My good friends Rachel and Luke were kind enough to let me drag them out into the slushy snow this weekend for some photos! We decided the National Arboretum would look great in the snow, with the columns and such….and I think we were right! Rachel and Luke were very accommodating, as I made them trudge through snow in their brand new cowboy boots…(are they ok guys?) while I easily bounced around in my snow boots…. and I think we got some fun shots because of it.

Anyone who knows Rachel knows she has the most engaging and addictive laugh and smile….as soon as she laughs, you laugh too, even if you didn’t mean to, and trust me…Rachel laughs a LOT. Good thing she has Luke to bring out the smiles Check it out:

This is one of my favorites…they just look so natural and perfect together!

How about this kiss!

Luke laughs too….

You wouldn’t know this is DC, would you?

In homage to one of my favorite photographers, Jonas Peterson, (like really, check him out, he is amazing) this is a pose inspired by him:

Thanks Luke and Rachel!

I love love love the customer service at Zappos.com! This weekend, after a rambuncious kitty raced onto the kitchen counter knocking over and shattering a wine glass of mine I decided it was time to order some new glassware. It should also be said that I am rather clumsy myself and have done my fair share of glass shattering in the recent past too. This has resulted in lots of sets of three glasses…and that just seems weird. So I hopped on Zappos.com since they now carry much much more than shoes, and found some great glasses.

When I ordered a few days ago, they automatically upgraded my order to free overnight shipping which was fantastic. (They seem to this all the time!) But thats not all. The glasses arrived but unfortunately one was broken. I called customer service and not only was the lady I spoke with super friendly and chipper, but she didn’t question me at all, she didn’t ask me to return the set of glassware that was broken, she just said, ‘No problem, I am having a new set shipped out to you overnight at no charge, and please just keep the set you already have.’ Then she upped me to be a member of their VIP site which has even more perks.

WOW

Here’s hoping I can go a while without breaking these!

Quite frankly I hate the concept of New Years resolutions….I mean, why wait a whole year to start doing something that you know you should be doing already? Why make January 1st a magical day? Truth is though, January 1st did end up being a bit of a fresh start for me and I actually did give myself quite a lot of goals and aims for this year. Amongst the regulars (eat healthier, go to the gym, be better about money, etc etc) was the goal to get back into the habit of taking more photos, just for me and the fun of it. The last year or two, as I have started to dive more into the world of professional photography…I’ve realized that the numbers of photos I take just for fun, or because I see that perfect shot and happen to have my camera on me (which I never do anymore unless its a for a job) is really dwindling.

Well…the snow, snow and more snow has been the first reason for me to get out and take some photos, just because. I mean lets face it….I have two adorable pups, (and a pretty adorable boyfriend if I do say so myself) and whats more deserving of photos then all three out in the snow!? Here’s a few shots from the last few days of snow….

This is my beautiful girl Kali

And my adorable boy Toby…

I loved these orange leaves…last bit of color still trying to hang on in winter!

This is Stefan, yay. I snapped one of him..

Then he caught one of me..

Last one is both pups…with Toby desperately trying to remove his winter coat

Bundle up and enjoy the snow!

It’s been snow, snow, snow, and more on the way this weekend! But Giulia, Flip and I lucked out with a rather warm and sunny Saturday 2 weeks ago for their engagement session! Giulia and Flip are tying the knot in April, and I can’t wait to photograph their big day then! But I have to admit, having a nice relaxed engagement session with just the couple and no schedule to speak of is really my favorite kind of shoot. I get to spend time and get to know the couple, without the hustle and bustle of a wedding day.

We started out at Meridian Hill Park were we got a few nice shots, but we all agreed that with the fountains turned off for the winter and not much greenery that we needed something more. So we hopped in the car to go check out the Georgetown waterfront! There we found a variety of wonderful spots to shoot, with the brand new waterfront park all finished from construction and the key bridge in the background.

I think you’ll really be able to see the love between these two, I know I did, even at their wedding consultation back in the fall! I am so fortunate to have such wonderful clients, the kind that make me feel like I am just taking a walk around town with my camera, instead of doing work

Thanks Giulia and Flip…April is around the corner!