This couple, in this gorgeous setting, makes it pretty easy to believe.Through five years of long-distance relationship, they’ve still managed to hang on to what I believe is one of the most important elements in a marriage: the ability to have fun!Oh, and tonight, we had an audience!

Thank you for a wonderful, inspirational evening, Jessica and Michael!

- Danie Smallwood

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

- Photography By Danie {Bethesda, MD Engagement Sessions}

- Danie Smallwood, Charlottesville VA and Bethesda, MD senior portraits photographer

ps:  Business note update:  though originally planned as a 12 Days of Christmas series, leading up to Christmas, my last three days of material will now appear…someday…but not right now.  Colds and Christmas spirit made me realize that, while it’s fun to take a step back and look at the year, the project was starting to interfere with kid quality time, so away it goes!.

So to start off the second week of my 9-day year-in-review, here’s a little peek at some of the outtakes from the past year.  I wish there were more — unfortunately, about a month ago, I was running out of harddrive space, so I deleted all the files that “didn’t make it”.  Or most of them, anyway.  Rather than fish them out of backup disks, I decided to go with what I had, with a note to self to save a few from each session in the future!

First we have this adorable little girl, demonstrating over in Glen Echo Park that balance should not be taken for granted (over on the left, she’d just missed the curb!). Food breaks can, shall we say, make or break a shoot.  So can sibling rivalries, lol.  Here are a couple outtakes that I’m fairly certain even the parents haven’t seen!

These kids were total troopers during a pretty long morning.  Left, my little helper (she wanted to carry the diaper bag, but we thought the Nikon lens case looked a little sleeker…and was a bit smaller!).  Right, taking a little time out!I actually have PLENTY of outtakes of pictures with my own kids, but these were some of my favorites — the outtakes that remind me of my real kids.   Left, my little Goofy, who had accompanied me on a photo shoot (for the last time); right, my daughter, about 7 months, checking out her socks rather than looking at the camera (the sock obsession has, in fact, turned into a shoe obsession); bottom right, same daughter refuses to let her brother have any privacy in the bathroom at school.  You’ve seen these two here before, but here are two of my favorite pictures from our Engagement Session in Washington, DC — left, I’m getting the “Okay, I’m about to propose, you’re ready, right?” look; right, the “Yes! She said yes!” look.  This couple has so much personality!Around a year, it gets a little tricky to get kids to sit still.  I think the picture bottom-right, on attempt number 10 at least to get a mommy-son portrait, says it all.    Bottom left was perhaps the true outtake of the session — definitely not what you want to see as you arrive at the Jefferson Memorial (well, the Tidal Basin in general)!  Luckily I found a few locations where the construction wasn’t visible at all! Happy Christmas week!  (If you’re just tuning in to the blog, you might not yet have picked up that I love the Christmas season!)

- Danie Smallwood, Washington DC Engagement and Family photographer

I hear all the time: “Engagement photography?  What?”  With all the pressure of a wedding approaching, an engagement session is a time to step back and let the photographer capture you simply enjoying time together.  In contrast to the excitement and intensity of the wedding day, your engagement session should be relaxed.  It’s also very personal — you’re only thinking about each other.  On a practical note, it’s also nice to have engagement photos to use on save-the-date cards or to display at a bridal shower.  Perhaps you have a wedding website and would like a few portraits to use there (yes, I will format the photos to make your web designer/web host happy!).

The above couple actually got engaged during our session — the fiance was from out of town, with few opportunities to make it up to DC, so he had not formally proposed, but they wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and their chance to be together to get portraits together.  (I was in on the little surprise!)  Actually photographing a proposal was a crazy-exciting experience!

Finally, a business note — many wedding photographers also do engagement sessions as part of a wedding package.  Since I do not shoot weddings, I tend to come in when the couple wants their engagement session here in Washington, DC (usually because one or both people live here), but are being married out of town.  Sound like you?  Don’t discount supplementing your beautiful [spring] wedding photos with some snowy backdrops here this winter!

- Danie

Has anyone else noticed that I get to photograph some of the most gorgeous couples in Washington, DC?  I couldn’t hire models better than these two.  So easy-going, and their suggestion of this bridge in Rock Creek Park (see bottom right-hand photo) was just perfect.  The weather was warm, the leaves were that perfect combination of orange but still on the trees…yep, we were lucky all around! (And Holly, I hope you are enjoying Fall!)

It was such a pleasure finally meeting you guys — best of luck with your wedding planning!  I’ll have your gallery up by the end of this week!

- Danie

Updated 2/18/11: Client’s picks from our session — large share.

The photos tell the story of the morning — the first image is just after the proposal.  Then the following images work chronologically through a morning that just might stand out in my mind almost as much as Brea’s!  What they don’t tell is that this couple actually met because of photography — how that warms my heart! — when Omurhu spotted Brea taking pictures of the stadium after their grad school football team played a rival team…and the rest is history.

[To scroll through the pictures, click on any image and hit the forward/back arrows on your keyboard.]

Brea and Omurhu, you are definitely one of the most fun couples I have met.  It was a pleasure to meet you and I am so happy to have played a small part in this amazing experience.

- Danie

These pictures, taken on the National Mall, are also some of my earliest professional work, so this is a fun “blast from the past” for me on an afternoon even hotter than the one when these pictures were taken!