Newborn sessions take a lot of time and patience and often times location photo sessions take a little ingenuity. Last month, I had the chance to photograph adorable Baby Travis and his adoring parents in Baltimore. I typically like to set-up in the kitchen or living room (whichever has the best natural light which usually comes from patio doors) but this Baltimore home wasn’t laid out the way I was used to.  After a house tour, I found the best natural light came from the guest room window which was of course situated right above the guest bed. After a little maneuvering and testing, I finally was able to get the perfect setting. Baby Travis did great for his first photo shoot! See for yourself!

The beautiful blanket below was hand knit by Travis’ grandmother.

Congratulations Jennifer & Amy on a BEAUTIFUL baby boy!

I’ve known Jaden since she was in middle school, back when I first started coaching Cheerleading and even had the chance to photograph her mom’s wedding a few years ago. Jaden is a gorgeous young lady and super talented cheerleader. She is now a senior in highschool and no doubt headed for great things!

Jaden contacted me a few months ago requesting some head shots since she was trying out for the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleading team. Here are a few shots from our studio session. I usually prefer shooting in natural day light but this was a fun shoot using off camera strobes.

Congrats Class of 2012! Good luck & Best Wishes in all you do Jaden!

Have you met my squeezably cute nephew Bodhi?! He is so cute I want to hug and squeeze him- and he has the cutest dimples every time he smiles. His laugh is contagious and he’s a handsome little man who loves the camera!

You might remember Bodhi from his newborn session back in June. It’s been awhile since I had the chance to photograph him solo so we did a quick mini session back in February. He loves flirting with the camera!

A few years ago I had the opportunity to photograph the B family. Just last month, the B family added another family member, little Miss Dylan Pearl! Here are a few shots from Dylan’s newborn shoot.

The chair below has significant meaning to the B family and belonged to Mrs. B’s father who had passed away. The chair sits in Dylan’s nursery so we had to get a few shots of Dylan with her big sisters, Paige and Peyton. These 3 girls are absolutely gorgeous!

Here are a few great shots from my sister, Phuong!

One of my closest childhood friends, Yung, recently had her first baby, Lexi! I’ve known Yung since pre-school and I’m so glad I’ve had the chance to grow old with her and capture almost every important moment in her life, from engagement to marriage to first baby! (You might remember, Yung & Brad, from the destination wedding I photographed in the Dominican Republic two years ago).

Here are a few photos from little Lexi’s first photo session! Once again I’m thankful to have my sister by my side to assist with the shoot and we even swapped roles for part of it! The bucket pictured below was purchased at an antique show in DC. It used to belong to an apple orchard farm in Maryland and I believe was dated from the early 1900s. This was the first time we had the opportunity to use the prop during a newborn shoot. Of course we had a spotter very close by to ensure the safety of the little one!

Here’s some great shots by my sister, Phuong!

A few weeks ago, I received sad news that one of my photography clients, Nicholas Mangraviti, had passed away.

Last year, Nick’s wife and daughter (Barbara and Lizette) contacted me to photograph Nick’s 70th Surprise Birthday Party. The party was beautifully planned and his family and friends near and far came to celebrate Nick’s big day. Nick was surrounded by the same family and friends during his last days. His funeral service was, as Barbara, put it, “A Celebration of Nick’s Life”. The room was packed with family and friends, which spilled out into the hallways, whom shared many fond memories and stories of Nick. He will be greatly missed and I’m so thankful I had the chance to meet him and be apart of his life.

You might have remembered Veronica & Edward from their engagement session last Fall. The big day finally came and what a beautiful day it was!

Veronica’s maid of honor wasn’t able to make the wedding (she just had a baby ) but was able to skype in that day.

Congratulations Veronica & Edward! Wishing you all the best!

Ceremony: St. Benjamins Lutheran Church
Reception: Martins Westminster
Photographer: Trang Dam

Krystal and Brad had known each other a few years before they actually started dating. Their friendship grew into a strong bond and adoration for one another. After a few years of dating, they decided to take the next step into marriage. Being their second marriages, both Krystal and Brad wanted to keep the wedding small and intimate with just family and headed to the Courthouse in Ellicott City for the ceremony.

I absolutely love the historic structure of the courthouse and we managed to capture a few photos pre-ceremony outside. Good thing we did since it started to rain right after the ceremony

The judge presiding over the ceremony did such a wonderful job! She was sincere in her words which made the ceremony more intimate.

After the ceremony, we headed to Hunan Manor in Columbia. Hunan Manor is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants in the Maryland area!

On my drive to the restaurant, I envisioned a shot of the Krystal and Brad next to the beautiful fish tank at the restaurant. I had to enlist the help of Krystal’s daughter, Jasmine, to get this shot using some off camera video lighting. Love how the colors just POP!

We were limited on space in the restaurant so I decided to use the interesting textures of our surroundings to capture some classic and timeless images. I had to move a few tables and chairs but managed to get the shots I was looking for.

Congratulations Krystal & Brad! Wishing you a long life of happiness and good fortune

Apologies for not posting recently. Been busy this holiday season with family photos, print orders, and designing holiday cards.

Wanted to pause for a minute and post a quick picture of my super sassy niece. She tends to go back and forth on the naughty and nice list this time of year. Big news! She’s going to be a big sister soon! Baby #2 is coming this summer! Yay! More babies for me to photograph!

Okay, some background about the pucker face photo below. This is what happens when you lie to children. We had to bribe Taylor with sweet treats during her photo session. “One more picture and you get a cookie!”…. “Okay Taylor- that was great! How about 2 more?  3? 4?” There was no fooling Taylor now that she knows how to count! Taylor loves her “B” (Blanket). The thing is slowly disintegrating!

WOW- when Kristina told me she was throwing a Lilly Pulitzer themed bridal shower for her sister, she wasn’t kidding! Everything was wonderfully decorated down to the last minute detail. Kris- you did a fabolous job! Congratulations Sandi on your upcoming nuptials and wish you all the best!

Sandi with Kristina and mom.