Julie & Kevin

If you’re looking for engagement portraits that feel like Washington DC, but without the touristy vibe, you’re going to LOVE these! Julie and Kevin wanted that classic DC white marble, but didn’t want to deal with the crowds at Lincoln or Jefferson. Fortunately for them, I knew the perfect locations: the DC War Memorial and Constitution Gardens!

These two locations are my favorites in all of DC. First, they’re absolutely stunning. Talk about a perfect balance of beautiful architecture and organic greenery! In addition to being gorgeous, both the War Memorial and the gardens are usually ghost towns, which makes them PERFECT portrait locations. Being photographed can be a little awkward – especially in the first 15 minutes! It’s so nice to have a sense of privacy while getting warmed up.

Speaking of warming up, Julie and Kevin didn’t need much help in that department at all. One of my favorite moments was right at the beginning, when I asked them to turn and face each other for the first time, pulled in close. Julie immediately started laughing, and then apologizing for laughing, and then I was laughing, which only made her laugh more – and made for AMAZING portraits!

There’s a purposeful workflow I use at every engagement session that helps me not only see how my clients fit and photograph best together, but also lets me get to know them on a deeper level. Pushing subjects just a little out of their comfort zone lets us go so much further than the traditional smiling-at-the-camera portrait, and instead make images that feel true to life. You can practically HEAR Julie’s laugh in that second photo!

I first connected with these two through their wedding planner, Emily of Simply Styled Events. Julie and Kevin are incredibly kind and easy to talk to, I don’t think we had a moment of silence during their entire session! They got engaged at a vineyard in Charlottesville last spring, and now they’re planning a stunner of a fall wedding at Potomac View Terrace. Stay tuned, friends – I have a feeling theirs is one wedding you won’t want to miss!

Until then, enjoy a few of my favorites from Julie and Kevin’s engagement!