The best photographer for happy people in the DMV and around the world, since 2005.
jan michele photography is me, Jan. I'm an established boutique photography studio serving Washington, DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia and beyond since 2005. I also often work in Jacksonville, FL and occasionally on Oahu, Hawaii, in Dallas Texas, in Key Largo, Florida, Wilmington, DE and other beautiful places my clients live.
I photograph weddings. Which means I also photograph engagements - sometimes the actual proposal by the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, or a nice restaurant - but most often just a relaxed portrait session celebrating the season of engagement in locations like Georgetown, Washington, DC; Old Town Alexandria, VA; under the cherry blossoms in Washington, DC; gardens; vineyards; city; and the countryside in Maryland and Virginia. The dating years are an important phase of life and shouldn't be overlooked on the way the wedding day. Plus engagement sessions are just plain fun! It's a block of time set aside to enjoy each other and get to know your photographer.
Washington DC is an amazing place to be a wedding photographer. There are gorgeous cathedrals, churches, and gardens for sentimental ceremonies. There are historical mansions (Belmont Country Club, Meridian House, Mt. Airy Mansion), lush gardens (River Farm), country clubs (Army Navy, Springfield, Potomac Shores, Belmont Country Club), vineyards (Veritas, Springfield Manor) and unique hotels (Hotel Monaco, Hay Adams) and restaurants with Potomac River views (Sunset Room, Key Bridge Marriott, Top of the Town) for celebrating and making memories at a reception where you dance the night away.
Then, in due time, after the wedding, there's nothing I love more than to be invited back into my clients lives to photograph the birth of their first child. And their second, and their third, and maybe a fourth? These newborn sessions are a time of celebration of a new life and truly a once in a lifetime opportunity as each baby is only new for a few short weeks. Those curly, sleepy poses only work in those early days - before the baby realizes he can stretch out. Newborn pictures are art, that new baby is perfection. What a joy!
As my little clients grow it's so much fun to see their personalities develop. When they can sit up they are so adorably chubby and think their parents are hysterical. And best of all, they can't get away! This is a fabulous time for the most adorable pictures! Once they can stand, that's another big milestone that deserves a photo shoot to document this developmental phase. Again, it's best before they can walk well and get away.
After the first year, it may not be apparent that children are still changing quickly unless you have regular pictures to compare. They lose those cute little baby teeth. Arms and legs get lankier. Time flies and pictures are the only tie to the past. It's been an honor to work with so many families yearly to keep their family pictures up to date.
Plus, kids that grow up being photographed are trained, so to speak. So, family picture day does get easier! And after they are about 5 years old, they tend to get it and cooperate and contribute with ideas about posing and locations. It's really fun to collaborate with the kids!
But if you don't have kids, that doesn't mean you don't need a photographer. Everyone needs a good headshot for everything from social media, to websites, to speaking engagements, to other corporate and professional uses. Plus your family would love to have a great picture of you. And you owe it to yourself to have a picture where you look great.
And you and your spouse probably don't have any recent good pictures together. Or a picture with grown siblings and grandparents and grandchildren. So you need a lifestyle portrait session to document your lives. Photos are a historical record and so important to future generations. Plus can be enjoyed today in your home and office.
My goal is for my clients to have art from their images to display and enjoy right away. Digital files don't look so good on the wall (for my of my philosophy on prints vs. digital files read this), but custom framed prints sure do! I offer a large selection of frames and mats so clients have one stop shopping and their pictures arrive ready to hang in professional custom frames. In addition to regular photo paper, I offer deep matte paper and metallic paper. Both beautiful ways to display your pictures. Additionally I offer gallery wrapped canvas, velvet paper, Christmas cards, baby announcements and albums.
I love the album option as clients can choose the most images to have in print and enjoy forever. Many of my newborn and family clients are choosing albums. All my wedding clients receive albums. And many wedding clients also use their engagement pictures for guest books with engagement shoot pictures and space for guest well-wishes.
All the albums are custom designed by me, proofed and approved by clients, and printed by an amazing company in Italy that has a variety of album lines so there's something for every occasion. The cover and paper choices are all beautiful, there really are too many good choices!
Nothing makes me happier than to visit a client's home and see pictures I've taken with them prominently displayed and enjoyed. I pour my heart into every client and want to create something special that they will treasure. This is the definition of success - happy clients!