Washington DC Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Deb Lindsey Photography

Wedding Engagements – part one

December 25, 2017/in Engagements, Uncategorized, Wedding Engagements /by lindseydeb

Did you know that the period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is what we in the wedding industry call engagement season? As we near the peak engagement frenzy, I thought it was a good time to show some of the engagement sessions I’ve had throughout the year. Many are in recognizable locations like the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, Old Town Alexandria and Union Market and Meridian Hill Park and outside Nats Park. And also my first photo shoot inside a DC Public Library in Georgetown. It was also really fun to have the run of the place at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia for Dennis + Megan’s session. Stay tuned for more to come later this week of some fall wedding engagements around town!

L+N at Meridian Hill Park and Lincoln Memorial

H+N at Jefferson Memorial and Nationals Park

L+L’s engagement session at the DC Public Library in Georgetown

D+M at Merriweather Post Pavillion

R+R at Navy Yards

Army and Navy Club wedding – Washington DC (part two)

December 18, 2017/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

A+C’s lovely Army and Navy Club wedding day continued with their ceremony in the beautiful blue room upstairs. During the bride’s long walk down the aisle with the dad, she was just beaming! The mirror and the large chandelier were a lovely backdrop for the wedding ceremony. From there, guests and the couple made their way down the hall to cocktails where the delicious passed appetizerss reflected the couple’s journey from California to the East Coast.

The downstairs ballroom at the club was beautifully transformed with the do-it-yourself floral centerpieces in soft tones and wire table numbers—a lovely offsetting of the dark paneled walls and murals of the room. A+C wowed their guests with their choreographed first dance which was followed by toasts and dinner. The reception was low key, more of a cocktail party with mingling and laughs rather than dancing.

At the end of my time at the wedding we snuck out for a night time shot (one of my favorite things to do!) at one of the spots I’d scouted before the rain interfered. It turned out to be both moody and romantic–a great combination!

Wedding and reception venue Army and Navy Club 901 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington, DC

Site coordinator Lisa Tenges Adams, 202-355-0525

Florist La Fleur du Jour 805-220-8254

Music String4 703-865-8389

Cake Alexandria Pastry Shop 703-578-4144

Downtown Washington DC wedding

December 11, 2017/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

If a little rain is good luck on your wedding day (and it is–it rained on mine!) then Alyssa + Caleb should be good for a long time. Overall it was a rainy day at the Army and Navy Club in downtown Washington DC over Labor Day weekend for their wedding. Thank goodness the club is lovely with it’s curved staircase and dramatic chandeliers. We just worked inside until a last minute clearing allowed us out for some fun photos.

I love photographing a couple in downtown DC on a weekend. Midtown is pretty deserted and there’s a lot of fun nooks and crannies to explore for fun backgrounds. Unfortunately we couldn’t use some of the locations I’d scouted but stay tuned for fun end of the night photo taken just around the corner from the club!

Alyssa’s style was just so elegant. Simple and classic, her dress was tailored perfectly and I loved how unfussy she chose to be on her wedding day. Caleb was so elegant in his classic tuxedo. The photos of the two of them on the main stairs in the club were just so clean and simple and yet stunning. The blush of the flowers and the bridesmaids dresses were a perfect compliment to the clean lines of the day.

Alyssa was all smiles getting ready to see Caleb at their first look. The laughter and a few tears were there from early in the day and continued through their ceremony (see that in the next installment) and low key reception.

Army and Navy club wedding Deb Lindsey Photography

Wedding and reception venue Army and Navy Club 901 Seventeenth Street, NW, Washington, DC

Site coordinator Lisa Tenges Adams, 202-355-0525

Florist La Fleur du Jour 805-220-8254

Music String4 703-865-8389

Cake Alexandria Pastry Shop 703-578-4144

Wedding engagement slide show – Washington, DC

September 25, 2017/in Engagements /by lindseydeb

This week’s plan to do a post with all my recent fun wedding engagement sessions got a bit derailed this morning. I received an email from a special MOB (mother of the bride) who wanted to know if I’d do a slide show with their favorite images from the recent engagement session I did with her daughter and her fiance around Washington, DC.

