We’re not far from the big day (October 29th) but it was still worth doing, despite nearly countless reschedules due to rain.  We met up with Eileen and Stephen at the aptly named “Confusion Corner” in Williamsburg, Virginia and walked first around the campus of William and Mary before hitting colonial Williamsburg itself.

The Crim Dell is a must hit spot, at least for graduates such as Eileen, who, according to campus lore, will marry the person they walk across the bridge alongside.

We definitely made use of the characteristic cobblestone…

And grand old trees…

…before hitting the Williamsburg winery just as the sun was setting.  We love how sometimes dusk has that soft, antiqued quality of light.

We looking forward to coming back to Williamsburg at the end of the month to document these two as they tie the knot!

Posted by Mel @ 4:13 pm, in Engagement Portraits, Weddings | No comments | Permalink

What better way to gear up for the big day this weekend than to share some of Erin and Kasey’s engagement photos?  The couple took Sam to their favorite date spots in the Fan and the Bottom beginning and ending at Havana 59 and including Strawberry Street Cafe, Monument Ave and Libby Hill Park in between.  Here are some of my favs, I especially love this sweet moment with the spring tulips against Erin’s pink dress.

Looking forward to Saturday, stay tuned for more from this couple very soon!

Posted by Mel @ 7:57 pm, in Engagement Portraits | No comments | Permalink

Jess and Jason are getting married next summer at the Mill at Fine Creek, a beautiful spot tucked away in Powhatan around the ruins of the old mill.  We met there to take engagement photos on a beautiful fall afternoon and it was so quiet and serene without the hustle and bustle of wedding preparations that we are accustomed to finding as we arrive.  While Jess and Jason didn’t actually need any help in front of the camera, they brought along a bottle of wine with a couple glasses as a relaxation “prop”.  Even without the wine and sun setting behind the forest we know these would have turned out just as dreamy, Jess and Jason have such a warm dynamic together.  Thank you both for being so amazing to shoot, we’re looking forward to the wedding!

But until then, enjoy this slideshow and if you would like to see the online gallery click here.

Posted by Mel @ 7:44 pm, in Engagement Portraits, Portraits, Weddings | No comments | Permalink

The engagement was big news around our office, Ellen’s family is pretty special to us and now we can’t wait to bring Will’s into the fold as well.  We were excited that Ellen and Will wanted to do an engagement session and even more excited about the location.  Working for the Democratic Party of Virginia, Will spends a lot of time around the Capitol building and definitely wanted to try it out as a location.  Sadly, the only time we had ever visited was a 4th grade field trip (Sam) and a Segway tour (Sam and Mel).  Luckily, Will cultured us a little.  Well, he gave it his best shot anyway.

Its been awhile since I have posted an engagement session so it might be high time to talk it up the cause.  You have to give these brave couples credit: its deceivingly hard to do, much harder than taking pictures on  a wedding day.  To get sweet on each other in front of a couple of camera geeks (particularly if you have envisioned them riding a Segway) isn’t the most natural thing in the world, assuming you don’t have a background in modeling.  It really is worth doing though, especially when you make the session unique to your story together.   Its not uncommon to attend a wedding and know only the bride or groom so these photos can serve as a window into your life together, pre and post white dress and tux.   So take pictures in the neighborhood where you live or the place where you had your first date or on your bowling league night.  Display them at the wedding, put them up on your wedding website, use them on save the dates, make magnets or banners or billboards or coffee mugs or whatever.  Its a welcoming gesture that says, you know us, celebrate us with us!

We ask folks to do a lot of kissing, sometimes to photograph actual kissing but most of the time to get the moment before or after where you crack up because its so weird.  Cracking up looks good in photos.  One of my crack up “tactics” is to tell couples to look serious, as serious as seriously possible.  Whatever you do, do NOT smile.  Ellen and Will are so good at taking directions that I actually liked their seriously serious shot.

Don’t get me wrong because they aren’t all serious.  We asked them to look at each other often because they would just beam and giggle.

The interior of the Capitol building was fun to work with between the checkered marble floors and grand rotunda, stately and romantic.  We had some fun with the exterior of the building and its surrounding gardens as well, gleaming in the late afternoon sun.

Just as the sun was setting, we arrived at Maymont to take a few more shots before the gardens closed.  The light was soft and warm with a hint of fall color in the trees behind the Italian gardens.  They were total picture taking professionals by then…

Ellen and Will, congrats once again on your engagement and thank you so much for humoring us throughout.  May will be here before we know it and we can’t wait!  Here’s a slideshow and a link to the online gallery if you would like to see more.

Posted by Mel @ 7:56 pm, in Engagement Portraits, Portraits, Weddings | No comments | Permalink