A classic, elegant, unique engagement session in downtown DC— I am so pleased to be a National Portrait Gallery engagement photographer! Amritpal and Victoria are kind, sweet, charming and down-to-earth. I consider myself incredibly privileged to be photographing their engagement and both of their weddings (yes there are two!)
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Amritpal shares, “It is obvious that Lisa has genuine talent in capturing moments from unique perspectives. Whether it is how she frames things, the lighting, or when she chooses to snap a photo, it all just stands out, and sets her apart as a photographer.”
Amritpal adds, “We are private/shy people to begin with, when it comes to photos and sharing. I love that she took the time to get to know us and to do a great job of making us feel comfortable.”
Victoria smiles, “Yes, I totally agree! Also, given that we wanted to take our photos in the city and in a museum, we felt that Lisa would be the best person to help capture the fun and excitement of our surroundings. We are eager to have our love be visible through our photos.”
Falling in Love
Amritpal recalls, “I will say that at the beginning of our relationship, things were so earnest and sincere that it didn’t take long to know that I could not be without her. Looking back, this amazes me as a very skeptical, cautious, and measured person… but that’s just what Victoria can do.”
He smiles, “Victoria has an amazing way of connecting with people, I would say it’s her superpower. It is inspiring to see how she moves through life and the connections she makes, which is just one of the general things about her that I love and am so proud of.”
Amritpal continues, “I feel blessed that she is my partner because of how special she is in that way and that I am on the receiving end of her incredible energy!”
Victoria smiles, “What I love about Amrit is his sense of self and the sense of security he provides to me. He is so direct in his love for me and I have never doubted his feelings or the love between us. He is the perfect balance to my indecisive, Libra self, haha! I have always been able to be my authentic self around him, and I appreciate that so much.”
Why Downtown DC Engagement Photos?
Victoria shares, “We met through a mutual friend in DC and identify as ‘city people.’ We wanted our engagement shoot to reflect the diversity and activities that a city offers.”
Amritpal adds, “Since we live in the area, we thought it would be important to commemorate our time here in a way. We are from NY and NJ respectively; that’s where both of our families mostly still live, that’s where our wedding festivities will be, and we may not be in the DC area forever. So, we will always have this photo shoot to look back on and remember our time here, specifically in a downtown city setting where we would typically spend a date night or weekend exploring.”
Why a National Portrait Gallery Engagement?
Victoria smiles, “One of our first trips together was to Italy, and we admired the art there, so stopping in the Natural Portrait Gallery in Washington was perfect for us!”
Amritpal says, “It fits us well as an honest representation of what you may find us doing together while living here– like going to a museum or holding hands on a date night walk after dinner.”
Looking a Little Deeper
I love how deep I’m able to get with photojournalism, especially in a place like this with so many moving elements. Victoria mentioned loving how I can make intangible things (like love) tangible and I think these are probably the two photos that do that the very best! In these two shots I tried to show the depth, simplicity, balance, and longevity present in their relationship.
Why I love being a DC National Portrait Gallery Photographer
I love the architecture of the National Portrait Gallery, also the atrium offers gorgeous light, plants, and plenty of space, especially if we have to deal with inclement weather. There are also so many diverse storytelling elements present in the surroundings of the city, such as other people or traffic, that both challenge me and give me so much to work with!
The vibe of the session?
Victoria says, “We were going for a classic/timeless vibe with our attire, dressing up a bit more formally. This area of DC is very energetic with a lot of pedestrian traffic between the gallery and the arena, and we wanted to capture some of that energy in the shoot. We wanted to feel relaxed and comfortable as a couple, which Lisa helped us to achieve, in the busyness of the area. I think we were able to have sweet, private moments which was important to me as well. There were people on the street who helped us with the shoot and it felt nice to feel supported.”
Amritpal continues, “The vibe of this photoshoot can be representative of our years together in the city of Washington, DC. It is a chapter in our lives together that is worth remembering, which this photoshoot will help us do. Part of what makes it timeless or classic is that we plan to find ourselves in similar settings for years to come.”
Final Thoughts…
Amritpal shares, “The hallmark of our partnership is balance, equality and truly supporting each other. We could easily have the same photoshoot 20, 30, 40 years from now and we would have been moving through these same spaces and sharing the same quality time together.”
Congratulations Amritpal and Victoria! I had so much fun being your National Portrait Gallery engagement photographer!
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