Finally….what a long, hard fought winter we’ve had. Had a great session in Rock Creek with this lovely little (4 kids!) family. They were so spirited and full of laughs – it was a great morning!

I had all sorts of wonderful intentions of putting together a year-end photo gallery, documenting the wonderful families, companies and couples whom I have had the pleasure of working with throughout 2013. It remains on my to-do list, where it’s been residing for months. While this lack of presence on this blog and on Facebook ironically convey that I’ve been twiddling my thumbs and eating bon-bon’s, it’s in fact the opposite. This fall was one of the most fun, the most dynamic, and the most packed that I’ve had since beginning this little business in 2008. So much fun, so cold, so pretty, so stressful!

So, with that un-done to-do list (well, the really important stuff is done), I’m off! I’m headed off-line for a personal project and a little personal restoration. I’ll be out of the office for the larger part of January, but don’t worry, you’ll be in great hands! Should you need anything, feel free to contact us. Scheduling for the remainder of the year is still taking place.

Until we chat again, may you have a fantastic start to 2014. Here’s to a great year.

Cheers,

Stacey

And sometimes they’re totally into it. Little Alex was of the latter. His mom had told me that they didn’t want any posed shots, which freed me up considerably to just capture this cute family as they are. As it was freezing out, we opted for the Hirshorn Museum as our unique backdrop. What a fun morning! 

This time of year always comes around and I lose my mind a little. I forget that the fall is a packed schedule, it’s peak wedding season, holiday card and family portrait go-time, and pre-New Year corporate projects. Every single year. I forget. I think that it looks like a loose schedule in August and September, and that, well, maybe this year it’ll be a little slow. I get a little panicked. Maybe everyone went with someone else this year? And then October rolls around and the calendar gets booked so tight that a rain date feels like total disaster because the calendar is a game of very advanced Jenga.

And without fail, every year something at this point comes to a head to add a little fire to the fury. This year, my camera bag with $10,000 worth of equipment in it got stolen from an outdoor shoot. On Halloween. I was distracted, working, and lost track of it. And off it went.  Mind you, this never happens in February, when all of my tasks involve some variation of cleaning out some closet, virtual or real.  So before my three shoots on Friday the day after the theft, and my wedding on Saturday, and three shoots on Sunday, somewhere within that tight window, I had to cobble together a new kit. I rented and purchased and filed a police report and called the insurance company and…thank god….had my workhorse lens and favorite camera body and memory cards of the current shoot in hand at the time that the bag went walking.

And so it goes. It’s glorious and fast paced and really, really unpredictable. But this business is mine and something that I love beyond anything. I feel so proud to create these moments for, and with, my clients. I feel honored to be a part of their lives and to be the one who gets to capture cherished memories as their kids grow up, their marriages get formed, and their businesses grow.

It’s a little early for Thanksgiving, but I’m giving thanks tonight for a full schedule, insurance, a supportive family, and these hilarious pictures, shot this past week. These are not my portfolio pieces, probably not even the pics that get printed, but they are the quirky ones that I always cherish. Jeez, this gig is rough 🙂

Karen and Albert had this amazingly personal, perfectly choreographed wedding day on Saturday at the always gorgeous Strathmore Mansion. Though the wedding was scheduled to take place on the back lawn, the rain moved it inside. They had a string quartet, an opera singer (the bridesmaid) and a youth choir perform throughout their ceremony, so being inside the mansion with great acoustics made the elegance and emotion of the ceremony even more astounding.

Karen, Albert and I wanted to do something a little more unique than the traditional “first look”. Typically, if the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony, we have the groom stand somewhere photogenic, and the bride comes up behind him, wherein we snap their first expressions when they see each other. Often though, this can get a little awkward and isn’t as intimate as when the bride first walks down the aisle. So in this case, we came up with this idea inspired by something I saw on Pinterest (many apologies that I couldn’t find photo credit for the photographer). We picked a location in Karen’s home that allowed for them to be physically close enough to hold hands, but not see each other. They each wrote each other a letter, and when in position, read the letters to themselves. They then grabbed hands and were able to turn to see each other. Check out the gallery for the images.

Karen and Albert, it was my absolute pleasure to work with you both. Here’s to many happy years ahead!

And now, onto the pictures! Click the link and scroll down to see my favorite 70 of the over 2000 that I and my fabulous second shooter, Christine Barker shot that night.

http://staceyvaethphotography.pixieset.com/karenandalbert/

The amazing vendors:

Second Photographer: Christine Barker, Christine Barker Photography

Videography: Zinnia Films

Hair and Makeup: Posche Hair

Flowers: Distinctive Floral Design
Creme Fraiche Designs (invitations, programs, table placecards)
Cake: Stella’s Bakery
Music: Sage String Quartet, Bialek’s Music
Venue: Strathmore
Event Planners: Bellwether Events

These photos from our session with little Sawyer, Savannah, their parents and pooch just make me smile.