A.E.LANDES PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG.

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!

Oh my! Christmas at the Willard Hotel in DC is in a class of its own. After photographing the Beautiful You’s Christmas Tea at one of Willard’s ballrooms, a few friends and I headed down to the lobby for some shots using the fleeting afternoon light. Big and bright, the horizontal columns of sunshine gave us some interesting shapes and highlights among the lavish decor. Even though I was mentally exhausted, we got some really nice shots – these ladies know how to work it. I was especially happy with the silhouette – a bit dark/mysterious, but I love Ashlynn’s pose.

Check out the rest of the Gallery of the DC Ladies at the Willard Hotel.

Melissa and Joe have it down – between running marathons and Joe’s healthy mountain bike obsession, they have two beautiful kids that made my job as a photographer very easy. We set out on the National Mall and just had some fun in the bright, fall leaves surrounding the WWII Memorial and checking out the bridged island nearby. The sun and leaves played so well with the family, it was a chore picking out the very best photos from our session. Enjoy the gallery of images!

Here is Melissa and Joe’s Fall Family Portrait Gallery.

The bright autumn sun was out and shining all over Emily and Jeff’s wedding – it led to some truly magical lighting for the formal and ceremony pictures. The setting did not hurt either, as we did most of the formal shots along a terraced and tiered waterfall, and the ceremony and reception was in an elegant building similar to a vintage embassy. As the hired-help, I love being able to really connect with the wedding party and guests, and they really made me feel a part of the day (and I think the pictures reflect that!). The personal favorites for me was photographing them in the park, the amazingly packed and lit ceremony space, and of course, the reception dance floor. Best wishes to Emily and Jeff!

Here is a link to the highlights of Emily and Jeff’s Wedding Gallery.

And for the family and friends, Emily and Jeff’s Complete Gallery and Print Order Site.

I love coming back to photographs from a wedding and remembering how things transpired – Karen and Alex’s wedding at the Crossing’s Vineyards was a simply beautiful occasion. The amazing setting with filtered sunlight through the trees meant that we had to really think about where to photograph, but some of my favorite formal images of this summer happened with Karen and Alex in the vineyard – the spark between them made photographing them so easy. The energetic wedding party made things great for the reception, and I need to especially thank Karen’s mother, who brought me back to the room where Karen was getting ready – I was floored when I saw those posed shots of Karen in the mirror. Best wishes to this very happy couple!

Check out the public gallery of Karen and Alex’s Wedding here.

And for the family and friends, here is the Complete Collection from Karen and Alex’s Wedding.

Paul contacted me with a fairly unusual (and hugely creative!) way of proposing to his now fiance, Audrey. After photographing them, some surprise pictures around Eastern Market and formal shots of them around the snowed-in monuments were then assembled into a small book and finalized by Paul. The hand-picked collection ended with a picture of Paul knelt down with a beautiful ring… Let me tell you, Paul set the standard high for proposal ideas.

Check out some of their images here: Audrey and Paul’s Proposal Photobook.