Elle Marie & Matthew
Couple photographer
Couple photographer in Washington: summary
The day
While I was in Washington to photograph a wedding, Elle Marie, who was looking for a couple photographer, contacted me to do a photo shoot. So it was in the American capital that we did the photo shoot.
After photos at the Lincoln Memorial, we headed downtown to the National Gallery of Art.
Then for breakfast, we ended up in a restaurant.
Lincoln Memorial couple photographer
The meeting
It's 5:15 this Sunday morning and the temperature is quite cool. I only slept a few hours. After all, I had photographed a wedding in Washington on Friday and Saturday. As the wedding was over at the stroke of 1 a.m., I was only able to sleep for 2 or 3 hours. Wedding photographer is not an easy job!
Fortunately, with the time difference, waking up was easier.
To avoid police checks during a couple's shoot on a historic monument, we chose to do it very early in the morning. On the advice of my friend Ken Pak. Of course, at 5 a.m. no one was there!
The couple shooting at the memorial
So I started by photographing Elle Marie and Matthew in front of the water. Fortunately, it was just us. In the middle of the day, this place is packed with people.
But at this hour, the light is incredible! Magnificent! With breathtaking shades of orange and red.
Afterwards, we continued past the monument and into the interior, where a huge statue of a seated Lincoln is enthroned. The world began to arrive just as we finished there. It was time to leave.
We walked downtown to the National Gallery of Art. On the way, a runner's race had begun. Great wake-up call!
Photographer couple
at the National Gallery of Art
Photographs of the couple in the streets
As we wandered around the city, we took the opportunity to take a few tourist photos. I photographed the obelisk with all the American flags they call the Washington Monument.
I set off down the road (when no one was around) to photograph them. But this was not to the liking of a rather imposing policewoman. It was just after this that I photographed the couple with a car passing right in front of them in a slow pose to get a wonderful trickle of light.
Finally, we arrived at the museum where, as in all American museums, we weren't allowed to carry the backpack on just one shoulder. We had to put it on both shoulders. Which didn't make things any easier for me.
The couple's photo session in the museum
Fortunately, there weren't many people in the museum. So we were able to wander around the rooms happily, taking photos of the couple. As we went along, I showed them the photos on my camera. They were thrilled to have me as their photographer - it was almost unexpected.
We take lots of photos playing with the natural light in the middle of a room displaying works of art. Visitors look at us amused.
The policemen inside didn't upset us too much.
When the couple's photo shoot was over, we headed off to a restaurant for breakfast. Matthew was really hungry, and fortunately it was an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Thank you both for your kindness and trust in hiring me to be your couple photographer. Especially for getting up so early on a Sunday morning!
Couple photographer in Washington: my experience
My Ranger Adventure
As a little anecdote, a photographer friend of mine in Baltimore told me that you needed a permit to do a couple's shoot in public places like the Lincoln Memorial. So I had to talk to the Rangers to get the permit.
Still in France, I tried to contact them, but without success. I had to fax them the details. Who has a FAX these days?
As soon as I landed in Washington, I decided to go straight to their office.
Fortunately, Air France's Business Class is simply brilliant. There's nothing like it to get you up and running when you arrive. With its private lounge, all-you-can-eat buffet and 180-degree reclining airplane seat, it's a paradise.
The Rangers were quite surprised to see a Frenchman come straight to them for a couple's photographer's permit. The ranger brought me my invoice after I had paid and filled in the formalities: date, place and time of the shoot. The permit would be e-mailed to me shortly.
Knowing that the couple's session was in 3 days' time, I was a little apprehensive. Fortunately, I received the permit on time. The problem was that the date wasn't right, and neither was the location. And I think even the time wasn't right. She'd made a complete mistake. And I was in the middle of a 2-day Indian wedding (Friday and Saturday). So it was impossible to redo all the paperwork. Fortunately, my friend Ken Pak, a wedding photographer in Washington, advised me to do the session very early to avoid the police protecting the tourist sites.
And that's why, one Sunday morning, after a 2-day Indian wedding and only 2 hours of sleep, at 5:15 a.m., I find myself photographing a couple in Washington.
Photo gallery
