Shooting on the National Mall is always interesting. It’s so full of people, and you never know where construction will have popped up, or a protest or, in our case, a marathon resulting in street closures.
To avoid a lot of these obstacles, I prefer to shoot at dawn. The previous weekend, our plans had been rained out, but it was worth the scramble to rearrange schedules for the following weekend. Not only did we avoid the crowds, but we had the most beautiful light.
I’m always fascinated by how relationships begin. For Hope and Carey, theirs began years ago when they overlapped for a single summer of camp. (Did you know here in DC people call Overnight Camp “Sleepaway Camp”? That’s the linguist in me, but I digress….) They didn’t exactly stay in touch over the years, but randomly met up with a group of friends and realized their previous connection.
Though the leaves were only just starting to change, I was so happy to capture a little of that early DC fall. I know DC is known for its Spring and the Cherry Blossoms, but is it really possible to be more beautiful it is in October?
I know many photographers thrive on the excitement of the wedding day, but it’s the laid-back nature of an engagement session that continues to make them my favorite. Even if, as in this case, I managed to hit myself in the head with my camera, then, after shooting another minute, realized I hadn’t given myself a black eye but rather had split my eyebrow open. Having not even a tissue with me, I was extremely grateful that we had just taken this next shot right in front of the bathrooms. 
And I mean, I’m sure photographers almost knock themselves out with their own cameras all the time, so probably not even really comment-worthy.
Wishing Hope and Carey a beautiful wedding back in Hope’s home state of Florida in a couple months! 
- Danie Smallwood, Bethesda MD Engagement Photographer
by Danie