Category Archives: photography

jen + rob.

jennifer + rob had a beautiful outdoor ceremony on the water at collingwood library, with the reception at the officer’s club at fort belvoir.
jen is high energy and really funny, she and her girls had a blast getting ready before the ceremony…rob is quieter, although he shares many of the same passions as jen. they are both youth group leaders and actually met on a trip to king’s dominion! a group of their kids came to the wedding and helped them celebrate all night long on the dancefloor…they were having the time of their lives!
there was lots of great 80s music (jen’s favorite) and some serious dance moves…rob even breakdanced at one point!
jen + rob are a very sweet couple and i was so happy to be a part of their wedding day – congrats!

img_8343.jpg img_8350.jpg

img_8399a.jpg img_8379a.jpg

img_8426.jpg

img_8445.jpg

img_8450.jpg

img_8497.jpg

img_8503.jpg

img_8584.jpg

img_8602.jpg

img_8631.jpg

img_7145.jpg img_7166.jpg

img_8702.jpg

img_8836.jpg

img_8686a.jpg img_8734a.jpg

2 Comments

Filed under photography, photojournalism, wedding

ramona + jimale.

ramona + jimale. what a wedding! on a beatiful saturday afternoon these two tied the knot at the newton white mansion in front of their closest family and friends. they are such a cute couple, and so amazingly photogenic – it was a joy to photograph them.
mk and i arrived early to document the getting ready for both the bride and the groom – there was so much excitement going on just rooms apart! we arranged for ramona and jimale to see each other before the ceremony, so i took him outside and had him wait patiently for ramona…they both looked incredible and as we did their portraits it was obvious how truly in love they were.
the ceremony was very emotional, starting with ramona’s dad. he was all smiles as they started out, but as they turned to take that walk down the aisle it hit him, his little girl was getting married! the tears started…
sadly, jimale’s dad had passed away and in his place he hung a framed photo in a chair next to his mother. in contrast to his joy of marrying ramona you could see how difficult it was for him not to have his father present. however, it was easy to see how close he was to his mother, and how proud she was of him.
the reception was an all-out party! the parents and bridal party danced their way into the room, setting the tone for everyone to get down! there was some serious “hammer time” and the guys weren’t shy about performing seemingly choregraphed moves on the dancefloor. ramona + jimale danced and mingled, and the smiles never left their faces. they were glowing and excited – and i am certain they will have a wonderful life together.
a bubble send-off saw them out and into their white convertible – and off to mexico for a fabulous honeymoon!

img_7193.jpg

img_7153.jpg

img_7225.jpg

img_7116.jpg

img_6846.jpg

img_6897.jpg

img_6975.jpg

img_6959.jpg

img_7270.jpg

img_7403.jpg

img_7419.jpg

img_7512.jpg

img_7668.jpg

img_7673.jpg

img_7742.jpg

img_7745.jpg

img_7314.jpg

img_7854.jpg

img_7898.jpg

img_8017.jpg

2 Comments

Filed under photography, photojournalism, wedding

matt + leslie.

matt + leslie are married!
i loved everything about their rehearsal dinner on thursday night, and the feeling continued at their beautiful wedding at the liriodendron mansion in bel air last night.
getting ready with her bridesmaids and mom, leslie was absolutely radiant, and her calm manner was unshakable throughout the day. and matt – what can i say about matt? this guy is great. we’ve worked together tons at his restaurant the rockfish, and he is a man of action. never before have i seen him so relaxed, at ease, and perfectly happy as he was yesterday.
the liriodendron is a very small, unique space, making the ceremony incredibly intimate. including the bridal party there were less than 70 people – and everyone involved in the wedding knew the couple, including the officiant – matt’s godfather – the caterer’s and bartender – friends of leslie’s from vin restaurant– as well as the vocalist, the chef, the coordinator, the florist, and myself!
as the couple exchanged vows the audible silence of the room nearly took my breath away – leslie and matt’s eyes were locked the entire time, and as they spoke it was as if the words had never held as much meaning for anyone else in the entire world…
it was a gorgeous evening and guests wandered beneath the trellis covered in wisteria, gathered at the dimly lit tables on the patio, and danced to the romantic, soft tunes. matt and leslie seemed to glide through the crowd, making their way to each and every guest, smiling and ecstatic.
after the couple’s first dance, leslie’s dad gave a great german toast – presenting them with a nuernberg bridal cup, and telling the story of impossible love between a young noble mistress and an ambitious goldsmith, who rose to the challenge of creating a cup that they could both drink from without spilling a drop, in order to win her father’s unlikely approval. [read the legend here] the young couple joined hands in marriage, and with that the chalice became a symbol of love, faithfulness and good luck for couples who drink together from the cup. of course they drank together perfectly without spilling a drop!
i have no doubt that matt and leslie will have a very happy and rewarding life together – they are an awesome couple, with supportive, loving families. matt’s dad closed the night with a final toast, thanking everyone for being part of their day, and blessing the couple with happiness and “god willing, many children!”
they drove off in their fabulously decorated suv (yeah bridesmaids!) with their family cheering and waving behind them…a family brunch today and then off to the dominican republic for an incredible honeymoon! woo hoo!

