Gramercy Mansion :: the first wedding of 2021

Brooke & Shawn’s wedding vows brought tears to my eyes. Fortunately, I do my best work as a photographer who is moved upon seeing a deep, genuine love between people. And let’s be real: I got misty-eyed when Brooke emerged in her stunning wedding gown, especially as her mother rushed to delicately button up the back of it. These two met through a mutual friend, and ended up regularly staying out together late into the night when all their friends had gone home. Shawn admires Brookes’s intelligence and curiosity to learn, brilliant sense of humor, nurturing heart, and sassy attitude; she makes him feel loved every day. Shawn makes Brooke feel she can be unapologetically herself without any judgment, because “we know we accept each other exactly as we are”

❤️

Their entire wedding was held at the elegant Gramercy House in Baltimore. I was also impressed with how well everyone followed strict covid safety guidelines; the bride and groom only removed their masks during their ceremony and for a few minutes for portraits away from their guests.

Venue :: @gramercymansion
Catering by Maria @innovativegourmetcatering
Hair & Makeup by Brushed Beauty LLC, Heather Fowler :: @brushedbeautyllc_
Flowers by Joe at Evergreen Florist :: @evergreen.florist
Emcee and DJ, AJ Smith Productions :: @ajpro2020
Ceiling Fabric by Bobby @eventdynamicsinc
Photo booth by Tina Mace @monumental_photo_booths

Shoutout to Heather Fowler at Brushed Beauty LLC for these incredible* hairdos!

Cool, Classic Covid Wedding Attire

First Portrait Session of 2021 ~ Newborn Neven!

Claire and Roger welcomed baby Neven at the end of December, what a wonderful and happy way to end 2020! And my camera couldn’t get enough of him, from his precious button nose to his tiny little toes, this in-home newborn session was one of my favorites for sure! They are a good looking couple, but their warmth, easy going demeanor, and pure love for their changing (for the better!) family shines through in their smiles and the twinkle in their eye makes their family even more beautiful. It was such a pleasure to photograph Neven after meeting Claire and Roger at their wedding this summer.
Congratulations!!!

Family Christmas Photos ~ in home portraits

Deck the halls with boughs of holly!
Wrapping up this holiday family portrait season with one of my favorite families - I’ve had the privilege of photographing these kiddos from 0 to now - and look how big and bright eyed they are! They had a great time showing me their favorite ornaments, and little Kai broke out his guitar for a full-on concert!
Happy Holidays, everyone!

Welcome Baby Lily!

In 2016, Mary and Brian were married on a sunny day in the shade of the Jefferson Memorial (link) in downtown DC. This year they welcomed a beautiful baby girl - Lily! Lily rocked her newborn session, she was all affection and on very special moments, showed us her *adorable* smile with dimples. Congratulations, Mary and Brian! It was an honor to meet your little girl.

James & Dara are Engaged!

When James messaged me on Instagram asking me to photograph his proposal last Saturday to his girlfriend, Dara, I was beyond thrilled - proposals are one of my favorite things to photograph, and James was so excited and full of ideas! He wanted to take Dara to see the beautiful view at Constitution Gardens near the National Mall. The island is full of weeping willows, and peaceful geese float along nearby. There’s a little bridge that takes you to the secluded spot, perfect for a romantic proposal! What’s more, her family came earlier than she knew to surprise her after the big event. They showed up all smiles and perhaps even a few tears of joy, and presents in hand.

Congratulations, Dara & James!

Happy Family Portraits in Autumn at the National Cathedral

On the last beautiful day of autumn with flowers still in bloom, Kaitlin & Eric brought their three *adorable* children to the National Cathedral for their annual family portraits! We spent a fantastic hour running around the stone pathways of the Bishop’s Garden and frolicking in the flowers. I was thrilled at the older siblings’ readiness to show sisterly affection and grin each other for the camera. Even more adorable was how they held and cuddled their little brother! Picture-perfect <3

Bat Mitzvah Portraits at Beth El Congregation, Alexandria

Leah’s bat mitzvah was a smashing success, even during the time of covid. It was was postponed, changed locations, certain family and friends could no longer attend, and in the end, Leah had a beautiful ceremony outside of Beth El Congregation with her immediate family and closest friends in attendance. We took some fun portraits in the woodsy area nearby, check it out! Congratulations, Leah!

Autumn Family Portraits - the kids are growing up!

I had the pleasure of photographing these good looking kiddos last fall in Rock Creek Park, and they’re back again this year for some updated portraits! One of my favorite things about being a photographer is seeing how little ones change each year, and how they act in front of a camera - shy, energetic, playful, mischievous, the sky’s the limit! This happy bunch has been one of my favorite return clients, and they brought their dog this time, too!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Fall Family Portraits in DC, with the dog too!

