:: washington dc children's photographer | {first birthday} ::

A week after his Mundun Ceremony, Baby N turned one year old! He and his adoring parents celebrated with dear family and friends at the beautiful Yards Park. Here's a sneak peek of the birthday boy, after his first haircut. Still as darling as ever :-)

:: washington dc children's photographer | {mundun ceremony} ::

One of the biggest advantages of living in Washington, DC is the incredibly diverse and vibrant population. A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to photograph an Indian Mundun Ceremony, in which a first haircut is given to purify and protect the baby.

Here is a sneak peek of the adorable Baby N before the haircut. Can you believe those gorgeous eyes??? Thank you S + R for inviting me to document this incredibly special moment in N's life...

:: washington dc newborn photographer | {sweet baby O} ::

How lucky was I to cuddle with this sweet baby girl? And to work with the calmest newborn parents I've ever met? Thank you A + P, for inviting me into your home and letting me photograph your beautiful family. Next time...the furry children too 

:: 'till next time ::

Our Elf on the Shelf, Sparkle, has seen and heard much these past couple of weeks. Now it is time for her to head back to Santa and enjoy a well-deserved break. See you next year, Sparkle, we will miss you!

:: D the Great | washington dc children's photographer ::

I’m gonna walk a hundred miles,

I’m gonna whistle all the while,

If that’s what it takes to make me smile,

I’m gonna walk a hundred miles.

I’m gonna rend right up this hill,

Summer sky or winter chill,

If I gotta take a break I will,

But I wanna rend right up this hill.

I wanna hold the whole wide world

Right here in my open hands,

And maybe I’m just a little girl,

A little girl with great big plans.

I’m gonna go and take a chance,

I’m gonna learn to ballet dance,

Learn a little something about romance,

I’m gonna go and take a chance.

I’m gonna live a crazy dream,

Impossible as it may seem,

Doesn’t matter what the future brings,

I’m gonna live a crazy dream.

I wanna hold the whole wide world,

Right here in my open hands,

And maybe I’m just a little girl,

A little girl with great big plans.

~"Whole Wide World" by Mindy Gledhill

:: Dimples | washington dc children's photographer ::

Did I or did I not mention the dimples on Little E?!?!?!

:: Little D | washington dc family lifestyle photographer ::

Finally...FINALLY...I got a chance to meet this adorable little girl in person! Remember when she was still in her beautiful mama's belly?

...and here she is, at six months of age, cute as a button and with the most squishable cheeks ever!

:: Fisher Family | washington dc family photographer ::

Mom and I go way back...back when we were mere architectural peons. Seventeen years later and two cities apart, we meet again. This time, I had the pleasure of photographing her with her lovely family. A + A are such natural parents who really helped make our session fun and effortless. Not to mention the Little Spitfire O...ready to explore the U.S. Botanic Garden, with a sparkle in his eyes.

Happiest happy first birthday, O!

:: p-s twins | washington dc newborn twins photographer ::

I've been excitedly anticipating meeting this duo since the maternity mini-session with their mom & dad. They are worth the wait -- these boys are so cuddlicious and cute beyond words. Congratulations, S & B -- M & E are wonderfully perfect :-)

:: she's one | washington dc family portrait photographer ::

This was such a special session for me. I've known the dad all of HIS life -- he's my younger cousin, R! What makes it even more special is that he is now married to the beautiful, lovely S, and is dad to a soon-to-be-one-year-old gorgeous little A. Thanks R & S for a wonderful afternoon and a chance to cuddle with A :-)

Sidenote: R's dad is my dad's younger brother, and his mom is my mom's younger sister. Really not that strange if you think about it -- just means we have the same four grandparents :-)

Here is a peek of their session at the U.S. National Arboretum:

:: p-s family maternity | washington dc twins photographer ::

This glowing mother-to-be of TWINS is not only beautiful, she has an awesome talent -- she plays the ukulele.  How cool is that?! She is also taking classical guitar lessons, which I've secretly contemplated for myself :-)

Congratulations S & B, I cannot wait to meet your duo!

