Inspired @ ireneabdouportraitsweddings.com » Event Photography

NEW!!! Facebook Photography Promotions are Here!

Irene Abdou — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:02:03 +0000

New in 2012! It’s a brand new year, and our New Year’s resolution is to offer portrait, wedding, and event photography deals specifically for our Facebook fans. Click on the image below to register and view our very first steal of a deal for January 2012!

Awards Ceremony for Congressmen Camp and Matheson at the Folger Shakespeare Library – DC Photographer

Irene Abdou — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 21:22:26 +0000

Earlier this year, Congressmen Dave Camp and Jim Matheson received the 2011 Trade and Leadership Investment Award at an awards reception at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. Here are a few of my favorite images from this corporate event.

Entry hallway of the Folger Shakespeare Library by DC photographer Irene Abdou.

Corporate event photography - table settings/room shot of an awards reception at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC by DC photographer Irene Abdou.

Corporate event photography by DC photographer Irene Abdou - Congressman Dave Camp attends a dinner in his honor, where he and Congressman Jim Matheson receive a Trade and Leadership Investment Award.

Corporate event photography by DC photographer Irene Abdou - at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC, Congressman Jim Matheson addresses the audience after receiving the Emergency Committee for American Trade (ECAT) Trade and Leadership Investment Award.

Still searching for the perfect DC photographer for your corporate event?

Serving Washington DC, Arlington, Annapolis, and other locations in Maryland and Virginia.

View our full online portfolio here.

Carnival!!! 23rd Annual Awards Reception at the Hyatt Hotel

Irene Abdou — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 17:12:42 +0000

This Carnival-themed awards reception, complete with a conga line, conga dancers, disco dancing, and a fog machine is one of my favorite corporate events of the year. The Independence Ballroom at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, DC is always a nice venue for a wedding reception or corporate event. This is one hotel that knows how to put on a good party!

Haven’t found the perfect corporate event photographer for your special event in Maryland, Washington DC, or Virginia?

View our full online portfolio here.

Cirque du Soleil-Style Awards Ceremony at the Constitution Center

Irene Abdou — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:43:37 +0000

One of my favorite corporate events this year was an awards ceremony at the Constitution Center in Washington, DC. The company was going for a Cirque du Soleil-style theme and brought in an aerialist to open the event. Pretty cool, huh??!!

Still searching for the perfect photographer for your corporate event?

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Q1. How IMPORTANT are these MEMORIES to you?

Irene Abdou — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:32:30 +0000

For those of you who are still searching for the perfect photographer, here’s some food for thought.

In your quest for a photographer, this question should be your compass: How important are these photographs to you? Or rephrased another way:

HOW IMPORTANT ARE THESE MEMORIES TO YOU?

Because that’s what your photographs are…priceless memories. This is the most fundamental, most important question for you to answer, because the more important these memories are, the more important it becomes that you choose the right photographer.

What is the “right” photographer anyway? Well, the “right” photographer for you is the one who will:

Make you feel relaxed in front of the camera and
Make the photography session fun for you in order to
Create the kinds of MEMORIES that you want
In a location that you like or that has meaning for you
In a photographic style that you love
While providing the prints and products that you want
At a quality acceptable to you
While providing a level of customer service and caring that you are happy with.

Now, coming back to the original question, how important are these photographs to you? If they’re not very important, then your “right” photographer doesn’t need to score very highly on any of these criteria. You don’t even need to invest more in an experienced, full-time professional photographer who is insured and carries back-up equipment, because you don’t care about the quality or artistry or customer service! You don’t even care if the photographer shows up late or doesn’t show up at all! (And yes, this actually happens. Someone was just telling me last week that his wedding photographer forgot about his wedding. By the time they got hold of her on their wedding day, it was too late for her to get there in time, and she missed the wedding ceremony. Another couple who I met with this week told me that her friend’s wedding photographer lost most of the images from the wedding in a computer crash; the photographer hadn’t backed up the images…and evidently had already deleted them from his memory cards.) Now, if your situation is such that these memories aren’t important, then you’ve got it easy – any photographer will do! But if these photographs…these memories…ARE important to you, then think about this – do you really want to gamble your memories away?

To read about the other four fundamental questions to think about when selecting your photographer, download our full guide on selecting your wedding photographer or portrait/event photographer here.

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On a separate note, I just want to say a big THANK YOU to Kris, Nathan’s mom, for writing this super nice review of me on Google Places 1 1/2 weeks ago. Kris, I really enjoyed meeting you and Nathan…thanks for everything!!! (If you missed Kris & Nathan’s mommy & me portrait photography session at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, Maryland, you can watch a choreographed slideshow here.)

Kathleen’s Cupcake Birthday Party for 2-Year Olds

Irene Abdou — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:32:02 +0000

I recently had the great pleasure of attending (and photographing!) Kathleen’s Cupcake Birthday Party in Silver Spring, Maryland. The birthday girl turned two this year and entertained her four friends with multi-colored cupcakes, Roman wreaths, and a slide with a flower-lined runway, courtesy of Kathleen’s mom’s creative vision. Although we didn’t quite manage to get the kids to slide and run towards us, they still entertained. The funniest thing? How just about each and every one one of them approached their cupcake with not a bite, but a big, handless lick! And with drips of cupcake hanging from those little pink lips (and cheeks and noses), who could resist their infinite cuteness?