I had so much fun with Hayley and Neil this summer as we took photos at the Jefferson Memorial (Neil is a UVA grad) and around Nationals Park (they’re both big Bryce Harper fans). We had a really short window to get the session done since Neil is heading back to military training and I’m thankful we had such a nice day. One shot included in the slide show was a special request from the bride-to-be. She had a copy of her mother’s wedding day photo of her parents sitting (yes, sitting in a wedding dress) along the edge of the Tidal Basin. Her dad was in full uniform and the pose was a little awkward and hard to hold without almost falling in. But we recreated it with great success.

Previously I’ve only done slide shows for weddings (and occasionally for other events) but never for an engagement session and WOW did I love the result. So while I work on my next post here’s is the slide show I made with the couple’s favorite images. And I’m now thinking this needs to be a regular thing.

Top of the Town wedding – Arlington, Virginia part two

July 27, 2017/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

Welcome back to E+Z’s Top of the Town wedding in Arlington, Virginia!

Today we highlight some of the details of their big day and the incredibly fun reception. I loved the clean lines of their centerpieces and the classic navy and white accents throughout the room. When the view is this spectacular, you go with it! We also lucked into an amazing sunset for some patio portraits after cocktails.

They entered the room through a tunnel of the arms of their friends and family. As the daylight waned it was easier to show the amazing view from their dance floor. Their sweet and funny first dance was followed by such emotional speeches from the best men, maid and matron of honor and both dads. The dance floor opened and they danced the night away in full view of a strawberry moon. One of my favorite shots from the reception is the reflection of the dancers in the window with the Lincoln Memorial seen through the window. For their grand exit, their guests lined the corridor to clap and cheer as they made their way to the elevator and out into the night!

Another photo that I just love from this wedding is the sweet shot of just E+Z waiting for the crowd to line the hallway for their grand exit. They were sitting on a bench on the patio with the twinkling lights behind them and the skyline of Arlington in the distance. It reminded me of a photo of my husband and I from our wedding where we were just sitting on a couch taking a moment to appreciate what we’d just celebrated. It’s those little moments that truly made a wedding special for me.

Event coordinator Laura Crouch (Day of Planner)/ 516-658-7443

Site coordinator Kate or Laura/ 703-387-8696 Top of the Town

Caterer + Cake Heather Ellis/ 240-801-4896/ Spilled Milk Catering

Florist Susan Wenger/ 703-395-0688

Hair + makeup Nicole/ 571-230-9598/ Hair & Makeup Unveiled

DJ Adrienne Hays or DJ as one/ 646-448-6839/ Scratch DJs

Washington DC wedding photography – DC War Memorial small wedding

June 28, 2017/2 Comments/in Weddings /by lindseydeb

L+J planned a very small and simple ceremony at the the DC War Memorial also known as the World War I Memorial. This little gem on the National Mall is one of my favorites for weddings and wedding engagement sessions. It’s off the path a bit and has all of the grandeur of the white-columned monuments around town without the crowds. Of course they also planned their ceremony in the middle of Memorial Day weekend and Rolling Thunder‘s annual arrival in the city. We started at the Lincoln Memorial for some portraits of the couple (and yes, the bride was a little bit pregnant 😉 and we braved the tourists and the bikers and a little bit of rain as we made our way to the ceremony site. Surrounded by just their closest friends and family the sweet and short ceremony was filled with laughter. Sometimes it’s just special to boil the wedding down to it’s essence and get the job done before even bigger things present themselves. Congrats to the happy couple and they’re less than a month away from being a new mom and dad!!

