An easy-going family = an easy-going photo shoot. Beautiful little M couldn’t have been more mellow, and her parents clearly adore her to pieces. This was a one-year-old session and family session combined into one before these guys took off for Indianapolis for a big job transfer. The lighting was phenomenal, the weather was flawless, and we were eating it up. We love these guys and we loved their fun shoot in Old Town. We’ll miss your little family here in Arlington!
Not to be confused with Ben and Kate. Or their plus eight. Or their dramas. Nothing here but low-key, beautiful happiness.
When we talked with Kate and Ben a week before their session and they said they had just got a new English Mastiff puppy that day, we couldn’t wait to get photos of them with the newest addition to their family-in-the-making. Lyle—such a fitting name for their adorable, clumsy puppy—had to be the cutest dog we had ever seen. (He’s also going to grow up to be HUGE. In case you’re unfamiliar with what an English Mastiff puppy can become, check this guy out. Or this one.) And Kate and Ben were a breeeeeze. They were so much fun and so happy together! They went to the same high school but met in college, and it’s plain to see they were meant for each other. They wanted to start their session at their new house they’d bought together, followed by a stop at a nearby historic stone building and battlefield from the Civil War. Oh how Jon and I have dreamed of photoshoots in big open fields with nothing but sky and weeds, and the battlefield definitely delivered 100 percent. Dreams fulfilled. Photos taken. (We owe you guys big Kate & Ben!) Weeds are hard to come by when you’re living in an urban jungle, so we were in heaven.
Weeds and sky aside, Jon and I left the session on a high from this couple’s awesome relationship and their ability to be completely themselves in front of our cameras. They were hilarious, they teased each other, they made us laugh, I’m sure they made fun of us for rolling around in the weeds trying to get our dream shots, (I was 8 months pregnant, remember. I’m positive my lie-low-in-the-weeds maneuvering looked awkward from any way you looked at it, but it was TOTALLY worth it), but I’m also sure they had just as much fun as we did. You can totally tell in their photos.
This is what we do, and this is why we love it. From one of our favorite shoots ever, here are some highlights.
Seriously, cutest dog ever.
Our version of heaven. Sky, weeds, and a bunch of openness.
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Back at the end of April (I’m not kidding when I say we’re tragically behind) we headed up to northwest PA for a wedding, and it was so close to Cleveland that I just had to make our roadtrip extend just a little further so that we could see one of my favorite people in the world since eighth grade (we go back) and her husband. I went to elementary school, middle school, and high school with Maegan and Doug, and now they’re off being all grown up with a house and two kids and dental school to keep them busy. I swear Maegan and I were just hating algebra and planning prom and eating ice cream out of the carton in the middle of an empty parking lot at night. Seriously, has it almost been years since then?? It was SO MUCH FUN to stay with them and feel like we could pick up right where we left off. Our one night was much too short since we would have loved to visit with them for hours on end, but it was so nice to at least be able to catch up. These two are some of the best people I know.
In our short time there we managed to steal them all away for half an hour or so and crank out a mini family photo session just before the sun went down, which translates to mean Jon and I kept everyone past sane dinnertime hours and pushed bedtime beyond all advised limits. Sadly this is a schedule Jon and I have become quite proficient at in the worst way possible, and it unfortunately tends to bleed into the schedule of those we visit…so thank you Maegan and Doug for being so laid back and rolling with it while we were there! Your kids are darling, funny, smart, and following right in their parents footsteps (remember? they’re some of the best people I know).
Here are some of our faves from the day.
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He wants to go to Harvard Medical School to become a neurosurgeon. And she has enough energy for life to be whatever she wants. No, I’m not talking about the parents, I’m talking about the kids. :) And they are DARLING. This adorable family wanted some family photos in DC before making a big exciting job change taking them across the country, and they chose Georgetown to encapsulate some of the things they love most about the area. This family could not have been any more fun (or stylish!) and the kids could not have been any more entertaining. We hope they’re loving their new home in California!
Here are some of our favorites.
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Warren, Pennsylvania was quite possibly the quaintest, nicest, happiest town we have ever been to, and that’s where these two are both from, so you can imagine how they would be some of the nicest, happiest people we have ever met. Lynn and Jesse were so calm the day of their wedding, you’d think it were any other day if it weren’t for their wedding attire and the wedding party following them around. :) I loved seeing how at ease they were, how fun they were, and how one hundred percent themselves they were.
