Lara Swanson Photo » Nontraditional, Offbeat and Alternative Photographer

MJ and Corey threw an incredibly chic and fun wedding at the Mandarin Oriental. It was clear that the guests had as much fun as MJ and Corey did; it made Joanie’s and my work easier! This was also fun for another reason: it was the mosts challenging ceremony I’d ever photographed. The 5 o’clock sun was just above the heads of the bridal party on the platform, meaning I had to crouch on the ground to get the officiant’s head to block the rays from streaming directly into my lens. Of course, I wanted to do artistic work with it too, because when do you ever get powerful light like that? :) I love the outcome. MJ and Corey, thank you so much for letting us be a part of your wedding!

The Presidential motorcade drove by:

Corey rocked out with the band during the reception:

I’ve begun to feel old now that I need more than one hand to count the years I’ve known the people I’m photographing. I met Ebie my freshman year of college at AU; we lived either across the hall or a few floors away from each other all four years that we went to school.

I photographed Tina and Kat’s maternity portraits over a year ago! They now have a beautiful baby boy, Aidan, who was an absolute sweetheart and made my job a piece of cake.

I mean, really, look at that face.

Brad and I had a delightful time at Sara and Jeffrey’s autumnal wedding at Poplar Springs in Midland, VA. The colors were absolutely gorgeous – all deep reds, purples and browns – and complemented beautifully by the weather we had later in the afternoon. Enjoy the slideshow!

We joined MJ and Corey at the Mandarin Oriental on Saturday, and it was a gorgeous afternoon. Joanie and I had a total blast hanging out with their friends and family and are so eager to share our favorite photos with you! Enjoy the slideshow.

Amy and Cole are incredibly sweet and wonderful to be around, as were the friends and family that surrounded them on their wedding day. Kelly and I had a great time photographing their wedding – enjoy the slideshow!

I’ve been cranking out albums left and right! My favorites are the Kiss albums, since I get to make each spread by hand. Here are some of my favorite spreads from Beth and Jon’s Kiss album!