It's been said that a picture is worth 1,000 words (or something like that). And it's true that the pictures speak for themselves.
And yet, sometimes I also want to talk about the story behind the photo. As a photographer, particularly as a wedding photographer, I get to visit unique places, witness intimate moments, and meet amazing people. This blog is my place to tell you about those adventures and (perhaps self-indulgently) express my ideas and feelings about the art and challenges of modern digital photography. about me...
I've been taking pictures for over 15 years. My first love was film. But, a couple of years ago, I hung up my Leica and switched to digital (Nikon). I currently live and work in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area with my wife, two teenage children, and our dogs. (My wife took this photo of me at our favorite hang-out spot, Hyperion Espresso, in downtown Fredericksburg). I hope you'll take a moment to scroll down and see what I've been up to recently!
Did someone say Class of 2011? That’s right, we’re talking to you! Aaron Spicer Photography is looking for senior portrait models from the class of 2011. Think you have what it takes? Want to earn free swag? If you’re a member of the graduating class of 2011, and are currently enrolled at Stafford High School, James Monroe High School or King George High School, we want you! Take the first step by visiting our Facebook fan page. Become a fan, and leave a comment. After that, shoot us an e-mail (aaron@aaronspicer.com) , or send us a text (703.843.5264). Make sure to include your full name, e-mail address and current high school. We’re taking a limited number of models, so contact us soon!
It’s been one heck of a year. I shot forty weddings that took me all over Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Michigan, and the Outer Banks. I won 6th place in the WPJA Q3 competition, was selected as one of seventeen photographers for The Knot Best of Weddings 2010 (Washington D.C.), as well as being chosen a recipient of the 2010 Bride’s Choice Award from WeddingWire. I’ve been privileged to work with so many great people, see so many great places, and most importantly, form a lot of great relationships. I wouldn’t change a minute of 2009, and can’t wait for 2010 to really kick off. Geoff and I just got back from the Digital Wedding Forum Convention in Nashville, TN and have a brand new bag of tricks that we’re just itching to try out. At present, 2010 is about 50% booked (we’re going to shoot fewer weddings this year). If you’re starting to plan a wedding, please keep in mind that this is prime booking season. If you want me to shoot your wedding, or are just curious, please give me a call (or e-mail) soon. To all of my 2009 couples, thank you for trusting me to be a part of your lives!
The following video is a collection of some of my favorite moments of 2009. It’s certainly not all-inclusive (I just barely made it under the 4 minute mark), but I hope you enjoy! For a full-res version of the video, please click here.
Sometimes it rains. It’s as simple as that. Whenever I meet with potential clients looking to host outdoor weddings, we always talk about the all-important “backup plan.” Most times, that plan involves a tent of some sort. That conversation never happened with Elspeth and Tim because both of their venues were indoors. The ceremony (directly behind camera) was performed at the historic Aquia Episcopal Church in Stafford, VA, and their reception was held at the Fredericksburg Country Club. So when the skies unexpectedly opened just before the ceremony, we all kinda looked at each other in disbelief. Luckily, we had a tent (told you it involved tents) and a group of dedicated groomsmen ready to shuttle Elspeth from the rectory to the church, a walk of about 2oo yards.
The resulting image is one of my favorite photojournalistic moments of 2009. While I would normally sort out an image that obscures most of the subjects (there are 13 people under that tent!), I think the image tells a very clear and compelling story. Needless to say, I was absolutely thrilled when I was informed that this image was awarded a sixth place finish in the Wedding Photojournalist Association’s 2009 Quarter 3 contest, under the category “weather.” When you get a few free moments, please head on over to the WPJA’s website and check out all of the contest winners. I am completely honored and humbled to be in the company of such great photographers!
We’ve been getting a lot of questions and inquiries about our photobooth services lately, so we thought we’d throw some up on the blog so that you can see just how fun they really are! The first set of images (in black and white) are from Cindy and Brian’s stunning wedding at 2941 Restaurant in Falls Church, VA. I started the morning off with Cindy and Brian and their bridal party at 7a.m. in Georgetown for some really fun and unique bridal portraits, came back for the wedding at 2941, and then ended the night with them hanging out at the famous Brickskeller bar in Washington D.C. I can’t wait to blog their full wedding, but for now, enjoy their photobooth preview!
The second set of images is from Lisa’s birthday party at Ingleside Plantation Vineyards. I’ve shot a number of weddings at Ingleside, and work closely with their wedding planner Amy Otis, so their gorgeous barrel room was a no brainer to host Lisa’s birthday party. We had an awesome time, and ran the photobooth for part of the evening. Our friends in the band Pocket Aces provided the musical entertainment for the night, and were wonderful! Head on over to Facebook and hear a few of their samples. If you need a great band for a small party…look no further! Great covers and original material…their catalog is seriously limitless!
If a photobooth is something you are considering for your wedding, please hit the portfolio link at the top of the blog, as we’ve added a whole new informational section to our website, explaining what our photobooths are, and aren’t. And while you’re there, check out the new galleries! We’ve refreshed every single gallery on the website. Ninety percent of the images are brand spanking new!
I didn’t shoot Katie and Steve’s wedding, but I was fortunate enough to take Katie’s bridal portraits. We spent the afternoon at Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, VA. What a great venue! We had a lot of fun, and Katie’s mom helped out with the shoot as my lighting assistant! I love these bridals! As you can see, the country club had more than enough variety to get a good set of fine art portraits for Katie and Steve.
