A Christmas Challenge

Have fun with this and don't forget to share your photos with everyone on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/doriehowellphotography

DC Metro Photographer - Family!

How cute is this family??? They were the winners of a package that I donated last year to my daughter's school fundraising auction. I knew that we would have a great, laid back session where we would be able to capture some great images of them.

We met along the Potomac River right as the leaves were starting to change. It made a wonderful backdrop for out session.

Thanks for spending the afternoon with me.

DC Metro Photographer - Sisters!

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting up with these two at one of my favorite locations. They were full of energy and so much fun to hang out with.

Thanks for spending the afternoon with me ladies. I had a great time!

Potomac Maryland Family Photographer - Tooth

I was so excited to do this session with this great family. I have known them for awhile through church and they are just as sweet as can be. We met on one of the hot, hot, HOT summer days, earlier this year, for a sunset session along the Potomac River.

The reason they wanted to have a session at this time was that their daughter had just lost her first tooth and they wanted to make sure they documented this occasion in photographs. I love people who look outside the normal events of every day life and choose to document them.

Thank you for letting me document this important milestone in Phoebe's life.

AND Thank you for the hand me downs clothes AND the chocolate cake you brought to the ordering session, we are enjoying all of them!

Northern Virginia Child Photographer - My Own!

Today was the first day back to school for my little one. Like most people, I took pictures to document the big day. She had very clear ideas about her pictures this time and was very, dare I say, bossy about how she wanted to be photographed. (I have no idea where she gets that from. :)

Welcome to school little sweet one. May your mind be a sponge to learn new things, make new friends and enjoy every minute of it.

This one just makes me smile. She wanted a sign that said "The Princess" but would not give me any sort of pleasant expression when she was holding it. I wonder if she is heading into a more serious phase.

Waiting for her friends to arrive.

Northern Virginia Family Photographer - Sweet Boy!

A couple weeks ago I met with this family who contacted me through a program called "Inspiration Through Art". They are a non-profit that matches up photographers with families who have children who are dealing with life altering conditions. We had a great session and he was just as sweet as can be.

Thank you for letting me photograph you. It was a pleasure meeting you and hearing your story. You are heroes!

How sweet is this moment between brothers?

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!!

Northern Virginia Child Photographer - My Own!

I get asked/told all the time that it must be so easy to get great pictures of my daughter. Well, it is easier because I have access to my camera all the time and I try to take advantage of opportunities to take her portrait when they come up. But she is a tough one and stubborn. Last year it took me 5 days to get the Christmas card photo I wanted.

I try and take her out two times a year for her portraits. And just like with all my client's children, she is a bundle of energy and isn't always that interested in having her picture taken. Here is a slideshow that I put together that gives a small glimpse into what a session with her is like.

Oh, and because I am still working out some of the kinks in loading things like slideshows and animated images to the blog, if you want to watch it again, either hit refresh or you can access a direct link HERE

Vienna Family Photographer - Digital Files

As a photographer I can almost guarantee that every single week I will get an e-mail that reads something like this. "I love your pictures and want to schedule a session. How much are your digital files?" Photographers know that this is what people want. They want to be able to share them online, on Facebook, e-mail them to their family members, make digital scrapbooks with them but most of all, I know, that they want to avoid purchasing prints from me because they know they can go to Costco, Target and/or Wal-Mart and get them at a fraction of the cost. Why should someone pay $30 for an 8x10 from me when Wal-Mart only charge $2.49? I get it.

Here are a few reasons why buying the prints from the photographer you hire is a great idea.

1. They should be processing your pictures on professionally color calibrated equipment that is set to the same specifications as the lab they use. This insures that the color that you see when you view your proofs, is the color that they are supposed to be.

2. What happens when you go to a large box store and you say, "these pictures don't look right. The color is all off?" I'll tell you... nothing. The person behind the counter isn't trained to see color and can't tell if it too yellow or blue. They just take the pictures out of the machine, put them in an envelope and swipe your credit card. Just ask me about the year of the blue Christmas Card picture.

What do I do? I take those picture back and make sure that they are up to my standards and are pleasing to the client.

3. We want you to look your best. After the session we spend hours making sure the portraits are just right. We examine your skin and get rid of every single little blemish, we fix your stray hairs, we erase wrinkles, and we might even take a few pounds off. If the pictures were taken in your home, we might straighten a painting that was hanging crooked on the wall and we diminish clutter in the background. We make sure colors are bright and look realistic.

