Sneak Peek: Nora Turns One! | Arlington, VA Portrait Photographer

Little Nora celebrates her first birthday this week! To commemorate the occasion, we had a cake smash session out in the beautiful May weather. Though she was a little shy at first, her smiley personality really came out as she crawled around the open field. Her first taste of cake was a hoot - it seemed like she didn't like it! But as you can see in the photos below, she took to it pretty quickly and really dove into it. After crawling around with her cake, Nora had a little bath and enjoyed some splashing around and playtime with mom. She's a real water baby!

Nora crawling around in her little tutu. I loved the bright colors!

Nora's cake and tutu.

Cake: smashed!

Post-cake cleanup: fun in the tub!

Such a sweet moment with Nora and mom.

Mom washing off all that icing!

Nora is surprised by a splash from dad!

Looking up at the sky.

Sneak Peek: The Family Tree | Arlington, VA Portrait Photographer

This awesome family that I spent time with this weekend is no stranger to travel: Akemi and Micah live in Florida, Laolo and Sarah live in Canada, and their mother Martha lives in Maryland. Unfortunately, living so far apart means that they don't get to see each other that often. This year, they met for the first time in 2 years in "middle ground Maryland", and I am humbled and honored that I got to help this family document the first time they have all been together in so long. It was heartwarming to feel the love that keeps this family going strong even when they aren't in the same state, much less the same country! 

Here's a peek into our day in Maryland:

The family, in one place: Martha, Akemi, Micah, Sarah, Laolo.

The boys, being boys, and climbing trees.

The Family Tree

Sneak Peek: A Day in the Park | Arlington, VA Photographer

This weekend, I spent a great day in the park with two wonderful families! The Junejas and the Grewal family met up at Potomac Woods park in Rockville for some fun in the great outdoors and playtime with their cousins. It was so great to see these two families playing tag, showing off some karate moves, bird hunting, and even throwing some paper airplanes. Here's a little peek into our day together.

Such a sweet moment between father and son - looking for birds in the trees!

I just love the tenderness of this moment. Mom and Dad helping their little one.

Playing with Mom's necklace. She is going to be a stunner someday!

The Juneja brothers showing us how throwing a plane is REALLY done.

Mom and Dad getting some time away from the boys.

At 6 and 7, these boys have a great friendship. They described it to me as cousin-brothers!

Mother's Day With Gillian and Cal | Arlington, VA Portrait Photographer

I got to spend Mother's Day with my lovely grandmother, Gillian, and her gorgeous horse, Caledonia (Cal). She makes the 5:00 am, 25-mile trip out to her barn a few times a week to ride Cal. Since I don't know much about riding and caring for horses, she let me tag along on Sunday and document what a typical trip entails. It was fascinating to see the relationship she has built with Cal over the past few years! It was also pretty eye-opening to see all the work that goes into a day of riding. I won't get into details (think: mucking), but riding is definitely NOT the glamorous and elegant sport that it looks like on TV or in the movies! I'm proud to call Gillian my grandmother, and had a wonderful day with her and Cal!

Portrait of Cal, taken just after his shower. I love his cheeky tongue sticking out!

Gillian leading Cal out of the barn.

How To...Create a Gallery Wall | Arlington, VA Portrait Photographer

My personal favorite method of photo display is the gallery wall. The beauty of a gallery wall lies in its versatility, its ability to add dimension and personality for just about anyone and in any space. For bookworms and lovers of words, a gallery wall can tell a story (perhaps this is why I like them so much).

photo: A Spotted Pony

For art lovers, a gallery wall instantly adds visual depth to a room. A gallery wall looks great with an eclectic mix of framed photos and art.

photo: La Raquelita

For sentimental folks, a gallery wall allows you to see all of your beloved family photos at once in a large family tree.

photo: Life Beautiful Studio

Building a gallery wall is relatively simple. Here are some good tips to keep in mind before you get started:


1) Pick out a location in your house, and a theme for the wall. Do you want all black and white photos in your living room? A mix of frames and mirrors going down the stairs? The location you select for your gallery will have a huge impact on the theme, and will help you narrow down which photos you'd like and the frame sizes you want.


2) Design a template for the gallery layout. If you're on Pinterest, there are gallery wall ideas galore. A simple Google image search for "gallery wall" also gives you tons of inspirational ideas!

3) The hardest part of building the gallery wall is transferring your template to the wall itself. A nice little trick for getting the look down up the wall is to create a life size template out of newspaper or scrap paper for each photo or canvas you have selected. You can tape these up and rearrange them until you find the look you want (without damaging your walls!).

photo: Better Homes and Gardens

Once you get your look down, all you need to do is mark with pencil where each photo should go, replace the paper template with your photos or canvases, and then,  bam! You're done!

photo: The Inspired Room

Limited Mother's Day Special! | Arlington, VA Family Photographer

In honor of wonderful mothers everywhere, I'm offering a special deal on family portrait sessions. Now through May 13, you can book a family portrait session for $100. Your family session will include:

• One hour session time
• Private online gallery for viewing and sharing with friends and family
• Disc with 5 high-resolution photos from session
• $20 print credit

This portrait special is only valid if you book through May 13. It's a perfect Mother's Day gift!