A.E.LANDES PHOTOBLOG

With the dog, our pack of Surly Bikes, Washington as our backdrop, and an open schedule, we set out to photograph Stephanie and Justin doing the things the love together. Steph came packing with a lot of ideas and amazingly cut out banners and signs, and we got to play with them all. Bright winter sun and a warm breeze made the shooting a lot of fun, as we were able to work with shadows, silhouettes, and lighting that wouldn’t be there if it were cloudy. We shot all morning and early afternoon, and enjoyed some Bloody Marys over a late lunch to make the day complete.

Talk about a lucky bride and groom! There are not too many days in January when you can wear short sleeves – but if any couple deserved such a beautiful day, they are Sarah and Emmanuel! With some amazing weather and a historical church near the Eastern Market in Washington, DC, it was not hard to find some great framing for the happy couple and their delightful wedding party. The couple warned me of the dark interior of the church, but to my relief they had awesome stained glass that filtered in the sunlight so nicely for the ceremony images. While dodging cars is not my specialty, we got some great street photos before heading off to the HUGE reception in a church directly behind the US Capitol. Jan and I enjoyed Sarah and Emmanuel’s company and laughter throughout their day, and we wish them many, many more ahead!

Here is a link to Sarah and Emmanuel’s Complete Wedding Gallery and Print Order Page.

In a delightfully historic building in downtown Washington, DC, with tight corners, bright interior wall coverings, and a charming courtyard, Alicia and Ronnie’s wedding offered me plenty of photo opportunities. Both Alicia and Ronnie were a joy to work with, and both of them made even better photography subjects! Being mid-day and sunny, the light bounced around off the porches and brick walls with a unique signature, so we had to move the large family shots and portraits around to take advantage of this great effect. The ceremony and reception was chock-full of people having a great time, and one of my favorite moments was a guest circling around the reception with camera in hand and getting the crowd to chant “KISS! KISS! KISS!” to all the couples in the room. Add in some edible chocolate programs and an amazing cake from Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe (a personal favorite bakery!), and Alicia and Ronnie have a great start to an amazing marriage.

For the friends and family, here is a link to Alicia and Ronnie’s Wedding Gallery and Print Order Site.

Ever since Iris and Joe told me just a *bit* about their wedding, I knew I absolutely must be a part of it. From the great state of CA, they had some entirely unique ideas of how a wedding should be properly “thrown.” Can I mention it was a beautiful day, perfect for a wedding complete with a moon-bounce, croquet, fishing, canoeing, potato sack race, blueberry pie eating contest, a bonfire, and a ceremonial smashing of (traditional) dinnerware? Between three different ‘costume’ changes and a fun loving crowd, the photography opportunities couldn’t have been better, and we also shot with a few amazing antique and toy cameras for that special look. Seriously, I think I had as much fun as the guests!

Here is a link to Iris and Joe’s Wedding Gallery and Print Ordering, and please check out Iris and Joe’s Film Collection (print ordering from our film selections will be enabled soon!).

Jen and Danny… My oh my. I love photographing weddings, and especially when I feel there is a welcome connection between myself, the couple, and the family. I felt a part of the getting-ready shots with both Jen and Danny, and the ceremony at the Our Lady of Angels Church had gorgeous back-lighting from the stained glass. We photographed outside of the Fort Belvoir Offiicers’ Club, and the huge glass windows overlooking the Potomac River made the reception beautiful. Personal touches were everywhere: Danny had made movie posters for every table, Jen picked out the Dia de Muertos cake topper, and friends from NYC and the UK made for a lively crowd. Duran Duran, anyone?

Here is a quick peek into Jenny and Danny’s Wedding Gallery.

And for the friends and family, here is the Order and Print Site for Jenny and Danny’s Wedding.

Kim and Steve had a lot of fun at their wedding – I mean, with lots of kids, a moonbounce, bike ramps, balloons, and a desert bar full of candy (ahem… not just for the kids), it was tough to keep up! I met Kim and Steve at a mountain bike camp over the winter, and I just knew I had to photograph their wedding. Between watching Steve come down the aisle and jump a log-pile at the altar and Kim holding down a huge balloon for flowers, I had lots of photographic opportunities to keep me busy. I enjoyed their relaxed attitude (and Hawaiian shirt dress code!) and the amazing food as well, and watching to big kids plow down the moonbounce was entertaining to say the least. A special video put together by Kim and lots of toasts topped off this special day.

Thanks Kim and Steve – here is their wedding photography gallery.

For the friends and family, here is Kim and Steve’s Complete Collection and Print Order Site.

The contemporary space at American University’s Katzen Arts Center for Kendra and Mike’s Wedding was a fantastic backdrop, with strong architectural lines and a wide staircase for nice photographic compositions. With the weather cooperating and a large circular skylight over the ceremony and reception, the light overhead was glowing and softened a lot of the shadows – so the post-shoot editing I had to do was not as intensive. I just had to bring out the right colors and get the cropping just right. The paper lanterns and coffee-bean wedding cake (YUM!) were nice touches to this artistically-inspired wedding, and Kendra and Mike’s fun attitudes towards their wedding definitely comes through in the photos.

Here is a link to Kendra and Mike’s Wedding Gallery.

And for the friends and family, here is Kendra and Mike’s Complete Gallery and Print Ordering Site.

Kendra and Mike – what a fun couple! We headed down to Georgetown’s Waterfront and hung out under the bridges. Lots of graffiti and bright clouds made the spring colors around the happy couple really *pop* with life… The post-processing was a real joy as well, as each photo had lots of colors and contrast to bring out in the final images. I will be photographing Kendra and Mike’s wedding later next month, and we had a great time goofing off and getting great images, so I am sure that their wedding is going to be amazing.

Check out Kendra and Mike’s Engagement Session Gallery here.

NITERYDER. It’s another great event put on by the great folks over at Plum Grove Cyclery. This time, it’s racing by moonlight and headlights, and I am trying not to jump out of the dark like Sasquatch. It took much longer to get every shot set up and balanced, but this race was much more about experimenting with the strobes and trying to produce some visually spicy work. Without blinding the racers. Some things worked, and others did not. All that aside, it’s always great running into familiar faces out at the events – bros from the bike shop and a Trans-Sylvanianite made late night appearances.

Check out the highlights from Plum Grove Cyclery: NiteRyder 2011 here.

Or the Complete Collection for Prints and Downloads is found here.

I was recruited a few months ago to photograph the Beautiful You Conference being held in Washington, DC. Among other things, it is predominantly about ending human trafficking both here and abroad – such a great mission! Simone volunteered to be the shining face for the conference’s promotional images, and with the help of a great makeup and support staff, the images came out better than any of us expected. Her looks are magical, and despite the Arctic temperatures, we got the sparklers lit and had some fun posing in the streets. Enjoy the gallery!

Check out Simone’s Portraits for the 2011 Beautiful You Conference!