More of this session to come on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/binkiesandnoseprints

:: miracle babies | washington dc twin photographer ::

These twins are truly miracle babies. They were born at 25-weeks gestation and are now healthy and thriving. While I could imagine all the difficulties the parents have encountered during their children's young lives, I did not see any evidence of it in their calm and dedicated demeanor. Mom was sweet & awesome, and Dad was a hoot (thanks M for the laughs!). Thank you MJ & M for allowing me to photograph you with the precious A & A.

Here is a preview of their photo session. More to come on my Facebook page.

**I'm giving myself a week off from the "People Pictures" exercises. Too many things going on all at once. I hope to resume next week :-) **

:: miracle baby | washington dc newborn photographer ::

For Steve and Jac, their newborn son, E, is indeed a miracle and the best gift anyone could receive. Late last week, the adoption agency, with whom they've been working for over 2-1/2 years, called them with the most amazing news. They have a healthy baby boy for them, and he can be theirs the following Tuesday! Caught completely off guard, S & J had to prepare for the new arrival in under a week -- purchase the essentials, prepare their home and tell their bosses that they'll be on paternity leave for the next three months (yes! it's about time fathers get the same treatment :-). Around the same time they received this miracle, Steve had a birthday and it was the couple's 16th Anniversary. Talk about the perfect gift!

I met them this Saturday in their home for a newborn session. While I was on the verge of tears the entire time, the lucky fathers were calm, serene and cracking jokes like they've been doing this for ages. It couldn't have been a more wonderful experience and I am so incredibly grateful to have captured these images for them. Steve & Jac, Baby E is perfect! You guys are so lucky to have each other...XO

Steve & Jac's "first born", Ruby the Beagle, looking on.

:: new year's resolution | washington dc portrait photographer ::

As the saying goes: "If you don’t have time to write down your goals, where are you going to find the time to accomplish them?"

So here are my goals for 2012:

1. Expand my business to include clients of adult size -- engagements and weddings! For those of you who know me, you know that I swore up and down when I started that I'd NEVER do weddings -- not because I hate weddings, but because the enormous responsibility of capturing one of the most important days in someone's life is so humbling. So to start, I will be taking a limited number of engagement/wedding bookings this year. Please e-mail me for more info on engagement/wedding packages.
2. Create a line of Photoshop templates -- stationary, photo cards & forms/documents pertinent to a photography business. After working with my clients on their holiday cards this year, I am hooked! The products will include downloadable Photoshop templates that are easily customizable. Look for them in Spring 2012!
3. Start a series of workshops aimed to help moms, dads and/or aspiring photographers take beautiful photographs of their little ones. The series will include on-location photo sessions and in-studio workshops on basic digital processing techniques.
4. Start a series of editing/processing workshops for photographers. We will delve into the fabulous ins and outs of Lightroom and Photoshop -- I will show you how to streamline your workflow using these incredibly powerful tools. Many thanks to my fellow photographer and friend, JJ, for kick starting this goal for me :-).
5. And FINALLY -- I'd like to eat healthier to include more of the major food groups :-), and to spend more time playing with my growing children and taking walks with my aging hounds. And most importantly, to make sure I thank Architectdad more often for his support and love. XO

What are your goals for 2012???

Architectdad was finally able to take a pic of me (not without a big camera stuck to my face!) during our trip to Assateaque National Seashore this holiday season.

:: old soul | maryland newborn photographer ::

This little guy, F, decided to enter the world a couple of weeks early - only a couple of days after our session with his mama, baba and beautiful sister, A. When I met him, I was pleasantly surprised by how alert he was and how focused he seemed. His calm, but almost intense looks made me think of an old soul who has been around for ages...

Thank you again, K+T, from the bottom of my heart, for the incredible honor of capturing these important moments for you and your lovely family.


Such an intimate, yet strong image

Love the play of shade and shadow on this one

Old soul



With big sister

:: EVOlution | washington dc children's photographer ::

More to come from BINKIES + NOSEPRINTS {PHOTOGRAPHY}...