Why grids? I put grids on the beauty dish and softbox to prevent too much light from hitting the background. The background material is actually a light gray, but because the light is concentrated on the subject, the background appears darker than it actually is. Of course, for this to work, I had to put some space (about 3 feet) between the subject and the background. Otherwise the lights would illuminate the background and show it’s true (lighter) colors. That wouldn’t be a bad thing, necessarily, but it wouldn’t have achieved the dark background that I was striving for. The lights themselves are within about 2 or 3 feet of the subject.

Ok. Enough technical talk. Here are the headshots and portraits we created. This first one is one of my favorites from the shoot. I like the somewhat ambiguous expression. Maybe she’s being serious. Maybe she’s being a little mysterious…

…or maybe she’s about to break into a smile:

One of the great things about her is the way she breaks into a smile so easily and graciously.

Then again, she likes to pose with a more serious kind of expression too.

And here she shows more of a sultry side:

And she continues that look with a bed as the backdrop:

It isn’t long before she breaks out into another smile though. She can’t help it. She’s got too much happiness inside to go without sharing it for too long.

Thanks for a fun portrait and headshot session!

Yesterday I returned to the same sculpture on yet another gray and rainy day. This time, though, I took the photos at night. Strangely enough, these photos show more color than the previous daytime photos, including a yellowish sky, reflecting the lights of the city on the low clouds. Here’s a preview of what they look like. Larger images are shown on the next page.

I enjoy architectural photography, so it was a treat to take photos of this beautifully remodelled interior space. Need an architectural photographer? Contact me and I’ll be happy to put my skills to work for you.

The White and Lavender Massage Room

This is where the massages take place. There’s music playing in the background, candles lit along the sides, and a nice homey feel to the room overall.

The Periwinkle Bathroom

You probably won’t spend as much time in this room as some of the others, but even the bathroom shows a designer’s touch.

The Yellow Laser Hair Removal Room

This is the room where the laser hair removal technicians work their magic. I’m not sure how that part works, exactly, but I’m sure they’d be more than happy to explain it to you. They say it’s permanent hair removal, which can be great for those spots that you wish didn’t have hair.

The Red Facial Room

Actually, the red facial room now has light blue walls, which is really a shame, because I liked the red so much. The spa’s aesthetician, Gregory, decided it looked a little too boudoir for a facial room. It does look boudoir, which is why I like it! Oh well, it is definitely a strong look, and perhaps a little too strong for some tastes. I’m sure his facials will be just as invigorating whether the walls are red or blue.

Contact me to photograph your architectural spaces and interior design!

Look at Ayanna. She’s radiant!

The Spread

The catering was provided by Simply Organic Catering. It looked and tasted delicious.

The Grand Entrance

This sweet 16 girl didn’t just show up. She arrived on a private boat along Occoquan’s waterfront.

The lucky few in her entourage pose on the front of the boat:

The princess of the evening poses for a few photos:

An onlooker watches as they arrive:

The procession begins. They walked down the aisle, er, I mean the pier, as they make their grand entrance. One of the girls watching noted (in Spanish) "Parece una boda!" (translation: It looks like a wedding!). And, in some ways, it did. They made it a formal event they would never forget.

The crown awaits the coronation:

The procession into the reception room:

And here she is!

The Coronation

A friend places the tiara on the head of the sweet 16 honoree.

She looks great, doesn’t she?

A few short speeches are made, including the reading of a letter written by Ayanna’s brother, who couldn’t be there because he is serving in Afghanistan.

It quickly turns into an emotional moment.

Ayanna’s dad embraces her and they continue listening to the words spoken by family members.

Daddy-Daughter Dance

Ayanna and her father took to the floor for a slow ballad:

Mommy-Daughter Dance

Then Ayanna and her mother took the floor to a spicy Latin beat:

Portraits

Here are a few posed portraits taken during the evening. First, Ayanna with her parents:

Putting a little attitude into the pose:

1 – 2 – 3 Jump!

Now that’s an embrace (below)!

BFF:

A pretty face among the many that were there that evening:

A few of the guests:

Let the Dancing Begin!

The Latin rhythms pulsed, and the party really began. Ayanna changed into her second dress of the evening. From what I remember, both dresses were custom made for her by a family member.

Everyone gets a blast out of watching the "big kids" get down and dirty:

Look at that sass!

The Birthday Cake

The cake was made by Occasionally Cake, a mighty fine establishment. See my previous blog entry about Occasionally Cake.

Famous Last Words

Ayanna ended the evening’s schedule with a speech of her own. She has a lot of poise, and a powerful, self assurance that is also personable and charming. She’ll go far if she maintains that approach to life.

As the event begins, the women start streaming into the Izalia Spa in Old Town Alexandria.

Thee decorations for the event were impressive, even down to the multi-colored curtain that they used to block some of the view from the street and provide a semi-private dance space.

The drummers kept a strong rhythm going througout the night.

I loved the multi-colored star lights they had strung from the roof.

As it got darker, my photographic technique had to change to meet the demands of lower light. For the shot below, I set the camera on a tripod and left the shutter open for a long exposure, snapping the flash once as the women circled around the dance area.

Posing for the event photographer:

A set of portraits with the star lights:

The crew behind the refreshment stand (Gregory, on the right, is Izalia’s aesthetician):

Striking a pose for the event photographer:

This last shot captures the mood of the evening after the drummers stopped playing and the clock ticked closer to midnight.

Need an event photographer in Washington DC? You should call me! 703-930-8500.

Sculpture 1

Sculpture 2

Katie’s bridal photos include two different dresses. One of them was the dress her mother wore for her own wedding, seen below.

The second dress was a little more ornate Of course Katie looked great in both of them.

Classic Bridal Photography Pose Against a Dark Background

Outdoor Bridal Shots by the Waterfall in Crystal City

Getting Ready

Yvette Rector, a local makeup artist and hair stylist helped Katie get ready. See Yvette’s profile at http://www.modelmayhem.com/713104

Note: I attended this wedding as a friend. Kelly Langner Sauer was the wedding photographer of contract. You can her photographs of the wedding in a slideshow she put together at http://www.kellylangnersauer.com/photography/2010/06/owen-lina/ My photos are only of the wedding ceremony itself. Kelley’s photos include the reception and couple portraits as well.

The Setting

Below: The chapel in Alexandria where the couple was married.

Below: Lina’s sister, Ceste, cuddles with an old friend.

Below: Owen, the groom, is beaming a smile that betrays his excitement on this special day.

Below: Lina’s father gives her a hug before handing her over for the wedding ceremony.

The Wedding Ceremony

Below: I now pronounce you man and wife.

Below: You may now kiss the bride.

Married!

Bubbles!

The couple leaves the chapel amid hundreds of bubbles blown by well-wishers.

"Dip her!" yelled someone in the crowd. Owen and Lina were happy to oblige.

The full set of images can be seen in my photo cart gallery. Prints are available for purchase.

Need an Event Photographer?

I’m available for events in the Washington DC metro area and beyond. If appropriate, I can bring my own studio lighting. This even, for example, was lit by studio lights on the side and in the back of the room. The lights themselves aren’t visible in the photographs above, but without these lights, the ambient light of the room would have been woefully inadequate, and a simple on-camera flash would have been problematic. I could not have obtained the results above without my studio lights. I have lights, and I know how to use them! Let me put them to work for you.