Megan in the Lilies at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

Megan and I braved the heat last weekend for an early morning portrait photography shoot at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, DC. Megan was choosing between Kenilworth and the National Arboretum for her shoot – good choice, Megan! This is peak season, and the lilies were absolutely AMAZING – waist high, and fields and fields and fields of them!!!

The land was initially bought by a guy named W.B. Shaw, who farmed water lilies in the marshes as a hobby, eventually turning it into a large commercial endeavor and developing many new varieties of lilies through hybridization. When Shaw passed away, his daughter, Helen Fowler, continued the business. In the 1920s and 30s, with her permission for visitors to view the lilies on Sunday mornings, the farm began to receive up to 5,000-6,000 visitors in a single DAY!!! Eventually, she donated the land to the National Park System, and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens as we know it today was born!

Anyway, here are a first batch of favorites from the photo shoot. Isn’t Megan gorgeous in that pink dress? Afterwards, we stopped by Megan’s house and got a few shots with her roommate, Vicky… She’s a showstopper too, huh? Stay tuned for a second batch of favorites tomorrow or Wednesday!