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Friday Fun – Amphora, HOOS & Headshots

March 15, 2018

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I’m Manali
Coach, editor & brand photographer based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. When I'm not behind a camera or teaching about systems, you'll find me at a vineyard or cuddled with my cat Keegan on our cozy couch!
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Coming back to you with the usual Friday Fun! I switched it up last weekend with a Foodie Edition including 25 restaurants that are on the Washingtonian’s List of the Best 100 in the D.C. area! Which for a total foodie like me was a gold mine of an article hahaha My brother however, who is probably the only religious FF follower I have, was slightly disappointed that there was no recap of the week! So I’m back with the regular dose of real life highlights and funny moments from the week!

– Last week I got to meet up with some friends just for fun at the Natural History Museum and I totally dorked out over all the gemstones in that exhibit even though I’ve been there like 2 or 3 times already…..never ceases to amaze me hahaha that night was followed by filling my pizza craving getting MOD Pizza 😀 so all in all, a fantastic Friday

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I also did this thing where I TOOK PICTURES FOR FUN!!!! I forgot how liberating and awesome it is to be able to do something that you love for yourself! Plus it didn’t hurt that I was surrounded by GORGEOUS D.C. architecture that just deserves to be captured!!

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– This past Saturday I was PART of a proposal for one of my long time family friends!!! It’s crazy because she’s the first of the group of kiddos (well now adults I guess….) to be engaged! I had a ton of fun being a part of the proposal from making the banners that spelled out “will you marry me?” to hiding behind the Capitol Columns at the National Arboretum so that she wouldn’t see us while driving in!! Pulkit recited a poem for her, got down on one knee, we RAN OUT from behind the columns (it’s quite hilarious if you see the video of it going down), and he pointed out the posters to us and her reaction was PRICELESS!!!!

– Also THE HOOS PULL OUT THE WIN AGAINST UNC for the ACC TITLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀

– I started planning out something that’s kinda secret but that I’m SUPER excited about! Let’s just say that I’ll be at the Capitol quite a bit over the next month. On Monday I took headshots for my work team during lunch! I don’t do these very often anymore but it was nice to be able to offer up my photography abilities to the team after telling them that I take pictures! It was the perfect overcast day and we were able to get everyone’s pictures done during lunch time 🙂

– Last weekend my FRIEND GOT ENGAGED!!! You can read their proposal story and see my behind the scenes pictures here! I get to take their engagement pictures in the cherry blossoms later and I am. so. stoked!!! Imagine this in the back of some seriously gorgeous and romantic portraits!!

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– Oh did I mention I had Amphora brunch on Saturday?!!! I tried Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict for the first time and it was soooo good. I told my dad he had to try some of my leftovers but I accidentally got so hungry that I scarfed them all down before leaving him a bite!! SORRY DAD!! Naveen tried eggs benedict FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! Can you believe that?! And then he took an amazing picture by figuring out the settings on the camera by himself, so proud :’) Do I sense a future second shooter over here??!!

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– I took MONTHS to order a desk and then I accidentally shipped it to my parents’ house instead of my apartment, and now it’s been sitting at their place for 2 weeks…..I’m hoping to FINALLY get that into my apartment this week and get it all set up because I definitely have a slight crick in my neck/shoulder from hunching over my laptop on my bed which is not the greatest habit to have….

– For anyone that feels like they never have enough time (hello, yes over here!!) I highly recommend reading 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam. I started reading it after it came recommended from a bunch of photographers but really feel like it can be applied to just about anyone no matter what stage you are in life! It’s totally changed my outlook on how I spend time each week!

That’s it for this one!

If you want to get more behind the scenes real life goodness, check these out!

Friday Fun – Foodie Edition

Friday Fun – Galentines & D.C. Dates

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