Category Archives: Black and White

Sarah and Jordan’s engagement session at First Landing.

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Keeping it simple and pure when it comes to a couple’s session.

I recently met up with Sarah and Jordan at First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach on a warm, breezy May day. It was cold and rainy for almost a week beforehand but it all went away on the day of the session.

I’ve known Sarah for a couple years now but never had the pleasure of meeting Jordan until our consultation day. It was apparent from the moment we all met that it was going to be an epic session. We agreed to a beach session, made plans, and counted the days until go time.

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It’s almost time.

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The return of sunrise sessions in Virginia Beach.

I was walking my dog just now and realized that, for the first time this year, it would have been a glorious morning for a sunrise session. The air was warm and the sky was dynamic. I love working at the beach but I simply am crazy about sunrise sessions.

Now, you know me. I love doing portrait sessions at the beach. There are so many different “looks” we can achieve there. Then we cap off the session by using the sunset as a background for some truly stunning portraits.

So what’s the difference between a sunset portrait session and a sunrise portrait session? Let me explain.

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Jessica Magary is my first ever Woman Crush Wednesday.

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She was the first professional model I worked with after moving to Virginia.

I honestly can’t remember exactly how I first met Jessica Magary (https://www.facebook.com/jessica.magary). I think it was on a group shoot where a bunch of photographers get together with a bunch of models and worked with everyone for a little bit. I’m not sure. But somehow we did meet up and we agreed to do a solo session together. I even remember the date and location – September 28th, 2011 at First Landing State Park.

Now, mind you I was new to the area. I was living in Williamsburg and teaching but really hadn’t gotten into the local scene yet. I was still refining my off-camera flash skills, didn’t know the Virginia Beach area at all, and was looking for someone to work with to get my skills down.

In walks Miss Jessica. Her and her mom were super nice and understanding. We talked about rescheduling the session as there was supposed to be a storm.

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Welcoming Spring back to Virginia Beach.

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It’s been far too long since we last met. Here’s what’s in the works for the upcoming season.

In celebration of the death of Winter I’m posting some of the greatest hits from last year’s sessions. It is only a matter of time before we can head back outside and create even more magical images. I am not the same photographer that I was last season. I’ve grown skill-wise and want to stretch and use the new photographic muscles

On a personal level, I’m celebrating the impending arrival of a studio backdrop and other equipment in an effort to rebuild a small studio space at my place. I used to have one when I lived in upstate NY but it got destroyed in the move.

Having this small studio will allow me to create more fine art style images as well as fitness images, headshots, fashion and such. Recent forays into short video has shown a potential new route for me to take and this space will help with that. It also will become a default “Plan B” in case bad weather ruins a location session.

So, the future is looking bright. I hope you join me as I explore and grow.

Mark Knopp is a Virginia-Beach-based portrait photographer and teacher that covers the Hampton Roads community and beyond. Contact him today at mknopp1(at)cox.net for all your photographic needs.

Severine doing yoga silhouetted against the sunset at First Landing State Park.

It’s that time of year.

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Gearing up for another portrait season outside.

Things are finally warming up out there which means a return to outdoor sessions. Personally, I’m counting the days until I can return to the beach and other wonderful locations.

I’m also building a small studio set up at my place in case the weather won’t cooperate or a client wants studio portraits done. I’m posting an image from a test run I did here recently.

That being said here’s a reminder of just what kind of portrait sessions I offer. These can be done on location or at my place:

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Yep, I’m still kicking. Here’s an update of what’s in the works.

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I’ve just been busy with the other side of the business during the cold months.

Life is about balance. The ebb and flow. Doing the best you can with what you’ve got. Go with the flow. To this end I split my business between portraits and other endeavors. I do the portraits when the weather cooperates as they’re done outside on location. When the temps drop, I head inside to do other things.

I always keep an eye on the weather forecast, though. If I see a day or two that creep up above 65 I start lining up sessions outside so there will be some new images coming down the line, I promise.

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Still looking for the perfect gift for a friend or yourself?

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How about the gift of photography lessons?

Tis the season, my friends. People scrambling around, fighting traffic, standing in long lines at the check-out lines, et cetera. All for something that might not fit or they might already have two or three of.

Might I offer up a suggestion that would never be returned and can be used for a lifetime? I’m talking about the gift of photography lessons. I am a professional photographer with almost 30 years of experience in most fields of photography. I’m also a college photography instructor with over nine years of teaching experience at two and four year institutions. I also offer private, one-on-one lessons.

I teach everything from how to get better images from your cell phone, intro to photography, photo composition, gear, basic lighting, et cetera. We then move up the scale up through special topics like working on location, sports/action, wedding, nature/ladscape photography, portraits, advanced lighting techniques, food, table-top product, working with models, off-camera flash, and such.

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