WEDDINGS
TRAVEL
TIPS & TRICKS
PROPOSALS
PRINTS
PERSONAL
NEWBORNS
MATERNITY
HEADSHOTS
GRADUATION
FAMILIES
ENGAGEMENTS
COUPLES
BROWSE ALL CATEGORIES
read the post
how to include dogs at photo shoots
read the post
how to prepare for engagement photos
read the post
why hire a wedding coordinator
read the post
A+B's gibson island club wedding
read the post
V+A's tranquility farm wedding
TOP POSTS
SEARCH THE BLOG
MORE ABOUT ME
Proud pup mom, type A creative, lover of the outdoors, Top Chef fan girl, and wedding and portrait photographer. Welcome to the blog!
HI, I'M RACHEL!
welcome!
micro WEDDINGS
elopements
I love these days when I get to introduce you to REHP Love Birds! Today you get to meet Julia and Ilya, through their Brawner Farm engagement session photos, in Manassas, Virginia!
I got to meet Julia and Ilya through another pair of REHP Love Birds, Vicki and Alex! (I always feel so honored when past clients refer me to their friends, so I appreciate Vicki passing along my name.) When Julia and Ilya met, they bonded over their similar family backgrounds. They’re most excited to get married and join their families together as one after their big day.
Julia and Ilya love spending time outdoors, so it made sense to do a Brawner Farm engagement session. I was so excited to hear they wanted their engagement photos set in this location! Don’t get me wrong, I love taking photos at the monuments, other D.C. landmarks, and Old Town Alexandria. I shoot at those places the majority of the time, so it was refreshing to get out of the city.
At those other locations, people often desire to have certain landmarks or areas featured in the background of the photos. That can get stagnant or feel like that’s what’s dictating how the photos are taken. With a location like Brawner Farm, there are no specific landmarks to include – everything looks similar, so there’s more room to be creative. I also love that Julia and Ilya’s Brawner Farm engagement session highlighted their love for nature!
Julia and Ilya are some of my most patient clients ever! Between weather issues and sickness, we had to reschedule their Brawner Farm engagement session three times! And actually, another reason I’m excited to share these photos is because they were taken in the middle of the day! We had to push up their session to 11:00am because storms were in the forecast for the evening, when their session was scheduled. It was really important after three reschedules to go ahead and get the photos taken so they could use them on their wedding website and save-the-dates, etc. So we did something I usually shy away from: scheduling a portrait session in mid-day light. I thought we would be safe from the harsh light because it was super cloudy all morning. But sure enough, once we got out there, the clouds parted and it was mostly sunny throughout the entire session!
I’m proud of how I was able to make it work with the sun directly overhead, maintain my signature style, and still truly love the photos! I think my love for the photos has a lot to do with Julia and Ilya, because they were so sweet and so great in front of the camera. They were also super patient with the mid-day heat and humidity. Y’all – it was disgusting outside! haha But you would never know from their easy, breezy attitudes! Their wedding is in August next year, so we agreed their engagement session was practice for their August wedding!
Many thanks to Julia and Ilya for their patience, and for being so wonderful in general!
I am obsessed with this photo! Look how cute and in love they look – and how perfectly they fit into the scene.
These two nailed all the poses, and were especially stellar at ‘the walk’. Like, literally the best!
Did this post get you excited to book your own wedding, micro-wedding, elopement, or engagement session?! If yes, send me a note and we can chat about what you have in mind: contact me
Hi – I’m Rachel! A wedding, engagements, and headshots photographer in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia. I love taking photos of elegant people who love to laugh, as well as of much in-love couples. If you’re a dog owner, that’s a plus! I’m currently booking 2022 portrait sessions, as well as 2022 and 2023 weddings.
HELLO@RACHELEHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
Get updates, tips and tricks, and specials to your inbox!
Subscribe here
Back to Top
Rachel is a wedding and portrait photographer
Serving brilliant, elegant couples in Washington D.C. + Beyond
Copyright 2022 Rachel E.H. Photography | Website by Alex Collier Design
she / her