Sandra & Andrew | Mitchellville, MD Wedding Photographer

November 3, 2015

Happy Tuesday loves!

Day 3 of Wedding Week and I have another recap from a beautiful 2014 wedding Adrian and I shot- Sandra & Andrew!

This wedding was a tricky one because a couple weeks before the wedding, Sandra was actually put on bedrest! We were definitely concerned, but things continued as planned, we just had to make modifications so that she wouldn’t be on her feet for too long during the course of the day.

The day of the wedding came and it was a beautiful day! But then storms came :( Storms that moved the ceremony and a good portion of the portraits inside. But even despite the challenges of the day, Sandra & Andrew were sooo happy and glowing, it was absolutely beautiful. Seeing the bride & groom surrounded by so much love really is one of my favorite things about the wedding day :)

Check out the full wedding recap here via their slideshow! Set to their first dance song “Love Ballad” by LTD.

If the video embed doesn’t work, you can view the slideshow HERE.

Interested in DFinney Photography for your upcoming 2016 wedding?Complete our wedding questionnaire and I’ll send the wedding information booklet right over to you! We shoot a very limited number of weddings per year, so contact us today!

Bianca & DeAndre | Rock Hill, SC Wedding Photographer

November 2, 2015

Good Monday afternoon to you!

Today’s post is a gorgeous wedding my brother Adrian and I had the privilege of photographing in May 2014! We traveled to Rock Hill, SC for our first “destination” wedding together! Destination in quotes because it’s not out of the country, just somewhere other than DC, MD, or VA lol.

I was so honored that DeAndre & Bianca entrusted us with capturing their wedding as they have been long time friends. The big day arrived and of COURSE the morning of, it would be raining :/ We came up with backup plans for pictures, but magically- about 45 minutes prior to the ceremony- the skies cleared and they were able to continue with their beautiful outdoor ceremony and portraits! Everyone was so thankful!

So sit back and enjoy DeAndre & Bianca’s beautiful wedding day!

Check out the full wedding recap here via their slideshow! Set to their first dance song “Always and Forever” by Heatwave.

If the video embed doesn’t work, you can view the slideshow HERE.

Happy Wedding Week! | Nov 1-7

November 1, 2015

Happy Wedding Week loves and welcome to a brand new month- NOVEMBER! Second to last month of the year! Can you believe how fast 2015 has flown?

So fast that I never blogged A LOT of my 2014 weddings lol. Enter: Wedding Week 2015 :) This time it’s awesomely fitting because it’s engagement season, so what better time to catch up on all of my wedding, engagement, and anniversary recaps!

Because I like all things even, I decided to do a full wedding week this time instead of just Monday through Friday! Mostly because Sunday begins a new month so it just made sense lol.

What do you have to look forward to this week? Recaps from three beautiful 2014 weddings I never shared!

The gorgeous one year anniversary session from familiar faces you’ve seen on the blog a couple times :)

Engagement and wedding photos from my good friends’ wedding earlier this year!

And a super glam styled shoot!

So stick around and stay close- brand new wedding goodness coming your way all week!

-Danni ♥

Late 2015/ Early 2016 Mentoring + Wedding Week!

October 30, 2015

Happy Friday beautiful people! Just popping in with a quick update on a few things!

The last dates for group mentoring this year will be in DC and the dates are as follows: December 4 (101) & December 5 (102).

Do you feel like your work has been stagnant? If so, please don’t miss the last opportunity before the year ends to better your craft AND your business :)

If you’re interested in attending, shoot me an email- danielle@dfinneyphoto.co to get your seat secured!

Wondering about pricing and additional info? Everything you need is right here on the site http://dfinneyphoto.co/mentoringpricing.

And because I didn’t forget about you lovely folks outside of DC, I am working on the 2016 travel calendar and will be sharing it mid November. Cities on the list so far include DC, LA/SF, Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Brooklyn, and Orlando.

Don’t see your city (or a city near yours)? Leave a comment with your email address & city below! If there’s enough interest, it can be added 💙 If your city IS above, and you’re interested in attending, leave your email address & city below as well and I’ll be sure to email you personally once the calendar is finalized!

