Little Ronan!

Little Ronan is here and so adorable!  We had a beautiful spring morning in Alexandria and enjoyed this little guys happy disposition!  Thank you Spadacino family! 

She said YES!

I LOVE surprise proposals and getting to be part of the behind the scenes planning and scheming!  Devon and I plotted out the perfect spot yesterday so we both set with the plan.  The weather could not have been more perfect!  Devon did an amazing job surprising Emily at the National Arboretum amongst the lovely Azalea Garden!  He pretended to be taking a photo from behind, but instead he had a ring!  She has no idea and was completely taken by surprise.  Here is just a sneak peak at some of the gorgeous photos we got today!  More to come!

What is "magic hour"?

You may often hear photographers talk about "Magic Hour" and be inordinately excited about photographing during this magically time of day.  But what is it?

Magic hour is the time about an hour after sunrise or before sunset when the sun is angled low in the sky, creating beautiful and flattering light.  When the sun is directly overhead, it is very harsh on everything it hits and can create very unflattering shadows on the face.  But when when the sun is coming from the side, it's a soft, gorgeous light that makes everyone and everything look amazing!

It also allows for "backlighting"- having the light filter through behind the subjects and creating that beautiful glow!

So if you have flexibility in the timing of your session, aim for magic hour!  You will thank me later!  ;)