Northern Virginia Family Photographer - Adorable!

Last week I had the pleasure of photographing this family. I have had two sessions with them and this was their third annual installment. The best thing was that this year they had a new person to add into the mix. It was so great seeing them and meeting the newest member. I think you will agree that they are just as cute as can be!

Thanks for making the long drive to see me. It is always a pleasure!

TOES!!

Vienna Family Photographer - MOMS!

If you follow the blog you know that I have started a little project of getting moms in the picture. This week I met with a few at one of my favorite locations and had such a great time, in spite of the heat. They look great and I can't wait until we do more of these next month.

If you are interested in getting in the picture, please contact me. I would love to meet you!

Here is Liz. She is the fantastic mother of two.

Here is Lisa, a busy mom with three year old twins.

Sarah, the new president of our local Mom's club and the supermom of a sweet 14 month old. She has a great blog that you can check out telling her stories. Check her out at Sarah with an "H"

And Io is the busy mom of three.

Thank you so much ladies!

Vienna Family Photographer - Favorite things

Have you been to Maple Avenue Restaurant? You have? Don't you love it? You haven't? Well what are you waiting for?!?!

I probably have that conversation at least once a week with someone. Why you would not want to go share a meal at this great little (yes, it is little) place is beyond me. Maple Ave is one of our favorites in this house and we recommend it to everyone.

Why? Well, for one thing, the food is really, really good. And not just good tasting. They pride themselves in a menu that features primarily locally grown, organic ingredients. So local in fact, that many of the tomatoes they use, are grown right on the room of the restaurant. How is that for local? They will tell you where the meat came from and where the cheese was made. I LOVE that!

Another reason we love them is for the special events they have. They do Chef's Demonstrations where Chef Tim (The Main Man around the place.) and his team will prepare a fabulous meal right in front of you and tell you how you can take some of the tips home to try.

They also host a local, neighborhood herb exchange every other week. Have some extra parsley but need some basil? No problem, come and see if you can get it here, for FREE. If you are lucky you might pick up a fig tree.

MAX - MAX stands for Maple Avenue Express. Their food truck that makes the rounds in Tyson's Corner two to three days a week. They bring their great, quality food straight to the working people. It isn't fast food, but it is much better than what you are going to get at TGIFriday's for lunch. They sell out of many of the favorite's every time so make sure you get their early if you have a taste for one of their specialties.

I could go on, but the best thing you can do is check it out for yourself. Be sure to make a reservation. It is a small place but you won't be disappointed. Let Joey and Tim know I sent you, and enjoy!

You can find Maple Ave in all the usual places. Make sure to follow them on Facebook or Twitter so you can get updates on restaurant events and MAX locations.

MAR on FACEBOOK
MAR on TWITTER
Their Main website
Their Story

The Chef himself.

Now don't get the idea that Tim does this all on his own. Joey Hernandez, the General Manager at the restaurant works her tail off. She is the one that goes out with MAX, arranges all the community events and makes sure the place runs smoothly. I don't have a picture of her yet, but I will catch her with my lens soon.

Here is MAX. If you see this truck, make sure you stop and pick up a Bar-B-Que pulled pork sandwich or Shrimp Po Boy or some Boba Tea. (And don't forget the Chocolate Dumplings!)

Fairfax Virginia Family Photographer - 4th of July

Imagine my surprise when my business line rang around 1:00 on the 4th of July and there was a gentleman on the other end asking if I could photograph an engagement session for he and his fiance that afternoon. After some thought (and checking with the Hubs) I went ahead and met this couple at my favorite location.

We had a great session and you can tell that they are crazy about each other. Be careful who you meet at Sunday School, you might end up marrying them.

Congratulations Alan and Emily! Here is wishing you many years of wedded bliss.

This picture makes me laugh. These geese were not scared of us as all, as you can tell.

More pictures from their engagement session can be seen on FACEBOOK

Fairfax Virginia Family Photographer - You!

A few weeks ago I sent out a message to several of my friends and clients asking them to take part in a little project I wanted to do. I wanted to photograph them on their own. No kids, no families, just them.

We women have tendency to hide behind the camera. We don't get in front of it because of how we look or, maybe more accurately, how we think we look. We always have excuses to put it off until another day. We want to put it off until we lose more weight, get our hair done, find the perfect outfit, etc... Then before we know it, the most recent really good pictures we have of ourselves are ten years old.

I have come to realize that being in the pictures is not for me. It is for my child and her children. They don't care what I look like, if I am having a good hair day or if I found the perfect outfit. They will just want to see that I was there. There at the birthday parties, the picnic in the park, the vacations, the dance recitals, and all the other every day things that make life great.

Then every once in awhile, when the hair does look great, and the outfit is just right, we need to step in front of the lens. We need to show our children (especially our girls) that growing older is something that looks good. We shouldn't make our parents keep an old 8x10 in their house of a picture that was taken years ago, just because they don't have anything better to display. (Trust me, parents like great pictures of their kids, no matter how old they are.) And we should provide our husbands with a picture that we are ok with them displaying in their office. (If they are the displaying kind.)

So, when I sent out this idea to some of my friends and clients, I was pleasantly surprised at the response. So in the next few weeks I am holding what I call the "YOU sessions". They are quick, easy, fun and there is no session fee. Yup, NO session fee. What do you have to lose? Nothing at all. Come join me and celebrate YOU!

My friend Mara was my first person to take me up on this. We met tonight when the light was just gorgeous and had a great time chatting and catching up and getting some great new portraits of her. Thanks for coming out Mara. You look great!!

And if you would like to get in on the fun! Just send me a message at dorie(at)doriehowell.com or find me on FACEBOOK . I would love to get YOU in the picture!

Fairfax Virginia Family Photographer - Winner!

A few months ago I ran a contest on my blog that awarded the winner a free photo session and a DVD of all the final images from that session. This great family won that contest and it was a pleasure meeting them for their session a few weeks ago.

Thanks for meeting me and congratulations on your free session! It was a pleasure. Your disc is on its way!

Fairfax Virginia Newborn Photographer - Mr. Not Sleepy

Last week I met with this family that I have had the chance to photograph two times before. It is so great to see families grow and change. I did mom's maternity session a few weeks ago and this time I got to meet the newest addition to the family. He was so sweet but seriously the most alert baby I have met. He was not going to sleep for me no matter what but I still managed to get some sweet portraits of him.

Thanks for making the drive to see me. It is always a pleasure!!