The 5AM alarm was rough, but these classic DC engagement portraits were so worth it! I met Kelsey and Brennan bright and early at the Lincoln Memorial for their engagement session. There were a few other photographers and runners out enjoying the National Mall, but we had no problem keeping our distance! These two had never been photographed before, but they’re total naturals in front of the camera. That first image in the gallery scroll below was literally the first image of the day!

It makes sense that they’re so natural together, because Kelsey and Brennan have been together for nearly eight years! Talk about this being a long time coming! They were long distance for the first several years, balancing their separate passions and careers, but never wavering in their commitment to each other. Thankfully they are now together in the DC area, which made this the perfect location for their engagement session!

I had so much fun getting to know these two and hear about their wedding plans. They’re planning a summer 2021 wedding at Raspberry Plain Manor in Virginia, so this was a great test run for how portraits will be next year, too! I tell my couples that the main goal of an engagement session isn’t actually the photos themselves – it’s for us to get to know each other and for me to teach the couple how to pose in a zero stress environment. It’s safe to say that these two will have NO problems with wedding portraits!

Congratulations, Kelsey & Brennan! Enjoy a few of my faves below!