With Valentine’s Day looming and another snow storm on the way, it’s good timing for a giveaway. I can show some love for my readers by offering a chance to win something awesome and provide a reminder that spring will be here soon.
A springtime family portrait session with fabulous local photographer Elizabeth Dranitzke of PHOTOPIA is the prize for one lucky winner. And I can assure you this is a good one. Perhaps you’ve noticed that just about all of the photos on my blog feature my kids, not me. That’s because usually I don’t like to see myself in pictures. But not too long ago, Elizabeth snapped some shots of me, and guess what? I loved every single one. That says a LOT.
Elizabeth draws on years of photography experience to create a relaxed and comfortable environment for all ages and stages when she shoots. She takes time to get to know her clients and customizes each session to make the most of the portrait experience. She meets with prospective clients for a complimentary Pre-Session Design Consultation to learn more about the family and cover details such as location and outfits, so she can tailor the portrait session to them. Clients also have the opportunity to view her collection of custom portraits first hand and decide on what best suits their style. The result: Photography that is genuine and often playful, that captures families, children, and couples in the moment and as they engage with one another.
Giveaway: Wouldn’t you *love* to win a PHOTOPIA photography package? The one-hour springtime family portrait session for up to five people in your backyard, favorite park, or iconic DC location includes a Pre-Session Design Consultation, a custom 8×10 portrait, social share sized files of all printed images, and an in person Image Viewing Session on Capitol Hill [value $750]. Any additional prints are a la carte [mounted custom prints start at $100].
To enter, simply leave a comment below telling me your ideal DC photo shoot location. To be eligible for the giveaway you must like the PHOTOPIA Facebook page and sign up for email updates. You must also like Kid Friendly DC on Facebook. And not only do you have a chance to win, everyone who enters the drawing will be eligible to receive a $100 credit towards a future portrait session with Elizabeth. The giveaway will run through the weekend, then a winner will be drawn at random and announced next week. Good luck!
Love,
KFDC
Equitation ring and surrounding area in Rock Creek Park!
The Arboretum.
The zoo! It’s where we spend the most of our time in D.C. 🙂
ooh … ideal DC spot? probably the tidal basin or mall. something with nature. if beggars could be choosers, I’d love photos at Mt Vernon.
The Zoo and anywhere on the basin during cherry blossom season
In the springtime, anything with flowers! The National Arboretum is great or the garden outside the Castle on the Mall.
Definitely the Mall area, and Cherry Blossoms would be a huge plus!!!! Would love to win this – We’ve never had professional pics done like this, we moved to the area last year, and my son is 18 months old. 🙂
I really love Lincoln Park – it’s just a few blocks from our house and I can’t wait to play there with our firstborn when he arrives this spring!
DC’s own secret garden, Dumbarton Oaks – pure magic!
Bartholdi Fountain and the Botanical Gardens
Gosh that is so hard. I’d love somewhere by the Capitol, arboretum or maybe even the FDR part of the mall. It’s really neat over there
Mount Vernon, the Arboretum or the garden at the National Cathedral!
Ideal photo location would be hains point where it peaks with the water on all three sides!
We love the gardens behind the National Cathedral. 🙂
Arboretum!
The Jefferson Memorial
Being new to the area I’d have to say the National Mall. And of course the Tidal Basin during the Cherry Blossom festival. So many great options!
Cherry blossoms
There are so many amazing hidden gems around DC that I would love to have photos taken, but we don’t have many pictures of truly iconic DC locations, so I guess I’d have to say the Mall, Capitol Hill, etc…and definitely in the spring!
My ideal place for a shoot would be our rooftop. You have a beautiful view all around DC.
I’d so appreciate the opportunity to have this photo shoot with my husband Will and our two dimpled, curly haired daughters in the Dumbarton House Gardens – so many historic and hidden nooks and crannies, and we could really play with background texture and colour. Or of course the Capitol Steps for the iconic Dc view. Love your work, and thanks for running this competition Elizabeth!
