Behind the Lens Bio: Karalyn

Every photographer will shoot a variety of subjects in their career. I have photographed men, women, children, couples, families, groups. I have probably photographed 1000 subjects but I have to say my favorite subject to shoot is my dog Mya.

Mya is my black lab that I have had for 4 years. Ever since I brought her home from the pound, I have loved photographing her. What is great about Mya is that she can be really calm and still and other times will be very active, allowing for some awesome action shots.

Every photographer has their favorite place to photograph or favorite subject to shoot. For me it is Mya. I have included some pictures below so you all can see how cute and wonderful she is!

Potomac Photographer Karalyn 

What to Wear to a Photo Shoot Tips

Potomac Photography offers great portrait packages and we would love for you to book your next photo shoot with us! But after you do schedule the shoot, your next question becomes, What Do I Wear?! Most people struggle with what to wear. Casual or Dressy? Matching or Individual Style? There are many options to choose from and we want to help you make the right choice!

Below we have included some tips for what to wear or not wear during a photo shoot. We hope these help you decide on your next portrait’s style. And of course, we are always here for advice!

Senior Portraits:

One good example is most High School Seniors want to do high fashion looks for their senior pictures. And who can blame them? But chances are some family members, probably including Mom, would prefer some more traditional portrait pictures so make sure to bring multiple outfits. Then you have the advantage of choosing the ones you like after they are done. 

Family Portraits:

For family portraits, choose clothing that will not look ‘dated’ in 5 years. If your family is laid back, chances are you might choose jeans. You can always dress up a little by adding button down shirts. If you are more formal try sport jackets and dresses. If you are having trouble getting your kids ready for the shoot, make a compromise with them. They choose one wardrobe and you choose the other. 

The Basic Dos and Don’ts:

Do pick clothes that are comfortable

Do try on all the clothes before the photo shoot

Do remember to coordinate nail colors (both hands and feet), 

   especially if you wearing open toed shoes

Do remember you want some contrast

Do have a bright light on when picking clothes so you know what 

   they will look like on camera

Don’t worry about bringing too many clothes

Don’t forget to get your nails down, chipped nails will show on 

   camera

Don’t bring clothes with busy patterns 

Potomac's 6 Month Anniversary

Today marks the 6 month anniversary since Potomac Photography opened our studio in downtown DC! We cannot be more pleased and happy with the decision to open our doors and have been so thankful for the wonderful response we have received. Our clients have welcomed us into the DC community and we would like to say Thank You to everyone who has helped us along the way.

As a thank you to the DC community, we want to share with you our top 10 places for photography. Maybe you will discover a new place to visit!

1) Eastern Market

2) The Tidal Basin

3) Georgetown

4) The Phillips Collection Museum

5) Arlington Cemetery

6) The National Mall

7) The Newseum

8) Theodore Roosevelt Island

9) Iwo Jima Memorial

10) Nationals Stadium

For more ideas, read this Article by Frommer’s and their favorite places for photography in DC.

Our Customers Have Spoken: Our New Facebook Logo!

To help illustrate to our clients that Potomac Photography is a customer-centered studio, we asked you, our clients, to help us choose our new Facebook Logo. For the past week, people would vote in our Facebook poll for their favorite logo and our customers sure loved this opportunity. We had an outstanding response, showing us, and other businesses, that customers love to be involved in decisions that affect their bottom line.

And our customers have spoken. The favorite and new Facebook logo for Potomac Photography is the Forest Film! We love this new logo and feels that it exemplifies the Potomac brand of creativity and photojournalistic style, as well as showing our dedication to the DC community. We also love it because our customers love it!

We want to thank everyone who participated in this poll. We are happy our customers care about Potomac Photography and want a say in our business!

Behind the Lens Bio: Laura

When I was given my first camera I fell in love. The smooth, rounded edges, the noise of the shutter, the light of the flash. All the buttons and dials and knobs. Each making the camera accomplish something different. For years I took photography classes and lessons after school and when I was finally old enough to be on my Middle School newspaper staff, I jumped at the opportunity.

At first I wasn’t even allowed to have a school camera but as my experience grew, I was given more opportunities. When I was 14 my picture from the boys basketball game was on the front page of the newspaper. The sight of seeing my picture on the front page is a feeling I will never forget. And that feeling has stayed since, motivating me, inspiring me.

As I once had my picture on the front page of my Middle School newspaper, I dream that one day I will have another front page picture. This time with the Washington Post.

Here is to hoping and hard work,

Potomac Photographer Laura

Photography Tips

As Photographers, we understand the difficult and complicated facets of photography. We have studied, practiced, and experimented with photography for over 10 years each because our studio thrives when our clients can see our level of knowledge and skill. We hope that people see these skills and recognize the wonderful memories they are cherishing buy hiring Potomac Photography. But we also know people love taking pictures during everyday moments. Whether you are taking the dog for a walk, cooking with your kids, or playing games as a family, we understand people want the basic photography skills to take some good photos.

To help equip everyone with some basic photography skills and knowledge, we have posted an article with great information from BetterPhotography.com. They offer ten great tips for taking better photos:

1.       Get in closer

2.       Be quick

3.       Compose with care

4.       Be selective

5.       Focus on your subject

6.       Experiment with time

7.       Look at the light

8.       Watch the weather

9.       Keep it simple

10.    Be bold

Be sure to read the article because they discuss each tip in depth so you get a great understanding! Good luck!

Photography Tip Article

Help Make Potomac More Personal to You!

We cannot tell you the number of businesses we deal with that are supposedly ‘customer oriented’ yet make policies and decisions that make everyone’s life more difficult. If the customer is paying the business, then shouldn’t the customer have a say? Shouldn’t the customer feel included and important in business policies that affect their service?

At Potomac we feel just that. We truly value our customer’s opinions and to illustrate this core mission of our studio, we want you, our customers, to help us create our identity. For the next week, Monday – Friday, we will be holding a poll where we want you to decide our next Facebook Logo. We value your opinion because after all, you are the ones hiring us! All you have to do is view our Facebook album, ‘Facebook Logos,’ and then vote for your favorite in the poll on our Facebook Wall. The winning Logo will be uploaded on Saturday.

Below are the logo choices for you to view but do not forget to vote on our Facebook Wall!

"The Forest Film"

"The Capitol Canvas"

"The Flag Frame"

Or the current "Memorial Memory"