Deb Lindsey Photography DC small wedding

Documenting a Family – from wedding engagements to family portraits

April 18, 2017/in Families, Family Portraits /by lindseydeb

I truly love my job as a wedding photographer. When a couple chooses me to document their day it’s such a great honor and I value the trust they put in me to photograph one of the biggest days in their life so far. But it’s even better when I continue to photograph the moments (both big and small) over the years as their family grows. Documenting a family as their grow.

I have had the pleasure of photographing Jennifer and Nate from their (very chilly) Eastern Market wedding engagement photo in January 2012, their wedding in late February the same year (also very chilly!). A little over a year later we returned to Eastern Market for maternity photos and in April 2014 I got to meet their son Graham for a family portrait session at Brookside Gardens. Last summer we got together for a a full family session that I’ve wanted to do forever at the sunflower fields at McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area in Poolesville. In hindsight taking a baby and an energetic toddler into a field of flowers with bees and 90 degree heat might not have been the best idea, but it made for some cute photos.

Earlier this month I was pleased to be asked to photograph Jennifer’s parents 50th wedding anniversary celebration in Olney. In addition to photographing the party we took the time to do some lovely spring family portraits and as a big bonus, photos of their adorable kiddies chasing bubbles.

family portraits Deb Lindsey Photography

Washington DC food photography – Chef portraits

March 23, 2017/in Food, Portraits /by lindseydeb

In my job as a freelance food photographer, I am well aware that I have the enviably job of traveling around the Washington, DC area, photographing plates of gorgeous food. Often when I’m on assignment for the Washington Post or other editorial clients, I’m asked to take a portrait of the chef as well.

Chef portraits present a couple of unique challenges. Often when I arrive at the restaurant, it’s my first time there, so I quickly have to assess the light and decide where best to take the portrait. I approach these as portraits of artists, many who aren’t that keen to be in front of the camera. I work to make these as creative as possible, as I do with my couples in their wedding and wedding engagement photos. The chefs have often been photographed many times before so I am looking for new angles and interesting lighting. I’ve collected some of my favorite chef portraits and even more of them can be seen here.

So if you’re looking for advice on where to eat in DC that’s fun and new–get in touch, I’ve got you covered!

Food photography Washington DC Deb Lindsey

Handry Tjan, Executive Chef at Kobo, prepares the dishes for the winter vegan tasting menu in Chevy Chase, MD.

Chef Matt Lang at Texas Jack’s in Arlington, VA.

Ripple’s new executive chef Ryan Ratino in Washington, DC.

Chef and owner Marjorie Meek-Bradley carves brisket in the small kitchen in her new fast casual restaurant Smoked and Stacked in Washington, DC. Food photography Washington DC Deb Lindsey

Chef Fabio Trabocchi and Co-owner Maria Trabocchi at their new restaurant Sfoglina in Washington, DC. At right is All Purpose chef and owner Mike Friedman in a booth at his DC restaurant.

Masseria chef Nicholas Stefanelli in front of his restaurant in DC and (right) Johnny Fulchino with chef Ann Cashion at their new location for Johnny’s Half Shell in Adams Morgan, DC.

Chef Michael Schlow prepares dishes for customers at the bar of his new restaurant Conosci photographed in Washington, DC.

Chefs Ainiwaer Abuduwayiti and Ekber Keyser in their restaurant Dolan Uyghur in Washington, DC.

Wedding rehearsal dinner ideas – Fun new restaurants in DC

March 6, 2017/in Food, Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Advice, Weddings /by lindseydeb

Finding a restaurant to have your wedding rehearsal dinner in Washington, DC can a tough decision. So many factors weigh in: how many people are you hosting, what type of food, casual or formal, easily accessible and close to where wedding guests are staying. In my other career as a food photographer, primarily for the Washington Post, I get around town quite a bit to photograph the food and atmosphere at many of the new and interesting restaurants opening around the city. And some I’ve been to recently are fun and funky locations to have your wedding rehearsal dinner!