I agree with most of the posts, for sure, as there are so many good options in DC. I also think the Georgetown Waterfront will be nice this spring as lots of the trees (and plants) have grown up.
We love Dupont Circle, the cherry blossoms, FDR Memorial and Hillwood Estate!
Roosevelt Island would be fun.
My ideal spot would be at the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens preferable during the Lotus Festival.
Capitol Hill or Eastern Market would be fun with interesting scenery! Thanks for the chance to enter!
We are fortunate to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world! There are ample great spots for a family shoot, many of which have already been listed by other readers. Dumbarton Oaks is a favorite, and new ones to add to the growing list are the C&O Canal, Georgetown University campus, and Great Falls Park by the waterfalls.
The Tidal Basin or the Arboretum. I would love to get a great photo of my son with the iconic cherry blossoms! Who knows how long we’ll get to live in DC?
The arboretum would have to be my favorite spots! Right by the columns. Thanks for such a great blog!
Cherry blossoms
Brookside gardens
So hard to pick one place, but were to the Agricultural History Farm Park in Deerwood, Maryland. It is beautiful farm land with rolling hills, big rustic red barns and an old victorian house. So lots of different types of settings and scenes all in once place.
Cherry blossoms
the Arboretum
Looks like an awesome deal!
Tidal Basin during Cherry Blossoms!
Canal Park for winter…arboretum for fall, Lincoln monument otherwise
Canal Park where my kids can run around and act crazy!
Already signed up for mailings and liked FB page.
Malcolm X (Meridian Hill) Park – Not only does the park have beautiful fountains and water features, the steps make for a great photo shoot. Add to that the vibrant displays of drummers and other loving live on your average warm afternoon and you cannot help but take home some great shots. My 2 year old loves this park and I count it one of DC’s best kept secrets.
Gravelly Point or the Tulip Library near the Tidal Basin when they are all in full bloom!
My mother and I would really love and appreciate the opportunity to have this photo shoot at The National Arboretum. My nieces (her grandchildren) are in the DC area for a small amount of time. My brother is in the Army and is currently in Iraq. His time there will be up in April and when he comes back, his wife and the children will go back to Hawaii. We do not get to see the children much, and these last 7 months with them have been great. We’ve taken them a number of places and had lots of fun, and we would like to take them to The National Arboretum before they leave. It’s so beautiful there. A chance to capture that moment with equally beautiful photos that we will cherish forever would mean the world to us 🙂
I apologize for the typo. My brother is currently in Afghanistan, not Iraq.
I love Fort Washington for photos, but it would be really fun to do something on the mall.
The Arboretum
Dumbarton Oaks! And The meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, close to DC.
Anywhere!
Arboretum and Georgetown
The east lawn of the Capitil!
I’ve got spring on my mind so I’ll go with cherry blossoms. I don’t think I’ve been to see them since I was 10! I’ve already decided that this is the year that we will go for sure–and having photos to preserve the memory would be wonderful.
We live in Glover Park and the actual park (tributary of Rock Creek) along 42nd Street NW has beautiful trails and a creek that would photograph well. Tall trees and greenery on each side of the well worn trail… My 2.5yo would be able to be herself in the element.
Indoors, I would pick either the Kennedy Center or Union Station (where we got engaged).
Outdoors I would pick Brookside gardens.
The arboretum, or in the general metro area, Meadowlark Gardens would be so nice- it’s where we got married 10 years ago this spring! I’d love to have pics with my little one there.
Yards!
Cherry blossoms and the tidal basin, especially at dusk. <3
ideal photo location be the National Arboretum or the Zoo.
I’d like the National Cathedral gardens or anywhere with nature!
Navy yard and some its more urban corners would be great!
Either the Rock Creek area or Old Town Alexandria!
I would love to have my daughter’s experiencing eastern market on a weekend. So many visuals for my toddler.
Ideal location? That’s a tough one! Maybe the arboretum? Or perhaps the tidal basin when the cherry blossoms are in bloom? I’d snatch up an opportunity for great family photos anywhere!
The Cathedral or Dumbarton Oaks.
