sypherphotography

Marisa and Francis (6.11.11)

2011-06-19T16:08:00.003-04:00

Jenn and Jason (6.4.11)

2011-06-19T15:45:00.008-04:00

Meredith and Kurt (5.7.11)

2011-05-31T22:32:00.011-04:00

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T19:41:00.002-05:00

Jan and Don: Hot & Spicy After 25 Years

2010-09-19T09:55:00.009-04:00

Rachel and Jarett (9.4.10)

2010-09-17T21:03:00.001-04:00

Karyn and Adam (9.3.10)

2010-09-13T20:38:00.015-04:00

Back from Summer "Vacation"

2010-09-13T20:21:00.002-04:00

The idiom "when the cat's away, the mice will play" backfired in my face so badly in the beginning of June I'm compelled to ask myself "what would Sahar do" whenever she goes out of town now...because she certainly wouldn't have gone riding the day before class without doing her reading or homework. Conversely, what married guy worries about going out for a ride that he's done every Tuesday night for about 10 years with the same 25 clowns if his wife's out of town? While swinging around some guy to take a pull I managed to hit something (that wasn't pointed out) at about 30mph. The result was a broken collar bone (no big deal), broken gleniod and scapula (those two hurt...really, really badly). A five hour operation, 3 plates and about 16 screws later I'm the Bionic Photographer.

Anna and Tony May 22, 2010

2010-05-29T08:43:00.007-04:00

Welcome to the Club

2010-05-23T20:49:00.002-04:00

Tell me about it Brother...
Eight years and counting for me!

Alina and Marc (5.15.10)

2010-05-17T20:41:00.010-04:00

Signs of Spring

2010-04-04T22:28:00.014-04:00

Two cookouts within 18 hours, a hike with the wife and weasels when it's almost too cold for shorts followed by some grape juice at a place where I'll be shooting a wedding in the fall...awesome weekend!

(Route 601 connects Sky Meadows, which is just starting to green-up, and the land of grape juice in Bluemont...and the cookout on Saturday blew away the 'brats and burgers I made on Friday)

Happy Birthday!!!

2010-04-04T16:24:00.002-04:00

To my wife

Cohos in the Snow

2010-03-03T21:12:00.006-05:00

The biggest snowfall in the history of DC didn't dampen spirits or hinder a beautiful wedding (although I did have some concerns about the portrait locations...but it's not like #1 would let Lafayette Park go unshoveled, right?)

Sherrie and Tony (09.05.2009)

2009-09-09T05:23:00.013-04:00

Jenn and Patrick

2009-09-04T21:41:00.005-04:00

LaWanda and Sherwood

2009-09-04T21:19:00.007-04:00

This is it for this week...

2009-06-26T22:02:00.003-04:00

I'm photographing a wedding on Saturday, and for the first time in a long time, I will not have the rights to the images.

I'd hate to not update the blog, so here we are...

Veronica and Poya (6.13.09)

2009-06-17T15:28:00.009-04:00

I guess I've gotten a little lucky lately with two garden weddings in a row! The flower girl was pretty funny. She got a little stage fright and bolted down the aisle, which did not really surprise me, she was only 2!

(Supreme) Court Date

2009-06-16T08:08:00.005-04:00

Something that is talked about by photojournalists/photographers, usually to other photojournalists/photographers, is how (un)interesting people are that they photograph while they're working. I shot a job last week for a big corporation. They were taking their CEO and Executive Board (from all over the globe) around D.C., for the best tour that I've ever been witness to.

Above is Justice Stephen Breyer, of the United States Supreme Court...and he is most definitely one of the most interesting people that I have ever heard speak.

Geraldine and Matt...and a beautiful garden wedding!

2009-06-09T15:04:00.007-04:00

Memorial Day Weekend Weddings; Two Days to Remember: Liz and Jim (5.23.09) and Nathalie and Brian (5.24.09)

2009-05-26T11:55:00.020-04:00

Congratulations, and Thank You for your Service!

Maria and Jason (5.10.09)

2009-05-17T11:12:00.008-04:00

Nicole and James (5.9.09)

2009-05-17T10:52:00.009-04:00

Cadence and Anthony (5.8.09)

2009-05-17T10:12:00.009-04:00

Mai and Michael, Round 2

2009-04-30T21:28:00.022-04:00

Mai and Michael's Tea Ceremony

2009-04-29T23:27:00.008-04:00

Awesome wedding, awesome couple...more to come...

