A transformative Q1 | Washington, DC Lifestyle Photographer

Happy first day of Q2!

How did the first three months of 2024 treat you?

It’s been pretty transformative year already for me. In a number of different ways, but today I want to share one thing I started doing 5 weeks ago that changed my life: walking.

Yep, the thing we do every day lol.

I’ve always wanted to be someone who went for daily walks but never was quite able to make it stick, until recently.

Walking daily absolutely started as a hail mary. I was sitting on my couch feeling terrible and said to myself, “I gotta move”, so I went for a walk.

But this time I kept going. I did it again the next day, and the day after that. Next thing I know, I’d been walking for a week straight! And it felt good to show up for myself this way because depression has made that increasingly difficult over the years.

I have never in my adult life intentionally done any form of daily exercise or consistent movement for this long before, and I'm really proud of myself!

I think what helped this time was lowering my threshold- not having to put on anything fancy or push myself to do a certain distance or intensity. Just throw some clothes on and walk. That’s IT.

Especially on the days things feel heavy. I don’t magically feel better when I get back inside, but I know it has helped because mentally and emotionally things are not AS heavy, and that makes a difference.

It’s been really nice to spend time in nature daily because prior to this, if I wasn’t in a good mental space sometimes I wouldn’t leave the house for days. Now I know I’ll spend at least 20-30 minutes outside moving my body and getting some fresh air.

So what other things have I noticed from walking every day for 5 weeks? I feel better in my body- I move better because I’m not as stiff, and I know that my stamina has increased- I walked 2 miles for the first time a few weeks ago, and just last week, 3!

And this is JUST from walking, I don’t have any strength or stretching routine at present.

I’ve also lost weight. This is being included as an aside because weight loss was not my goal, I just wanted to feel better. I knew that increasing my daily activity would lead to a little weight loss, but my eating has been very poor these past couple months (I haven’t been eating enough) so that plus daily walking has weight sliding off a bit faster than I would like. I don't know how much weight I've lost, but it's enough for it to be noticeable and my clothes definitely fit differently. Hopefully things will stabilize a bit once my eating gets back to normal.

Beyond that, I’m just really grateful to be actively proving to myself that baby steps are worth it.

I KNOW that, but it’s always been hard for me. I always want to see big changes to feel like I’m making progress, but those aren’t sustainable. Walking every day has shown me that I can show up for myself, little by little each day and it does make a difference 🥹

So what now? I’m gonna keep walking lol.

And I’ll keep sharing as well. I started sharing my daily walks on the gram and had some really nice and encouraging convos with folks! I’m on a slight social media break at the moment, so I hope to do a bit more sharing here on the blog and via email.

If you enjoyed today’s post, please leave a comment and let me know!

Jess Gray | Washington, DC Lifestyle Photographer

A quick look through my archive told me that it’s been 7 years since I last shared a full session on the blog 😳

I’m not even sure why I looked because I knew it had been forever lol. Anyway, my goal to bring this blog back to life means that I’ll be sharing more so let’s get to it!

Spring is on the horizon and I have lots of beautiful photos for you as we lead up to it🌿

Let’s kick things off with this lovely brand session with my friend Jess Gray!

Jess is a wellness and self care guide, mindfulness coach, and curator of joyful experiences. I was thrilled to capture these portraits for her this past spring because she has such a calm and radiant spirit; it was a real joy to capture that in photo form 💚

Note: Although the photos below are displayed in a collage, you can interact with them! Click any photo to enlarge and scroll through the set :)

After our session, I realized that it had been 11 years since we first shot together! Check out a few snaps from our first shoot in 2012:

Doing these comparisons really makes me smile because it’s such an honor to document these moments in time and see not only the growth in my artistry but that of my subject too 🧡

Thanks for trusting me Jess!

The Q2 calendar opens in just a few weeks and I would love to create with you this coming Spring!

Booking takes place exclusively via waitlist so if you’d like to work together, be sure to add your name below:

Don't worry, it's not like joining a line- just a streamlined process :) After sign up, you'll receive a confirmation email with additional info.

In the meantime, keep up with Jess on the gram to learn more about her wellness offerings and community events!

Proof of life

I’m not sure when showing up online became so hard. Sharing used to come soo much more freely than it does for me these days…

I’ll explore that another time because there are a ton of reasons, and I’m trying to stay on task lol.