Old soldiers home
Winter – Any local park just after tomorrow’s snow.
Spring – Tidal Basin, cherry blossoms, at dusk. Fall – my backyard just as the leaves have begun to drop, also at dusk Summer – feeding the ducks at Allen Pond.
The park beside the Russell Senate building, the 14 story rooftop of our building or our sons’ room, which gets tremendous light!
What a wonderful giveaway. Thank you!
I moved to DC with my husband and 3 year old daughter over a year ago. Originally from NYC and having lived close to suburbia in Delaware prior, we like to call DC the perfect in-between, as it is a lively, busy city, but with lots of natural beauty. Love Dumbarton Oaks and the National Arboretum!
I moved to DC with my husband and daughter over a year ago. Love the Arboretum and Dumbarton Oaks
Whoops, didn’t realize my first post posted! 🙂
Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, lotta rolling hills for a toddler to roam! We love the children’s tea garden and lilac garden there. It is pure magic.
Sweet giveaway!! Capitol Lawn or Bartholdi Fountain/Botanical Gardens would be our choice.
I think a photo shoot in Dumbarton Oaks would be magical!
Tidal Basin during Cherry Blossom season or the National Cathedral grounds!
Photo shoot for our daughter at locations like the National Zoo, Tidal basin while the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, any other place with beautiful flowers and nature, National Aquarium, B&O railroad museum, any of the other areas I know our daughter would just glow with excitement.
The botanical gardens or Rosemont park
Arboretum, Tidal Basin, Dumbarton Oaks.. Thanks so much for this opportunithy! 🙂
The botanical gardens where it’s warm and tropical…is winter over yet?
The Boulder Bridge in Rock Creek Park!
Hmmm. Tough one. Maybe near the Navy Yard.
One plaace we spend time is at Congressional Cemetery in spring there are beautiful flowers and the grave markers are super cool.. We also love the Eastern Market idea!
I’m newly arrived in DC and still finding my favourite places but I’d love to have a photoshoot at the tidal basin while the cherry blossoms are out – from an expatriate’s perspective it seems like the perfect iconic DC location!
The perfect place would be either Rock Creek Park, the National Zoo, or somewhere where the cherry blossoms are out. The three kids would love this! Here’s to hoping 🙂
Georgetown… by the water.. or down an alley with a nice brick backgroun
My backyard or Kenwood during Cherry Blossom time.
Bishop’s Garden, national Cathedral
The arborteum
I like a rustic look. Maybe a farm or an orchard?
My family and I just moved to the DC area and we haven’t done professional photos yet with our 8 months old daughter. I would love a photo shoot in front of classic DC landmarks (Capitol, Mall, Zoo) to capture our time here.
Pretty much anywhere in DC… SO many landmarks all around.
We are brand new to the area so I don’t know the great places yet but my husband has talked a lot about cherry blossom season! Thank you for the chance!
Lincoln Memorial
I would definitely do the gardens at the cathedral- it’s so lovely and my kids love it there!
Pics with the family, mom, dad and two girls in East Potomac Park during Cherry Blossom bloom would be my dream. My oldest daughter who is turning 6 at the end of March was born during Cherry Blossom peak in 2008. My husband and I run the Cherry Blossom 10 miler every year; it’s such a special time of year for our family.
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Favorite location? FDR Memorial!
I’m a mom of three little boys. Twin one year olds and a 3 year old. We’d love a photo shoot anywhere in the DC area. Eastern Market or even Union Station would be beautiful!
I’ve always loved the Jefferson memorial–beautiful for photos!
An iconic location in Washington D.C. We rarely get to travel as a family and are bringing our 8 year old son to D.C. soon would be such a treat!
It’s been said before, but it’s so true … the gardens at the National Cathedral, or the Tidal Basin with the cherry blossoms. So classically DC!
Georgetown!
Georgetown
oops sorry I hit reply twice, the first one didn’t show up initially!
I’d have to say the Tidal Basin, probably in every season except dead of winter.
Tidal Basin during Cherry Blossom season!
Love Elizabeth and interested to check out your site.