Abby's 1st Birthday Cake Smash

It’s been one year since we saw Abby here, and my has she grown so much!  A year ago she was a wiggly newborn and eager for a bottle between photos.  Today she is still wiggly, but on the verge of taking her first steps, and likes to clap and be silly at every chance.

For her First Birthday Cake Smash mom and dad (well, mostly mom) got Abby a butterfly decorated cake to celebrate.  After some time playing with (and popping) some balloons, it was time for cake.  Abby went straight for it!  Her side of the cake was in pieces and in her mouth in mere minutes, and with all the excitement, a few minutes later the whole cake toppled, but the sugar rush continued!

Happy Birthday to Abby, and can’t wait to see how much she’s grown in another year!

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!

Ben's Chili Bowl's 65th Anniversary at Reagan National

August 22, 2023 marked a milestone for one of DC’s most loved institutions: Ben’s Chili Bowl.  Three days later, the Ali family joined everyone at Ronald Reagan National Airport to celebrate Ben's Chili Bowl's 65th anniversary.  After words by the airport and Ali family, the party started with the soulful beat of "The Real DC: Go-Go & Ben's" by DJ Mello T, and the rhythmic vibes of Sirius Company.  While passengers and airport employees alike jammed out to the concert with some half-smokes, the Ali family met fans for pictures in front of their airport location.

Ben’s Chili Bowl also used the occasion to announce their partnership with Giant Foods, where patrons can now buy the famous half-smokes and chili to enjoy at home, and their newest upcoming airport location at Washington Dulles International Airport.  The legacy of Ben's Chili Bowl at Ronald Reagan National Airport is not merely about gastronomic delights; it's a living testament to the blend of community, culture, and the indomitable spirit that continues to define the heart of our nation's capital.

BMW XM Launch Cocktail Party

If you’re a regular follower, you know I frequently attend various car events.  Some of my favorites are those sponsored by automakers showcasing their latest performance and technology offerings, which often has a driving or interactive component.  I have to say, of all the manufacturer events I’ve been to thus far, this cocktail party absolutely wowed me the most.

BMW definitely knows how to run events, I can confidently say from experience after last Summer’s BMW Ultimate Driving Experience featuring an autocross component of their i4 M50.  Likewise, BMW definitely knows how to throw a party.

This wasn’t my first time at the Long View Gallery; in 2015 I attended McLaren’s unveiling of their new 570S, so I expected something like that; I was pleasantly proven wrong before I even got inside the gallery.  The music could be heard from out front, and the mood lighting was a spectacle capturing the attention of passers by.  Inside, guests were welcomed and invited to enjoy signature cocktails at one of the multiple open bars, sample the numerous hors d'oeuvre, (including sushi and ceviche served on a BMW branded ice sculpture), and mingle around the cloaked BMW XM.

Also, any event with a cigar roller is going to automatically win points from me.  This is exactly the second time I have seen this; the first was a wedding I photographed over a decade ago.  This cigar roller had cigars for every taste and experience level, with mild, medium, strong, and amaretto; I’m admittedly not knowledgeable about cigars, but I know enough to know I enjoy the extremely occasional one with an Old Fashioned or glass of single malt.  I grabbed a few for myself for a special occasion, and a few for some friends; although there were matches and cutter available, nobody in attendance indulged at the event.

There’s a bit of a joke that I can’t go anywhere without being recognized, and while that’s not entirely true, chance would have it that I got spotted by a fellow commercial photographer also attending the party, and we enjoyed chatting off and on throughout the evening.

Soon it was time for the big reveal.  A brand VP and engineer gave an introduction of the vehicle, and discussed the XM’s vision and performance as the performance crossover was unveiled.  A notable design point of the XM is that it is the first M series SUV to have its own fame design, not sharing its platform with any other model in the BMW lineup; the XM’s platform is entirely BMW M.