The task for today? Sharing!

Something I can’t do without showing up. And since I have a LOT I’ve been sitting on, I gotta push past the resistance, so get ready to see more of me!

But let’s back up a little because I can’t dive into 2024 without a mini update-

Unfortunately the end of 2023 did NOT set me up for the best start to the new year. I was sick for just about all of December 😩

Tests and such came back negative so I didn’t know what I had but in retrospect, I’m almost sure it was covid. These new variants don’t always show up on tests, and given that I STILL have a lingering cough all these weeks later, that was definitely no regular cold.

I started the year slowly getting my energy back, so most of January felt like a catch up. And I was feeling pretty overwhelmed with everything I want and need to do.

But little by little I’ve been making progress on things, and that feels great!

Speaking of which… I have several projects I’m working on and getting back in my design bag a little! I’m excited to share a new resource with you-

An updated Winter Lookbook with 10+ location ideas for indoor photos during the colder months! 

I created the original in late 2019/early 2020, then… covid. In an instant, indoor locations were just not a thing.

I mean they were to an extent, but not like pre-covid because a lot of public spaces were simply unavailable for use in that manner.

Fastforward a few years and although my personal shooting calendar has changed (it’s now closed for most of the winter season), I realized that this is still a really good resource for potential clients to get a visual of what their winter session could look like, and for photographers to expand their ideas for potential indoor locations.

So she’s been updated and brought back to life :)

Hopefully the lookbook gives you a little boost of inspiration and a few ideas for your winter sessions!

Let me know what you think after you check it out!

-Danni

2022 Recap | Part 2

Hey ya’ll hey. It’s time for another recap!

This time we’re looking back on Summer & Fall of 2022 🧡

ICYMI: here’s Part 1 of the 2022 recap

Fall tends to be the most popular season for photos and last year was no exception! The second half of 2022 was full of family and brand sessions, with a couple graduation and “just because” sessions as well.

The weather was AMAZING! We had so many beautiful sunny days and the most colorful fall season we’d seen in years!

The other thing that made me SUPER happy? How many familiar faces I got to see! I forgot the exact figure but I think 60% of my sessions were with repeat clients. That’s huge!

I love showing our history when I share photos of repeat clients, but since there were so many, I only did that with my family clients this time :)

Let’s get into it!

“I loved the streamlined process that started immediately after you booked. You can tell Danielle put a lot of time and effort into ensuring her clients are fully prepared for their shoot and confident that things will go well. I also appreciated the wardrobe support and input on ways to improve the overall look. There was clear direction throughout the shoot, which helped me not feel so awkward in front of the camera. She was well aware of the right angels and imperfections that I didn't want captured. The makeup artist that was provided was also amazing at her craft! I could go on and on, but overall experience was great and well worth it -- especially for someone who's really looking to elevate their overall brand.”

-Teaira Abston

“Working with D was dreamier than I could have imagined. You truly get what you pay for with her photography. She has an amazing workflow in place to make sure everything is aligned well before the day of your shoot. I'm such a last minute person, but she doesn't allow you to be with her reminders (I say this in the most positive way possible). On the day of the shoot, I just loved D's energy - it's calming but I could also tell when she was excited. As someone who doesn't feel super comfortable in front of the lens and usually feels insecure about photos of myself, she made me feel like a model.”

-Gina Psallidas

“Everything about my experience with DFinney Photography was flawless from beginning to end. The reminders, white glove customer service, and overall care made me feel extremely comfortable and respected as a client. I don't love photo sessions and made it clear upfront how awkward I could be and how uncomfortable these types of sessions made me feel. Danielle acknowledged my concerns and let me know that she'd help me to feel comfortable and confident. This support included assistance with selecting my final outfits and helping me to pose. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Danielle and am thrilled with my final photos!”

-Lakeya Cherry

“The experience was great! The initial form and assessment really helped me to drill down on what I wanted for my photos. The photo session itself went really well, I felt encouraged throughout which helped me to relax and be natural. I felt seen, I felt heard and it is displayed in my pictures. Danielle overdelivered and I definitely plan to work with her again in the future.”

-Marvice Mazyck

“The whole experience was great! I appreciated how organized and detailed the process was. Danielle's talent and passion for her work is evident when you interact with her and in the final product. Our pictures turned out absolutely beautiful and I look forward to working with her again!”

