Wedding Photography at the Newton White Mansion

Tracie and Aaron were married at the Newton White Mansion in June.   Tracie was incredibly calm and relaxed  getting ready – I think it’s indicative of the kind of person she is, very at peace.  Meanwhile Aaron and his groomsmen cracked jokes during the groom’s portrait session.  Aaron is a musician and a true romantic.  He serenaded Tracie on the dance floor!  The Newton White is located in Mitchellville Maryland  just outside of Washington DC.  It is one of my favorite places to photograph weddings.  Ceremonies take place near the fountain in back of the mansion.  The golf course and mature trees make for a beautiful backdrop and the glass windows in the reception hall provide a stunning setting at dusk.

Arlington Maternity Photography in March

I met up with Christina and Dave on a beautiful sunny day for their maternity shoot in a small park in Arlington.  We weren’t originally counting on outdoor photography but were pleasantly surprised with blue skies and temps close to 60 degrees. As Christina is due very soon, we couldn’t wait for Spring.   Below are a few of my favorite photographs.  Christina is in incredible shape and you wouldn’t guess she was pregnant if it weren’t for the bump and her glow.

Cherry Blossom Engagement Session in Washington DC

I met up with Ginger and Tyler on the morning of  the Cherry Blossom 10 mile race.  We met on the steps of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC.  Wow, there were a lot of people out before 7:00 am!  It was an absolutely beautiful morning for engagement photos.  Lots of other photographers and their clients were out and about hoping to get some beautiful photographs before the crowds descended.  Ginger and Tyler were a lot of fun and happy to get a little silly.   We also managed to get a few shots for submission to the New York Times Engagement session – eyes lined up perfectly per the Times requirements (not shown here).   Since the session was part of the package, I was lucky enough to look forward to shooting their July 4th wedding at River Farm.

Cherry Blossom Engagement Session on a Windy Morning

I met up with Jon and Lauren and their adorable dog in Arlington and we drove to the Tidal Basin together, parking near Hains Point.  I was to photograph their wedding later in the year and the engagement session was part of their package.  The weather for much of last year’s Cherry Blossom Festival was mighty uncooperative.  We opted to go ahead on a cold windy morning having already postponed the session due to weather and I must say Lauren was quite a trooper in her cotton blouse and flip flops.   The upside was that there were not many people out that morning.   We tried to work with the wind as much as possible, Lauren doing her best to imagine it was just a wind machine designed to make her look fabulous, which she does.

Cherry Blossom Photography

It’s almost that time of year.  The Cherry Blossoms will soon be upon us.  The Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 27th – April 11th.  Lots of brides are hoping to have their engagement photos taken when the blossoms are out.  But there are a couple of considerations.  1.)  The weather.  It can be very fickle at that time of year.  I schedule a very limited number of shoots in order to allow for rescheduling.  40 degrees and raining just doesn’t make for natural smiles and 30 mile an hour winds doesn’t do much for your hair.   We usually make the final call the night before. 2.)  The crowds.  I only shoot in the early morning and even then there are a surprising number of people out and about at the Tidal Basin at 6:45 am.  The early morning sometimes makes for some beautiful warm light.  By 9:00 am your chances of getting portraits without lots of strangers in the background is pretty much nil.  And you will see hundreds of photographers from Washington DC and around the world descend on the area surrounding the Jefferson Memorial.  Another factor to keep in mind is the Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race.  This year it’s Sunday, April 11th. That can make a short drive over the bridge from Arlington a little more involved due to road closures and parking issues.  Here are some favorite photos of the blossoms themselves.  These were not taken during an engagement shoot but rather on a lucky beautiful morning a few years back before I did wedding photography – I managed to get out there at dawn.  If the weather’s looking clear, I’ll ask if you’re up for a 6:00 am or earlier start in order to catch the breaking red sky.   I will be following up this post with Cherry Blossom Engagement Photos.