Helen & Joel’s engagement pictures in DC
Helen and Joel really couldn’t have picked a more stunning fall day than today for their engagement pictures. What a fun and beautiful afternoon we had walking around Meridian Hill Park, the National Mall and the Tidal Basin for pictures. Oh, how I love living in DC with all its wonderful places to photograph.
Tim and Kaoru’s wedding at the Carnegie Institution
For once I was a guest at a wedding and not the official wedding photographer. Of course, I couldn’t help but take some pictures. I used both my professional camera and my iPhone. Here’s to Tim and Kaoru!
A Buckroe Beach morning
If I had to choose between living in the mountains or by the beach, I would choose the beach. Who can live without hearing the crashing of waves? Or seeing the never-ending view of the ocean stretching out to the sky? The scent of salt and the sound of water lapping up on shore never cease to calm and comfort me.
Andrea & Cristina get married in Washington DC
Andrea (left) and Cristina (right) sign their marriage certificate.
When you see Andrea and Cristina together, you wonder how the right to marry could be denied to two people who love each other and are so entirely committed to each other. Andrea and Cristina live in Maryland. Same sex marriage isn’t legal there. But earlier this year, it looked like it might become legal. On the day the Maryland House of Delegates was voting on a same sex marriage proposal, Andrea and Cristina visited a potential wedding site in Maryland. The went in giddy that marriage would soon be legal for them. They left the site disappointed that the same sex marriage proposal had been left to die.
This incredibly upbeat and funny couple regrouped and decided they would marry in Washington, D.C. Same sex marriage became legal here last year. But where to hold the ceremony? Andrea and Cristina’s friend Gillian lives in a beautiful home in Washington, D.C., so they asked if they could hold their wedding there. Gillian (who’s also my friend) was incredibly touched by their request. Of course she said, “Yes!” And that’s how I came to find myself at Gillian’s last night, photographing one of the most emotional weddings I’ve ever attended. Everyone cried. And I do mean everyone. Including me.
Congratulations, Andrea and Cristina!
People I love
This is a Thanksgiving post thinly disguised as something else. And really, it’s mostly pictures of my niece. That tends to happen when there’s a cute kid around the house.
Carnegie Institute wedding starring Megan + Adam
Megan and Adam are married!
These two chose the gorgeous Carnegie Institute in downtown Washington DC as their wedding venue. I’d passed the building a thousand times before, never imagining that the structure hid a huge, light-filled atrium – a lovely setting for exchanging vows and beginning married life. In the hours before the ceremony, Megan kept saying, “I can’t wait to be married to Adam! I just love him. I’m so lucky!” I love it when brides and grooms talk about each other this way. When Adam and Megan are together, she smiles and laughs even more than usual, which is saying a lot because Megan is hands-down the most laughter-filled bride I’ve ever met. Adam isn’t quite as outwardly expressive (as we all learned from Danny, the best man, during his hilarious toast speech) but you can see by the way he looks at her that he’s incredibly happy.
What a great privilege it was to photograph Megan and Adam’s wedding. I’m so happy for them!
A big thank you goes out to my colleague Amanda Lucidon, who worked with me as a second set of eyes. Scroll halfway down for some of her fantastic pictures.
Hair by Carina at Bang Salon Metropole
Photograph by Amanda Lucidon
Photograph by Amanda Lucidon
Photograph by Amanda Lucidon
Photograph by Amanda Lucidon
Photograph by Amanda Lucidon
Megan & Adam preview
Left: Before the wedding | Right: After the wedding | Both pictures: Happy as can be!
More to come….
Kelly + Mike get married!
Just over a week ago, Kelly and Mike pledged their love to each other during a gorgeous outdoor wedding at the Gramercy Mansion in Baltimore. They carried a little embroidered handkerchief during the ceremony – you know, just in case the tears flowed. While that didn’t happen, anyone can see how ridiculously happy these two are together. Congrats to Kelly and Mike!
Mike + Kelly wedding preview
This wedding featured one of the craziest, funniest receptions I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing! More photographs to come. Stay tuned!
Cutie pie’s third birthday
From Laura Elizabeth Pohl on Vimeo. Song “Sweet Darlin’” by She & Him.
