Tag Archives: THE BLONDE PHOTOGRAPHER

katie + bob: married!

a love story.

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katie + bob tied the knot last weekend at the gorgeous st. veronica catholic church in chantilly, virginia.  afterwards they celebrated with nearly 200 of their favorite people at robert trent jones golf club – the first wedding to ever take place at the club! i’ve been anticipating their wedding ever since i first met them, and especially after our awesome engagement session a few months ago. i can just *feel* the love between this couple, i’m so thrilled that they are married and honored that i was a part of their day!

the reception was a perfect mix of elegance spiked with elation – guests dined on fabulous cuisine by candlelight, mingled throughout the club, and then boogied down on the dance floor. donald peterson might possibly be my favorite dj ever – i think he (almost!) has as much fun as i do at weddings! the guests loved him and i saw some amazing dance moves! even more amazing than the dancing was the wedding cake – designed by the bride herself – a stunning tower of decadent delight that tasted as good as it looked. every detail of the wedding was impeccable – katie’s vision truly shone, and the absolutely fantastic julie mckillip executed the events with perfection.

i can’t say enough good things about the amazing vendors that worked to make this wedding wonderful – the staff at RTJ was simply superb. thanks to everyone who made katie + bob’s day perfect – and thanks to the fabulous guests who celebrated this marriage the way it deserved! most importantly, thanks to katie + bob for sharing their day and their love with all of us – best of luck and CONGRATS!

enjoy!

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a HUGE thanks to the fabulous + talented photographer natalie franke who came with me and did a truly fantastic job! 

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5-star vendor reviews!

your perfect day events:: excellent wedding coordination by julie mckillip.

dj donald peterson :: awesome dj! great personality + great music – so fun!

growing wild floral company :: gorgeous flowers!

robert trent jones golf club :: stellar staff made this venue spectacular!

chanel (by lord & taylor) :: gorgeous make-up by laurie luibl + jody yeskoot.

atlantis imagery ::  cheerful, helpful, unobtrusive videographers.

 

10 Comments

Filed under photography, photojournalism, wedding

critical exposure.

the power of photography.

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dc student photographer msugh checks out a DSLR.

last week i had the opportunity to work with the amazing critical exposure/S.T.E.P. up dc photography project! along with a number of local photographers, i attended one of the after school sessions and was so impressed with the program. guest photographers were matched up one-on-one with student photographers to discuss photography, brainstorm story ideas and help them to develop their projects focusing on the dropout crisis in dc public high schools. the students are exploring topics like teen pregnancy, homelessness, gangs and other factors that potentially cause students to drop out of school.

one of the main goals of the program is to help students + organizations advocate more effectively for excellence in education. specifically, this program is encouraging the students to explore and document the grave issues facing their peers and hopefully shed some light and understanding on why so many teens are dropping out of school. currently, only about 50% of public school students in dc stay in school and graduate. by trying to understand the cause of the crisis these photography students are tackling some deep social issues. i think that teaching students photography as a force of change is absolutely brilliant and i can’t wait to see their final projects!

“by empowering young people to develop skills as documentary photographers and advocates, we expose citizens and policymakers to the realities of our current two-tiered education system as seen through the eyes of the students who confront those realities each day.” – critical exposure

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critical exposure :: the power of photography

critical exposure :: gallery opening!

critical exposure :: in the classroom!

critical exposure :: photo students!

7 Comments

Filed under me, photography, volunteer

the jefferson.

silent night.

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spring has sprung, the cherry blossoms are in bloom, and dc is literally brimming with tourists. the most popular destination for the next two weeks is the tidal basic, flanked by the iconic pink blossoms and presided over by the magnificent jefferson memorial. during daylight hours the tidal basin is speckled with thousands of visitors, but at 1am last night the entire area was deserted. on my way home from katie + bob’s wedding, i detoured along constitution and looped around the memorial, stopping on ohio drive to snap this shot through the archways of the bridge. love! i’m heading into the chaos today for an awesome session, and while i know it will be super crazy fun to be in the mix of all the energy, there’s always the part of me that loves the district when it stands perfectly still – when it feels like it’s mine alone and i don’t have to share it with anyone.

3 Comments

Filed under dc, just for fun, me, photography

nicole + jason: married!

a vogue celebration.

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nicole + jason are married! i can’t imagine a better way to start 2009 than with nicole + jason’s wedding at the fantastic tabard inn! the entire day was sublime – from the vintage chic style to the ultra classy vibe of the bridal party + guests – it was an absolutely perfect wedding. 

with the focus on nicole + jason’s love for each other, their intimate ceremony truly honored and celebrated love, witnessed by their very closest family + friends. nicole and jason are extremely intelligent, well-traveled and deeply respected by everyone who knows them. they are adventurous and creative and i’m so excited for them to start their married life – i can’t wait to see what amazing things they accomplish together. 

the reception was filled with love and floored by laughter – every toast was witty and genuine, and evoked bigger smiles than the last. 

one of their bridesmaids spoke about how wonderful it was to watch two of her favorite people come together and fall in love…the love and admiration for nicole + jason among all their guests was truly tangible. there is something incredibly special about nicole + jason, both individually and as a couple, and it was amazing to witness their wedding. my favorite part of the reception was a german tradition i had never seen before – a “shoe game” if you will, where the bride + groom take hold of their own shoe and their partner’s shoe, sit back to back and respond to quirky questions by signaling the answer with the appropriate shoe. we quickly learned who the couple considered to be the best driver, the most fiscally responsible, the best looking, and so on within the relationship! it was very entertaining, and i loved their reactions to the questions, as well as the laughter that ensued from the responses.

after the last dance, guests bid the newlyweds farewell as they stole off into the rainy night, bound for new zealand and their amazing honeymoon adventure!

a huge CONGRATS to nicole + jason – and here’s to 2009!

enjoy!

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5-star vendor reviews!

the tabard inn:: fantastic venue!

rev. julie price :: amazing officiant. 

kc felton :: stellar hair + makeup.

flower gallery :: absolutely gorgeous flowers.

16 Comments

Filed under dc, photography, photojournalism, wedding

taj + friends.

an absolutely loveable lab.

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i *love* taj!

i spent an afternoon with my new favorite canine, taj, at his home in encinitas. i love his gorgeous brown eyes, serious gaze and mellow, loving personality. i also love his buddies knu-knu + elgin who came over for a play date!

enjoy!

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taj + friends!

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little knu-knu!

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…and old man elgin.

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9 Comments

Filed under animals, pet photography, photography

encinitas, california.

a day at the beach.

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deserted guard towers stand watch over the beach in encinitas, ca.

i’m out in sunny california this week, and spent yesterday in the seaside town of encinitas, just north of san diego.

enjoy!

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5 Comments

Filed under just for fun, photography, travel