Mahsa & Peyman - Maternity Portraits

It’s been a couple of years since we last saw Mahsa and Peyman - the chipper couple got married in early 2021 when we were still having small and social-distance-limited celebrations while the COVID puzzle was still being worked out.  A few quick years later and this beautiful couple is now expecting their first!  Baby Amelia is expected this October, and Mahsa wanted to mark the beginning of this new chapter with some early Fall maternity portraits!

With a flowy dress to show off her 9-month belly-bump, we managed to get plans set up just days before her due date, taking in the warm sun at a botanical garden in the first days of Fall.  Mahsa and Peyman exuded the same love and confidence I remembered from 3 years ago, this time not just with each other, but also looking forward to their growing family.

I can’t wait to see this next chapter of theirs unfold!

Latoya & Shawn: Married November 11th, 2023

On Latoya and Shawn’s wedding day, time danced in harmony with their love – a surreal blend of moments that lingered and flew by in a heartbeat. It feels like just a whisper of seasons since Shawn surprised Latoya during a family photo session, yet in reality, a whole year has woven its tale. On a serene Fall day at a country club, nestled not far from the heart of Fairfax, friends and family of Latoya and Shawn converged to witness the couple's union and commemorate the commencement of a new chapter in their lives.

Engaged in shared glances, a symphony of happy smirks adorns both Latoya and Shawn when their minds drift to one another. I sensed their magnetic connection the day Latoya unknowingly spoke of Shawn, just materialized before he materialized for their proposal. That same smirk, perhaps embellished with a dash more sass, graced Shawn's face when Latoya sent over a box of breath mints while Shawn was suiting up for saying “I Do.”

Shawn, a fellow photographer, got to experience being on the other side of the lens; you can catch glimpses of his photography on Instagram @828Visuals.

Amidst the breathtaking canvas of Autumn's final flourish, Latoya and Shawn exchanged vows just before the sun dipped below the horizon. The celebration continued with the dance floor alive with lights and favorite songs. As the night embraced its final moments, the Latoya and Shawn stole away for an intimate last dance, savoring the essence of the day. Loved ones bid them farewell in style, showering them with confetti and streamers, creating a dazzling spectacle as they kissed beneath the moonlight before embarking on their honeymoon.

What a magnificent conclusion to 2023! Wishing you all a Happy New Year – dive into Latoya & Shawn’s wedding pictures to usher in the magic of 2024!

Madonna and Rubin - Fall Portraits

You might remember Madonna and Rubin from their spectacular travel themed engagement at the Dulles Airport gate where they met, or more recently Donna’s graduation portraits from George Mason University (Go Patriots!).  This Fall they took a stroll with me through Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Virginia to take in the Autumn colors at their peak and occasionally cuddle up (or get in a leaf fight after carrying one another).  The sun made for an unseasonably warm day, but it fit the feeling, because it’s clear just spending a few moments with Rubin and Donna that they both married their best friend.

As the sun set, and we were just a few short days from Halloween, Rubin got spoopy on the return hike.

It had been a relaxing day, and I’d once again lived up to Rubin’s famous quote about me: “I’m pretty sure David’s face just looks like a camera.”

Latoya and Shawn: The Proposal

On Halloween two years ago I captured family photos of Latoya and her kids playing in the Fall leaves; little did I know this session would lead to capturing Shawn pop the question.

A few months ago I got a message on Instagram… that was automatically thrown to the abyss of my Spam folder.  It wasn’t for several weeks while blocking the latest batch of scambots that I finally saw it, and immediately responded (NOTE: If you’re reading this and want to reach me, emailing me is the most reliable way to contact me).  Shawn had seen the Fall family photos I’d shot in 2020 and kept me in mind, and now he was forming a plan to ask Latoya to marry him.  After a bit of brainstorming we got a plan in place, and now the hard part was just keeping cool until it was time.

