A newly engaged couple holding a cute dog. Photograph by Anne Lord PhotographyPhotograph by Anne Lord Photography

Anne Lord, The Leesburg, Virginia Photographer You have been looking for!

/in , , , , , /by

This article first appeared in June 2020 and was updated November 2023

Having had a passion for photography for many years, Anne Lord knew that was what she wanted to do with her life. Her passion for her art, her love of meeting people (and pets), and over 20+ years of experience in the field of photography—whether weddings, engagements, family, or corporate—are what make her a great photographer in the Leesburg, Virginia area.

Engagement

An couple celebrate their engagement on a lake with a setting sun. Photograph by Anne Lord PhotographyIf you are seeking an engagement photographer, Anne Lord has the excitement and vision to bring you amazing images that showcase your personalities and love for one another. Couples are also encouraged to bring their pets to the photo session. Often times Anne likes to use an engagement session to find the best poses and most flattering angles that can be repeated for the wedding itself.

Wedding

Anne offers limited wedding photography on a case-by-case basis. She has photographed hundreds of weddings in the Leesburg, Virginia/Metro DC area, Loudoun County, and the surrounding communities. She enjoys the creative opportunities that shooting a wedding allows, using her talent and knowledge to cover all aspects of a wedding and the special requests of the happy couple.

Family, Children, Seniors, and Pets

If you are looking for a fun and informal family portrait, Anne is able to bring your ideas to life. Whether in her studio or in a beautiful landscape in Leesburg, Virginia, Anne loves capturing families—immediate and extended— enjoying their time together. She is great with children with sessions that focus solely on your little ones’ individual personality and exuberance for life. Many families also like to use this opportunity to create a fun creative senior portrait for those graduating. As an avid pet lover, Anne lord doesn’t forget the four-legged members of the family! She enjoys photographing pets and capturing their unique personalities and quirks as well.

Corporate Headshot and Seniors

There are many forms of photography, including corporate photography. This type of photography is not only an art, but a science. Anne Lord uses her love of meeting and interacting with people to help put subjects at ease and produce complimentary and appropriate images of CEO’s, partners, board members, and everyone involved with the team. Applying her photography and people skills Anne is able to take headshots that reflect the message that the individual or team want people to connect with. Photographs are taken on location in the Virginia, Maryland, DC metro area.

Choose Anne Lord for your photography needs today

If you would like high quality photographs and a great experience for your photography needs, let us start a discussion of what you have in mind. Call Anne at (703) 435-5292 or email anne@annelordphotography.com to discuss your needs, or to schedule a photo shoot.

 

Couple lying on the wooden bridge with dog in the middle | Anne Lord PhotographyAnne Lord Photography

Fun Props for Your Engagement Photography Session

/in , , /by

If you are having your engagement photos taken, having a prop or two handy can add to the creativity and personality of your images. It can also be a tool to help get you comfortable in front of the camera. Your engagement shoot can be much like a practice run for the big day, but it is also about capturing part of your love story. It is a time to use your engagement photo session to get your jitters out, get comfortable with your photographer, and most of all, have fun! 

1. Bring your pet

As an experienced Leesburg, VA wedding photographer, Anne Lord offers the ideal location for your special photo session. She also provides advice on what to wear, what to bring and how to prepare. Some of the best engagement shots are of the couple and their furry friend(s). As an avid pet lover, Anne enjoys breaking the ice and helping you and your significant other relax in front of the camera by capturing the dynamic between your personalities and your pet. It as an extra level of warmth and brings out the natural in all of you. After all a pet does not usually put on airs. They are themselves in most situations.

2. Bring an “Engaged” banner or personalized sign

Banners and personalized signs are not only popular right now, but also versatile. You can hang one up as an engagement photo backdrop or hold it up yourselves from either end. If you are including a four-legged friend in your engagement shoot, you can have your pet wear the banner or a sign celebrating your engagement. 

3. Engagement champagne flutes

Toast to the future with festive engagement-themed champagne flutes. It is not only a fun way to show off your ring, but you can also use personalized champagne flutes to show off your personalities with funny quotes and sayings. 

4. Engagement or Save-the-Date signs

If you are taking engagement photos for your save-the-dates, make sure to not forget the wedding date! If these photos are not for save-the-dates, you can still commemorate your engagement date or your wedding date. Either way, you can use a customizable number for a great photo prop. 

