Family · Beach · Mini
Family Portraits That Feel Like You
Documentary-style family photography in Maryland and at the beach. Three decades of portrait experience, applied to the moments that matter most.
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Photographer
Hi — I'm Dennis
Twenty years as a newspaper photographer — assignments for the Washington Post, the New York Times, and foreign work along the way. Alongside the news, I've photographed more than 500 weddings and probably a few thousand family portraits since the early 1990s — weddings everywhere from Italy to Cartagena, family work in and around Baltimore and DC, and the official Biden family Christmas card during the vice-presidential years.
I don't take on weddings anymore, but engagement portraits, family sessions, holiday cards, and images of children are still some of my favorite work. Sessions happen on the Eastern Shore, in Maryland's autumn woods, and in living rooms and back yards across the region. I live part of the year in Medellín, Colombia, and return to Maryland on a regular schedule for portrait work — book against one of those windows and we'll get you the photographs your family will keep.
Portfolio
Recent Work
Sessions
Three Ways to Book
Each session includes the shoot, a curated online gallery of fully edited images, and a set number of retouched images. By appointment.
Travel
The Baltimore and Frederick metropolitan areas are included with no travel fee, plus everywhere in between — Glen Burnie, Towson, Frederick, Columbia, and central Maryland generally. A $150 travel fee applies to the Annapolis and Washington DC metro areas (Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Arlington, Alexandria). Eastern Shore travel is priced into the Beach Family Session — no separate fee. Not sure if your location is in the no-fee zone? Send a quick message before booking and I'll confirm.
Mini Session
$275
- • 30-minute session, single location
- • Maryland — Baltimore area or nearby
- • ~25 final edited images in an online gallery
- • 2 fully retouched images of your choosing
$100 deposit holds the date
Book This Session Family Session
$450
- • 60-minute session
- • Maryland — Baltimore area, Eastern Shore, autumn woods, or in-home
- • ~50 final edited images in an online gallery
- • 4 fully retouched images of your choosing
$100 deposit holds the date
Book This Session
Beach Family Session
$650
- • 60-minute golden-hour session
- • Maryland or Delaware beach (Eastern Shore)
- • ~50 final edited images in an online gallery
- • 4 fully retouched images of your choosing
$100 deposit holds the date
Book This SessionScheduling
The Family Session is fully custom — pick the date, time, and location that work for you. Mini Sessions and Beach Sessions run on event days I set in advance: a Saturday afternoon in a Baltimore park for Mini Sessions, or a golden-hour window on the Eastern Shore for Beach Sessions. Booking slots open when dates are scheduled.
Edited vs. retouched
Every photo in your gallery is fully edited — color-corrected, exposure-balanced, and ready to print or share. A retouch is the next level: detailed skin, background, and finishing work on the images you love most. Each session includes a set number of retouches; additional retouches are $35 each.
Looking for something different? Email [email protected] for a custom quote — extended sessions, additional locations, large extended families, in-home lifestyle work, or anything not listed here.
What to expect
Frequently Asked
- What should we wear?
- Solid colors and simple patterns photograph best. Coordinate within a palette — everyone in earth tones, or everyone in soft neutrals — rather than matching exactly. Avoid bright whites, busy patterns, and big logos. If you have specific questions about an outfit, send a phone snapshot and I'll tell you whether it'll work.
- Where do you shoot?
- The Baltimore and Frederick metropolitan areas and everywhere in between — by appointment, no travel fee. Eastern Shore travel is included in the Beach Family Session. Sessions in the Annapolis and Washington DC metro areas (Bethesda, Silver Spring, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Arlington, Alexandria) include a $150 travel fee due to traffic. Not sure if your location is in the no-fee zone? Send a message before booking and I will confirm.
- How long until we get the photos?
- About two weeks for the full edited gallery — usually faster. Your chosen retouches land shortly after. Rush turnaround is available when you need photos for an event, holiday card, or deadline. Tell me up front and we will work it out.
- What if it rains?
- Reschedule at no charge. Maryland weather can be unpredictable, especially for beach and outdoor sessions, so I build flexibility into the calendar. We'll pick a new date that works for everyone.
- Can we get prints?
- Yes. Prints, framed prints, and albums are available — pricing on request. Most families download high-resolution files and print where they prefer; some prefer to use a professional lab I trust. Either way works.
- How far in advance should we book?
- Mini and Family sessions usually need one to two weeks of lead time. Beach sessions during peak summer weeks need four to six weeks. For Christmas-card Mini Sessions, book by mid-October.
- Do you photograph just kids, or just couples, or just adults?
- Yes to all of those — the Mini Session is the default for individual portraits, single-child sessions, and couple sessions. Same eye, same lighting, same approach as the family sessions.
Wedding & Family Clients
What Families Say
I am now the third person in my family to use Dennis. He is wonderful! He is attentive on the day and his photographs are amazing. I highly recommend Dennis.
As a photographer, he was fantastic. From a technical perspective, his pictures were properly lit, but that's not what makes him special. My mother in law described his pictures best when she saw them and said, 'My goodness — that picture looks like exactly how I felt all day.' I've never seen pictures that capture such candid emotion. He managed to take different pictures of everybody that captured their candid emotion. I'm so glad we have these pictures of our family.
Dennis is simply AMAZING! We wanted to hire a photographer with a photojournalistic style so that we could look back and really relive the day, rather than see a bunch of staged photos that didn't capture the raw emotions. Dennis keeps things raw — he captured everyone's tears, wrinkles, sweat, smiles, laughs, and emotions — but all in the most gorgeous way and we will cherish these photos forever.
I must look at my photos at least twice a day! Dennis did a fabulous job documenting our day. He was calm, kind, and a true professional, and he turned the final edits around so quickly. We love how he captured the small moments that made our day special.
My photos look natural and beautiful, they're some of the best photos I've seen of many people in my family. Looking at the moments he captured will bring me so much joy for the rest of my life. His photos just vibrated with life. Take a look and you will see how he can capture the emotion and life.
Dennis was perfect throughout our day. There's really not much else I can say. Just the pinnacle of professionalism, talent, and geniality. He showed up on time and got every shot we asked him to get. His still shots were thorough and awesome. And his candid shots were just amazing! I can't recommend Dennis enough!
Let's Talk About Your Session
Family, beach, and holiday portraits — by appointment. Send a note about your shoot and I'll be in touch shortly.
- [email protected]
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