They had a beautiful cathedral wedding inside an old stone church, followed by a reception that never had a dull moment thanks to an amazingly energetic DJ who kept the party hopping until the minute the bride and groom left the building. We absolutely loved this wedding, loved the wedding party that were so much fun to work with, loved the family who were all so welcoming to us, and loved the stars of the day, Lynn and Jesse. What a beautiful couple!!! We’re so happy to finally post some of our favorites from this wedding on our blog. Finally. We’ve got some serious posting to catch up on, and hopefully this will spur on the rest of them!
Until then, enjoy…
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…in the sweetest way. On July 27, 2010 we welcomed our second child, Lila Gwynn Smith, into our family. Mom, baby, Dad, and big brother Van are all doing great. Preparing for her arrival and soaking her in since she made her 6-day-overdue debut has delayed our blogging of lots and lots of photos that we have waiting in the wings for the blog world. We’ll be jumping on that as soon as we can (we’re already booking through September and into October, so the break will be short-lived!) and can’t wait to show off all the fun clients we’ve been working with.
Stay tuned, we’ll be back up and running soon!
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This family was another one of the lucky winners from our giveaway offer and we had so much fun working with them! They picked a spot where they knew their boys loved to play running through the trails and splashing in the water at a nearby nature area. It was perfect timing for some new family portraits for this family, since a few weeks after the shoot they all packed up and moved to a new country for his work.
These boys were so cute together, and we couldn’t get over how happy their little girl was. Thanks for such a great shoot, Rasmussens!
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We met this hip family through mutual friends at an Easter dinner, only to remember we had actually met nearly nine months previous in another setting detached from all our mutual friends. And then just months later, we ended up moving into the exact same place they were in (our awesome unexpected move) before they recently moved onto their next adventure in life. But not before having an awesome photoshoot with them in the timeless (and endless source of new photography opportunities) Georgetown.
The dad, Steven, was the genius behind convincing their cute son that there was a duck in one camera and a frog in the other that were making clicking sounds (the shutter clicking) and from that moment on he was the most excited little kid we’ve ever seen on a photoshoot. He was literally jumping up and down with excitement and laughing out loud whenever he was certain he had seen the frog or duck in the lens. It was hilarious!! And it sure made our job easy!
Kayla was 7 months pregnant here, and you seriously probably never would have known that had I not told you (and had we not angled the camera in some shots to TRY to show off a little prego belly). Our due dates are just a week apart and she just had her little man a couple days ago…which means we’re coming up next!! We’re clearly meant to be friends with this family, and clearly haven’t aligned our timing correctly yet. So we’re crossing our fingers that someday we will live in the same town and the same time and actually get to hang out with them on a regular basis.
You guys are great and SUCH a beautiful family, thanks for the awesome photoshoot! We LOVED the way these turned out, and had such a hard time limiting our favorites! Here are some of the many…
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We are tragically behind on all our photography, which is sad because we have so many shoots waiting in the wings to be completed that we absolutely LOVE! An unexpected change of apartments last month temporarily put photos on the backburner while we’ve been scrambling to get life back to normal, and now we’re finally trying to slam some shoots out the door (15 to be exact…4 of which are weddings).
Here’s one in the line of many to come. Alicia graduated from high school last month in Northern Virginia, and she is one of our favorite people because of her fun, sarcastic personality. She totally rocked her photo shoot and we had fun taking her to some new places in Georgetown. When we found out she was a cheerleader, we forced her to bust some sweet cheer moves for a photo or two, because who doesn’t want a photo of that?!? She was totally hip, totally a senior, and totally fun.
Thanks Alicia for letting us take your photos, we had a blast!
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Melissa and George’s wedding could not have been more perfect. It was early April, the blossoms were out all over Virginia, and the sky was clear blue and begging for a wedding to be hosted outdoors. The event took place outside of a beautiful, quaint home buried in a historical park in Arlington. We were so excited to be a part of their big day and be able to capture all the details of their beautifully planned wedding! Melissa’s dress was A-MAZING, and I loved George’s face when he saw her in it for the first time as she was escorted by her father (although it’s possible we all felt like getting a little emotional when we saw her after we’d all been waiting several minutes for the bride’s arrival, but no one had told her to come out yet…big sigh of relief when she entered the scene! :) Everyone was so happy and so fun to work with, and we had a blast. Congrats to the beautiful couple!
Thank you Melissa and George for letting us share your wedding with you, we look forward to your reception in August!!
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