Ilana and Chris: Married April 28th, 2022

In my blog post about Ilana and Chris’ engagement session, I explained my history with film; how I have never shot on it professionally, and only reached for it for fun, finding novelty in its charming imperfection, and how this appreciation of film for fun and interesting cars is what ultimately brought us all together.

For Chris and Ilana’s wedding, however, like their engagement session, I changed this history, if ever so slightly.  Just like Chris and Ilana love the artistry classic, quirky, and quick cars, they also appreciate share my appreciation of analog’s allure.  So while their big day wouldn’t be the first time I snapped Polaroids at a wedding, it would be the most film I’ve ever shot at any professional session, even if it was a few handfuls.

After getting prepped, and strategically keeping the wedding parties separate, Ilana had a first look with her family on the Anchor Inn’s dock immediately before the ceremony began.  In the refreshing breeze on the Patapsco River, Chris and Ilana took their turns going down the aisle, finally letting Chris choke up seeing Ilana in her dress; a tradition Chris was adamant to keep.

After the breaking the glass (mozal tov!), Ilana and Chris danced on a cloud to kick off their reception.  After dinner and toasts, they cut the cake to the tune of some zany TV theme songs that perfectly fit their silly personalities; King of the Hill, South Park, The Simpsons, and more.  Now it’s officially party time!

Winding down the evening, Chris and Ilana slow danced solo, just them and the music on the dance floor… and maybe a few excited guests who peeked inside through the portal window.  Under an arch of fiber optic sparklers, Ilana and Chris departed, but not before dipping for a kiss one more time, and one more Polaroid.

Portia and Nick: Married October 2nd, 2021

Just as Summer was drawing to a close and Autumn was beginning to shift the trees’ colors warmer, Portia and Nick, accompanied by their family and friends, gathered at the quaint Ballenger Farm in Hamilton, Virginia to say “I do” and dance the night away celebrating tying the knot.

The farm has free range chickens, much to the entertainment of younger guests, and a lucky black barn cat that wants allllll the cuddles - he even curled up in my lap for a few minutes while I was on the ground capturing a low angle!  The chickens; oh my goodness, I just have to say, I captured a photo that ranks among those I’m most proud of in recent time during Portia and Nick’s ceremony - the free range chickens freely roamed, including one keen to be included in the wedding, photobombing the readings!  Truly one of my most favorite captures at a wedding in years, and it’s a great example of how I approach weddings and all events with a photojournalistic eye and mindset.

As night fell on the dinner party, Portia and Nick shared their first dance under the stars to a medley sung by a close friend to wish the newlyweds well as they start a new chapter together.  Afterwards, everyone retired to the patio to dance and enjoy drinks and dessert.

Mahsa and Peyman: Married January 17th, 2021

Foreward

As I’ve mentioned in all of my posts lately, I am currently working my way though a backlog of photoshoots I have already completed and delivered, but have been behind in sharing my most recent work online.  Mahsa and Peyman’s Bridal Portrait Session is one such photoshoot; it was completed and delivered on time, this past Spring, but I was onto photographing and editing more photoshoots before getting the chance to share Mahsa and Peyman’s session.

Mahsa and Peyman: Married

Mahsa and Peyman, like so many of the couples I’ve met in the last year and a half, had their wedding plans shifted by COVID-19.  We first spoke in the Fall of 2020, with hopes of phogoraphing their engagement and later wedding, but the pandemic made having the wedding they wanted impossible, so rather than put love on hold, Mahsa and Peyman tied the knot on January 17th, 2021, with plans to hold celebrate their wedding in style with their family and loved ones at a later date once the pandemic has settled down.  Unfortunately their small ceremony didn’t allow a photographer to be present due to safety protocols, so in lieu of this, to celebrate their new marriage, we captured Bridal Portraits this Spring with Mahsa in her wedding gown and Peyman in his Tuxedo.

