the contact tab to book Jan for your wedding.

Oxon Hill Manor Wedding Photography

Contact Jan about wedding photography for your big day! Click here, then the contact tab.

Lexington, Kentucky Wedding

While in Kentucky, I also assisted/second shot a wedding with Cydil. The bride was really bubbly and carried off the head piece she designed with style. Colored shoes are a a big trend these days, so fun!






All images shot for: Cydil Waggoner Photography
Reception location: Hilary J. Boone Center - University of Kentucky

Kentucky

Central Kentucky is absolutely gorgeous with the horse farms and rolling hills. It's also the home of my wonderful alma mater, Asbury College. I enjoyed spending a few days in the area last week with my good friend from college and fellow photographer, Cydil and her family. I took a few pictures of her family, and in exchange, she took a few of me. Since we are normally the one holding the camera, it's not often that we get to be on the other side of the lens! And I do always say that everyone needs a good picture of themselves. :)
These pictures were taken at Waveland, originally owned by Daniel Boone.


We first went into the town of Nicholasville for my pictures, but I'll share these with the huge hay bail. Never having lived in the county, the fields and hay are sort of a novelty. :) So here, rarely seen on my blog, is me!




Thanks to Cydil (Cydil Waggoner Photography) for the pictures!

Vicky - Event Accomplished

I'm not sure it's possible to have too much help on a wedding day! The last thing a bride (or a mother of the bride) should be doing on the wedding day is worrying about the details. So, having someone who can coordinate the day with ease, making sure everything and everyone is there and in the right place, is invaluable for a perfect wedding day.
I worked with Vicky Choy of Event Accomplished earlier this year for Gwen and Adam's wedding. And recently we had fun in Georgetown shooting some new head shots so her potential clients can see how fabulous she is. If you're looking for a wedding planner, she would be an excellent choice.

Laura and Megan - Events in the City

A couple of months ago I had a rainy day photo shoot with two spunky and fun women who have recently formalized their event planning expertise with a new business they've opened together: Events in the City.
I've worked with Laura a couple of times over the last few years and love having her there to make the wedding day beautiful and to keep everything running on time. If you need someone to help with your wedding planning or coordinating (and I always recommend you do have someone else on hand to worry about all the details!), be sure to talked to Laura and Megan. Or at least check out their new website and click on "meet the founders" to see more images from our shoot. :)

Me with the Nephews

I enjoyed spending the last few weeks visiting my nephews in Florida. They are growing so fast and doing so many cute and fun things! Being the photographer, I rarely am in any pictures, so I made sure my sister took a few of me with the boys last week, even though it was so hot at 10am that Lenox was sweating before we'd been outside 10 minutes! But we got a couple of cute shots. :)

Lincoln is almost 8 months and Lenox is 2 1/2.

photo credit to Susan

Jacksonville FL Beach Photographer ~ Lenox and Lincoln

Time for the annual nephew beach pictures. :) Sadly, it's been a really rainy week at the beach, but the sun peaked out enough last evening for some beautiful shots of the two sweetest boys.
Lenox is 2 and a half and Lincoln is 7 months. Lenox is a detail oriented boy who loves puzzles. He's been excited to help Grammy and Aunt Jan on the 1,000 piece puzzles this summer. If you point him in the right direction with pieces he can put them together. What an amazing boy, if I do say so myself. :) Lincoln is super energetic, I may not be able to catch him next summer! Right now he's at my favorite stage to photograph, he can sit well but can't get away from me.

The boys adore each other,
though sometimes that looks a little uncomfortable on Lincoln's end.

Lincoln still has his funny wrinkled nose smile, and is finally getting some teeth.

I still love his profile!

Lenox is "feeding the geese".

Natalie - High School Senior Photography

I remember when Natalie was born, so it's hard to believe she'll be graduating from high school next year! I enjoyed showing her a few of my favorite spots in DC while she was visiting from Uruguay last week. And we worked in a senior portrait shoot too. Isn't she a classic beauty?

Allison and Ben - Georgetown, Washington DC Engagement Photographer

I had a great time with Allison and Ben as we roamed the areas around water in Georgetown looking for scenic spots with beautiful light. And in the process, I think we got some gorgeous and playful images of the two of them.
Engagement shoots are an enjoyable opportunity to get to know couples better and afterwords I'm always even more excited to be shooting their wedding. I know Allison and Ben's River Farm wedding is going to be amazing!

Sarah Elizabeth - Newborn Photographer

Meet sweet little Sarah Elizabeth. Isn't she precious?

The Great Room, Savage Mill Maryland ~ Lauren and John's Wedding Story

I've just finished Lauren and John's wedding album design and am excited to share their beautiful story. I consider the design process a labor of love; it's worth the work when I know my clients love and enjoy their albums! Click here to see.

Bethesda MD Wedding Photographer - Congratulations Lauren and John!

Lauren and John were married last Saturday with 18 of their closest friends by their sides. With nearly 100 family members in attendance as well, it was quite the celebration. This sweet couple sure is loved!
It was a perfect day, as the happy smiles on Lauren and John's faces attest. I loved that we had time for a side trip down to the National Cathedral for beautiful portraits in between the ceremony and reception. Lauren's Peony bouquet smelled amazing and all the other flowers and pink touches made the reception look lavish and lovely.












Wedding Planner: Cherry Blossom (Elizabeth)
Caterer: Putting on the Ritz (yummy!)
Reception Location: The Great Room
DJ: Chris Laich (Dan)
Flowers: Da Vinci's Florist
Cake: Alexandria Pastry Shoppe
Hair and Make-Up: The Elegant Artisan (KC Felton)

The Great Room, Savage Mill MD - Lauren and John's Wedding Day