The day of, Shawn played it super cool, but in truth his adrenaline was pumping with eagerness; like me, Shawn loves cars, and spends a lot of time at racetracks photographing events, so to keep his cover deep he even posted on Instagram and even called Latoya from an active (loud) racetrack so she wouldn’t even consider him being in the area.  Latoya’s family had been organized by an insider to gather at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens for family portraits which they haven’t had in years - nobody knew what they were about to witness.

I met with Shawn at the garden an hour before everyone else started arriving to walk him through the plan on-site and get him planted in his hiding spot a short sprint around the corner from where I’d stage pictures.  Leaving him to lay low and relax, I returned to the Visitor’s Center to welcome family as they began arriving.  Latoya was one of the first to arrive, and while waiting was even asking me about my wedding photography and camera straps, “for a friend;” I played it cool and answered earnestly, but inside was smirking, “a ‘friend’ hmm?”

Once everyone was gathered, I lead the group of 15 down to the pond bridge for small groupings before the full group photo at a later location; this was exactly to plan, and also wasn’t untrue.  At the bridge, I asked what group wanted to go first on the bridge, and Latoya immediately volunteered herself and the kids; she was making my job easier than she knew.

After a few photos of Latoya with the kids, I suggested we get some solos as well, and gave our insider a nod to give Shawn the signal he was up.  As I was “adjusting settings” and “framing up the shot” I captured Shawn sneak up and even get down on one knee behind Latoya without her noticing; when I prompted her to change posing, she spotted Shawn with a scream of shock and disbelief.  You can see how utterly surprised she was when she looks back at me (and her family equally as surprised watching over my shoulder) as if to say, “is this really happening?!?!?”

Needless to say, she said yes!

After wrapping up with some family photos, Latoya and Shawn took a small tour of the botanical gardens walking on clouds after becoming engaged.

Megan: Victorian Trenchcoat

Following our first photoshoot together that combined Steampunk corsetry in an old textile mill, Megan and I incorporated some of our foggy graveyard photoshoot idea that never materialized into a similarly moody morning photoshoot, exploring the same textile mill’s grounds in a Victorian trenchcoat.  Although there wasn’t fog like we’d aimed for, the crumbling and overgrown stone walls paired with Megan’s ivy earrings and black lace heels brought mystical vibes to the overcast grounds, with the din of water coursing through generation equipment in the mill’s spillway immediately behind our wall drew us even further out of the 21st century in our secluded corner originating in the industrial revolution.

Having now shot with Megan twice, I can only think of a handful of people I’ve shot with who have run through poses so effortlessly; it’s a blessing in that everything we shoot looks incredible, and a curse in that EVERYTHING we shoot looks incredible (so it’s difficult to narrow down in post): a struggle Megan and I gleefully lamented going through the photos following both our shoots together.

If you don’t already, you can follow Megan’s spooky and spectacular photography of storms, cemeteries, and astrophotography on Instagram.

Like all proper creatives with pent-up artistic energy, Megan and I continue to have shared, evolving ides for photoshoots, and hopefully the next time we see each other the stars will align to bring another passion project or two together.

Until next time,

The Queen of Halloween & The Duke of Spook bid you well in 2022!

Behind the Scenes

Because of the lighting setup on our fist shoot, I didn’t even attempt any Polaroid captures, but since this photoshoot was captured simply with the same run-and-gun fill-flash technique Polaroids traditionally lean on, it was seamless freezing a few moments in time on the classic instant format; all it required was pausing for each moment for the very mechanical image capturing process to work its analog magic.

This is only the second selfie I’ve taken with a Polaroid. Polaroid selfies are both easy because the camera is so light and the shutter release is in an easy spot, but more difficult because of the tighter framing and inherent time-delayed unknowns of film photography, even on an “instant” film - modern Polaroid chemistry takes 10min to display an image, and over 20min to fully develop. It’s a format I didn’t get the chance to play with until just as the Pandemic began, but I’ve fallen in love with its beautiful imperfection and mandatory physicality.