Sfoglina

The newest restaurant from Fabio and Maria Trabocchi is a fine dining pasta restaurant in the Van Ness neighborhood. It’s homey atmosphere and extraordinary beautiful dishes make it a perfect spot for hosting a party. The newly enclosed outdoor patio could easily accommodate a rehearsal crowd. In the main restaurant there are elegant touches of red and padded booths keep the decibel levels way down. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing there twice for the Washington Post and have been back for dinner so it’s a new DC restaurant I highly recommend!

Ruta del Vino

This is another restaurant near and dear to my heart for a couple reasons. I’ve been spending a lot of time in Petworth recently for the Washington Post reviews I’ve done and Ruta del Vino was my first time in the neighborhood. Justin and Jessica, the owners of the restaurant are new to the DC dining scene and their comfortable neighborhood venue feels like a great place to hang out. The centerpiece of the restaurant is the large bar and there is a more secluded back room that would give a party group some privacy. The food is fabulous, there’s a great wine selection and I am completely addicted to the churros dipped in chocolate!! Their website is a work in progress that (I hope) will be live soon with lots of my photos.

Himitsu

The other fabulous Petworth restaurant that could be a perfect foodie rehearsal dinner spot is Himitsu. The Washington Post review is out this weekend and the food is adventurous and delicious. The chef Kevin Tien and the co-owner and beverage director Carlie Steiner are totally focused on providing an amazing dining experience for each patron at their tiny restaurant. You’d have to take over the entire restaurant for a rehearsal dinner but boy, would it be memorable if you did!! And get the duck platter with buttermilk biscuits. You can thank me later.

The Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse

For the more adventurous and edgy couple, the Tavern at Ivy City Smokehouse could be a perfect wedding rehearsal restaurant. They’re located a part of DC that is rapidly changing with the renovation of the old Hecht’s Warehouse building and the influx of new restaurants. A couple things stand out at the Tavern. First is a large open performance space attached to the restaurant that would even be perfect for a wedding. Second is the fish. As a Maryland girl I am a total crab cake snob and these are some of the best I’ve had. The smoked fish platter is another must get–if not for dinner than definitely for brunch!

Johnny’s Half Shell

Keeping with the seafood theme, Johnny’s Half Shell in Adam’s Morgan has some of the best in town. The 80-seat restaurant in the heart of the city, has just the right mix of casual and homey touches–an aquarium on display and an abundance of blue in the color scheme. And the original Johnny’s Half Shell sign from the first restaurant hangs high overheard. And most importantly, chef Ann Cashion’s cooking would definitely delight your guests!

Mezcalero Cocina Mexicana

One last place on my list is a restaurant I was at just last week for the Post’s $20 Diner column. The new restaurant is run by the owners of El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria, has colorful murals painted on the exposed brick and a rustic charm. Located on 14th St. in Columbia Heights it’s big enough for a good size crowd even if you didn’t take over the whole restaurant. The food from the carne asada (my favorite) to the tacos is exceptional. And with more than 65 Mezcals, it might just be the perfect spot in DC for a party.

There are so many options for wedding rehearsal spots in the DC area. These are just a few of my favorites and I expect as I continue to photograph food around town that I’ll have more to add to this list. Maybe even some in the suburbs!!

Family portraits – Deb Lindsey Photography

February 9, 2017/in Families, Family Portraits, Kids, Portraits /by lindseydeb

Family portraits are the next logical step in the photographic journey of a couple and it’s so fun to for me to watch a family grow and flourish. So I thought it was time for a roundup of some of the family photo sessions I’ve done recently. As a mother of two older teenagers, I know how fleeting it is when the kids are small and how important it is to get everyone in the photo. Most of my family photos don’t include me–except for the ones where we hired a photographer to get that elusive holiday card photo.

Although I primarily consider myself a wedding photographer I think a more accurate statement would be that I love photographing people. And food, but that’s a different blog post!

I appreciate the posed family photos that I do and why they’re important, but my absolute favorite images are those that happen in the off moments. The photo of George and his dad just below is a prime example. Capturing the relationships and the lifestyle makes for the memorable photos!

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