4. A professional photographer has so many more options for your portraits that a retail chain store. Want to do something different? Get metallic paper, a different texture, a standout, a floatwrap or a fabulous frame that you can't find anywhere else. Make your photo display something people talk about, not just something that takes up space on a wall.

The biggest reason to purchase your prints from your photographer is the fact that my reputation is on the line. You don't like it, I will make it right. I will personally guarantee that the portraits you purchase from me will look great. You will love them and I will do everything in my control to make sure that is the case.

But I have talked enough. Here is the proof of why, it is so important to purchase your prints from your photographer. (All of these samples were printed by the store shown on the print and scanned in with my Brother MFC Scanner. None of them have been altered at all) And to be fully honest, I did get the idea of showing pictures in this way from other photographers. This is not an original idea. I have seen it done several times and decided that I needed to try this myself.

Look at the difference in the color in the grass, the contrast and over all tone of the photo.

Yes, this was all the exact same .jpg file that was submitted to each store with NO changes. I was shocked at the difference in this particular picture.

Talk about differences in skin tones and contrast.

So back the digital files question. Do I make them available for my clients? Absolutely! I am happy to provide digital files for my clients and have several options that you can choose from. I will even provide watermarked files for sharing on Facebook free of charge.

What if you want paper proofs of the entire session with purchasing individual portraits? Yup, I will do that too and you can get them in 4x6's, 5x7's or in book form at a discounted rate.

Bottom line, hire your photographer because you love their work. Make sure you are going to get the products that you want. But when hiring a professional for your portraits, make sure that the end result you are getting does justice to the time and money you invested in the session. There is a difference between a professional quality portrait and an every day snapshot. The difference is MUCH more than the paper the picture is printed on.

Find Dorie Howell Photography on Facebook

Northern Virginia Photographer - Celebrate!

I got a call from a woman a few months ago who wanted to surprise her partner with a photosession for their anniversary. I was so honored that she called me. Photographing adults is not something that I get to do very often and I LOVE working with people who are excited to be together and want to commemorate that in pictures.

Congratulations on your anniversary and thank you for the privilege of letting me help you celebrate!

More from this session can be found Facebook. Dorie Howell Photography

Vienna Family Photographer - Your Legacy

There are times in our lives when so many things happen that just can't be explained in words. In the past week I have been around people who have experienced losses that I can hardly even comprehend. One the passing of a child and the other the passing of a mother. Although I am not directly involved in these events, I still cannot help but reflect on them deeply.

The mother who passed away last week was only 38 years old and died of complications from giving birth to her second son. (Yes, even with our modern medicine this still happens way to often.) So now there are two precious little boys who don't have a mom and a husband trying to make sense of it all. Tragic beyond words.

When I hear of things like this I cannot help but relate it to my own life. What would happen if I died today? What would happen to my family? What would my legacy be? Have I made a great enough impression on my daughter that she would remember me and tell her children about me? How would my husband carry on? (probably better than I would like :) Would I have just been a blip on the radar of life having made really no difference at all?

The answers to those questions really can't be answered. All I can do is make sure that I do my best to live a life that embodies the things that are most important to me. Faith: in a Savior whose love goes beyond all measure. Family: So glad that I am assured of seeing them again after my time here on earth is done. People: Treating all with respect, love and kindness. (I struggle with this sometimes, as I am sure we all do. I vow to do better)

How are you doing on your legacy? Are you living the life that shows what is most important to you? After you are gone, will people KNOW by how you lived your life what mattered most to you. If not, get on it! We are never promised tomorrow so don't waste today!

A Child Lives Here

Life around our house is always an adventure. Between my different ventures, my husband's work and computer clients and a growing three year old, there is never a dull moment. I am loving watching my daughter grow and experience her world. Some things are fun, like her insisting that she MUST wear a dress every single day with a matching headband and sparkly princess shoes. Other things I could probably do without.

One of those things is her latest obsession with worms, caterpillars and slugs. She would rather look around in our yard for any one of those things than do almost anything else.

One evening after dinner she hit the mother load when she found a caterpillar nest that "burst" (for lack of a better word) and there were hundreds of these caterpillars all over the yard. She didn't feel the need to change out of her bathing suit to go check it out. Complete with matching bucket and magnifying glass, we headed out to collect caterpillars. To say she was completely amused would be an understatement.