Ashlynn and Will | Northern VA Children's Photographer

Ashlynn and Will have been coming to see me since she was just a little newborn. It's been so great to see her grow and to be able to do the same with Will. Will just turned one, and is constantly on the go. One thing that slows him down--golf! His dad is so proud :) My son is a little older than Will, but if you give him a golf club, it immediately becomes a weapon. Will, on the other hand, knows exactly what to do with it and gets very excited when he hits the ball. Seriously cute. This is my favorite set of father son images from the session.


They were not so into getting their photo taken together, but I love this one--the expressions on their faces and the line in between them says it all.


Ashlyn has grown up into such a pretty little girl!

Love this face.


Sibling Love.

The adorable family!

Cousins! | Northern VA Children's Photographer

On the hottest day of the year so far, I had a portrait session scheduled! There was no chance of rescheduling, as these cousins live on opposite ends of the country and were only in town for a few days. I was most worried about the kids being comfortable, but they were seriously some of the best subjects I have ever photographed--heat or not! They were so nice and agreeable, and were up for anything. Here are some of my favorites from the day.


Hello model! This may look staged, but she posed this way naturally, and we just happened to catch a breeze at the same moment!


Sisters--this may be my favorite one of the whole session.

Loved the light here, and my old chair in the field. Sadly, it looks like the housing developers have decided my field's days are coming to an end. I guess I should take that as a good sign that the economy is rebounding, but I am pretty sad to see it go.


Brothers.

Cristina + Marc: The Rehearsal Dinner | Washington DC Wedding Photographer

I had been looking forward to Cristina and Marc's wedding since I met them earlier this year. I met them through her sister, Pilar, who I had designed wedding albums for a few years earlier. Pilar had a family friend shoot her wedding and came to me for her albums--just looking at her images made me jealous that I didn't get to shoot it! She had many gorgeous details and great style throughout. I knew that the sisters were close, and I had a feeling that they may share the same asthetic, so I was super excited for Cristina and Marc's wedding weekend.
The festivities began with the rehearsal dinner at the wonderful Cafe Milano in Georgetown.

Weddings and Rehearsal Dinners in particular are all about family for me, and this one was no exception. This is Cristina and her Dad.

And her mom.


Marc's dad.

Cristina's mom and Marc's dad welcoming everyone.

Marc's mom.


Cristina and Marc had been maintaining a long distance relationship and were never in the area long enough to do an engagement session before the wedding. So, we snuck out and got a few shots then I took them home and edited a few, designed guest cards, and sent them to an overnight lab! I picked them up on the way to the wedding the next morning so all the guests would have the details on where to see the photos--whew, it was a whirlwind, but everyone loved them, which made it all worth it!



Next up the wedding! Get excited, it is going to be epic!

Love Affair Atanta!

As photographers, we are constantly bombarded by other photographers trying to get us to go to their workshops, buy their actions, templates, etc. It gets really tiresome after awhile, as it seems most of these people have nothing really new to say and are just looking to make a buck. I had always shied away from workshops for this very reason, but earlier this year, I started contemplating going to Love Affair. It is a workshop only for women, and taught by women. My interest was piqued. It was going to be held at the W in Midtown Atlanta--hmm, I had always wanted to go to Hotlanta, and the W's are some of my very fave hotels. We would be taught by 4 of the leading women photographers around today and could pick and and choose what classes we would attend based on what we needed to learn. Sold!
I have to say, I am SO GLAD I went. I met some amazing new friends, and I loved each of the instuctors. Kelly Moore, Lauren Clark, Davina Fear and Millie Holloman gave us knowledge and access to them like I had never expected. They answered any question we had, even things that were not covered in classes. I really appreciated this, as I have never felt like I could really ask anything in a workshop before. We also covered topics such as balance, fostering your creativity, and business strategies that allow you to lead a fuller life--honestly, I had never heard photographers talk about this at any workshop or class that I had ever been to. And this is what I think makes Love Affair so different--it focused on helping us not only be better photographers, but also, how to be better people--better wives, mothers, sisters, and friends. It was really great, and I want to thank the instuctors and all the attendees for a great week in Atlanta! I had a blast!
The lobby lights against the backdrop of the ever changing light show. The lobby felt more like a club than a hotel.

One of the faux skylights in the lounge.


Me on the yin yang chairs. I would love some of these for my house!

My new friend Christina!


This was the setting for our farewell party. Joy Thigpen did the decor the whole week and it was simply fabulous. It really set the mood for the whole workshop--Joy is genius.





They gave us Jam--how cute is that?

our fab bartender who made us his special drink "Seduction." Mmmmm....

A crazy dance par-tay broke out after dinner. Adam Lambert of American Idol fame was just a few feet from us here. Sadly, he would not join our dance party and snuck away to the hidden lounge.

Me and Davina.

Me with Claire and Christina, other LA attendees, and then Brandi, Kelly, Millie and Lauren.

I'll be posting a few pics from our model shoot soon!

Holiday Mini Session Early Bird Special!

Early Bird Holiday Mini Session Special
Beat the rush and have your holiday photos done in September this year! All sessions will be done outdoors in the parks in and around Brambleton. If you have a special request for a location, we will try our best to accommodate you, just ask!

Holiday Mini Session $100 (+tax)
• 30-40 minute outdoor lifestyle portrait session
• All final images edited and retouched
• Online gallery to share your images with family and friends
• 25 5x7 custom flat holiday cards

Currently we are scheduling appointments for September 13th and 27th. Please email the studio at amie@amieottophotography to reserve your space.

Jennifer & Jamie: Married! | Northern VA Wedding Photographer

Jennifer and Jamie were married at the gorgeous Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA. We totally lucked out with the weather--even though it was right in the middle of what is normally the hottest time of the year, the temperature that day was in the mid eighties with a breeze! Perfect for getting married on a gazebo on top of a lake!
The couple had an intimate ceremony with their closest friends and family, followed by a 5 course meal at the Old Angler's Inn. Here are some of my favorites from the day.


The gardens were in full bloom and made for a spectacular backdrop for portraits.




I love the shadows in this image from all the flashes going off on the guests' point and shoot cameras.

Congratulations Jennifer and Jamie! We had a wonderful time at your wedding and know you'll have many happy years together!

Vendors Who Helped Make it Happen:

Ceremony Location: Meadowlark Botanical Gardens

Reception Location: Old Angler's Inn

Marriage Celebrant: Diane Stanley

Florist: Sue Chamberlain Flowers