Signs of Spring in D.C.

Last weekend I took my first trip to Washington DC! I always wanted to go around the beginning of Spring, and it was perfect timing to see some of the cherry blossoms and magnolias that started to bloom.

My boyfriend and I drove down for a long weekend from Friday to Monday. We stayed at the Sofitel DC and it was so luxurious. It was conveniently located a few blocks from the National Mall, but we still did a ton of walking to see all of the monuments and museums.

I loved how the blooming trees provided so many angles and opportunities for different shots of the same monument. Hope you enjoy the photos and Happy Spring!

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Beauty in Simplicity

Last week I decided to spend my lunch hour at the park and capture the beginning of Autumn’s colors. Perfect weather, a light breeze and a peaceful ambience were perfect to come back from a short photography hiatus.

The Milky Way Captured

Back in January I wrote a post about my photography goals for 2017. It is with great excitement that I can say I have accomplished one of these goals – I photographed the Milky Way.

Along with last week’s solar eclipse came a new moon. A perfect window of a few days with extremely dark skies. I decided it was finally time to try and make this happen. Last Wednesday night my boyfriend and I got our cameras ready and drove down to Robert Moses State Park around 9pm and heading to field 2, which is open for stargazing. For anyone who isn’t familiar, Robert Moses is a beach on the south shore of Long Island, New York and a favorite spot of mine.

I had done tons of research to make sure I would be able to see and capture this beautiful sight. The odds are against us here in New York, with NYC’s lights brightening the sky from miles away. At this time of year the Milky Way is usually visible fairly early after sunset in the southern part of the sky. This was perfect because the beach is on the south shore of Long Island, which would place the Milky Way towards the water, over the darkest parts of the sky over the Atlantic Ocean.

We made it down to the beach and it was incredibly dark, even eerie being there at night. I stepped out of the car and I’m pretty sure I teared up a little. With the naked eye the Milky Way was faint but clearly visible in the sky. I couldn’t believe what I’ve wanted to see and photograph for so long was a short drive from home, being at the right place at the right time. I set up my tripod and camera along with my wide angle lens and experimented with multiple settings adjusting exposure time and ISO. I took tons of photos and have shared my favorites below. I hope everyone can someday experience seeing the Milky Way and its wonders.

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Lavender is Bliss

Far east on the North Fork of Long Island is a beautiful lavender farm called Lavender by the Bay. My visit here has been two years in the making. I had heard about it 2 summers ago but didn’t have the chance to get out there. Last year, I finally had the chance to go but was disappointed to see on their website that all of the blooms had JUST been harvested. Finally, this year I made it!

It’s tricky because the main lavender bloom only spans about 2 weeks- an extremely short window to go enjoy the open fields. If you plan to go, check their website regularly for updates on blooming times.

I stepped out of the car and was immediately surrounded by the incredible aroma of the lavender flowers. It’s an $8 fee to enter the fields which include rows upon rows of lavender. There were a lot more bees than I expected but didn’t have a single issue. They were just minding their own business focusing on the flowers.

Of course I brought my camera along and also included 2 photos of myself below (thanks to my boyfriend!) because I just love how they came out. We spent some time in the fields and then purchased fresh bouquets of lavender to bring home. And yes, the car smelled AMAZING.

Follow the Light

About a week and a half ago before the rainy weather began, I caught a sunset at Robert Moses with some really beautiful light.

I explored all around the area in my usual favorite places – the beach, the path to the Fire Island Lighthouse and the Great South Bay. I also took another way off the lighthouse path and found a walkway to the beach that looks like a road, which made for some shots that I really love.

Enjoy and here’s to hoping the weather goes back to normal soon!

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Colorful Captree Sunset

Captree State Park is the last stop on the causeway before Robert Moses. It’s an island that offers 360 degree views of the Great South Bay and is beautiful year-round. I’ve visited the island quite a view times during the day, to fly my drone and for some alright sunsets.

But this past weekend was a real treat – after a day of shifting clouds, a dull sky and the sun disappearing, the sky lit up in hues of pink and orange. The photos below are in chronological order to display the progression of the sky. The weather was also perfect, which made for a beautiful night with plenty of photos to share.

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Boardwalk Strolls

This past Sunday was well spent hanging out at the Long Beach boardwalk on a 60-degree Spring day!

A Weekend in Boston

This past weekend I visited Boston for the first time! I was really excited to explore and check out a new city.

I had my camera with me most of the time but Saturday’s weather was snowy and rainy, so Sunday is when I took all of my photos while walking around the city. Besides checking out Quincy Market, Little Italy and other areas downtown I also visited the New England Aquarium and Harpoon Brewery. Of course plenty of seafood was consumed, including an incredible New England clam chowder.

Boston was a great weekend getaway and I look forward to visiting more cities on these mini-trips in the future. Enjoy the photos and have a good week everyone!

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Edge of the Island

Montauk is one of Long Island’s most famous destinations and also a favorite place of mine to visit. I’ve been missing it a lot lately and wanted to share some of my past work from there. The lighthouse, the cliffs and the crisp blue water make it seem like another world. I can’t wait to go back and capture more.

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Portraits in the Pines

For my latest portrait session with Gina, we headed to Prosser Pines Park here on Long Island. The pine trees and snow paired with golden sunset light made it a beautiful afternoon for portraits. Enjoy and contact me by email at info@ericamengouchian.com if you’d like to book a portrait session!

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