Virginia Mountain Love - Virginia Wedding Photography

It’s Wedding Wednesday and recently I met this great young couple and they had their wedding in the Shenandoah Valley. The setting was chilly but so picturesque. The couple was high school sweetheart and had a small church family wedding in the hills of Shenandoah. The church was their local church that the bride had been brought up in since she was younger.

The wedding party consisted of all their high school friends and they had a great time. Oh and the food was home cooked southern food complete with sweet tea and lemonade! I was in heaven and tried to take a container home. The most unique part of this wedding was the Unity Cross…it was a different take on the candle or sand concept and was more Christ focused. I really enjoyed this family and all the emotion of the day and I wish them all the best.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

When Two Best Friends Marry - Maryland Wedding Photographer

It was a very chilly day in Ellicott City and the setting was the amazing Mainstreet Ballroom location. The bride was doing her own makeup and the groomsmen along with the groom were in their suite joking and laughing as we walked in to see the progress being made. Both were very calm and the families were having a great time as the bar was already open and flowing. As the guest arrived the bride began to get dressed and was ready to make her entrance. Everyone in this party was just there to support the love between these lovebirds that had be together for seven years.

The wedding was gorgeous along with the bride and her details were simple and elegant. The family members came from all over to include the west coast. Cookies were made by family members as a tradition for the guests to eat at the reception and to take home. The Mainstreet Ballroom team was simply stunning and the meal was catered by Eleven Courses Catering out of Owings Mills, Maryland. The most touching part of the evening were the toasts that were made by the brides sister, the grooms brother and father; not a dry eye was around once they were finished. I wish them all the best as they start their new journey together!

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

A Wedding Unplugged - Maryland Wedding Photographer

In this world of technology, sharing details of one daily life through social networks has become the norm. The modern generation is obsessed with cameras on their phones, especially selfies that like to share with everyone. People will use their smartphones and cameras to take pictures of the wedding ceremony.  My recent couple Veronica and Jason decided to have an unplugged wedding and it made the day even more intimate and filled with love.

However, the use of personal cameras and phones at the weddings can be distracting at times, it takes the guests away from the moment and steals the importance of the day. But not all the photographer can go far as to be taken away from the skills of the professional wedding photographer by literally standing in front of them and hijacking the shot. Being present in the moment is becoming a lost pleasure. It seems to be a catalyst for many couples to opt for unplugged marriage. 

What is an Unplugged Wedding?

By definitions, Unplugged wedding can be referring to a kind of wedding ceremony where the bride and groom inform the guests to put off their electronic devices, such as their smartphones, tablets, camcorders, etc., and be fully present their mind at the moment of the ceremony. 

Here are some of the benefits of an unplugged wedding.

1. Marriage is a unique event in life, and any disturbance can affect the importance of it. An unplugged wedding will have less disruption and the guests will be fully present right now and will not be busy taking pictures, talking and responding to social networking posts.

2. It will be difficult to control the distribution of your wedding photos when your guests are busy photographing of this personal moment and share it on social networks. You do not always want your wedding photo published on Facebook 2 minutes after the "I do’s".

 3. Guests who are trying to snap pictures during special moment such as during rings exchange, vows and first kiss moments may end up spoiling the photographer's photo. Although this does not happen often, they can negatively affect the background and sometimes erase the picture with fast flash.

 4. Another point to consider is the distraction of sounds that multiple cameras make, again, this is not a big problem, but with this hearing loss on the phone becoming a tune which has the potential to overtake the moment. 

You can notify your wedding guests about the unplugged wedding in advance by choosing a very polite message from your invitation card or an announcement before your wedding ceremony. By doing this, you are inviting them to be with you on the most important day of your life and at the same time ensures you to protect your investment in photography.

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

VALENTINE BRIDAL INSPIRATION - MARYLAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Stepping out of your comfort zone is sometimes not that easy but the other day I did and drove out to Bealeton, Virginia and spent the afternoon with a group of creative young women and we turned out some amazing portraits.  Great Marsh Estate was the setting and Brittany was our leader of this amazing Valentine theme session that she coordinated.  Once I was home and started seeing all the images from the 7 different photographers, I then started thinking about a question that I see on a lot of social media groups.

Why wedding photography is so expensive?

Well I guess expense is relative to ones budget and the importance of the item.  Often you are paying for all of our creativity, knowledge and not let's forget our time management skills to keep your payment where you want it!  Oh and let's not forget you want these images for years to come and to pass along to your kids.  Yes photographers have equipment that costs and our time to be with you for 8 or more hours and oh yes the time going through the 2500 images from your event that we need to shift through to give you what is presentable, but we do a lot more!  I know personally I am often the only person in the room that knows how to get the bride in her gown.  I also, make it a point to meet the staff at the venue to keep your event on schedule to provide you with the best images...to prevent the conversation of "Do you want to pay for more hours?"  You are also paying for our professionalism and to get your images in a timely manner and not 2 months down the road. (No shade). I have heard from many brides..."I never got my images." or "I wish we would have spent more on photography."  Face it, there are tons of photographers out there but make sure you are selecting someone that values the importance of your day and isn't going to miss your first kiss as husband and wife.

Click on the links of our amazing vendors from this shoot:
Invitations: @sugarquillcalligraphy
Gown: @katherinesbridalboutique
Bride Hair & Makeup: @yisellsmakeup
Bridesmaids Hair & Makeup: @sarahkhanartistry
Rentals: @mainstreetweddings
Venue: @great.marsh
Jewelry: @leljewelry
Baker: @scoutsbakeshop
Florist: @westvirjeni

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HOW I CAN CAPTURE YOUR SPECIAL DAY! 

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Wedding Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

SAN ANTONIO SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHY - AROUND THE TOWN SHOOT

So proud of this young lady right here!  I met her when she was just 3 years old and now she is 17 and getting ready to graduate high school.  She has turned out to be a respectful, polite, intelligent, god-fearing person and I just love being around her!  oh and her sense of fashion is off the charts!  Her mother has done well raising her and I just couldn't wait to get to San Antonio to take her portraits.

We started the day with makeup  and hair and then off to the Alamo for some quick shots. We then headed to the rooftop of the River Walk parking center for a couple of clothing changes and then to Hemisphere park.  We then concluded the day at the Hayes Street bridge to get the view of the city skyline in the cap and gown.  A first class session for a first class girl!

Check out the images from Iyanna's shoot below!

WANT TO KNOW MORE? CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR UNIQUE & AMAZING SENIOR PORTRAIT EXPERIENCES!

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Senior Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176

MARYLAND SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER - NEW YEAR'S EVE STYLED SHOOT!

One thing I love is being around teens because they keep you young and up to date on the latest!  This year I decided to try something different and shoot a styled New Year's Eve shoot with a group of Maryland teens at the DC City Center.  These girls were super excited for this chance to get dressed up, brave the 22 degree weather, come and floss for the camera.  We had a great time despite the frozen toes and fingers at the end of the session.  I thank them for coming out and hanging with me for the session and I will see them later in the year for their individual sessions.

Take a look at some of the favorites from the session!

Want to know more? Click here to find out more about our unique & amazing senior portrait experiences!

Miranda Drummond is a published photographer in the DC, Maryland, Virginia area.  Her portrait sessions are conducted on location and in her studio in Alexandria, VA.  She also travels around the US and abroad for many of her sessions as well.

If you would me to be your Senior Photographer, please reach out!  I'd love to meet you, get to know you and capture your best images.  For pricing and availability, please do not hesitate to reach out!

EMAIL: INFO@CATHERINERAEPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

PHONE: 240-339-5176