Sheila & Greg’s daughter Alexandra is just the brightest-eyed little munchkin I ever saw! And I was thrilled when they asked to bring their puppy to their portrait session - of course! The more, the merrier! Photographing families with their pets is one of my favorite things. Kids get to run around and play, forgetting about the camera and just being themselves, and fortunately many families I’ve worked with this fall season have brought their dogs!

Washington DC Family Portrait Session - a fun afternoon!

Every time a new family entrusts me with the task of documenting their children as they grow, I’m honored they chose me out of all the other photographers in the area (and there are a ton of good ones!). But what really brings a few tears to my eyes is when families come back year after year because they just *loved* their photos so much! This beautiful family (with three boys!!!) often travels the world but have managed to take autumn portraits with for the past several years running. This year we spent a gorgeous sunny afternoon at Meridian Hill Park. One of my favorite things to photograph during fall portrait sessions are the colorful leaves fluttering down around the faces of smiling children. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

New Orleans Evening Wedding Portraits

Natalie & Will were married earlier this year in an intimate wedding ceremony, and were excited to take a few extra portraits to celebrate. I was in town last week and was thrilled to run around Audubon Park with them at sunset. From the bandstand, through the oak alley, and over by the golf course, they couldn’t have had a more beautiful setting - a golden sky, lush greenery, and a gentle breeze swaying the moss-covered trees.
Congratulations you two!

Autumn Colors and a Beautiful Family, family portraits

I first met Amanda & Chris a few years ago in Washington, DC when they were engaged, and later when they were expecting their baby girl. Last week, I finally had the honor of meeting little Penelope herself, and she was just a dream to photograph! Filled with curiosity and smiles, Penelope frolicked in the flowers at the National Cathedral, laughed hard as her father chased her down pathways, and traded nose kisses with her mother in the sunshine. This preview is huge because there were just too many photos I wanted to share and couldn’t decide on the top five!

Autumn Portraits, Garden Portrait Session in DC

I was so excited when Catherine wrote to me again about setting up another portrait session! She’s warm, has an easy laugh, and is fabulous in front of the camera! We met up at the gorgeous Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral - the ideal spot for playful, fun portraits to celebrate *you* !

❤️

Bat Mitzvah Portraits

Eden celebrated her bat mitzvah this past weekend, an intimate ceremony with her family, and I joined them for portraits after! Congratulations, Eden!

Autumn Family Portraits in Virginia at Sunset!

I had the pleasure of meeting this *beautiful* family last year at a park near their home, and they loved the photos so much they asked me to come back for another round! Needless to say, they make my work quite easy with their constant smiles, all the giggles, and happiness at just being together.

Fall Family Portraits: Jessica, Chris, Jameson, and Camden

I’m honored this beautiful family has stuck with me through all these years since their engagement! It brings such joy to my heart knowing I’ve had the privilege of photographing their two sons, from maternity to their first birthdays and beyond! We met up at the flourishing Bishop’s Garden behind the National Cathedral in northwest DC. They even brought their two dogs, which made the session all the more fun! The small brick pathways, enclosed grassy courtyard, and wooden benches scattered here and there are the perfect setting for these two munchkins to run and laugh with their loving parents. Can’t wait to see you all again soon!

This little guy snuck up to observe our session!

Fall Family Portraits at the National Cathedral, Bishop's Garden

This gorgeous, happy family and I spent a sun-filled evening running through the brick pathways of the Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral here in DC. Their kids are all spirit and smiles, mischievously giggling and taking a quiet moment to enjoy the roses. Happy Autumn, everyone!

18 months Baby Portraits!

Meghan & Nick :: Engaged!

Yesterday was a beautiful afternoon here in DC, blue skies and warm sunshine for this happy couple's engagement session down by the Lincoln Memorial. Meghan and Nick met in college, and this summer he proposed…on a secluded beach…at sunrise! #couplegoals

In-home Family Portraits :: Dreamy sunset afternoon photo shoot

It’s been a few years since I last had the pleasure of photographing this happy bunch, and I’m thrilled they’ve finally moved from Cali to DC! Because that means I can take their portraits more often ;) Emerson is growing up into a beautiful young lady, and I just loved seeing their new home. We had a blast running around their backyard taking portraits a couple hours before sunset, when the golden light came through the trees and gracefully lit up their pool, garden, and smiles! They even brought out the veil from their wedding for their daughter to play with, which was a ton of fun!