Madonna and Rubin - Fall Portraits

You might remember Madonna and Rubin from their spectacular travel themed engagement at the Dulles Airport gate where they met, or more recently Donna’s graduation portraits from George Mason University (Go Patriots!).  This Fall they took a stroll with me through Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Virginia to take in the Autumn colors at their peak and occasionally cuddle up (or get in a leaf fight after carrying one another).  The sun made for an unseasonably warm day, but it fit the feeling, because it’s clear just spending a few moments with Rubin and Donna that they both married their best friend.

As the sun set, and we were just a few short days from Halloween, Rubin got spoopy on the return hike.

It had been a relaxing day, and I’d once again lived up to Rubin’s famous quote about me: “I’m pretty sure David’s face just looks like a camera.”

Latoya and Shawn: The Proposal

On Halloween two years ago I captured family photos of Latoya and her kids playing in the Fall leaves; little did I know this session would lead to capturing Shawn pop the question.

A few months ago I got a message on Instagram… that was automatically thrown to the abyss of my Spam folder.  It wasn’t for several weeks while blocking the latest batch of scambots that I finally saw it, and immediately responded (NOTE: If you’re reading this and want to reach me, emailing me is the most reliable way to contact me).  Shawn had seen the Fall family photos I’d shot in 2020 and kept me in mind, and now he was forming a plan to ask Latoya to marry him.  After a bit of brainstorming we got a plan in place, and now the hard part was just keeping cool until it was time.

The day of, Shawn played it super cool, but in truth his adrenaline was pumping with eagerness; like me, Shawn loves cars, and spends a lot of time at racetracks photographing events, so to keep his cover deep he even posted on Instagram and even called Latoya from an active (loud) racetrack so she wouldn’t even consider him being in the area.  Latoya’s family had been organized by an insider to gather at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens for family portraits which they haven’t had in years - nobody knew what they were about to witness.

I met with Shawn at the garden an hour before everyone else started arriving to walk him through the plan on-site and get him planted in his hiding spot a short sprint around the corner from where I’d stage pictures.  Leaving him to lay low and relax, I returned to the Visitor’s Center to welcome family as they began arriving.  Latoya was one of the first to arrive, and while waiting was even asking me about my wedding photography and camera straps, “for a friend;” I played it cool and answered earnestly, but inside was smirking, “a ‘friend’ hmm?”

Once everyone was gathered, I lead the group of 15 down to the pond bridge for small groupings before the full group photo at a later location; this was exactly to plan, and also wasn’t untrue.  At the bridge, I asked what group wanted to go first on the bridge, and Latoya immediately volunteered herself and the kids; she was making my job easier than she knew.

After a few photos of Latoya with the kids, I suggested we get some solos as well, and gave our insider a nod to give Shawn the signal he was up.  As I was “adjusting settings” and “framing up the shot” I captured Shawn sneak up and even get down on one knee behind Latoya without her noticing; when I prompted her to change posing, she spotted Shawn with a scream of shock and disbelief.  You can see how utterly surprised she was when she looks back at me (and her family equally as surprised watching over my shoulder) as if to say, “is this really happening?!?!?”

Needless to say, she said yes!

After wrapping up with some family photos, Latoya and Shawn took a small tour of the botanical gardens walking on clouds after becoming engaged.

2022 Porsche Taycan

Today I’m bringing you Fall pictures of a brand new 2022 Porsche Taycan in Carrara White Metallic with matching 21" Mission E Design Wheels.  This Taycan hadn’t even been in the country a week when I took these pictures, and was fresh back from tint and PPF application.

This was my last photoshoot before the leaves fell, and I’m glad I got to get that last Fall shoot with a car, since it’s an Autumn tradition amongst my friends to cruise our cars up to Skyline Drive for colorful photos - a tradition that fell through this year due to the quantity and timing of other scheduled photoshoots I’ve had this Fall.

This is a location I’d like to try again in the future, when the nearby construction is wrapped up and offers more angles and perspectives - we planned this shoot and didn’t realize half the area was closed off for construction until arriving, but made do with what was available.  As night fell, the Forza vibes really came out with the cool colors contrasting with the Taycan’s futuristic rear lightbar.

Anytime you stage a car, especially a performance car, you attract attention - this time was no different, with onlookers periodically stopping to spectate me staging the car and framing shots.  But this was the first time I’ve had wildlife get curious too - a 7 point buck watched closely over my photoshoot and his doe and two fawn foraging nearby.  It was pretty remarkable that a buck so large to elicit the sense of hunting season would be so calmly nearby at a location where DC is visible to the naked eye across the river.

Portia and Nick: Married October 2nd, 2021

Just as Summer was drawing to a close and Autumn was beginning to shift the trees’ colors warmer, Portia and Nick, accompanied by their family and friends, gathered at the quaint Ballenger Farm in Hamilton, Virginia to say “I do” and dance the night away celebrating tying the knot.

The farm has free range chickens, much to the entertainment of younger guests, and a lucky black barn cat that wants allllll the cuddles - he even curled up in my lap for a few minutes while I was on the ground capturing a low angle!  The chickens; oh my goodness, I just have to say, I captured a photo that ranks among those I’m most proud of in recent time during Portia and Nick’s ceremony - the free range chickens freely roamed, including one keen to be included in the wedding, photobombing the readings!  Truly one of my most favorite captures at a wedding in years, and it’s a great example of how I approach weddings and all events with a photojournalistic eye and mindset.

As night fell on the dinner party, Portia and Nick shared their first dance under the stars to a medley sung by a close friend to wish the newlyweds well as they start a new chapter together.  Afterwards, everyone retired to the patio to dance and enjoy drinks and dessert.

Natasha and Zach: Engaged

Natasha and Zach, in all our planning over Zoom (the new norm), presented me with a new idea that I was immediately all in on: Natasha had found a farm with rolling fields of sunflowers!  I’ve shot in botanical gardens in Spring, and lavender fields in Summer, but a sunflower field was the perfect spot for an early Fall engagement session!

With weather that made the day look like a vibrant painting, Zach and Natasha explored the paths cut through the countless sunflowers, before stopping by the barn which was just beginning to prep for a pumpkin patch opening later in the week.  As the sun set on the Fredericksburg farm, I even caught a few Polaroids of the newly engaged and very upbeat couple!

While marching through the endless sunflowers, I was surprised to find that none of the sunflowers were facing the sunset; this threw me off, because I remember being fascinated as a child by how the sunflowers in my parent’s garden would rotate through the day to follow the sun (and by how tall they were above me).  Not only was I taller than all the sunflowers today, but these sunflowers weren’t rotating - I’ve learned since this shoot that only young sunflowers follow the sun due to a circadian rhythm that helps young flowers develop, but isn’t needed once reaching maturity.  This tracks with my experience, because my childhood garden’s sunflowers were grown from seeds, and the stationary flowers at this farm are either many years or generations old, depending on the variety.