I recently joined a few different groups on Facebook for Washington, DC wedding photographers — many are there to cross-post when they are looking to provide a bride with referrals or for photographers to ask questions and brainstorm ideas. The photography community, in general, seems to be a very giving place when it comes to knowledge sharing and I am eternally grateful for that; I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned in such a short time just from the kindness of others.

All of this is to say, that one of the groups, Shoot & Share of Northern VA, is a bit different from the rest; in addition to being an open forum, there is also the added element of teaching! The group is led by Abby and each month she takes the time to plan an event for fellow photographers to learn something new and grow.

 I attended my first event last week and the topic was focused on sparkler exits. This was absolutely a perfect first topic for me; I had yet to have the opportunity to shoot a sparkler exit, but as a growing trend in the wedding industry, I wanted to be prepared for when I was responsible for one! Turns out, the timing was perfect; just last Saturday I was second shooting a wedding with Megan Chase and we had a beautiful sparkler exit at the end of the reception. I can’t wait to share the images with you from that wedding at Herrington on the Bay in Chesapeake, MD, but for now I can at least show you these! 

It was fantastic to spend the evening meeting some new friends, sharing tips, and getting a bit of practice. I left feeling even more excited for the next event in August to learn a bit about off camera lighting! Here are some of the fun practice shots I took!