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Tag: dc engagement photographer

A GUY AND A GIRL AND A LITTLE POLKA DOT DRESS

A GUY AND A GIRL AND A LITTLE POLKA DOT DRESS

Her laugh. His smile. And that darling polka dotted dress. Are you kidding me? They had me at hello.

No, really. See the second photo down on the left? That was a TEST SHOT. These two made my job easy. And it’s not because they are gorgeous (which — side note — they obviously are); it’s because they are so palpably head over heels for each other. Excited by the prospect of forever together. Invigorated by the very presence of their affianced. On this bright, refreshing autumn day, everything paled in comparison to their glow. I stood behind my camera in awe of their connection. What a true honor to capture it. xo

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NOT SO AWKWARD AFTER ALL

NOT SO AWKWARD AFTER ALL

These two. See how snuggly they are? And how beautifully it translates on camera? When we first started Liz & Tom’s engagement session, they didn’t believe they could make that happen. I remember smiling to myself as they nervously complied with my direction from behind the camera — a nuzzle here, a tender look there. They were convinced that they looked incurably awkward, but of course, that wasn’t at all the case.

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WHEN IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE…

WHEN IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE…

…share an engagement session worthy of the south of France: French macaroons, soft lavenders and pinks, dreamy evening light, and a couple swept up in the arms of their affianced. But what I love most of all as I look back on this session is that all of this pretty emerged from an evening of re-envisioned plans, with many of these hidden gems of locations discovered on the fly. 

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SIT BACK and stay a while

Hello! I'm Chantal, a part-time photographer / full-time creative with a passion for telling stories through sweet, timeless imagery. When I'm not chasing light / dreams, I'm chasing my (adorable) little boys, whose photos you'll see sprinkled throughout these pages. I'm so flattered you're here, exploring my little space on the web for musings on this and that. Enjoy!

3 year old Thiago doesn’t yet speak English — 3 year old Thiago doesn’t yet speak English — his native languages are Spanish and Portuguese. When I first learned this I was nervous as to how I might engage him during our session.

Turns out, I had nothing to worry about. He radiates joy. He ADORES his parents. Amidst all the snuggles, if he got distracted by sticks or leaves (great! even better!), all I had to say was “hola, lente!” (hello, lens!) and he would repeat it in his sweet little voice and flash the most exuberant smile in my direction.

At the end of the evening, Thiago ran up and hugged me. I feel the same, little guy; I feel the same. You are just the sweetest.
I love fall on the east coast—the crunch crunch I love fall on the east coast—the crunch crunch crunch of the leaves, the vibrancy of the colors, the brisk air. But some mornings I wake up aching for California. Today was one of those days. What a trip to think we lived in this stunning place for even a second of our lives.​​​​​​​​
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Just sitting here musing over the notion that we can be so happy in one place, all the while missing another so hard…a bittersweet coexistence of emotions. Sometimes life is so beautiful it hurts.
ALBUM-WORTHY. And absolutely, positively worth eve ALBUM-WORTHY. And absolutely, positively worth every m&m we gave him. 🍬 👼 ​​​​​​​​🍬
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Drop a 🍬 below if you agree! xo
When your client’s just a little too busy to pul When your client’s just a little too busy to pull together a wardrobe for their daughters’ session…​​​​​​​​
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and you only ever get to shop for little boys…​​​​​​​​
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maaaaybe you volunteer to do it yourself? ​​​​​​​​
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Happy clients, happy photographer. Happy fall! (But really, how sweet are these sweaters??)​​​​​​​​
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#photographerturnedpersonalshopper
Copyright © 2023 Chantal Lavine Photography
Portrait Photographer Serving Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia
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