:: tradition | washington dc special events photographer ::

Regardless of how a particular religion or culture celebrates the incredible miracle of birth, one thing is certain : joy is universal. It is evident how much Baby E, his Daddy (Jac) and Aba (Steve) are adored by everyone at the Brit Milah ceremony and vice versa. Warmest wishes, J & S, you and your son are loved :-)

P.S. Steve is part of the incredible architectural team that designed and built this gorgeous space.

Proud parents

Proud Grandpa

Proud Grandma

Jac's parents could not be there physically due to health reasons, but celebrated with everyone in spirit.

Please check out of my FB fan page for more photos of this event!www.facebook.com/binkiesandnoseprints

:: 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.

:: social what?! | washington dc portrait photographer ::

These days, it's hardly enough to have a nicely designed website to promote a service or product. There are now Social Media Extraordinaires who write book after book telling you that, in order to have a successfully marketed business in the digital age, you must employ their strategies across multiple platforms. There's Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Linked-In, Foursquare, blogging...how does one keep track of all this?!?!?! Not to mention the amount of time and effort it takes to update all of them!

Never fear. I came across this diagram on the blog of one of the said Extraordinaires and knew I had to share:

Time to update my Wall!

:: typical washington weekend | washington dc lifestyle photographer ::

I have been a Washingtonian for nearly 30 years. It is such a culturally rich city. Sure, it's not New York or San Fran, but it certainly has its own distinct charm. Every 4 years (or 8, depending on who's in the White House), the city is completely transformed with the departure of the old and the arrival of the new. I like the energy, I like hearing different points-of-view and perspectives, and I like all the beautiful museums that are FREE to ALL. This weekend, I took full advantage of the unusually warm winter weather by happily snapping away on my iPhone. This is a collage of Hipstamatic, Camera+ and Instagram images that I took around town. Sure beats lugging around my Canon :-)

**'LIKE' my Facebook fan page for a chance to participate in the upcoming online contest!**

New 'Welcom!' image for B+N Facebook fan page

Online contests coming soon!

Stay tuned for a chance to win

a 1:1 mentorship!!!

:: the finer things | washington dc children's photographer ::

I know I'm not alone when I say this -- sometimes I just wish my children were more CIVILIZED! I know, I know...they're young and trying to figure out how to navigate this world, but come on...

So, it is a rare moment for me to watch my son sitting and eating nicely at a restaurant. Who knew a soft-boiled egg could be so captivating?

:: 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.