We met at the Starbucks, the only Starbucks in Ocean city. It rained all week, but Saturday was sunny and beautiful. It was as if the rain washed the sky clean for Mira & Andrei's engagement session.
Mira has beautiful eyes and stunning smile. But she is not just one of those pretty girls. She loves to have fun. She is not shy to make funny faces. She is energetic. She ran, jumped and made poses in front of my little camera. She is very adorable.
Andrei is tall and lean. He surfs. He looks great in his shorts. But most importantly, he never takes his eyes off of Mira.
Here are some photos from last Saturday.
Miroslava & Andrei : Engagement
Baked Custard in Phylo @ Mezze
"Little Plates, Bold Flavors, Mediterranean Fun"
Mezze is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore. At Mezze, I become a vegetarian.
From Tabouli to Grape Leaves to Stuffed Peppers, Mezze offers a long list of vegetable menu. At Mezze, its amazing how something so tasty can also be so healthy. They use lemon juice and various herbs to taste. My favorite salad, Tabouli, is made of chopped bulgur wheat, parsley, capers, feta and balsamic vinaigrette. With every bite, I feel being pampered, organic, and healthy.
I haven't tried many deserts from Mezze yet. Every time I visit Mezze, I get too full with all those dishes and forget to leave a room for desert. But this time, I controlled myself! And here we go...
Baked Custard in Phylo & Cappuccino. So fresh, so light and yummy...!!!
Just to make it clear, Mezze offers lots of seafood and meat dishes as well. And, yes, they are great, too!
Colonial Williamsburg
I spent last weekend at the Colonial Williamsburg - the restored 18th-century capital of Britain’s largest, wealthiest, and most populous outpost of empire in the New World.
We stayed at a cute colonial house with a fireplace, walked around hidden little streets all day, and biked during sunset. It was a relaxing, peaceful weekend that I recommend to anyone looking for a little getaway.
But don't go alone. This place is a little too romantic for that...
Dinner table at the Governor's Palace
Found along one of the hidden alleys...
Chopped wood for heating, cooking and etc.
Governor's Palace Garden
100 years old ham... Umm... Yummy...
Dinner at the Randolph House
Found at the cellar of the Governor's Palace
Nothing special, but Pretty...
Portraits
People appear much more beautiful when they are just being themselves than when posing. The smile on a girl's face who is truly laughing and the curiosity on a boy's eyes when he is really intrigued are hard to be faked. I think a great model is someone who can re-create her natural expressions when she is asked.
Unfortunately, most of us are not trained as a model and not very good at re-creating the moments that make us beautiful. A lot of us are not even aware of how beautiful we are because the moments just come and go before we look ourselves in a mirror. As a photographer, my job is to capture the moments that would otherwise disappear before our eyes, and help us remember for a long time.
When it comes to portraits, my clients are aware of my camera, and the challenge is to make them feel comfortable and be themselves. Sometime I direct them what to do but I prefer to let them have fun with each other and just wait for the right moment. These are some portraits from recent weddings, an engagement session and etc.
Why I love photographing weddings #1
I want to make a note and remember why I love photographing weddings. So I can remind myself when tough time comes...
I went to deliver photos to Juanita last Sunday. As always, I was nervous to find out the bride's reaction to the photos. I pressed the door bell, and soon after Juanita welcomed me with smile. The smile that only comes with a truly happy, relaxed life. I guess the fact that she is successfully done with her big day allowed her to have the smile.
Anyway, I presented her a black proof box with 259 photos. Juanita opened the proof box, and all of her family started passing around photos.
"Wow, Mom, you look really nice here!"
"I can't see the photos, let me see"
"She looks so pretty..."
After a while Juanita woke up her husband, Quintus, and he came out to check out the photos... Another nervous moment for me. What if Quintus didn't like my photos...?
Well, Quintus said "Thank you" probably more than 30 times while seeing the photos. He was very happy with the result, and I came back home with one more reason why I love photographing weddings!
The smile, and Wow on the faces of brides, grooms, and their families... :)
Juanita & Quintus Jewell renewing their vows
On Valentine's day, Juanita and Quintus Jewell renewed their vows at the Spirit of Faith Christian Center, Temple Hill, MD. According to the groom, the secret ingredient of their successful marriage is their humor. "If both of them are too serious all the time, the marriage can't last..."
The reception was held at La Pearl Ballroom in Capitol Heights, MD. The place had huge wall-to-wall windows, and the party got hotter as the sun went down.
The beautiful first dance...
Their daughter, one of the bridesmaids, getting ready... I could picture her getting married one day... :)
Flower girl. She loves to pose in front of a camera, so it took multiple trials to get this candid shot of her.
Her posed shot. Nonetheless, she is very photogenic.
A couple detail shots.
LaKisha Nevel, a wedding planner, singing for the bride and groom.
My favorite type of scene; giving a huge hug to each other...
5PM. Dance time. One and, Two and, Three and, FOUR!
Now, it's time for more romantic moves...
Finally cake cutting...
Victoria+Jabari: Engagement
Here are some shots from Victoria and Jabari's engagement session in Baltimore.
Victoria and Jabari look so cute together, and watching them makes me believe that love exists...
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