img_0811.jpg

img_0884.jpg

img_1044.jpg

img_1063.jpg

img_1121.jpg

img_1150.jpg

img_0952.jpg

img_1033.jpg

img_7375.jpg

kiss.jpg

img_1371.jpg

img_1379.jpg

img_1867.jpg

img_1484.jpg

img_1490.jpg

img_1435.jpg

img_1551.jpg

img_1605.jpg

img_1570.jpg

img_1796.jpg

img_1824.jpg

img_1361.jpg

2 Comments

Filed under photography, photojournalism, wedding

matt + leslie: rehearsal dinner.

matt + leslie had a wonderfully intimate rehearsal dinner at the quaint tersiguels restaurant in ellicott city…i really enjoyed meeting their families and friends (although i already knew matt’s mom – she was my fourth grade teacher! how’s that for a small world?) and talking with them during dinner. it was a great evening and everyone is very excited for the wedding tomorrow…leslie looked so stunning in her sassy white polka-dot dress, i can only imagine how beautiful she will look in her wedding gown!

img_0618.jpg

img_0627.jpg

img_0662.jpg

img_0670.jpg

img_0701.jpg

img_0705.jpg

img_0678.jpg

img_0710.jpg

img_0700.jpg

img_0725a.jpg

img_0769.jpg

img_0727.jpg

img_0750.jpg

img_0785.jpg

Leave a comment

Filed under event, photography, photojournalism

viva las vegas!

once again i find myself in sin city: the surreal, electric, neon-charged strip of larger-than-life hotels, casinos, restaurants and shops in the middle of the nevada desert…beneath the blazing sun hordes of people from all over the world line the streets and fill the seats of every slot machine, pool chair and table in town…everyone seems to be everywhere all at once.
simply put, vegas is alive with energy. i’m photographing a conference at the venetian the next few days, but today i hit the streets with my camera…enjoy!

the beginning (or end) of the famous vegas strip:
img_9057.jpg

img_9001.jpg

must be the shootsac!
hot.jpg

img_9029.jpg

the historic/nostalgic downtown (fremont street):
img_9081.jpg

img_9196.jpg

img_9078.jpg

img_9072.jpg

img_9225.jpg

img_9160.jpg

img_9245.jpg

3 Comments

Filed under just for fun, photography, photojournalism, travel

habitat for humanity.

i had the awesome opportunity to work with dc habitat for humanity yesterday on their current project in northeast dc.

dc habitat just recently passed the 100th house marker and is underway on a 53-home project in the district, 27 of which are completed. contrary to popular belief habitat for humanity does not give away houses to homeless people – rather they work in partnership with low-income families to build affordable, decent homes, and sell them far below cost with no-profit, no-interest mortgages.

habitat builds homes using volunteer labor and donations, in addition to the 300 hours of “sweat equity” that future homeowners are required to complete.

along with about 25 other volunteers i spent the day working on one of 3 houses in varying stages of development,  (out of 6 that are currently under construction.) organized into three teams, we painted, laid drywall, hung vinyl siding, and stuffed insulation.

it was a tough, but very rewarding day, and i met some amazingly hardworking people – including the americorps crew leaders (yay scott!), local volunteers, and the organizers from dc habitat.

to learn more about habitat for humanity and its local affiliates visit www.habitat.org and consider volunteering or donating to this truly incredible organization.

scott teaches the crew how to hang vinyl siding:
scott.jpg

asher and i get ready to pack in fiberglass insulation:
asherjaime.jpg

lee + jenny finish drywalling an upstairs closet:
leejenny.jpg

team drywall is busy downstairs as well:
team-drywall.jpg

hillary expertly cut the soffit into perfect-sized sections:
hillary.jpg

don’t let her fool you – shabnam LOVES when i stalk her with the camera…just look at her measuring that siding!
shabnam.jpg

the hanleywood crew acts goofy after a hard day’s work:
crew.jpg

2 Comments

Filed under dc, just for fun, photography, photojournalism, volunteer