Senior Katie - Portraits In Virginia Horse Country

Summer has ended, the leaves are changing, and the hooves are galloping. This Fall, Katie and her silly horse Retro shot senior portraits with me at their stable in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Like Savannah (who I photographed with her horse earlier this Summer), Katie has been riding horses for years, and now competes in equestrian showjumping events. Katie is a Senior at my high-school alma mater, and will be graduating with the Class of 2017.

These horse themed portrait sessions are so much fun; I have so much respect for these beautiful animals and the people who love and take care of them. I still, unfortunately, have never ridden a horse, but hopefully I will soon change that. Who knows; someday maybe I'll be an avid horse person too!

Retro is another very well trained and obedient horse, and he was actually so comfortable during shooting that he even began to doze off with Katie on his back! He and the other horses in the stable were very friendly, and between shots even nuzzled, licked, and followed me for a bit. I felt right at home!

The Shaw Family

The the airport community, the Shaws are well-known friendly faces; Joe recently retired from his many years with the Airports Authority, and Janene can still be found cruising the runways for Airport Operations.

This past weekend the Shaws joined me on the waterfront for some family portraits as Autumn rushes into the region.

Senior Savannah - Portraits in Virginia Horse Country

For the longest time horses have fascinated me, but I've never had the chance to go riding (yet). So, each time I am near horses I am some combination of awestruck by their majestic nature and jealous of the people who get to ride them frequently.

Savannah takes that a step further, since she not only rides horses, but has several years of training under her belt so she may compete in equestrian show jumping and dressage events. As we waited for a missing part of her riding uniform, Savannah showed me how she grooms and prepares her horse before a ride, and told me about what the high school is like these days - Savannah will be a Senior at my (high school) alma mater beginning this September, and is a member of the Class of 2017.

We didn't photograph any jumps because it was becoming too dark to safely perform any.

Rose Corps

Rose Corps, a synth-pop solo project, burst onto the DC music scene earlier this year with the release of their first single, “Frosted Glass;” an icy track with ambient warmth and rich vocals. Aeron, the singer / songwriter and synthesizer player behind Rose Corps, brought her background in dancing to the streets of DC for a sultry nighttime photoshoot.

Rose Corps is currently producing her next single, expected to release later this year, but for now you can listen to “Frosted Glass” while enjoying Aeron’s pictures.

I can’t encourage you enough to go follow Rose Corps on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Reverbnation, and most importantly, go buy “Frosted Glass” on Bandcamp to help support Aeron’s new music career.

A big thank you to Patrick and Rupeng for being my human lightstands in a short-notice pinch!

Nina and Ian: Married April 4th, 2016

Nina and Ian met me through Nina's brother Bayard, who I've had the pleasure of working with now and then since we first met in 2005, most recently working together at the Castleton Festival's annual gala. The weekend Nina and Ian got married was a twofer; Amy and Brandon's wedding in rural Maryland was two days beforehand.

Nina and Ian's wedding day was threatened by rain showers, but luckily the bands narrowly missed Ida Lee Park, located in the heart of Leesburg, Virginia, only kicking up some wind and sprinkles during our portrait session. By evening, the sky had cleared for a pink and orange sunset. The party continued that cool night until Nina and Ian's friends and family gathered to light sparklers and send the newlywed couple off to their honeymoon.