Pulling Off a Surprise Proposal

This might have been the scariest shoot I've done. If Patrick (the groom) and I didn't plan the logistics well, his proposal might not have been a surprise, or I could've missed it altogether if I wasn't paying close attention. Or if bride-to-be Chelsea caught sight of me taking photos of her and Patrick, she would definitely get suspicious. So I had to bring my high tech long-zoom lens and keep my distance. I felt like a spy.

In order to make sure everything went smoothly, Patrick and I met at the Jefferson Memorial a couple hours beforehand to discuss how to go about everything. The trickiest part was scouting out a secluded enough area to propose (he didn't want to make a huge scene)..on a weekend, at noon, at one of DC's most popular monuments. Luckily the backside of the monument was not only more quiet, but had way better lighting for a photo shoot.

Jump to a couple hours later and Patrick sends me the text I've been waiting for: "Just parked. I'm wearing a blue shirt and she's wearing a tan coat". From what felt like a football field away I spotted them in the crowd of people walking up to visit the monument. I had to make sure to keep my eyes on them the entire time until they got to our spot at the back side of the monument. As they passed me I put on my best acting face and pretended to be a tourist just walking around. I then continued to follow them and yes, stalk them, taking pictures as I went. It was thrilling.

When Patrick got on one knee everything felt silent and slow-motion to me..nothing else mattered in the world than capturing this brief, perfect moment. The conditions couldn't have been better -- the lighting, no one walking into the picture, and her saying yes, of course. Such a happy day.



How to Grow your Business through Instagram

Instagram is important for all types of businesses, not just photography. It might not be my main means for finding clients, but it sure boosts credibility. If I searched for a certain company's instagram account to find they only had a couple dozen followers, it might turn me away. There is no excuse for lack of followers or lack of an account with these simple steps:

  1. Vulnerability. Keep you account public. Having to request to follow someone is one more step in someone's busy day. 
  2. Post regularly. Set a reminder on your phone or in your planner to post once a day or several times a week.
  3. #Hashtags. The more hashtags you use, the more users will see your photo, like it, click on your profile, and follow you. I strive to add about 5-10 hashtags per post.
  4. Have a theme. And stick to it. Keep that theme consistent with your brand. No one wants to see a random cluster of food photos, selfies, sunsets, and cats. I save that for my personal account ;)
  5. FOLLOW. This is the most effective step. Follow as many users as you can. Like and comment on photos that interest you. You are guaranteed to get courtesy follow-backs from this tactic. If said account doesn't follow you back within a couple days, you can always unfollow them. I like to search hashtags related to my industry (#photographer, #naturephotographer #canon6D, etc), and then follow those users who's interests and businesses are similar to mine. 

These steps have me growing at a rate of 150 followers/month. If you stay consistent that could mean 1,800/year! You might not get tons of clients compared to other outlets, but growing all of your social media accounts is an important way for your brand to look up-to-speed.

Nick & Carly's Engagement

This was one of the most exciting events I've been a part of, and I didn't even know the people! Carly and Nick's Thanksgiving-eve engagement was planned and executed so well. Not only was the proposal a surprise to Carly, but her entire family, from all corners of the country, were there to surprise her as well.

Nick and Carly's families anticipated their arrival for hours. They kept busy with plenty of food, wine, and music. Once Nick and Carly arrived from the airport to his beautiful set-up outside, everyone knew they had about 15 minutes to be silent inside the house.

The dogs kept watch and finally alerted everyone that Nick and Carly were on their way inside, and they looked happy. 

The expression on Carly's face was unbeatable. Her only wish for her engagement was that her family be there, and there they were. She burst into tears. The rest of the night was filed with toasts, hugs, and laughter.


Working from Home

More and more people are working from home. There are so many great things about it - convenience, flexibility, and pajamas. But working from home has downsides - loneliness, boredom, and trying to create a work environment. With Netflix, snacks, needy cats, snacks, and sometimes gorgeous weather outside, its easy to get distracted. One way to keep you focused is a standing desk. It keeps you awake, productive, and most importantly you are helping your body. Just using it a couple hours a day can make a big difference. Standing desks are very expensive, but I built mine for $10. Stay tuned for the easiest DIY instructions you've ever read. Hint: it only involves three things.

​


The Power of the First-Look

Nothing can replace a groom seeing his beautiful bride for the first time walking down the aisle, right? Seeing her before would spoil it! But how great of a picture can you get of the groom's reaction, or the bride's, during the ceremony? If there's only one photographer, who do they choose? And even if they get both reactions, the subjects are in separate pictures. It's difficult to capture the connection if the reactions are in two pictures. I've witnessed first-looks several times over the past year and the footage I got, whether photo or video, was unbeatable. 


Experimentation

Mary is the owner of beauty product company, Herban Lifestyle. Her business practices are admirable: everything is natural, organic, fair trade, and sustainable..and my God does it all smell good. I've done two photo sessions at Mary's house. Who knew that photography could be such a relaxing, calm experience? We took our time on her porch brainstorming creative ways to display her products. Sometimes things turned out great, other times they didn't. But without experimentation I wouldn't have produced some of my favorite photos. Mary's products - from the basics (salts, scrubs, soaps) to the experimental (make your own infused liquor kit!) make for some amazing gifts.

Bling

Ha Nguyen has some kick ass jewelry. She hand-makes all of it..something I can't wrap my head around. Check out her unique, yoga-inspired creations here.

​


Disaster Photos

My boyfriend's twin sisters are beautiful. So naturally they have perfect babies. Photographing babies, perfect or not, is tough. You might not realize until after, but sometimes the disaster pictures become the most treasured.

​

Yoga Dance

Hannah teaches Yoga Dance, something I'd never heard of to be honest. When taking her head shots I first had her in a traditional sitting pose, looking at the camera. I then realized that did not show who Hannah was or what she did. So I suggested we just go outside and dance. The results were much better.