Inside, the XM is all performance, with large flappy-paddles, and dedicated M Performance buttons on the wheel.  Passengers are pampered with ventilated leather, and treated to moodlighting and geometric design cues.  In the boot is a custom leather BMW XM travel bag, with dedicated strap and hook to ensure it stays put during spirited drives.

In the alley behind the Long View Gallery sat the original BMW M1, which served as inspiration for the XM.  The mid-engined coupe sports a more traditionally enjoyable 5 speed manual transmission, and propelled 277HP to the rear wheels; only 453 examples exist.

Inside, artist David Garibaldi began live-painting a BMW-inspired piece combining the DC skyline with the BMW XM’s headlight design.  The canvas was also live-silent-auctioned while he was painting.  The entire process took around 30min, but seemed much faster.  It was fascinating seeing his mixed tool process, switching between brushes, blades, and his fingers between strokes.  By the end of his painting, his glasses were smeared, his suit was speckled, and his hands were completely covered in various colors of paint.

Although the main events were finished, the party was still going, with many still lingering to enjoy drinks and get their chance to explore the XM.  With the playlist spinning, I’m surprised an impromptu dance floor never broke out.

On my way out I captured a few photos of the gallery front since I didn’t get any on my way in; besides, it looked better at night with the lights from the party still bumping inside.  BMW had fed us well, but I knew I’d be hungry again a little later after getting home, so I grabbed a go bag from nearby Ghostburger to enjoy as a midnight snack later in the evening.  It’s a spot I’d like to go back to when they’re not about to close - it definitely rounded out the theme of the evening, which was pretty colored lights.

A Retirement Farewell for Bob Laubach

This past March, Bob Laubach, Photography Lab Manager at Northern Virginia Community College for the last 15 years, retired after a lifelong career in photography. My time in the photo lab in NVCC over a decade ago now lasted only a year, but like many students taking photography classes in Alexandria I came to know Bob very quickly, and have kept in touch ever since. And while I didn’t end up taking the Large Format Photography course he taught while I was in college, I did attend a Large Format Film workshop with him in Great Falls.

Bob is an infinite source of photographic knowledge; it doesn’t matter if you’ve known him 10 minutes or 10 years, if you spend just 5 minutes with Bob, you’ll still wind up learning something you never knew before. A proud graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, Bob would frequently tell insider tales of Kodak and their operations, also headquartered in Rochester.

On his final day managing the photo lab in Alexandria, Bob’s family, friends, and former students from multiple generations gathered to celebrate his retirement. Fellow longtime photography professors of Northern Virginia Community College’s presented Bob with a placard honoring Bob’s lasting impact on the Photography Department, establishing the darkroom and naming it after him as the Bob Laubach Film Processing Lab.

I captured pictures during my time at Bob’s retirement party, and am including a few highlights below. I also have the full set I captured online and available for viewing and download in this gallery.

A few photos I captured with Bob in 2011, several years after I had moved on from the NVCC photo lab:

It was wonderful to once again also see Page and Aya, professors who I’ll never forget their impact on my career in photography. Like Bob, I’ve remained in touch with Page and Aya since my time learning at NOVA’s Photography Department, and they are two professors I’ll never forget. I took numerous courses with both Page and Aya, who collectively taught me how to process and print film, but there are two that stand out especially to me:

• Aya’s Digital Photo Editing course helped me become more comfortable with Photoshop, an endlessly powerful tool I knew nothing about at the time but now rely on every day, and to better understand colorspace and print workflows; a vital skill that, again I use every day, but remains seamless and invisible to the people and businesses I work with.

• Page’s Photojournalism & Ethics course undeniably shaped how I interpret and create multimedia; the responsible capture, editing, and dissemination of photojournalism this course underscored continues to influence how I capture and edit every live event I shoot, from intimate weddings to multinational brand PR activations - there is not a single time I’ve worked on a project intended for publication that this course hasn’t crossed my mind.

Most people have teachers or professors who are formative in some way or another, and Page and Aya are unquestionably two who shaped my approach to photography.