It was a beautiful day for a family portrait session with Heather, Hari, and their daughter. We met in Old Town Alexandria, in an area off the beaten path that offers a wide variety of aesthetics for portraits. The historic Windmill Hill Park south of the main downtown area is a great spot to start. During non-peak times, It’s a great area for parking which is usually available right there on South Union Street.
Windmill Hill Park is one of the oldest parks in Alexandria, dating back to the late 1700s. The waterfront area nearby offers beautiful corridors of preserved natural coastlines, complete with big boulders that line the waterfront. The Wilkes Street Tunnel is another cool spot to check out. It was built in the early 1800s as part of the city’s efforts to improve transportation and connect the waterfront with the rest of the city. The tunnel was originally used by horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians, but it is now closed to vehicles and is a popular spot for photographers and locals looking to explore the city’s history. It’s common for runners and cyclists to make their way through the tunnel, so watch out if you’re taking photos there.
Heather arrived a little after Hari, a bit frazzled from a call with work, but she had a great attitude and was excited to get started. She was more than ready to make some jokes about it. We moved over to Shipyard Park across the street for some photos of the family on the big boulders. We let Heather and Hari’s daughter lead the way, and she thought we should visit the Wilkes Street Tunnel. Good idea. We got some really cute photos there, capturing the family’s fun personalities.
After the tunnel, we looped around and walked up Gibbon Street back towards the water, taking photos in little nooks and crannies along the way. We finished up the session back at Shipyard Park closer to the Patomac River. The sun had dipped behind the skyline and gave us some of the nicest light of the session. My favorite shot from the shoot took place right at the end. It’s an understated black and white photo of Heather and Hari’s daughter, arms outstretched against a clear sunset sky with this excited look of anticipation on her face. It was really a great session with a fun family, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.