"Not Dead, Just Reston" (dg, 2002)

2009-04-29T22:54:00.010-04:00

What's left of the first newspaper I ever worked for. My memories are so fond of the job, so different from the reality of what's happening to the newspaper industry now. Looking at the photos reminds of what my in-laws tell me about growing up in Afghanistan, before the Russians invaded.

Michelle and Robin (3.28.09)

2009-04-01T22:01:00.007-04:00

Jessie and Ross (2.28.09)

2009-03-01T22:14:00.009-05:00

(This was a really fun wedding, I'm glad that I got to shoot it!)

Lemon Drop?

2009-02-28T23:07:00.002-05:00

Party People, It's on. Wedding Season is upon us (me). I had an awesome one today...but more on that after I've had a chance to process and reflect.
M

Meet the Goodsports

2009-02-23T11:33:00.003-05:00

I mean their names are not really Mr. and Mrs. Goodsport, but any couple willing to be this loving after 50 minutes of 28 degree cold and 30 mph gusts during an engagement shoot deserve some props, right?

Anybody else ready for Spring? (I now hate groundhogs)

M

Speedo

2009-02-18T08:20:00.002-05:00

It's a rare occasion when I get to go swimming in February. Those core and vinyasa yoga classes have started to pay off, I'm finally looking forward to swimsuit season again. (A bonus) from an editorial assignment last week.

Pro-Palestinian Supporters Take to the Streets of DC

2008-12-30T22:12:00.007-05:00

I went downtown today to check out how people are reacting to the latest round of Middle East violence. I drove by the Embassy of Israel yesterday and not a soul was there. I was surprised by the size of the crowd today, and by the fact that no shoes were thrown onto the lawn as the caravan passed by 1600 Pa. Avenue.

Chilly Morning

2008-12-23T09:01:00.003-05:00

It's been a while since I woke up early with the sole reason of warming up Sahar's car so she didn't have to freeze on top of having a long commute. Today was one of those days.

Marianne and Josh (Late November)

2008-12-21T18:28:00.011-05:00

Where are the Chestnuts?

2008-12-10T22:19:00.004-05:00

Funny thing happened Tuesday night. After a thirty minute "core" workout, which really consisted of myself trying to hide behind my classmates exercise balls to avoid ridicule from the instructor (who knows my name and is apparently not afraid to call out individuals in class, a slightly masochistic form of motivation).
Upon returning to my neighborhood I noticed a ball of flames on the side of the road. The police confirmed my suspicion, it was an intentional fire. A witness said that they saw two people running away from the car just before it exploded.

Centreville...who would have guessed?

Cheryl and Thann

2008-11-23T02:31:00.014-05:00

Seventeen Steps

2008-11-14T11:06:00.002-05:00

I'm thinking that the saying "everything happens for a reason" is a harder sell to some people than others. Early this March Kendra left her house on her way to school when a driver crossed into her lane and forced her off the road and into the woods.

I ran into her father, Ed, at Liberty's prom and asked him how he and his family was doing. I knew that Kalani didn't have the best luck in the draft and it was confirmed to me that he was indeed going to be heading to the land of maple syrup to begin his professional football career. He then introduced me to his daughter and told me about what had happened on the morning of March 4th. Not only that she had been in a coma, but also flat-lined on the way to the hospital in the helicopter. I immediately knew that it would be a good idea to spend as much time as possible with her and do a story in the newspaper that would conclude around the time that the students would be getting out of school for the summer. If a picture could deter just one kid from getting behind the wheel drunk or getting in the car with someone that had been drinking it would be well worth my time.

Kendra and I are actually polar opposites. She had a flawless driving record. When I was her age I had already crashed two cars and gotten in trouble for drag racing on my motorcycle...(I'll stop now because this list could go on for a while)
Above Kendra rehabilitates her right hand and wrist with Occupational Therapist Alicia Lutman on a device called the "power web", which strengthens the extensor muscles.
Scars from a tracheotomy.

One of the real "hooks" for this story for me was Kendra's drive to walk across the stage at her high school graduation. Before her accident she had her sights on setting the squat record at her high school. She was working out with 365 lbs. The football coach joked that she's stronger than half of the football team. Seeing her at physical therapy with Kristine Trimble really brought to my attention just how precious life is.
Kendra did all of her school work at her family's dinner table. Being the daughter of two teachers must have been a big help. Her mother, Lynettee, took time away from teaching to stay home with her.

Some things got a little crazy in the office just before graduation and I had to fire up an old D1X after borrowing a charger from a buddy. I never thought that the thing would make an appearance again...