I’ve been waiting for a long time to share these images. Katie and Steve were married last weekend, so the wait is finally over! The always spectacular Christina Smith got to shoot their wedding, and they couldn’t have been in better hands! Christy used to be my go to for referrals, but she just recently moved to Arizona! If you live in Arizona and need photography services…you need to give Christy a call!
October 24, 2009 - 11:33 amAllison - love the last one.
October 24, 2009 - 1:15 pmrobert - Great work as always, Aaron! The OCF in the last shot is nice :-)
October 24, 2009 - 1:51 pmBob Schnell - Great settings and lighting Aaron.
October 24, 2009 - 2:09 pmMario - Excellent work, Aaron. I especially love the last image. Fantastic lighting. Nice sky.
October 26, 2009 - 10:56 amLevi Bethune - That B&W by the window is so classic. Beautifully done. Really shows off the detail of the dress, and I love the story it's telling.
Lauren and Marcus had a gorgeous Southern Wedding in Essex, Va in the beginning of August. They were one of the first couples to get married at Blandfield Plantation, a new Virginia wedding venue. In my humble opinion, one of the best things about getting married in the greater Washington D.C. area is that we have, by far, some of the best wedding venues around! I love every one of them!
Lauren’s day started out a bit tense, as the storm clouds began to roll through around midday, delaying the ceremony. Luckily, Lauren was extremely good natured about it all, and Geoff and I took her around the plantation house to get some more bridal shots. We got some really fantastic bridals, and in the end, I think it served to calm her nerves quite a bit.
After the storm passed, we had the most wonderful blue skies you could ask for. Lauren and Marcus’ ceremony was performed at the edge of an overlook that sits above the sprawling plantation grounds. During the reception, all the guests were mentioning how memorable the ceremony was. As I sorted through their pictures, I couldn’t help but notice how extremely happy they both were. Congratulations Lauren and Marcus!
I hope you’ve been keeping up with the blog lately! I’ve been shooting non-stop since April, and I’m finally getting some of my current work up here. In November I will be performing a major overhaul of the website galleries, but for the time being, keep checking back here to see my latest work!
Do I really need to gab on about these images? Gene graduated from Colonial Forge High School last June, but wanted to do his senior portraits during the summer before he headed off to Hofstra. We started off at Pratt Park (Gene’s a soccer player) and then headed downtown.
What more can I say? Perfectly groomed, easy to work with, great smile. I love Gene’s images. Especially the last one. Gene (and Geoff, who assisted on the shoot) thought I was crazy when I asked him to stand in the middle of William St. during rush hour.
Lauren and Joe were married yesterday at the Historic Mankin Mansion in Richmond, VA. What a gorgeous couple! Lauren and I had a wonderful bridal session in early August and I’ve been waiting to share some of her bridal images ever since! Here’s a quick preview. Be on the lookout for a full post in the near future. Many thanks to Tina Porter for assisting on the bridal shoot, and Willow Dawn for being my second shooter yesterday. Congratulations Lauren and Joe, we had a blast at your wedding!
October 12, 2009 - 9:37 pmchristina porter - SpICER!!! thESE turned out amazing!!! i love the one on the top/middle!!! SOO FUN! and the sky REALLY adds to the bottom left!!! BEAUTIFUL!
October 19, 2009 - 2:55 pmwillowdawn - Congrats again to Lauren and Joe! Such a beautiful wedding!
Over the summer I had an awesome senior portrait session with Katie, a senior at KGHS. She’s got a dynamite smile, and they picked an awesome location on the water in King George. We’re still booking seniors with the class of 2010, but will soon be looking for Senior Models for the class of 2011. Wow…did I really just say that?
If you are graduating in the class of 2011, stay tuned to the blog in the next couple of months. We’ll be casting early, and you don’t want to miss out!
Many thanks to Tina Porter for the assist on this shoot. Keep an eye out for Tina…she’ll definitely be making her way into the photography scene in the very near future for sure!
It’s been a while, no? One of the ironies of being a part of so many great weddings is not having enough time to share them with everyone else! But I’m changing all that this month. Gonna kick of a blogging spree and hopefully get this blog back on track!
I can’t think of a better wedding to start with than that of Candice and Paul! What a fun, caring and energetic couple! We started the weekend off at their rehearsal dinner on Friday, and finished partying into the night on Saturday at Potomac Point Winery in Stafford, VA. Candice and Paul filled their bridal party with great friends and family, and the result was a truly touching ceremony and a wild reception!
We had the run of Potomac Point, and Candice and Paul planned plenty of time for their bridal portraits, so we got some really great fine art portraits for them to cherish for a long time. But let’s be honest for a minute…Candice and Paul couldn’t take a bad portrait!
Many thanks to the people at Potomac Point Winery. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting their venue a number of times now, and they do an excellent job! Ask for their event coordinator Laura and you will be in good hands!
Finally, a big shout out to Willow Dawn. She’s second shot a number of weddings with me now, and we make quite the team. Thanks Willow!
If you are shopping around for a wedding photographer for your 2010 wedding, please contact me soon! I’ve got plenty of dates left, but I have at least one wedding booked for every month through October of 2010. Check back soon for another great wedding!
by Aspicer
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