-Candace Koman

“I decided to book with DFinney because I had never in my life seen pictures this beautiful of regular people. Danielle understands the black complexion and literally and figuratively put us in the best light. Amazing doesn't even capture the essence of my experience. Being in such a place of transition in my life and career I was so busy working and trying not to drown. This helped me stop, look at myself and be proud of where I am, even though I'm not yet where I want to be. Thank you for such a wonderful experience. I will certainly be back!”

-Aundrea Cline-Thomas

Putting this recap together was so much fun and it made me really excited for what we will create together this Summer & Fall!

The Q3 (Summer) Calendar just opened this week and at the time I’m writing this, there are about 4 dates remaining. Booking is done via waitlist so when you click the link below, you’ll receive an email with next steps 🧡

Thanks for checking out today’s post, I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment and let me know what you thought of our recap!

-Danni

Life, lately | Truthy Tuesday... on a Thursday

It has taken me WEEKS to get this blog written and shared.

I’d jot down thoughts here and there, but getting them together in a cohesive format felt impossible!

A couple weeks ago, I sat down to try again with no distractions (okay there were a few lol). And while it still wasn’t easy, at least I got SOMETHING down. Then it sat for 2 weeks 🥴

Sharing that snippet to let you know how hard productivity (outside of direct client work) has felt lately...

My winter break ended just before the close of Q1 and I gotta be honest, I was not ready to get back in the swing of things. But honestly though, who really wants to go back to work after a break? 

This year (for what feels like the first time) I didn’t completely waste my time off. I’d been working on a few things and just needed a bit more time to gain my footing before things got rolling again. That didn’t happen. 

But that’s life, right? 

How often do you have the opportunity to get things JUST SO with zero distractions or life interruptions? If your answer to this is “well, actually… I can do that quite often”, good for you! The rest of us don’t know what that’s like lol.

Because I have a tendency to want to do the most, one of the (multi-part) things I’d been working on was making a greater effort to incorporate simple healthy habits into my daily life. Literally the basics- drinking more water, moving my body, eating more veggies and protein, less screen time, getting better sleep… you know, the things we don’t think about until we feel like trash 😓

Initially it felt a little too simple, but I stuck with it. And while I didn’t make much progress on outward facing projects like I wanted, I was SO proud of the personal progress I was making! I actually felt better and it was so nice to see how those small adjustments were making a difference.

Then… life.

I got thrown off and it has been such a struggle getting back on track. The silver lining here is that at least I don’t feel like I’m just throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. I know what worked before and it’s just a matter of getting back in rhythm!

So that’s kind of where I am now. I haven’t been showing up much online because I really want to get back to how I was operating at the start of the year. Hopefully I can achieve a tad more balance and share more with you soon.

To switch gears a bit, I do want to share a couple things that have been really helpful to me lately. Maybe you may find one of them helpful as well 🧡

APRIL SHARES

  1. As most of us know, health care in this country can be a real hassle to navigate at times… One thing I found immediately helpful earlier this year was LabCorp On Demand.

    Instead of waiting for a doctor to schedule your bloodwork or specialty test and explain the results, you can order your own and get fast (mine came back in less than 24 hours!) easy to understand results. Because this service is for patients, you don’t receive a list of numbers that the doctor needs to explain to you- your test results are explained in layman’s terms with helpful graphics. I really love that part because clear understanding is so empowering and gives you more ownership of your health.

    In my case, I was able to gain a better understanding of some key numbers and start making changes to better my health almost immediately.

  2. BetterSleep has been the single most helpful app for me over the past few months. If you are like me and need white noise to fall asleep, this app is a game changer.

    We got white noise, green noise, brown noise, pink noise… rain, thunder, wind, trotting horses, city sounds, forest sounds, birds, frogs, cicadas, drums, bamboo chimes… you name it! I absolutely could have kept going but you get the point lol.

    In addition to an extensive sound library, there are also a host of musical options, stories, and guided meditations to help you sleep, relax, meditate, or focus.

    Oh! I almost forgot- my favorite feature is that you can layer sounds and create your own soundscape! I can’t say enough good things about BetterSleep. Definitely give it a try and see if it works for you!

I hope to get back to sharing more regularly, but life is so busy these days, I’m grateful to share what I can when I can 🥲 I would LOVE to hear from you if any of this resonated or was helpful 🧡

I hope you have a beautiful week!

-Danni