And a BIG THANKS to Kathleen’s mom for her VERY VERY kind words in this online review she wrote for me on local.com. I think she just might have to consider a new career as a writer!

Still searching for the perfect portrait photographer, wedding photographer, or event photographer?

View our full online portfolio here.

The 5 Fundamental Questions to Ask Yourself When Selecting Your Photographer

Irene Abdou — Wed, 11 May 2011 22:05:45 +0000

Are you searching for the perfect photographer for your family, wedding, or other event? Whether it’s maternity or newborn photography, children’s or family portraiture, a wedding or bar mitzvah, or other subject or event, selecting a photographer can sometimes be a daunting process. Photographers are not computers, where you can select the same specs and compare apples to apples. Every photographer offers a different package of services and products. And even if you are lucky enough to find two photographers with the same package of offerings, quality, artistry, and customer service all vary, making them very difficult to compare. So to help you with the task before you, I’ve come up with 5 questions to ask yourself…5 questions to think long and hard about…when reviewing and selecting YOUR photographer. I promise – thinking through these 5 questions will make your decision 5 times easier.

I will be blogging one question (and answer) per month, starting in June. If you can’t wait, you can get the entire 12-page e-book on how to select your photographer NOW by either:

- Subscribing to my mailing list. In the comments box, ask for the 5 Fundamental Questions E-Book. (Don’t worry, you can choose the kinds of mailings you’d like to receive and can unsubscribe at any time.)

- Completing my online inquiry form for a complimentary, no-risk consultation. In the last box (“Is there anything else you would like us to know…”), ask for the 5 Fundamental Questions E-Book!

By taking either of these two actions, I will immediately send you a link to download the e-book . AND…when you get the e-book, look out for the offer code for one…no TWO!…free gifts! As sure as the seasons change, this offer won’t last, so hurry!

Smithsonian Air & Space Museum: Awards Ceremony and VIP Reception

Irene Abdou — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 05:35:02 +0000

Here are a few images from a corporate event – an awards ceremony and VIP reception – that I photographed at the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC. Beautiful event…

And don’t forget – it’s not too late to register for my next photography workshop on March 27, 2011 – the Blossom Kite Festival: A Photographic Storytelling Workshop!

IRENE ABDOU PHOTOGRAPHY

Award-Winning Corporate & Family Portrait, Wedding, and Event Photographer Serving Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, and Destinations Worldwide

Fusing fine art & photojournalism to create images that are simply…unforgettable.

Album Design – Lisa’s Big Birthday Bash – and New Boutique Bags

Irene Abdou — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:13:08 +0000

I’ve been working on a custom-designed, press-printed storybook album for Lisa’s Big Birthday Bash. Check it out here. It’s a 20-page album with a custom photo cover. Lisa chose a traditional art linen interior paper; other interior paper options include satin, art recycled, art watercolor, and pearl papers. Also, in case you missed it, be sure to check out this slideshow choreographed to music of Lisa’s Big Birthday Bash at the Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria, Virginia.

Plus, don’t forget that you can get $100 in complimentary prints during the Be-My-Valentine Portrait Photography Promotion!

I also now have these cute boutique album bags to go along with my albums. This one is my bordeaux bag with black satin ribbon closure and a luxurious black satin lining. A satin knot closure is also available. The color matches nicely with Lisa’s album. Classic black, classic ivory, the Manhattan bag (black & white), the Lemongrass bag (yellow-green-brown stripes), and the Seredipity bag are also available.

Lisa’s Birthday Bash

Irene Abdou — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:07:44 +0000

I could see that Lisa is a very special person. I could see it in her family and friends, who filled the room with joy and laughter. I could see it in Ed, her husband…as he watched her, happy to see her happy…as he brought her a piece of birthday cake…as he serenaded her sweetly across the dance floor…as he leaned in for a kiss. And I could see it in Lisa herself…her eyes, her smile, her cheerful personality. I could see that Lisa deserves the very best…here’s to you on your birthday. May every glowing candle on your cake be a wish that comes true, and the coming years filled with sunshine, smiles, laughter and love.

This very special birthday bash was held at and catered by the Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria, Virginia, whose team, as always, did a WONDERFUL job. I loved the outdoor fire pit, the cake was delectable, and the lighting and decor beautiful. I photographed a wedding at the Lorien just a few months ago, and this luxury boutique hotel has been a favorite of mine ever since. And the fantastic music was courtesy of Matt Waller of Heartbeats Music & Dance (Matt@hbeats.com; 703-346-6859), who was absolutely AMAZING on guitar, and kept the guests a-dancing and begging for encores!

Also, you have GOT to check out this slideshow choreographed to music with more photos from Lisa’s birthday. You will LOVE it!

Click here to view a slideshow choreographed to music with more photos from Lisa’s birthday.