When a military member first enlists or receives a commission, retirement isn't the first thing that comes to mind.  It's usually how am I going to get through Basic Military Training (BMT) or Officer Field Training.  However, retirement seems to sneak up on military members; especially when you're having such a great time and enjoy serving and protecting the country you love.

​As a professional photographer in Northern Virginia, “What to Wear” is a commonly asked questions when families are planning their family portrait session.  I totally understand receiving these questions, because everyone wants to look their best, and styles and color trends are consistently changing.  I share these posts as I want to make things easier for my clients.  In addition to sharing these helpful tips, I also let my clients know, I’m willing to come to their home to help create a style/wardrobe for their family pictures.  
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​Earlier this week the National Park Service and The Cherry Blossom Festival released the peak bloom date for the blossoms in Washington D.C.  April 3-6, 2019 are the projected peak bloom dates for this year.  I can see spring in our near future, can you?  During this week’s Friday Fives, I want to share with you the top five tips and most important things to do and visit during the festivals. 
 
1.  Plan
Plan as much of your visit as possible.   Although the blossoms are projected to peak April 3-6, 2019, the weather makes it difficult to plan the exact date until 10 days out.  The National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 20 – April 14) is schedule from mid-March through mid-April every year with a full calendar of activities.  If you’re wanting to see the Cherry Blossoms with less crowds, I highly recommend visiting during the weekday.  The weekends are filled with locals as well as out of towners who have traveled to the area for a day trip.  The Tidal Basin has a lot more wiggle room during the weekday because many people are at work and children are at school. 

​If you decide to visit the Tidal Basin during the weekend, it’s better to plan visit early in the morning or later in the day.  No matter what day of the week you visit the earlier in the morning the better.  Wandering around the Tidal Basin at 7am can be delightful, even on the weekends.  However, as the morning progresses, the crowds will significantly increase; especially after 9 a.m.  If you’re wanting to take pictures of the monuments with the blossoms the light for pictures shortly after sunrise is stunning.

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Christmas season is a popular time of year for many families to send out holiday cards to their friends and family.  This is a perfect time of year to share updated family portraits as well.  This past fall, I received a telephone call from Donnie wanting more information about scheduling a family portrait.   

With each client contact, I am striving to provide you with the best experience you could possible receive.  I strive not only to give you a pretty picture but to give you an amazing and memorable experience. 

So it's always a joy when clients email with reviews like this.

​Spring is approaching and that means it will soon be the start of wedding season.  If you’re in the Northern Virginia area and have an upcoming wedding you’re in luck.  A new wedding venue has opened and is now available for weddings and events.  Have you heard of Sweeney Barn?  It’s the new venue space located in Manassas, VA at 9310 Discovery Blvd.
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​Composites or collages are so much fun to create.  Flicker defines A composite Image is a picture that is made from the combination of multiple images merged into a single surface. You can view my other photos here. The pictures in this set are "constructed" creations. This technique often generates interesting and weird surreal effects. 
 
Getting the best pose and controlling the light plays a pivotal part of the process, but really “playing” with an image after the fact to see what can be achieved is the fun part.  

Many potential photography clients wonder why should I have a consultation with my family photographer?  This is an excellent question.
 
If you’re not having a consultation with your photographer before your family or newborn portraits, you should and here’s why.  Your photographer wants to ensure you’re receiving portraits of your family you’ll love and adore.  The consultation is a fact-finding time for your photographer to learn about you, your family, and your wishes for the requested portrait session.  It’s also a great time to get to know your photographer and to determine if you’ll be a great match.  If you have kids, the photographer you like and want to hire may not be a fan of children or may only photograph children after a certain age. 

​This fact-finding meeting will also help your overall experience with your family photographer and your expectations towards the result.  It’s also a wonderful time to get answers to your burning questions.  
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