Executive Headshot Portraiture - 2023

In today's digitally driven professional landscape, the significance of maintaining a curated collection of high-quality, publication-ready headshot photographs cannot be overstated for the modern Corporate Executive.

Professional Headshot Portraiture serves as the visual representation of an individual's personal brand, and plays a pivotal role in making a positive first impression across various platforms, including professional publications, websites, and social media platforms like LinkedIn. A selection of well-crafted headshots not only conveys competence and approachability, but also enhances one's professional credibility.

Investing in the skill and experience of a professional photographer is essential to ensure that these portraits effectively capture the individual's unique personality and convey a polished, authentic image. Professionals who leverage the quality of a professional photographer’s work are more likely to present themselves with confidence and professionalism, ultimately contributing to their success in networking, career advancement, and overall professional image.

When planning a headshot portrait session, it’s important to remember one single photo can’t cover all your bases, even as an individual first joining the workplace. While scheduling your portrait session, I consult with you to learn your branding needs, prospective uses, existing portraits and how new ones will compliment or replace them, and discuss with you ways to get the most out of your portrait session.  Based on your needs, I capture and deliver portraits that fit your current requirements, as well as additional crops and variations to fit additional uses, graphic design flexibility, and future-proofing for unforeseen display scenarios.

A comprehensive photoshoot with me will create, or add to your existing, catalogue of variations to select from for different use-case scenarios. A well-rounded portrait library includes multiple options of formal & informal poses, wardrobes, and expressions, and studio-backdropped & environmental locations; consulting with me can cover all of these bases in a single booking.

In 2023 I saw a great uptick in people getting their headshots updated, their portraiture libraries expanded, as well as first-timers capturing their first professional headshots - everyone can tell when you have an iPhone photo, even in “Portrait Mode;” you need the real thing to be taken seriously.

I’m looking forward to capturing and seeing more of you in 2024; click here to start planning and scheduling today.

Latoya & Shawn: Married November 11th, 2023

On Latoya and Shawn’s wedding day, time danced in harmony with their love – a surreal blend of moments that lingered and flew by in a heartbeat. It feels like just a whisper of seasons since Shawn surprised Latoya during a family photo session, yet in reality, a whole year has woven its tale. On a serene Fall day at a country club, nestled not far from the heart of Fairfax, friends and family of Latoya and Shawn converged to witness the couple's union and commemorate the commencement of a new chapter in their lives.

Engaged in shared glances, a symphony of happy smirks adorns both Latoya and Shawn when their minds drift to one another. I sensed their magnetic connection the day Latoya unknowingly spoke of Shawn, just materialized before he materialized for their proposal. That same smirk, perhaps embellished with a dash more sass, graced Shawn's face when Latoya sent over a box of breath mints while Shawn was suiting up for saying “I Do.”

Shawn, a fellow photographer, got to experience being on the other side of the lens; you can catch glimpses of his photography on Instagram @828Visuals.

Amidst the breathtaking canvas of Autumn's final flourish, Latoya and Shawn exchanged vows just before the sun dipped below the horizon. The celebration continued with the dance floor alive with lights and favorite songs. As the night embraced its final moments, the Latoya and Shawn stole away for an intimate last dance, savoring the essence of the day. Loved ones bid them farewell in style, showering them with confetti and streamers, creating a dazzling spectacle as they kissed beneath the moonlight before embarking on their honeymoon.

What a magnificent conclusion to 2023! Wishing you all a Happy New Year – dive into Latoya & Shawn’s wedding pictures to usher in the magic of 2024!

Sandstone Care: Chantilly, VA Detox Center

Starting off 2023, Sandstone Care opened its latest treatment center in Virginia, the Virginia Detox Center in Chantilly.

The Virginia Detox Center is a medical detox and inpatient treatment facility serving Fairfax and Loudoun Counties, providing care for young adults and adults to overcome substance use, addiction, and co-occurring mental health conditions.  Patients are provided 24/7 medical supervision, daily residential programming and therapy sessions, and forming a pathway to discharge from intake.  The center also provides support for those in transitional living communities, Partial Hospitalization, and Intensive Outpatient Programs.

I captured marketing and promotional images of the new facility for Sandstone Care, which has been widely utilized on their website, social media, and facility directory listings.

NOTE: All individuals pictured are paid talent and are not actual patients.

Baby Abby - Newborn Lifestyle Portraits

This past August, Madonna and Rubin welcomed their baby girl Abby into the world after an exciting 9 months of anticipation filled with lots of pink - you may remember their explosive pink smoke bomb baby reveal, and airport-themed waterfront maternity photos from not long ago.