More Martina + Ben
Hooray for the recently-engaged couple! Their first set of engagement pictures is here.
Thanksgiving
My niece is still learning how to catch.
Sweet vegetarian turkeys!
Black Friday at Prime Outlets in Williamsburg. My Mom wanted to be one of the first 500 people who showed up in pajamas (and waited in line – we were at the back) in order to receive a voucher for a free gift bag. So we waited from 10 pm until midnight and…..
…..we were the last two people to receive vouchers! I was number 500.
The last six people in line.
Airports around the world
Shenyang, China
What I love about an airport is knowing I could end up anywhere in the world from there. Sometimes, on my way to my gate, I stop and read the departure monitors. I like imagining where I would travel if I weren’t heading to my current destination: “Buenos Aires would be fun; I’ve never been there. Cleveland would be like another world. Plus I could visit the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame. Oooooh – Singapore! I could visit Sooz and Barry. Well, maybe next year. I should go to my gate now.”
The second thing I love about an airport is watching the people. Before 9/11 kept non-passengers from going to airline gates, I used to hang out at National Airport in Washington DC and watch people walk out of those tubular disembarking hallways and into their loved ones’ arms. Or not. Sometimes people came out, looked around for someone who wasn’t there and walked out to the main terminal halls. Budding writer that I was, I wrote down descriptions of these reunions (or non-reunions) and built short story scenes around what I saw.
In the past couple months I’ve spent a lot of time in airports. Which means I’ve also taken a lot of pictures in airports: the people, the buildings, the atmosphere. Some airports are like art museums, with sculptures and paintings and light displays (I’m thinking Detroit.) Some airports are like shopping malls, with people milling about the duty-free stores, picking out chocolates and perfumes and trinkets they don’t really need (I’m thinking Seoul-Incheon and London Heathrow.) It’s all incredibly fascinating. And so I’ve decided to start a photo essay on airports. Looking at the photographs I’ve posted, it seems that right now I’m interested in the architecture and the color in airports but I don’t really have a theme or an idea where this will lead me. We’ll see.
Detroit, USA
Detroit, USA
Seoul-Incheon, South Korea
Washington DC, USA
Vivi and Giovanni in National Airport
There I was, about to eat a fig bar before catching my flight to Boston at Reagan National Airport in DC, when a couple asked me to photograph them with their iPhone. Giovanni was heading to Miami. Maybe Vivi was going with him? I don’t remember. I do remember their lovely meeting story (I collect them, after all) but I won’t share it here because I don’t have permission. Vivi and Giovanni exuded happiness and playfulness and love and optimism. They were just so fun to photograph! I’m glad we crossed paths for a few minutes on Friday. Bonus realization from this impromptu shoot: National Airport is a fantastic location for engagement and wedding pictures.
Jen and Josh – married!
While photographing Jen and Josh’s small wedding near the Jefferson Memorial yesterday, I have to admit I teared up a bit. From the moment these two chatted at a work happy hour last summer, they wanted to spend every moment together, listening to each other and learning more about each other. Jen’s independence, energy and athleticism appealed to Josh. Josh, meanwhile, came as a complete surprise to Jen; I think she might have described him as coming out of left field. Their love is palpable.
After the ceremony, Jen, Josh and I cruised around downtown DC in a 1963 Bentley – a sweet ride for sure – taking pictures in front of the Washington Monument and the Capitol. (The last picture in this blog post, the one of them leaning against the car, is one of my favorites from the day.) They just couldn’t stop laughing and smiling at each other! Every once in a while some tourist or passerby would start humming the Wedding March, which of course caused more laughter and smiling.
Jen and Josh held their reception dinner at the Tabard Inn, near Dupont Circle. Let me tell you this place is a photographer’s dream. It’s elegant with beautiful colors, interesting decorations and tons of natural light. The staff is friendly and accommodating. From now on I’ll be recommending the Tabard to brides and grooms looking for a cozy reception site.
Thanks for letting me be part of your day, Jen and Josh. Have fun in Italy and talk to you when you’re back!
(Above: That's me photographing while snowshoeing through a snowstorm. Picture by