Dear friends, 

With the states of California and Virginia reopening soon, I want to check in and make sure you and your loved ones are doing ok!

I also want to let you know Tamieka Smith Photography will be opening for business May 15, 2020, offering family, military event and headshot photography that comply with state and local guidelines of maintaining adequate physical distance among 10 or less people.

​Family pictures tell stories; the story of our family. Yes, words do the same, but pictures capture important moments along with the emotions being – for the lack of better words – emoted. In the age of smartphones, everybody takes pictures of the smallest moments. This includes food.  Let’s think about it, you care what food you ate at 15 years ago?  I know I won’t.  However, the way your child smiles will be something you will always want to remember.  Especially when they have teeth missing.  

Have you started thinking about your family's Christmas card and what picture you want to put on your card?  Well, it's that time of year many families are starting to think about this as well as photographers coming up with creative and unique ways to make a memorable Christmas portrait. 

​If you were on Facebook last week you may have seen many family photographers advertising Grinch portrait sessions. What a cool idea; right.  It’s perfect for the holidays – it would make the best Christmas card and it’s unusual and unique.  It seems like everyone could see the great possibilities as well.  Within days of posting the theme session on her business Facebook page, an Arkansas photographer was getting so many calls for her theme portrait session she booked out quickly and had to initiate a waiting list for next year.  

Do you have a cell phone?  I do and they are popular and convenient to use especially for taking a quick picture of your child or something that may be happening around you.  It doesn't matter if you're located in Los Angeles or Washington DC or anywhere in between, Moms are universal in wanting to get that little smile or quirky facial expression...myself included.  Now that we're in a selfie generation, even business owners are resorting to taking selfies and using them as headshots. 

​I beg with you, don't rely solely on your mobile device to photograph your family's special moments or your headshots if you're a business owner.  Looking at the pictures below you can see why?

Congratulations Tamieka....those are the words I receive a few weeks ago.  Tamieka Smith Photography of Woodbridge, VA was voted "Best Artist" by InsideNOVA Prince William.  Out of 61 business and companies (27 photographers) list in the "Artist" category, Tamieka Smith Photography was chosen as the top artist.  I was recognized by residents of Prince William County and readers of InsideNOVA.

Who's gets excited about the upcoming summer movie lineup?  There are so many great movies to be released this summer and I’m thrilled about so many of them.  For today’s Friday Fives, I’m sharing a list of the top five movies I will viewing at my local Northern Virginia movie theater with my family.  In addition how I will see them for $5 each (that's a $20 family date night).
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​We’re getting closer to the peak bloom of Cherry Blossoms in Washington D.C. and Northern Virginia.  Which means there will be an influx of visitors and an increase in traffic in the surrounding area for the Cherry Blossom festival.  Seeing photos online of the pictures of the Cherry Blossoms doesn’t give the beauty of these flowers’ true justice; they must be seen in person.  After several years of visiting the Cherry Blossoms in D.C., I want to share my experience with those traveling into the city.  Below you’ll see some helpful tips to see the D.C. Cherry Blossoms as well as how to schedule your 2019 Cherry Blossom 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.