Springtime Photos | Northern Virginia Photographer

Preparing for Spring Portraits

Spring is one of the most wonderful seasons for many of us, especially if you live in Northern Virginia and Washington D.C.. The air is fresh, the flowers are blooming, people are happy…​
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Speaking of flowers blooming, if you live in or near Washington D.C., you probably are aware of how glorious the whole city looks drenched in the beautiful pastel colors of the cherry blossom trees. The blossoming of cherry blossom trees, in fact, is such a huge event that many people wait for the spring season to schedule portraits where they can go to famous places in the city and have gorgeous portraits of themselves or their family taken with them!
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​So, if you too are looking for a springtime picture inspiration, look no further than the nearest cherry blossom tree near your place!
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Be Prepared Beforehand

​Since almost the whole of Washington is out there in these parks and other beautiful locations with gorgeous cherry blossom blooms, if you too want to get your pictures taken this spring, it is a good idea to start determining who you would like to hire to photograph your family as many photographers will become booked out and unavailable rather quickly.  Therefore, arrange your family’s portraits with your favorite photographer today!  If you would like to hire me to photograph your family's pictures, I've made it really simple.  You make schedule online or if you have questions, you may call me directly at (571) 250-5073.  ​Chances are as time get closer to spring, your desired family photographer will be totally booked and might not have any free dates available. ​
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If you’re coming from out of town to visit Washington D.C., your portraits are a great souvenir of your vacation to the area.  As a matter of fact, when my family and I travel to new locations for family trips, instead of purchasing t-shirts and other trinkets, we hire a photographer to take pictures of us in a well-known location for that area.  This allows us to remember the vacation.  When we show our vacation album, we always here the same expression.
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​Alternatively, if you wish to take your own pictures featuring the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C., you can do that too!  Just have fun with your family documenting a beautiful moment.  Don't forget to take pictures of the monuments with the Cherry Blossoms surrounding it.   ​

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Or you can even turn this into a fun family activity where you bring a picnic basket and blanket and take pictures of your kids playing and running around and all of you get your pictures taken with the cherry blossom trees, of course!
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​The Places to Go (Locations)

​While all cherry blossom trees are beautiful, for a proper springtime photoshoot, you need to pick a great location, too. A place that not only features an exquisite bloom of cherry blossoms, but also other views that can be incorporated into the photographs making them look even more visually appealing. 
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I recommend selecting a location from the following list:​

• The Tidal Basin
• Washington Monument
• Kutz Bridge
• West/East Potomac Park
• National Arboretum
• The Japanese Lantern

​FYI:  The Tidal Basin area and West/East Potomac Park in Washington DC will be extremely busy with lots of people.  While it’s a great location to see the Cherry Blossoms, it will be hard to find parking and there will be people overcrowding.  Many out of town visitors flock to this area, so if you’re a local, venture out to other areas of town to look at the Cherry Blossoms if you want to save yourself a big headache.  An even better idea for a location, if you're a military family, could be visiting one of the bases in the area.  As several have Cherry Blossom trees on base/post.  The festival features several breathtaking cherry blossoms that are showcased in the form of a parade. And since it is a parade, it is a lot more exuberant than just going to a park!

Ensure to pack your patience.  With the crowds of people, parking will be extremely limited.  During the National Cherry Blossom Festival many shuttle buses are up and operational.  Parking enforcement will be out in full force issuing tickets to violators.  If you’re visiting Washington DC from out of town, I would recommend using public transportation, such as the Metro train.  This will help to elevate some of the stress.  Tip:  If you would like to avoid the massive crowds, consider going to look at the Cherry Blossoms at sunrise or sunset. 

​So, gear up for March and April, and get ready to welcome the ever-beautiful cherry blossom trees.
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Oh, and charge your cameras and batteries, too!
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​Clothing

​Once a location is chosen and a photographer has been hired, the next thing to consider is what to wear for your family pictures.  Clothing is a big topic of discussion for portrait sessions and play a vital role in the overall look of your final image.  Here are a few tips to consider when selecting your family’s clothing for spring portraits.  

Plan attire in advance.  This allows you to be less stressed.  It also affords you more time to change aspects of everyone's clothing.
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​When selecting your clothing, think about your portrait location and what colors will be complimentary in your home.  
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​What looks good in your home?  When your portrait is framed or on a canvas, which wall will it hang on in your home?  Pick colors and textures that will compliment your home.
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Select timeless outfits.  Clothing styles come and go, but your family pictures will last forever.
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​Avoid Matchy – Matchy!  One of the biggest tips I can recommend when it comes to clothing for spring portraits is to never match every outfit exactly.  Instead select 2-3 different colors and spread them throughout each individual clothing outfits.  However, please don’t revert to the clothing style of 80s and 90s where everyone wore the same thing.
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​Select varying hues of the same color.  The different shades of the same color will give your family’s overall image some variety, yet still consistent. 
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​As Moms, we will not buy our family's pictures if we don’t think we look good.  So, I recommend finding your outfit first and then select other family member clothing based on your outfit.  As my husband tells me, it doesn't matter if he like the pictures, if I don't like it he knows it will not be purchased.

The National Park Services projects peak bloom announcement will be made on March 1, 2018.  

​As time gets closer, you'll be able to look at the live Cherry Blossom cam.

We only have a few more weeks left of cool weather, before the temperatures start warming up (and greening up).  Now is the perfect time to think about your family’s spring portraits. To schedule your family portraits with Tamieka call (571) 250-5073 or schedule online.