5. Bride and Groom mugs

Having an outdoor engagement session? Why don’t you and your significant other bring along personalized engagement mugs and a blanket for a romantic photo session. Leesburg, Virginia photographer, Anne Lord, knows the local communities and the best locations for taking breathtaking outdoor photos to showcase your romance. Anne has a perfect spot that she likes to use near the Potomac River that provides a beautiful backdrop for you and your loved one to cuddle up on a blanket and toast to your future! 

Choose Anne Lord for your Engagement photography! 

If you are searching for an experienced engagement photographer in and around the Leesburg, Virginia area, please send Anne an email at anne@annelordphotography.com or to start a conversation on what you have in mind call (703) 435-5292.

Couple sweetly staring at each other wearing blue | Anne Lord PhotographyAnne Lord Photography

Engaged In 2021? 5 Tips From Your Wedding Photographer

/in , , /by

Getting married in 2020 proved challenging, but what will 2021 look like? Clients and wedding vendors alike are hopeful now that the Covid-19 vaccine rollout is going well. However, how does that affect you and your future wedding planning? Here are 5 timely tips and trends for your engagement from Leesburg, Virginia wedding photographer Anne Lord. Remember, no matter what that your engagement and pending wedding are a time to celebrate!

1.  Make an Engagement Bubble

First and foremost, remember to take time for each other throughout the engagement and wedding planning. Grab a romantic dinner, just you two. Take the time to go stargazing or make your own drive-in movie where you can snuggle up and enjoy each other.

2.  Stay Flexible

If you are considering getting married later this year when Covid restrictions are expected to lessen, make sure to get as much information as possible. Wedding vendors and venues might be in short supply, or weekend wedding dates are few and far between. If you find vendors and venues are ready for you, then start planning as soon as possible. If having a prime date and the best vendors is paramount for you two, then consider 2022. Try not to stress out about it —  stay flexible and if needed, seek help from a local wedding planner.

3.  Smaller Can Be Bigger

Guest lists may have gotten smaller, but a micro wedding is not your only option. This crazy past year has led to some really creative ideas for getting married. More and more couples are planning multiple celebrations and shift weddings (this is where guests arrive at staggered times). Technology is also being utilized more by creating private Facebook groups and websites where guests can interact with one another before and during the ceremony. These options have also opened up the “weekday wedding”. By hosting a wedding on a non-peak day of the week you can save lots of money. However, you will want to research if this is an option with your desired venue.

4.  Personalized Service and Décor for Beautiful Wedding Photos

With social distancing now firmly ingrained in our culture, more couples are choosing to have servers taking drink orders at tables, plated meals (restaurant style), and more dramatic ceremony back drops or floral chandeliers. With this new added emphasis on color schemes, floral installations, and table décor, make sure to schedule time with your Leesburg Virginia wedding photographer so she is ready to capture every detail of your big day.

5.  Nostalgic Details

With change comes nostalgia, and where better to capture those moments to look back on them with your family on your wedding day. More and more couples are putting an emphasis on looking back at the couples who went before them by honoring their parents generations. Plan and prioritize with your Leesburg, Virginia photographer before the wedding to determine what you would like with regard to family photographs. Maybe you want those special images of the different generation of women in your family, or the different couples who have inspired you and your partner.

Anne Lord: Your Engagement and Wedding Photographer

As an experienced Leesburg Virginia wedding photographer, Anne Lord loves to capture the passion, joy, and hope that every wedding exudes. You can browse her engagement and wedding portfolio to get a better idea of her work. Are you ready to discuss your big day? Contact her at 703-435-5292 or anne@annelordphotography.com and let’s talk about your ideas.

Anne Lord Photography - engagement photo of a young man and woman embracingAnne Lord Photography

3 Tips For Feeling Comfortable During Your Engagement Photo Shoot

/in , , , , , /by

Engagement photos can be a nerve-wracking process, especially if you are not fond of being in front of the camera. As a Leesburg, Virginia wedding photographer with over 19 years of experience, Anne Lord has a few tips to help you feel more comfortable taking your engagement photos.

1) Feeling comfortable with your photographer

Your engagement should be about being in love, soaking up the excitement, and getting ready to start a brand-new journey together. You should take every opportunity to celebrate, and an engagement photography session is a fun, informal way to celebrate just the two of you! It also will give you the opportunity to feel more comfortable with your wedding photographer before the big day. You will get to work out all the quirks and be more relaxed in front of the camera. All while getting to know the other person you will spend your entire wedding day with.

