WEDDING: STERLING & GARY

Sterling and Gary exchanged marriage vows on a beautiful wintery day at the beginning of the year before friends and family in Old Town Alexandria. Snow had fallen the night before and remained on the ground for most of the day. With the cold weather (and the AMAZING reception location) we decided to do most of the photos inside. The reception was held at a private residence in Old Town and the gracious owners allowed me to set up my equipment, move around their antique furniture, and shoot in front of their original Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington. I was excited about photographing in such a unique place and the challenge of lighting the group shots while keeping the artwork looking good and avoiding reflections. Sterling and Gary agreed to brave the cold for a little while before greeting their guests to get some outdoor natural light shots. And I think it was totally worth it! They look great and so happy to finally be married. Congratulations!

FAVORITES FROM 2010

It's been a good year... and fun to look back on. Lots of good times, great friends and tons of memories to hold on to. But soon it will be time to look forward. History has shown that over time my opportunities have grown bigger and my photography has grown better. I expect the coming year to be no different—and that's exciting! Tomorrow will be a day of relaxing (I've been working non-stop since Christmas) and setting goals for the new year. What should I try to accomplish this year?

SEATTLE SOUTH

Extreme weather has made this an interesting Christmas vacation. I was excited to leave DC, which still had snow on the ground when I left for some warmer California weather. And while it's been warmer (relative to DC) it has rained almost every day! One of the local radio DJs starting calling Los Angeles "Seattle South." And now, due to a "major" snowstorm in the East, my flight back home has been cancelled.
Despite the rain, the time with my family has been wonderful and I even got a day to break away for some alone time in San Luis Obispo. The rain let up for an afternoon and I spent some time at Montaña de Oro state park, sitting on one of my favorite beaches. The rock on the right side of the picture is where I spent a lot of time during my college years thinking and praying, standing in awe of the God that I believe created that place with it's pelicans and otters and the powerful waves and fiery sunsets. My friend Ron and I used to just call it "The Spot." There's nothing else quite like it—and it was good to be back.