Maryland Birthday Party Photo Shoot with Kemal Atlas

Atlas in Greek mythology is a Titan and holds the sky on his shoulders. Therefore Kemal Atlas' "Up" inspired first birthday party was a perfect match to his name. The decoration, his outfit, the cake made by mommy, games, keepsakes, every detail was well crafted by mommy and daddy to complete the theme.

First birthdays are always so special, especially for parents. Little ones are usually not so aware of what is happening during their first birthday party, but they still like being at the center of attention. It was no different for Kemal Atlas.

When Kemal Atlas' family contacted me, I was honored to be there for them and document one of the very special events of human life, his first birthday. When I arrived at their house, I was so impressed by all that hard work of mom and dad to prepare that special event. Everything was a perfect reflection of their big love for their only child.

Kemal had a big Turkish family. His grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends were happy to be a part of his big day. Everybody enjoyed the party and the the food including me, since "Up" is one of my favorite movies too.


Anndddd, Kemal turned 1!

    Mom thought every detail!

  Up! Up! Up! Little Explorer!

    One of my favorite photos!

    Kemal and Cool friends! Cutie pies:)

    That smile!

   Our little "smash the cake" photo.

Beautiful Family!

Everybody really really enjoyed the party!

Northern Virginia New Born Photography-Molina Family

I met Seda at a friend's daughter's birthday party. I got so excited to learn that she ran a home-based baking business, Wholly Sweets Bake Shop. My daughter's birthday was coming and I wanted to surprise her with a Frozen-themed cake. I needed one on short notice, and luckily Seda, already six months pregnant, accepted my request. I really wanted to photograph her newborn. I knew her daughter would be as beautiful as she was, and as delightful as her cakes.

I was busy with a couple projects and she was super busy with a three year old toddler and her newborn. We took Leah's newborn photos when she was 4 weeks old. Even though the first week is ideal for a newborn photo session, we still ended up with great shots. She was very alert and smart during the shoot. I loved how she looked right into my camera, as if she knew exactly what was happening.

Her three year old big brother was super helpful during the session also. He helped me carry my props and soothed his little sister when she was fussy. He proved to his mommy and daddy that he had already become a proud big brother.

Look at that hair! When my daughter had that much hair, she was two years old!

Seda is one of the most beautiful moms I have ever seen.

Brother love!

She was looking right into my lens!

My favorite family photo.

Arda, Mommy & Daddy

I got my first 24-70mm lens and I was so excited to use it.  Arda and his mom and dad were perfect models to shoot with my new lens. We were planning to have a session together for very long time, but being busy, having rainy summer days and seasonal allergies were always in our way. But someday we said no matter what we will do it, and we did it this past Monday afternoon! 

Arda was one of the cutest kids I had ever met. He always had a huge smile on his face. During the session, just like any other 1,5 year old kid, he never stopped for a moment. He was so ready to discover his new environment. Even though he was running around and touching every little thing he saw on the ground, he still gave me the best shots.   

His parents also did a great job. I shot photos of them as a couple and it looked like an engagement session. They were very good looking and natural. I could feel the love not only for their child but also for each other. 

After the photo shoot, I downloaded the photos right away. I knew those photos would not disappoint me. I was right. Each photo was a perfection. He made me smile during the editing process. The kids like Arda are proof that I have the best job on the planet.   

I was not exaggerating when I mentioned how good looking they were!

Even we had some glamour shots for mommy:)

But of course family photos are my favorite!

Fairmount, Maryland where Manokin River meets the Chesapeake Bay.

When our friends Brenda & Brent invited us to a vacation weekend in Maryland, we accepted without hesitation. Not only was it the 4th of July, but they were also throwing a party for their son's 10th birthday. We were also so excited to join them and meet their parents first time.

We went to Fairmount, Maryland where Manokin River meets the Chesapeake Bay. It was great to see the outcome of our donations to save Chesapeake Bay.  We knew it was going to be a fun weekend but everything was beyond our expectations. This three day weekend vacation was packed with lots of fun, action, food, laughter and great memories.

But more important than anything else, watching our kids having a blast was priceless. In just a couple days, they had done more than they would have done all month. They slept and woke up whenever they wanted. They swam in their private backyard pool without any ten minute break and warning whistles of lifeguards. 

Fishing was a first time experience for them even they cried for them at the end.

They were happy to share the hammock. 

Damla especially enjoyed kayaking so much. She was like a brave little explorer. 

Ran and played with dogs Moxie and Mojo in the big backyard, and played all kinds of ball games. We celebrated Independence and a son's first decade…both with fireworks.

Even I was a little adventurous too. And I ended up with wonderful nature photos.

So much happiness was packed into three fast days. It was so hard to leave and lots of tears were shed on the way home, but we promised to have a weekend like that again very soon.