Your engagement photographer will get a chance to gauge you as a couple, how you connect, and the best way to capture that. Some couples are quiet and intimate, while some are very energetic and vivacious. The more you know about each other, the more natural and relaxed you will feel on your wedding day.

Most couples are not comfortable in front of the camera, so this can be much like a practice run before the big day. There is so little time on your wedding day for couple shots. You do not want to spend the first half of your photo session warming up or figuring anything out. Having an engagement shoot is also a great way to have some gorgeous portraits of you and your loved one together. You could even use them for the wedding invites or your guestbook, and of course creates great social media content.

2) Wear something that is comfortable and gives confidence

It may seem silly, but if you do not pick an outfit you are comfortable in for your photo session, you could potentially spend your whole time picking at your clothes or covering yourself up. If you choose something you have not worn before, you will be worried about how you look in it or may discover it is actually quite uncomfortable. This discomfort can translate into how you come across in your photos. This does not mean you cannot ever choose a new outfit for your engagement shoot. If you do purchase something new, take it out for a test run and make sure you like both the fit and the feel. You want to choose outfits that make you feel like a million bucks. Anne aims for a casual, relaxed time and therefore suggests a casual outfit as opposed to being very dressy.  Oftentimes Anne will have the couple pose on the ground, so shorts or short skirts are generally not recommended.

The thing to remember is that these photos are representative of your own personalities, so you should feel like yourselves and dress like yourselves too!

3) Choose a comfortable location

Location can be everything, so think about what you really love as a couple and what place reflects it. That said, Anne has a perfect spot near the Potomac River that she generally uses and that works well with great photo opportunities.

Typically, Anne finds that men are more uncomfortable in front of the camera than the ladies.  She tries to keep the photo session fairly short and fun. The couple get to know her better and on the big day the groom is more comfortable having already met Anne and knowing she will do a great job in a short space of time.

Another reason for a comfortable outdoor location is Anne (being an avid pet lover) always asks if the couple have a dog they would like included in the session.  Couples are more relaxed when they have their pets with them and not all the attention is being focused on just them.

To sum up, relax and remember this next season of life is going to be one of the best!

Choose Anne Lord for your Engagement photography!

If you are searching for an experienced engagement and wedding photographer, please send Anne an email at anne@annelordphotography.com or to start a conversation on what you have in mind call (703) 435-5292.

Couples are ­always welcome to include their pets in the session since we are pet friendly.

Anne Lord Photography

Plan Your 2021 Wedding – Leesburg, Virginia Photographer For Your Engagement And Wedding Photos

/in , , /by

Times may be a little crazy right now, but for next year, a lot of couples have their weddings to look forward to! Now is the time to plan and think about engagement photos and lining up a photographer for the big day. Anne Lord, a Leesburg, Virginia photographer brings 19 years of experience in engagement and wedding photography to any couple she photographs.

Using the same photographer for both your engagement and wedding photos ensure that your wedding images are the best they can be because you have already built a rapport with your photographer. There is a comfort and trust that is built during the engagement session with your wedding photographer. Here are 3 reasons to use the same photographer for both joyous events in your life.

1.   Being comfortable with your wedding photographer

Engagement sessions are a great way to get to know your photographer, and for your photographer to get to know you as a couple. Through your session, engagement photographer Anne Lord likes to help make couples feel more comfortable and natural in front of the camera with the aim of ‘bringing out’ your genuine personalities. Knowing that you and your loved one are not professional models Anne uses her experience and skill to capture images of poses that are both flattering and natural. Discovering these things during your engagement session reduces the guesswork on your wedding day.

2.   Knowing what to expect for your wedding portraits

Every photographer works differently, so using the same photographer can help streamline your wedding day portraits. You will already be comfortable with your photographer and know the level of involvement and direction that your photographer is striving for. Your engagement session can provide a glimpse of how you and your loved one will feel being photographed on your wedding day. Having photographed many engagements and wedding days, Anne Lord of Leesburg Virginia and the surrounding communities, likes to also capture events as they naturally unfold in front of her. By having one photographer for your engagement shoot, and another photographer for you wedding day, each photographer may focus more on staging or posing moments to look genuine since they have not been able to build a rapport from a previous shoot. Knowing exactly what to expect from your photographer on your big day will put your mind at ease.

