Lonnie Dawkins – Portrait Photographer
Portraits, Portfolios, and Events
By Lonnie Dawkins
I had the pleasure of photographing this wonderful family. The session started in the family home and then we took a stroll to a nearby park.
I was Kelly and Matt’s wedding photographer also so it was nice to reconnect and see the family growth. Aren’t the children beautiful?
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Lonnie Dawkins Photography
Engaged couple playing pat-a-cake
Engagement pictures for a fun couple. I was trying to think of a pose for them on the floor so I suggested this children’s game but had no idea they were experts at it. They played for about 20 minutes it seemed. Truly a fun couple who enjoy each other’s company.
Question? What is the name of this hand game? Is it Patty Cakes, Pat-A-Cake, or something else?
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By Lonnie Dawkins
A program honoring the work of Mary McLeod Bethune took place in Washington, DC. on July 10th. The event as held at the Lincoln Park United Methodist Church followed by a gathering a the Mary McLeod Bethune statue in Lincoln Park.
Groups co-hosting the event included the National Park Service, The Mary McLeod Bethune Council House, Bethune-Cookman University Alumni Association, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History. The keynote speaker was Dr. Ida Jones, author of “Mary McLeod Bethune in Washington, D.C.: Activism and Education in Logan Circle”
Mary Jane McLeod Bethune was an American educator and civil rights leader best known for starting a school for African-American students in Daytona Beach, Florida, that eventually became Bethune-Cookman …Wikipedia
Continue reading “Mary McLeod Bethune – 138th Birthday Celebration in Wash, DC”
Michaela, a 2013 High School graduate modeled the dress that she wore to her prom this year.
Maryland Portrait Photographer
Washington DC male model Donte Newman.
Donte Newman is a hard-working DC model. He was born and raised in Washington and is a proud graduate of Ballou High School.
This was the third time Donte and I worked together. The previous two shoots were studio shoots done totally with strobe lights. I wanted something different and decided to move away from flash and work with natural lighting.
The shirt that Donte is wearing is a black and white knit one that I have had in my closet for about 20 years. I like the shirt but I had never won it because after buying it I never thought it looked right on me. I had even suggested it to a few models before but they just were not feeling it. The shirt has to be at least 2 decades old as I purchased it from Woodward & Lothrop – a Washington, DC department store that closed in 1995. Donte liked the shirt and decided to wear it with some jeans. It was a good look.
When reviewing the pictures it seemed that they called for Black and White versus color. This is one of the occasions where I thought color would definitely get in the way.
I think Donte rocked the shirt. Maybe one day I might even wear it myself.
Lonnie Dawkins is a Washington, DC based portrait photographer
Courtney and Terence
Friends and family gathered in a local hotel for a bridal shower for Courtney in honor of her upcoming wedding. I was the photographer for the occasion. Not far from where the shower took place was a beautiful setting with great lighting, a beautiful red couch, and nice texture on the walls and floor – the perfect spot for family portraits.
I seized the opportunity to take more formal pictures of the bride-to-be, her mother, aunt, the bridesmaids and flower girls while the shower was going on. Towards the end of the shower the soon-to-be groom and the fathers arrived and I was able to get pictures of the complete immediate family.
A good day – not only photographing the shower I had a chance to do some nice impromptu family portraits. Wonderful couple, great family! Wishing Courtney and Terence many years of happiness!
Continue reading “Bridal shower – Another Opportunity for Family Portraits”
Woman in Blue
Wondering what she is thinking about. Is she happy or sad? What’s on her mind? Has she been stood up or is she early and waiting for something.
This is what I like about still photography. It tells you just enough. It doesn’t tell you what happened just before or right after. The viewer can make up their own mind.
By Lonnie Dawkins
I have been fascinated by the works of Mary McLeod Bethune since I first read about her in high school. When I went to college in the 70s and we had a chance to name the building that housed our Black Student Union, it was Mary McLeod Bethune’s name that I pushed to have placed on the location. She had done so much for education.
I visited the statue not long ago on a beautiful afternoon and took a photo. The inscription on the statue, “Let her works praise her” was more than appropriate.
The words come from her “Legacy: My Last Will and Testament,” published in Ebony Magazine in 1955. Go to the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House National Historic Site to obtain a copy and take a tour of the first national headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc.
Lonnie Dawkins
Maryland Portrait Photographer
At a festival while sitting on the curb I lowered my camera to see what I would capture. The result was this young boy standing still at a booth framed by foot traffic. You don’t have any idea what the people look like, where they are going, or what the boy is seeing or thinking.
Today he is wearing Elmo slippers playing with a toy airplane. Before long he won’t believe that he ever wore those slippers and will be craving expensive sneakers and car keys instead. How time flies.