Last weekend, amidst all the heat and humidity, I got to spend the morning at the National Arboretum with little Helene, who has the happiest, sunniest smile of all the little girls in the world!  I hadn’t seen Helene and her parents since Helene’s six month pictures, which was well over a year ago.  I can’t even believe how big she is now and still just as full of smiles.  Helene is a busy girl and wanted to explore everything and quickly.  She is especially a fan of steps and loves to go up and down and up and down.  We had so much fun!  This first shot was taken towards the end, but I love it so much, I had to start with it!

Recently, I had the excellent opportunity to meet a woman who is involved with Global Giving, an organization that connects donors worldwide with community-based projects that need support.  Their website is incredible and amazingly easy to navigate.  They now offer gift cards, so that your family and friends can purchase a gift card to Global Giving and you, the recipient, can select which of the thousands of projects you’d like the donation to go towards.  It’s a great way to give back and even a really cool idea for wedding favors as well – check it out!

It was a warm Sunday morning this past weekend when I met Daisy & Hazel and their parents at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC for their portrait session.  Their family won my session at a charitable auction for Amazing Life Games, a school in DC, and I was delighted to photograph such a sweet and wonderful family!  Daisy & Hazel are just the silliest, goofiest little girls and we had a great time exploring the grounds with their dolls and their parents and enjoying the sunshine.

Living in DC, I’ve of course spent time in Baltimore here and there over the years.  But as I’ve had the opportunity to shoot there more, I’ve fallen more and more in love with Baltimore and it’s very obvious to me why they call it “Charm City!”  I had a great time with Carrie and Matt at their engagement shoot last fall, near the Baltimore harbor, and have been so looking forward to their wedding.  When we met at the Baltimore Museum of Industry a few weeks before the wedding, I thought maybe I’d died and gone to heaven – everywhere I looked, there was something offbeat and interesting!

Carrie & Matt were such a joy to work with and I think there wasn’t a dry eye under the pavilion during their ceremony.  Their celebration was definitely proof that a wedding can absolutely be fun and funky as well and warm, genuine and unique!  Kudos to Heidi, from Entertain Me Event Planning, for helping them to put it all together!

Carrie & Matt got ready with their friends and family at the Intercontinental Harbor Court Hotel.  Carrie’s dress was stunning – there was such gorgeous detail on the back – I’ll admit that I was a little obsessed with photographing it!

And the shoes….to DIE for!

Carrie’s earrings left me a little speechless…..but can you blame me?!

Carrie & Matt got to see each other for the first time in the garden at the American Visionary Art Museum.  They were so cute!

Then we ran up (ok, drove up) to Federal Hill Park for a fantastic view of the Baltimore skyline and a little fun on the swings

All the amazing flowers were provided by Divine Designs – Colleen is so sweet and is such a floral artist!

Hands down my favorite shot of the day!  And thank you to the little boys out there who gave up their swings for a few moments

The ceremony, under the pavilion, was so fresh and harbor-ish feeling (obviously, harbor-ish is not a word, but you get the idea).  Carrie couldn’t take her eyes off Matt as she came down the aisle and Carrie’s mom was so sweet – she couldn’t hold the tears back!

The Baltimore Museum of Industry was fantastic!  Sooooo much cool stuff everywhere, I loved it!

Carrie & Matt did a swing dance when they were introduced – it looked like so much fun!

Jenny & Sam are getting married in Iowa next year, but they live here in DC and wanted some engagement shots in their new “hometown.”  These two are HUGE Nationals fans and are lucky enough to have a friend with pull who got them onto the field during batting practice!  So we did an extra long shoot and had fun all over the place!  Between Nationals Field, the Southwest Waterfront area, Senate Park by the Capitol and Jenny’s variety of fantastic shoes, there was so much to look at – a photographer’s dream!  Sam & Jenny are such a hoot and have so much fun together – it’s hard not to be swept away by their sense of humor.

Just for the record, this mock proposal shot was not Jenny’s, Sam’s or my idea – it was the idea of the folks standing behind us!  They were highly amused by all the engagement session shenanigans and insisted!

And we were all amused when Rodriguez turned around and smiled for the camera!!

I love this series – so cute!