This wedding was extra special for me to photograph because the bride - who is also named Melanie - and I have been best friends since we were four years old. From the moment Melanie introduced me to her then boyfriend Shane, I had a hunch they would walk down the aisle together; they just seemed to “radiate” happiness when they were around each other.
I had the pleasure of photographing my dear friend Kim and her family at their home in Lake Barcroft, Virginia. Kim and I went to high school together and were also on the swim team together. She, her husband, Jami, and their kids now live in Manhattan. It was such a treat to link up with all of them while they were back in the D.C. area. This lake has always been a special spot for me mainly because I grew up swimming for the Lake Barcroft dolphins; a motor-boatin’ team if ever there was one! At seventeen, I became a lifeguard at Lake Barcroft and worked there for the next five summers. Let me tell you; working at the lake was a pretty sweet summertime gig for a college student! With the number of paths, beaches, swing sets and colorful canoes; the lake has now become a pretty sweet location for family photo shoots!
I had a fantastic time photographing my best friend of thirty plus years – who is also named Melanie – and her daughter, Olivia at The Holmes Run Stream Valley Park in Annandale, Virginia! Melanie and I used to wonder through the creek together when we were girls and it was a treat to take her little one to our old stomping grounds. Melanie has a background in dog training and it was only fitting that she also bring Jackson, their Brazilian Mastiff. The color in the fall leaves was holding on tight… winter is coming!