Mahsa’s bouquet and Peyman’s boutonnière matched the Spring colors of the botanical gardens’ cherry blossoms and lilac trees.  At an overlook in the garden, we made sure to capture their Kaleh Ghand, sugar cones rubbed together during the Sofreh Aghd to shower the newlyweds with sweetness, imparting blessings from one generation to the next.  Mahsa and Peyman were naturals in front of the camera; every moment you could see the love in their eyes as Mahsa’s playfulness and Peyman’s affectionate veneration perfectly matched and balanced one another.

Behind the Scenes

As a photographer, my goal is to do “anything to get the shot.” Oftentimes this means getting into the right spot for the moment, but sometimes that means getting into an awkward or difficult spot for a few moments. Today’s spot was down low, to include the beautiful Spring flowers in the foreground for a few portraits.

Erik and Jennifer: Married June 27th, 2020

Many years ago, when I was a freshman in college, just as my interest in photography was taking off, and way before I knew I’d pursue it professionally, I switched positions at Washington Dulles International Airport from a customer service position to an office internship more closely aligned with the engineering major I was studying toward at the time. This is how I met and came to be friends with Erik.

Erik and I have always shared the same love of photography; he even worked in a photo lab developing film for a time in college. So as my career path started to change course, Erik understood, and continued to mentor me, even as my imaging talents eventually took me away from the airport’s Maintenance Engineering Division I’d been a part of for the better part of my college career. Erik is also largely responsible for familiarizing me with Nikon cameras, which although certainly not my preference, has continually proven useful to this day.

At the time Erik and I met, he had just had his son, Noah, and I saw him grow through baby photos in his office and periodically bumping into Erik taking Noah to airport events or Star Wars screenings at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center’s IMAX. So while I know Noah is as old as I’ve known Erik, it was still a bit of a surprise when he’s now in his early-teens and taller than I am, talking about cars at Erik and Jennifer’s wedding. Time flies.

As you can see, Erik and I go way back. Jennifer and I, not so much, but it’s clear they are happy together, and Jennifer’s sense of humor compliments the dry and oft deadpan wit Erik bears. Erik and Jennifer were engaged last year, but like so many other couples right now, the COVID-19 pandemic changed their wedding plans. Venues are difficult to come by, and everyone is still adjusting how to do even basic tasks, like safely traveling and meeting. Erik and Jennifer’s ceremony was outdoors and shared with a small group of socially distanced close relatives in order to maintain everyone’s safety while gathering to celebrate.

Although their wedding was abridged due to the pandemic, I ensured their wedding portraits were not. Taking advantage of the clear, warm Summer weather, and the rural Virginia manor in the Shenandoah Valley where they said “I do,” I captured portraits of them in the gardens and fields of lavender at sunset; without a reception, this wedding portrait session had a refreshingly more relaxed vibe than some of my pre-pandemic weddings with extremely limited time constraints for the couples’ portraits. I enjoyed capturing them, and am happy Erik and Jennifer have them to enjoy for many years to come even in the face of the pandemic.

Behind the Scenes

Normally I wouldn’t post my bathroom mirror selfies on my website, but it’s 2020 and here we are. I think it’s important to take a minute to show what I look like at all my sessions in the age of COVID-19. Not only am I protecting my clients, but I’m protecting myself and loved ones I care for, and wear an N99 respirator during the entirety of my sessions, even in 96º Summer sunlight; it’s not a problem, and is just one of numerous strict precautions I take to protect my clients and myself. I only break out the bowtie for special occasions though ;-)

I’ve also been taking fun-photos with a Polaroid lately; I’ve been curious about them for years, but only started playing with one this Summer. I accidentally had the focus set to Portrait / Close-up for this one, but perfection-in-imperfection is the exact thing I find so enchanting about film photography.

Bayard and Margaret: The Proposal

Bay and I have known each other since 2005, when we started our first day of work on the exact same day together, so when he reached out asking about proposing to Margaret upon her arrival back from Iceland, I was excited to be a part of it!  Bay had everything ready; flowers hidden as not to immediately give himself away, a quote by Jane Austen, Maggie's favorite author, memorized, and a few helpers hidden including myself to spot Maggie and capture the proposal.  After a bit of anxious waiting, and texting while the flight was deplaning, Maggie finally came out the doors and Bay greeted her with a question he couldn't wait any longer to ask.

She said yes!