A Family & Their Best Friend: Mike & Krista

As we prepared for our portrait session in Ashburn, VA, Krista told me that she wanted to capture her family and especially the relationship that has blossomed between her two daughters, Elizabeth (nicknamed E) and Anna (nicknamed Lou). Also included in this mix would be Bailey, their 9 year old dog and best friend, who had never been included in their previous photo sessions.

As the day of the session came, I felt bad because Lou was a bit under the weather with a cold, but it didn't take long before she was out and about with E, running and dancing. E was always ready for the camera, which made things easy. I told E that there would be times that I had to use the "pretty girl" lens, which automatically brought a smile to her face.

The interaction between the family as a whole was nice to see. If you saw E, Lou was not too far behind. As Krista played a Miley Cyrus song off of her iPhone, you could catch the girls (and even Mike!) dancing to it. It was nice to see such a strong bond between siblings at such a young age. I can only remember hating my brother for throwing boogers at me, farting in my face, blowing morning breath in my face while I was still sleeping, and other gross things when I was younger. Amazingly, we're the best of friends now, so I think E and Lou are off to a great start.

One of the funnier moments of the day was watching the family play around on the lawn. Krista was the loving and playful Mom. Mike, on the other hand, has clearly taught E a thing or two about wrestling. You could catch E wrestling with Dad and even copying Mike's signature "claw" move (reference the movie Liar Liar). I believe that she has found a couple of her own signature moves as well. Mike probably could've used a jock strap, but thankfully for me, I was standing behind the camera all morning to capture some of those entertaining moments.

Looking for a portrait or wedding photographer in the Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland Area? I know --shameless plug, but I have to do it...

Just Another Day in the Park: Ben & Julie

I remember the first time I met Julie. Cheerful, energetic, and happy are probably the first words that came to my mind. Over the years, we've certainly shared some funny stories about work and family. There's one thing that you can never avoid in any discussions with Julie... Ben, Caleb, and Molly. On any given day, she could whip off a story about any of them in a heartbeat. I learn something new every time I talk to her. Who loves breakfast for dinner? Apparently, Caleb and Molly do! The second you mention her kids, she is quick to pull up a set of pictures of them from birth to present with stories to accompany each and every picture. All you see is an ear-to-ear smile on her face.

Recently, we met up in Leesburg, VA to take some photographs. Meeting the whole gang helped me understand how Julie is able to remain cheerful, energetic, and happy at work, even during the times when work isn't so fun. Caleb and Molly even helped take a couple photographs of Ben and Julie, which was probably more entertaining for me to see. Hopefully she has more pictures to smile about now.

Looking for a portrait photographer in the Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland Area? I know --shameless plug, but I have to do it...

Memories of Our Youth: John & Nancy

It feels like yesterday that I graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park. Time sure does fly. I think back to the days of camping outside of Cole Field House overnight for tickets to my beloved Maryland Terrapin basketball games, to meeting friends for lunch at the Stamp Student Union, to pulling all-nighters at the Hornbake Library to prep for those dreaded final examinations. It seems strange, but I miss those days so much!

When Nancy and John asked me to photograph them at College Park, it afforded me the opportunity to see the campus again with all the changes that have happened over the course of the last 10 to 15 years. Even more refreshing was seeing Nancy & John's son, Ethan, running through the campus greens without a fear in the world. You can already imagine him with a backpack all set and ready to go to class. Being a former alum, I doubt Nancy will let Ethan go anywhere else except College Park. At least I hope!

You can never doubt a woman's love for her son, but even more impressive was John's talent at the infamous game of peek-a-boo. From behind your hands, to a column, a bush, or even a camera, it never seems to get old when you need to get a child to smile and this case was no different.

Looking for a portrait photographer in the Washington DC Area? I know --shameless plug, but I have to do it...