For this photoshoot I took on a new-ish challenge, and captured some newborn photos of Abby.  Newborn photos aren’t a genre of photography I historically capture, and the timing on this wasn’t quite ideal, swooping in on the late-end of newborn portraits at 3 weeks due to me having COVID-19 at the same time Abby was born; Rubin and Donna deeply wanted me to be sure to capture Abby as her life began, so we made it happen once I was testing negative and it was safe for Abby.

Due to having to wait the extra time, Abby was definitely already exiting that peaceful and pliable newborn posing stage which lasts only around the first two weeks after birth; Abby is adorable, but just not having it with the peaceful curled newborn poses that are possible even just a week earlier - babies grow up quickly, which is why it’s important to capture every moment you can.

Patapsco Valley State Park - August, 2023

Back in August last year, I hiked a stretch of Patapsco Valley State Park with some friends - this trip was a local hiking version of “I know a spot,” because much of the hike took us off trail, through shoulder-high snake and tick paradise, and up and down steep mountains covered in thorn bushes I still have a few marks from.  But it was rewarding, worth it, and I now have some locations in mind for more creative ideas I’d like to coordinate.

Patapsco Valley State Park, nestled in the abandoned town of Daniels (formerly known as Elysville), Maryland, is a sprawling natural haven offering a blend of picturesque landscapes and historical intrigue.  Within its bounds, the park houses remnants of a bygone era, including two abandoned churches that stand as silent witnesses to the passage of time.  These forsaken structures, draped in vines and surrounded by the park's lush foliage, evoke a sense of mystery.

The small industrial town born in 1810 around a textile mill, however, its prosperity was short-lived.  The mill closed in the late 1960s, prompting the evacuation of nearly 90 families.  Tropical storm Agnes in 1972 further sealed its fate, flooding the town and leading to its complete abandonment.  Today, Daniels is a ghost town marked by crumbling stone ruins, decaying wood, and graffiti-covered remnants of its past, including the Saint Stanislaus Kostka Church, Pentecostal Holiness Church, and remnants of the old dam and bridge.  The town serves as a poignant reminder of a bygone era swallowed by nature.

After beginning the hike by immediately wading across the Patapsco River, we made our way into Daniels, and began seeing remnants of the ghost town.  Well traveled, and easily found, our first stop was at the graffiti and street art covered Pentecostal Holiness Church, which was destroyed, like much of the town, by Tropical Storm Agnes and the deluge of runoff water in 1972.  Only some of the walls remain as canvases for artists and taggers, and the bell tower stands tall, but decaying, among the trees.  Hidden in the back is a mural of a very posh woman with a bottle of champagne, which has sadly begun being defaced by other graffiti taggers.  Inside is a paper airplane; it’s not immediately clear if by the same artist, however the styles seem quite different so my guess is they’re by separate people.

Next was some off-trailing, which took us up a steep mountain, along a long fallen tree to avoid some of the deep grass likely inhabited by unseen predators, and finally to the first of several abandoned cars.  Many of the cars, which were washed downstream and deep into the woods by flooding, are nowhere near any trails, which either follow the Town of Daniels’ original roads or branch off in spots for utility and fire road access.  Making our way back to the main trail downhill, on a safer and more direct route, we headed toward the next abandoned church.  Along the way, we spotted the offshoot leading toward it, but decided to proceed to the end of the trail to explore the main trail before getting to the main attraction.

The St. Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church, dating back to the early 1800s, burned down in 1926, and were subsequently abandoned along with its adjacent cemetery that is home to local families and individuals, with some gravestones dating back to the Civil War era, and others obviously marking WWI losses.  The stone church walls remain largely upright and intact, and are mostly devoid of graffiti, and I truly hope it stays that way - graffiti and street art can be beautiful, but it needs the right place and to be self-aware of its surroundings: boring plain abandoned walls that are basically giant canvases with lots of foot traffic nearby?  Cool!  Beautiful antique stonemasonry covered in ivy and moss in a valley bathed in warm sunlight with barely any visitors?  Uncool; stick to the ugly bare industrial, and leave the antique beauty to be enjoyed as it decays naturally.  St. Stanislaus Kostka Church reminded me of The Forest Temple in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

As the sun began entering the golden hour, we made our way out of the dense woods and back onto the main trail heading back to the trailhead to go get some much needed dinner.