I actually made a very similar post a while ago about my favorite locations to take portraits at the University of Virginia and so I figured since often one of the first questions I get asked is which locations I recommend when people start to book with me. I decided to compile a list of locations that make for great backdrops and share it on the blog today! I will say as a mini disclaimer that more so than any location, the lighting determines the quality of how your pictures will turn out. This is why I always aim to take portraits about 2 hours before sunset in order to get soft, beautiful, flattering light. This makes it easy to take pictures in any spot at the chosen location whereas harsh light at a location makes it difficult to get even light on you and the background simultaneously. However, when the light is softer, it is easier to incorporate elements of the location in the background of your pictures adding to the variety of shots that you can. Here are my top five places to take pictures at around Northern Virginia.

1. Georgetown Canals & Waterfront
   I absolutely LOVE shooting at Georgetown because of the variety of locations that are just perfect there! Out of all of these places, Georgetown goes on the top of my list because of the variety of locations all in one place as well as my familiarity and the number of portrait sessions I’ve shot there. And I somehow seem to find a hidden gem of a location every time I’m back there. I could seriously wander around the streets without a plan of specific locations there beforehand and find the most amazing spots to take pictures in! There are cute cobblestone streets that add a bit of an old-time European flair to pictures which I love and have overarching trees that make for perfect lighting in the evening. The canals have the prettiest light that filters through and there are pedestrian bridges that provide some variety of your shots on the way down to the canals. Georgetown University itself has the most gorgeous gothic architecture. And you can end at the Waterfront Park which has gives you the amazing backdrop of the Key Bridge or the Kennedy Center at sunset! Plus, there’s boats parked along the side if you want a slight nautical twist to your photos!
2. Old Town Alexandria Waterfront
   Although, I’ve only been to Old Town Alexandria a couple of times I’ve shot portraits here almost every time I’ve been! Old Town is similar to Georgetown in that it has smaller cobblestone streets that make the perfect backdrop. Market Square has a huge outdoor fountain that works great and nearby alleys are perfect for more private locations with gorgeous light filtering through! However, the reason I love Old Town Alexandria most is for their waterfront and docks. They have ships parked in the harbor, all the wooden docks and boats to make any nautical heart happy, and even a gazebo at the end of the dock that makes for perfect pictures! If you’re the kind of person that loves having salty wind in their hair and being by the water and want that captured in your pictures, this is the place for you!
3. Kennedy Center Rooftop
   Classic, simple, elegant, and with the most breathtaking view of everything DC has to offer. If you’re a Northern Virginia local and have never been up to the rooftop at the Kennedy Center, I highly recommend you check it out! Come for a show, spend some time at their rooftop bar, or just go right on up to the top to enjoy some beautiful panoramic views of DC at sunset. The rooftop terrace gives you 360 degree access to the DC skyline. This place is a DREAM to take pictures at because they have a gorgeous river terrace as well with pools and beautiful trees.
4. Jefferson Memorial & Reflecting Pool
   As an alumna of the University of Virginia (still getting used to saying that!!), I absolutely love the classic white pillars and architecture of the UVA Rotunda. And nothing reminds me more of it than DC’s own Jefferson Memorial! This gorgeous memorial is right off of the Tidal Basin offering some of the best views, has white looming pillars all around, and marble stairs for days that lead right to the Reflecting Pool and a view of the Monument. It’s the perfect backdrop for pictures if you’re willing to get up bright and early to beat crowds or are ok maneuvering a bit around while having your pictures taken to avoid too many people in the back of your shots.
5. Union Station & United States Capitol Building
   Although I have never been here for a photoshoot, I think both places provide the classic DC architecture with lots of light beaming off of the pillars that is great!! It’s definitely a look that isn’t done too often, and if DC is of importance to you then this is the place to have your pictures taken! Same as the Jefferson Memorial, as with anywhere else in DC, you may need to be a little bit more patient here than at other less bustling location, however I think it’s well worth any waiting!

I hope this list of locations is useful if you’re picking out the perfect location for your photoshoot. I have a couple of other locations on my list as well, so if none of these appeal very strongly to you, then feel free to reach out to me to ask about other locations I think would better suit your style!

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Two Friday Fun posts in a row? Oh my…well I actually decided to take a break for this week, partially because of Fourth of July! My aunt, uncle and their one year old baby boy came for a couple of days and I spent so much time playing with him!! It was such a nice break from the past couple of crazy weeks. And just before I knew it Tuesday turned into Thursday night and this week just flew by!! So no, I didn’t hit my goal of blogging three times this week, but I’m ok with it! Here’s still a recap of some parts over the past week and a quick look at what’s to come!

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-My aunt’s baby was sooo stinking cute!!! I spent about five days playing with him and getting to know him, it was amazing 🙂 He was so full of energy, crawled all over the place faster than I could really keep up with sometimes! His favorite things to do included climbing our stairs (his house doesn’t have any so he was fascinated with ours), making things spin (the fidget spinner was a great hit), making noises with objects (I made a game of throwing a seashell in a bowl), and playing roll catch (I’m totally making that up) with a ball! He definitely could recognize who I was a couple of days in and we became great friends 🙂

-On the flip side, I didn’t really leave the house except for getting dinner on Friday and Saturday night. A lot of Gilmore Girls was watched which was great but when I don’t leave my house in like a day or two, I get SUPER antsy. I don’t know what it is but I get restless if I don’t, which often leads to trips to Harris Teeter, Target or the mall which can be dangerous

-Such a dangerous trip to the mall was made on Wednesday. I went to buy a new candle and came back with an additional lipstick, two dresses, and a top……so there goes my shopping for July! But I regret nothing, they were all great finds and things I will definitely be making use of

-I miss my brother who’s in Austin, TX for a school club project test run this week. I keep almost asking my parents where he is. It’s safe to say it’s been a little quieter around here after the baby left and without him around

-The Fourth of July got super rained out and I didn’t end up celebrating at all!! And I really love the holiday because it’s during the summer, it’s the perfect excuse to get together with friends and family, eat all the food and I absolutely LOVE fireworks. I’m like a little kid that stares up in awe and gets really excited over them. So I made the next day my own little personal July Fourth. I celebrated with breakfast for lunch, iced coffee that turned out being better warm, making brownies and decorating them with strawberries & whip cream to make a flag, and watching the fireworks in Ashburn. I also sat for half an hour picking out blue sprinkles from a multicolored batch for the “stars” on my flag hahaha 🙂

-Thursday was a day for bookkeeping, backing up my hard drives, cleaning out my SD cards, recharging my camera battery, packing and planning for Charlottesville. I’ll be there this weekend celebrating being back with friends that I haven’t seen in so long and I am SO excited!! We’re planning on going to Pippin Hill (favorite winery) and Bold Rock (favorite brewery), eating at ALL the essential places on the Corner, celebrating a friend’s 22nd birthday and the soon-to-be moving out of another friend! It’s going to be such a fun weekend filled with sooo much food and a little booze 😉 If someone can muster up some sparklers, it’ll make it a week of celebrating the fourth! Here’s a couple of pictures of some of the girls I can’t wait to meet up with for dinner tonight!