Neil Colton Photographer: The Blog bio picture

  • Life Happens

    I had a plan for my second career...

    ...architectural photography. I had a strong background in design, with awards to prove it. I had the industry contacts to launch my career and I had the most important piece of 'equipment' for an architectural shooter...a trained eye.  I headed north to learn the craft from one of the foremost architectural photographers working today. It was going well. I was inspired. It showed in my work...and then it happened.

    A Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, known for his compelling images of people and the human condition,  was in town teaching. That night, in the old theatre house by the bay, he would be hosting a slide show of selected work from his portfolio. I went. It was sublime. I was transfixed...and in the end, I was changed.

    I left with a new plan.

    I worked as an architectural photographer while I developed the skills to be a photographer of people and events. I covered weddings, photographed children and people, worked as a photojournalist and sought out documentary projects. In 2008, I was the subject of a feature article in Elan Magazine for my documentary style images of the people of Haiti. I knew then, my new plan was the right plan.

    Today, I am a wedding and portrait photographer in Washington, DC. My passion is creating modern portraits of children and people, at work, at play or simply engaged in life, with images that are original, spontaneous and real.


DC Photography Workshops: The National Zoo

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 Posted in Animals, Child Photography, Family Photography, Parks, The National Zoo, Urban Images, Workshops

Next up in the DC Photography Workshop series is The National Zoo! Join me for a day of photographing families and our furry friends. The National Zoo is a prime location for capturing great shots of animals from around the world and people from around the country, including your family. As a photographer specializing in capturing images on location, I will show you how to capture well crafted images of the orangutans, lions, turtles and other residents of the National Zoo. No special gear is required, but a DSLR camera with a long lens in the 300mm range is recommended. Zoom lens are fine and with many cameras, a 200mm lens has an effective focal of 360mm. If you definitely want pro quality images, Penn Camera rents from locations in DC and VA.  As an added bonus, bring your family for an outing at the zoo and I will show you how to take your photography ‘Beyond the Snapshot‘ © Neil Colton, 2010, and capture great images of your family and children!

WHERE: The National Zoo in Washington, DC

WHEN: Sunday, September 26, 2010

TIME: 10AM-2PM

COST: $139.00

For questions or more details contact Neil by email: neil@coltonphotography.com. (This is not  a hyperlink in order to quell spam)


by Neil

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Photography On The Rocks: A Family Session in Great Falls Park

Thursday, July 15, 2010 Posted in Child Photography, Children's Portraits, Couples, Family Photography, Family Portraits, Parks, The Modern Portrait

Always in search of new and interesting places to photograph children and families, late last year I scouted Great Falls Park in northern Virginia. I wasn’t disappointed. The park is a great setting for photography, with the Potomac River as a backdrop and miles of trails along the shoreline to access safe, scenic shooting locations. But it wouldn’t be until June of this year that I would have the chance to photograph a family there. On a warm, sunny Sunday morning in June, we met the Kersey family there for a long planned family session. Nelson,  Maureen and the children were simply amazing. After the long hike to the chosen spot, they all got right to work. Two hours later. with their willingness to try just about anything, we had captured some wonderful images of the Kersey family. Here a few of our favorite images from the session.

Family Portrait
Family PortraitFamily photographyFamily photographyChild photographyChild photographyChild photographyChild photographyChild photographyChild photographyChild photography
Family photography

by Neil

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Olivia + Michael and Chrisann: Family + Child Photography in Northern Virginia

Thursday, July 1, 2010 Posted in Babies, Child Photography, Children's Portraits, Family Photography, Family Portraits, Parks, Portraits, Stepping Sones, The Modern Portrait

Those that know me well know there are two passions that have been constant for most of my adult life.…photography and soccer. Rarely, if ever,  do I have the chance to combine the two in an enjoyable way. Photographing a soccer game doesn’t count….that is too much like work! But photographing a family where the dad is a former high level player and a knowledgeable,  avid fan…now that is a session to remember. The morning of the USA v Ghana game,  in the round of 16 at this year’s World Cup, I had the pleasure of photographing Michael, Chrisann and their adorable daughter Olivia at a park in Northern Virginia. With Michael and I easily solving the problems of the US National Team, and the countries  of the rest of the world while we were at it, this was one of  the fastest family sessions and one of the most enjoyable I have done in quite awhile! Even on a day with high temperatures and humidity to match, this family was a joy to photograph. The session time just flew by…

My thanks to Michael and Chrisann and of course, Olivia,  for being such good sports and such great subjects. Here are a few of our favorite images from the day.

Child photography
Child photographyFamily + child photographyChild photographyFamily photographyFamily photographyFamily photographyFamily photographyChild photographyChild photographyChild photography
Child photography

by Neil

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Rob + Danielle: A Virginia Country Wedding: The Ceremony

Wednesday, June 23, 2010 Posted in Country Weddings, Couples, Outdoor Weddings, Portraits, Virginia Weddings, Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Portraits, Weddings

A June  wedding at a vineyard in the Virginia countryside, what could be more idyllic? When Rob and Danielle first shared their wedding plans with us last summer, the romantic appeal of capturing images on a farm converted to a vineyard, with an island ceremony beneath a hand crafted pergola in front of guests seated in traditional wooden pews nestled upon the island turf…well,  you get the idea. We were completely smitten (not a word I use very often…) with the idea. This would be a wonderful  wedding to photograph. Our first visit to Old House Vineyard confirmed what we had been expecting…this was beautiful venue and June was the perfect month to be there!

But there was also that other issue…With the wide open layout and the long distances between key locations-main house to bridge, bridge to ceremony area, ceremony area to key photography vantage points-telling the story of this wedding would be a challenge. Add to that a tight time line  loaded with family pictures and pre-ceremony portraits and it was time to add another photographer to our team. I called on Jim Harrington-a good friend, a veteran wedding photographer and an all around good guy. We decided on a flexible triangle shape for the ceremony coverage-with Shannon  near the house covering the wedding party to and then onto the island, Jim on the island and me set up with my sports photography rig on a small peninsula across the lake from the ceremony. With the three of us in position, we were ready cover  a beautiful ceremony at a wonderful country wedding in Virginia.

by Neil

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Allie + Jake and Jen: Family + Child Photography in Washington, DC

Thursday, June 17, 2010 Posted in Child Photography, Children's Portraits, Family Photography, Family Portraits, Parks, Portraits, The Modern Portrait, Washington DC

We met Jen, Jake and Allie near the Tidal Basin in DC on a beautiful, clear, sunny day in early June to capture images of the family before they leave the DC area for a new adventure in Seattle. Allie is simply great! I photographed her as a baby last year and , hard as it is to believe, she has grown even cuter. The theme of the session was a day in DC, using the area around the Tidal Basin as a backdrop. We began at the FDR Memorial, then strolled around the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial. We’ll miss Jake, Jen + Allie and we wish them the best in the new home on the west coast! A few of our favorite images from the day….

Family and Child Photography in Washington, DC
Portrait of a childPortrait of a family in Washington, DCPortrait of a family in Washington, DCPortrait of a child in Washington, DCPortrait of a child in Washington, DCPortrait of a child in Washington, DCPortrait of a child in Washington, DCPortrait of a child in Washington, DC

by Neil

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