When I got to the Nissan Pavilion on Saturday Kendra informed me that she and her doctors think that she tore her ACL during rehab. (Later I found out that she had strained her hamstring, a silver lining all things considered.) I got a little bummed. I didn't have the nerve to ask her if she thought that she could walk. "I'm sorry to hear that" was all I could really say. My stomach felt a little queasy with disappointment for her. Coming so far (death in fact) to doing pretty well in physical therapy in the weeks leading up to graduation and then re-injuring herself...what a bummer I thought.

As the "H's" started being announced by the senior class advisor I asked a little boy that was playing on the railing next to me to count the steps that Kendra would be taking, if in fact she wasn't going to be rolling across the stage in her wheelchair. As her name was called I was surprised to see her with cane in hand, doing her best one step at a time.

Khami and Berhe (Early November)

2008-11-13T14:41:00.011-05:00

Khamvilay and Berhe's recpetion was a unique celebration of Eritrean and Laotian cultures. It was awesome to witness beautiful people having such a good time.

Dancing Dana and Jammin' Jeff (Sometime in October)

2008-11-06T13:10:00.020-05:00

The Voters Have Spoken, Still Can't Believe "C" Student Was Reelected in '04

2008-11-05T13:01:00.015-05:00

Obama in Manassas, Party at the Moon Tower

2008-11-04T12:36:00.015-05:00

Timing being "everything", as they say, Senator Barak Obama's last campaign stop coincided with the first campaign stop that I actually covered of his, so when it was over I'm guessing we were both equally exhausted and probably glad all we had to do the next day was vote, and maybe update our blogs...if we had the energy.

It's amazing how much these things take out of you! I left the house at 3:00 p.m. to make sure I got there for the press check-in at 4 p.m...for what was supposed to be a 9 p.m. concert. The Senator (at time of publishing) was running late, so 9 p.m. turned into 10:39 p.m., and I finally got back to the ranch at 2:15 a.m., after driving 11 miles in a little over two hours (that was actually the best part, I was thrilled to finally get to know my car's seat that much better).

As you can see, the band had the crowd rockin', and I think that all 85,000 people there (not including the 2,300 members of the "media") will remember the event fondly.

Don't forget to vote!

Emily and Ryan: The Super Wedding (9.20.08)

2008-09-25T18:03:00.022-04:00

The stars must have been in alignment for Emily and Ryan, but a little planning went into the photography as well. Margaret hired me as a second shooter for this occasion, for which I am really thankful. As we were planning the photography she mentioned that the couple would be leaving the church in a convertible...which ended up being an Austin Healey...an amazing little car to drive on an 80-degree day near Charles Town, WVa..
Margaret told me that she had a sunroof, which ended up being key in making some great photos of Emily and Ryan on the way back to Ryan's parents house, where the reception was held.
After standing on her car seat and shooting with my head sticking (way) out of a sunroof for about 12 miles, my hair was a bit windblown...but the pictures were well worth it!

This Just In: Wedding Photographer Carries a Big Lens!

2008-09-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

"WOW, that's a big lens"...I've been getting it a lot lately when I carry my Nikon 300(mm) (f)2.8 and I usually respond with something friendly like "are you making a pass at me...sorry, I'm already taken", and I flash my wedding band and smile. Spending the past 8 years photographing mostly for newspapers was great training for a photojournalist transitioning into wedding photography, or wedding photojournalism, or documentary wedding photography...whatever you want to call it.

With newspaper photography comes sports assignments, and that means you need long glass to get tight pictures. In a way shooting weddings for me is very similar to shooting a Redskins game, save for the cold hot dogs in the press room. Wedding ceremonies are special, sacred and emotional...and can't be interrupted by a photographer.

A big reason clients hire me and other photographers that have a lot of editorial experience to photograph their weddings is because we have been trained to sometimes hang back, frame a picture and let the moment happen. My clients are often surprised when they see images from their wedding and say to me "I don't even remember you being there". It's a great thing to hear.

Every time I pull the 300mm out of my car before a wedding I think of what a local Time magazine contract photographer, Chris Usher, used to tell me..."tight is right."

Ashley and Barek (9.12.08)

2008-09-17T16:37:00.000-04:00

Jennifer, Jason and Hurricane Hannah (9.6.08)

2008-09-17T13:48:00.000-04:00

With any luck we're done with hurricanes trying to wreak havoc on wedding days for the year, it makes it really, really hard to do the portraits.
Despite the torrential rains the Bride's spirit could not have been any brighter (and it did let up enough for some nice pictures during the reception).