Sunrise at the Smithsonian Castle

They met me at the Smithsonian Castle at sunrise.

I ask for sunrise whenever a couple will let me. It’s the golden hour of the morning — the same light, without anyone running through the frame. The whole place is yours. In summer it’s the coolest hour of the day, too.

The gates slowly opened and I felt grateful we’d gotten there so early as people trickled in over the next hour. It was past the magnolia blooms, past cherry blossoms, and past tulip season, so we meandered around Enid A. Haupt Garden as the sun came up.

As we reached the end of our session, we went underground, weaving in a bit of their daily life in DC, standing in the wind tunnel of the metro.

I love this session. When they were on their way, I was left wondering if breakfast tastes better in formalwear?

An engagement session is a lovely way for us to get to know each other before the wedding day — to visit a place you both love and get some practice in front of the camera.

You can add one to any wedding collection, and your gallery is ready in four to six weeks.