3.   Cohesive images from your engagement session to your big day

By using the same photographer for engagement and wedding photos, you ensure a cohesive style of imagery and aesthetic for all your engagement and wedding images. Some photographers like to emphasize color and high saturation, eccentric lighting, or sharp contrast in their images. By having the same photographer for both big events your photos will complement each other and have the same pleasing aesthetic. Instead of different styles and flow, they would be a natural continuation from your engagement photos to your wedding day photos.

Another advantage is that if you like what your photographer did with your engagement photos, you will have security in knowing that your photographer will take care of all your photography needs leaving one less thing to worry about on your big day. Also, if you like your engagement photographer, then you already have your wedding photographer right in front of you!

Choose Anne Lord for Your Engagement and Wedding Photography!

If you are searching for an experienced engagement and wedding photographer, please send me an email at anne@annelordphotography.com or let us start a conversation on what you have in mind — call me at (703) 435-5292.

 

Note of Recognition: Anne Lord Photography would like to thank the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development for their resources and support of local businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.

Anne Lord Photography

With COVID Restrictions Lifting, It is Time to Celebrate Your Engagement!

/in , , /by

With restrictions lifting in and around the Washington, D.C. area, parks, scenic overlooks, and other outdoor options are now accessible for taking environmental engagement photos that were put on hold due to the Coronavirus.

Now is the time to start enjoying and showing off the new phase in your life; being engaged! As an experienced wedding photographer in Leesburg, Virginia, I have the equipment and the know-how to get the best quality photos of you and your loved one while following safety protocols that make you feel comfortable.

Schedule a time

Even though restrictions are being lifted, safety precautions are still strongly being advised. One way to follow social distancing but also getting the engagement photos you have always wanted is by planning where you would like to have the shoot ahead of time. I like to schedule a shoot for the late afternoon, early evening, just before sunset. This allows for the best light to capture your special moments. I also keep my sessions short and fun. By planning the engagement shoot ahead of time, you are expediting the process and taking into consideration what is going on around you.

Your imagination is the limit

Getting to help you create the images of your engagement is a privilege and I love seeing what my clients come up with for their photos. It is your engagement, showcasing you and your love. The sky is the limit on the poses and composition you want. Along with your ideas, as I get to know your personalities and relationship, I can help suggest ideas as well. I use my experience, skills, and technique to help pose my clients in a way that is both flattering and natural. I also like to encourage couples to bring along their pet if they have one. Pets bring an added natural bit of fun to any shoot.

Anne Lord: Your engagement photographer

I have been photographing weddings in Leesburg, Virginia for over 19 years, and the experience always moves me. The opportunity to capture the joy, passion, and love during an engagement shoot never ceases to amaze me. If you are searching for an experienced engagement photographer, please send me an email at anne@annelordphotography.com or let’s start a discussion of what you have in mind — call me at (703) 435-5292.

Couple lying on the grass with their cat | Anne Lord Photography

Hana and Jeff’s Engagement

/in /by

Hana & Jeff had their engagement session on Sunday. They are pet friendly so we immediately connected and had a great time together.

In fact they really wanted some pics with Mr. Higgins who was hanging around the whole time. He sort of obliged. I’m so looking forward to working with them for their wedding in November.

 

HJe0132 HJe0122 HJe0112 HJe0086 HJe0056

Couple leaning against wall

Liz and Spencer’s Engagement Session

/in /by

I had a great time with Liz and Spencer for their engagement session earlier this week.  Alexandria holds a special place in their heart so it meant so much to them to do the session there.

It was a glorious day – and so many interesting places to explore.  Looking forward to their wedding at Bluemont Vineyard, Virginia, next year. 

LSe0005 LSe0011 LSe0017 LSe0028 LSe0053 LSe0081 LSe0091 LSe0138

jackie and john engagement

Jackie & John’s Engagement

/in /by

Jackie & John decided to have an urban style shoot at the Town Center.  They are a fun couple and the Reston Town Center provided a great backdrop for the shoot.

JJe0250 JJe0226 JJe0188 JJe0175 JJe0163 JJe0145 JJe0121 JJe0109 JJe0108 JJe0073

joyce and ian engagement

Joyce & Ian Engagement Session

/in /by

Joyce and Ian came through for their engagement session on Sunday and included their adorable Pekingese dog called May.  What a dear sweet girl May is!  The garden has just blossomed and we had a great time together.  I’m looking forward to their wedding in September at Thomas Birkby House in Leesburg, Virginia.JIe0003 JIe0008 JIe0042 JIe0047 JIe0091