A picnic at Constitution Gardens in Washington DC is an idyllic way to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall. Last month, I dreamed up a portrait session combining a few of my favorite things: summertime, delicious food, and a couple in love. Summer is my favorite season of the year even with the high temperatures and thick humidity. I love the long sunsets, enjoying the weather on vacation, and being outside in the warmth. My ideal summer day is spent outdoors with people I love eating and relaxing, so I wanted to incorporate exactly that into a set of portraits. Miriam and Seyi are a beautiful, fun-loving pair who have been together for three years after meeting through mutual friends. They celebrated their anniversary just a few days before these portraits so it was perfect timing to create images.
And what’s a picnic at Constitution Gardens without wine and a charcuterie board? For this picnic, I had no other person in mind than Charlene’s Kitchen to create a charcuterie masterpiece! Charlene is an incredibly talented catering company and event designer located in Old Town Alexandria. She and her team make the most delicious meals I’ve ever tasted! It’s all flavorful, fresh, and made from scratch. Her charcuterie board featured here includes dried and fresh fruits, meats, vegetables, crackers, dips, and nuts all covered in just the right amount of herbs and spices. My favorite part of the board is the real honeycombs! Charlene adds a full honeycomb to every board, and I can promise you’ve never tasted honey like it before! It even attracted a few bees while we were shooting!
About Constitution Gardens
I highly recommend visiting the Constitution Gardens in DC! It’s a park area in the city with the National Mall, Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial surrounding it. As you can tell from these images, it also has a perfect view of the Washington Monument. Carp Pond is in the middle of the park and has a pedestrian bridge to a small island. Throughout the garden, you’ll find park benches, swimming ducks, and plenty of weeping willow trees. I loved being here during the summer, but Constitution Gardens is truly beautiful year-round!
All images here were photographed with 120 mm film by me and Victoria Heer Photography. They are a mix of Kodak Portra 400, Kodak Tri-X 400, and Kodak Portra 160. Developed and scanned by Indie Film Lab. See more portrait sessions here.