2015 has been an amazing year and I look forward to an even more awesome year in 2016! ✨

Also: something special this way comes! Next week is Wedding Week here on the blog! I have mucho wedding recaps I’ve yet to share so let’s make a week of it! It’s engagement season so what better way than to celebrate with lots of engagement, wedding, and anniversary photo goodness :) It’s been a while since I last did wedding week on the blog, but this time instead of M-F, it’ll be a full week! So tune in on Sunday for the kickoff ☺️

That’s it for today-

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

-Danni ♥

How To Prepare for your Photo Session | Truthy Tuesday

October 20, 2015

Guess who’s back with another Truthy Tuesday! Two weeks in a row? I know! I can hardly believe it myself lol.

Last week I took a look back at how my style progressed over the years and it put today’s topic in mind so I had to do a second post.

Great pictures don’t just happen. They require teamwork! This post is not to discourage anyone with moving forward in booking a photo session, but primarily to inform so that you’re well aware of everything required to make a photo session a success!

A few things are required in order to make each photo session a successful one. Not to make it sound like clients have a weighty responsibility, but clients do have a responsibility, it’s not just showing up to have your picture taken lol. All I need from you as a client is to know: 1) what what the goal is for your photo session and 2) what you’re wearing. That’s it! Those two very simple but very critical items. Without them I can’t guarantee the same level of amazingness that you see on my site.

April 2011. An engagement photo that I thought was pretty cool. Very urban lol.

August 2014. Modified version of an urban engagement photo. It has a much bigger visual impact because I was aware of the attire and chose the location to compliment.

As you see, this wasn’t something that I always did, and although the photos turned out well, there is definitely something to be said for the final product of my images now. Teamwork makes the dream work :)

This is something that I’ve noticed a lot of newer photographers don’t do and something that I highly suggest to those that I teach. Implementing this very simple change (of knowing what your client plans to wear) makes such a huge difference. That way you’re able to head off any possible issues before they become one (possible outfit choices that may not photograph well, choosing a location that doesn’t compliment what the client plans to wear, etc) and you are able to more effectively create a cohesive look for the final images!

March 2010. I’m not really sure what I was going for here, but in retrospect, it didn’t work lol

June 2014. A complimenting background done correctly :)

I’m very much a planner and that’s why the photos you see turn out so well because I’m aware of who is going to be in the photos, what they’re going to be wearing, and with that I select the appropriate location. That way everything compliments and makes sense. But the only way I can do that is if I know what you’re wearing!

Worried about what colors look best? What to wear? You don’t have to go it alone. I am always available to assist!

October 2009. I set their session location without knowing what they planned to wear. Had I known, I could have made a suggestion for the dad’s attire to compliment mom’s a little better and selected a more complimentary location.

April 2014. I knew exactly what they were going to be wearing and selected the perfect location to compliment.

Now that you’ve got your outfit down, and I’ve selected the location. What’s next? How do you prepare for the session itself? Here’s a quick checklist of what you should do prior to your photo shoot:

* Is your hair done?

Ladies: flatteringly styled? Fellas: haircut/line up?

* Are your nails neat & clean?

Not necessarily polished if that’s out of the norm for you, but definitely neat & clean.

* Are your clothes well fitting? Ironed? Lint free?

Very important but often overlooked.

* Is your outfit accessorized properly?

Accessories help add personality and dimension to your photos.

* Is your skin moisturized?

Ashiness can be corrected in photoshop, but the easiest remedy is simply lotion lol.

Now this checklist may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised at how many things are regularly overlooked! An easy way to think about it- prepare for your photo session as if you are getting ready for a fancy event. You want to look your best, right? Apply that same principle to taking professional photos. You’re making an investment so when you invest in yourself as well, it validates the entire process :)

October 2010. I wasn’t sure of many things prior to shooting so I wasn’t able to plan effectively regarding the location or offer suggestions where necessary.

September 2013. Aware of what she planned to wear, I selected the perfect location for her and was able to make any necessary suggestions ahead of time!

Hopefully this post was helpful! Both to my current and future clients as well as fellow photographers! I know this is not how everyone operates, nor am I saying it’s how everyone should operate, but it is my process and it works well for me!

Let me know what you thought of today’s post!

‘Til next time,

-Danni ♥