We had a great couple get married last May. Although the wedding was traditional, they had a great sense of humor which set their wedding apart from others.

Pam relaxes after getting her makeup applied. Doesn't she look calm?

The girls and the guys before the ceremony, just having fun!

The exchange of rings

We just can't get a straight picture with this lively group!

Ahh - I finally caught them in the doorway. What a beautiful day it was.

The reception was a bit wild, too! This group has endless energy.

At the end of the night, we captured all the guests with the bride & groom.

Bubbles at the end of the night. They are already outside in this picture.

 To learn more about our wedding photography services, call Charles now at (703) 216-8878 or email us at info @ charlesjablow.com

Sara and Mike were so excited to do their engagement photo session at the Cherry Blossoms. As soon as we got there, a Park Policeman objected, but we were able to talk him out of his objections - luckily!

We went right out and found some cherry blossoms.

We had so much fun doing creating images.

Wow - what an attractive couple, and a great place to do our session! Looks like they forgot I'm there, too!

You can just FEEL the connection between Sara and Mike - intense!

OK, so they wanted to have the Jefferson Monument in some of the images. They loved this one.

We have been telling everybody that they can look at any of our images - not just our samples. This blog is a great way to do just that!

We made them a great video of their session, too, which they are showing eveybody! It's amazing!

Some thoughts from Charles

So many brides that Sherri and I talk to have expressed confusion and some frustration at telling photographers apart.  We understand.  It’s something you don’t shop for often, something very important.  After the wedding day, all you have left are the photographs and your album.  Sherri has been married 10 years and likes to point out that all she has left from her wedding (besides her husband) is her album.  It’s very important to get this right, because you’ll probably take it out every year to look at it and remember.

In our opinion, your album should do much more than document the day.  It should provide an artistic view of yourselves and the beauty of the ceremony.  It should include plenty of artistic portraits of the two of you.   There should be lots of images of family and guests, and most importantly, everyone should look good!

You would think that all photographers know how to make people look good, but this is far from true.  Many just picked up a camera, set it on Program, and never learned their craft.  Monte Zucker and other teachers were always asking photographers in their classes who had studied portraiture (the art of making people look good) and were always surprised how few had this knowledge.  With today’s automatic cameras, the situation is far worse.  Automation will never replace an artistic eye or the knowledge of posing to make people look their best.   You deserve no less!

Any photographer can make a digital album, but without the artistry, they come out looking all the same – very “cookie cutter”.  Your album should be as individual as you are, not farmed out to the designer with the lowest price.  At Charles Jablow Photography, we design our own albums because that is the only way we can make each album special, unique, and personally yours.  We use no templates or pre-designed layouts.  We never rush through the design process.  You get to see your album design before we make your album, which gives you a chance to influence the design.  This is how it should be done, in our opinion.

At CJP, we will help you select the images for your album (most of our packages include this service).  Our clients tell us that this makes a tremendous difference in their final album.  We have the experience to know what we’re looking for, the best way to mix and match images, and how to tell the story of the day.  We can put this expertise at your service.  Nobody else does this and it makes a huge difference.

Although this has been quick, I hope it has given you a sense of some of the things that set fine studios apart and help you get the results you were first hoping for when you booked your photographer.

Chaeli, one of our favorite brides, is showing off her zebra shoes in her suite before the wedding. So cute.

We love to capture the details - so you can see them later.

Just a few minutes before boarding - just enough time to have a few precious moments together.

The entire bridal party enjoying firm, dry land.

The bridesmaids crowd around Chaeli for a picture. They are having lots of fun being together.

A casual portrait by the fountain, with the Capitol in the background, for the memory of it all.

After the ceremony, which included a bagpiper, the couple heads into their future together.

On board the Odessey, a great reception was held with a great band, great food, and great views of Washington. We caught some twilight views for their album.

Chaeli and Jeff cut into their square wedding cake. Lots of wonderful friends and family were there to share the day. I'm glad I was, too.

Lindsey with her other love - her horse - with a real personality. Looks like the love is mutual.

Ernest has a buddy also - I think Lindsey introduced them and they became inseparable friends.

We used carrots to lure the horses into the pasture. They are still looking for more. And it started to drizzle, just to make it interesting.

Just a moment alone - the 3 of them! They are real animal lovers and great people to hang out with. This was just before the rain opened up and we ran away - but with plenty of images to keep forever.

Tricia and Michael enjoy a special moment together. I think they forgot I was there, too.

OK, now they remembered. But they are mostly enjoying each other's company and who can blame them?

They are such nice people - easygoing, intelligent, very sociable -- we had a great time in the park!

It was a beautiful day - perfect for spending time together without a care in the world. That's one reason I loved creating these images and many more with them.

Stefanie was able to capture an image of me in the booth. So many people came up to our large prints to check them out. They couldn't believe the clarity and polish in images this size. Hey, if they look good this large, they're going to look great in your album!

Our staff, also known as "Charlie's Angels." We had lots of interest. People were suprised we had one of our brides there to talk to, but actually they could speak with any of our past brides. (They were also surprised you can pay monthly, to make it more affordable.)

Stefanie took this picture of our booth. She is in the larger picture on the right.

 brides Stefanie with us.  She was able to share her experience of having Charles capture the moments of her day!  We are looking forward to  the Dulles Bridal Show this weekend February 1st,  at the Dulles Expo center.

Sharon excitedly gets ready for the big moment.

Sharon flashes a smile. She's ready to walk down the aisle.

Sharon's mom admires her beautiful daughter in a very special moment.

The ceremony was solemn and touching.

A semi-private moment with the priest.

The family was all there to support Jeff and Sharon and all are looking good!

Jeff and Sharon triumphantly leave the church with their own salute.

After the ceremony, Jeff has a moment to admire his new bride. We always try to make space in the schedule for these extra moments, which make great memories for the couple and great images for their album.

A detail of the table pieces.

Jeff and Sharon are announced and breeze into the reception. Their happiness just radiates from them.