Hi Stephen,

Thank you so much for sharing the incredible photographs you took of us. Now that Belinda and I have had a chance to go through all of them, I just wanted to take a moment to thank you—not only for the incredible images, but for everything you did for us that evening.

As you know, just about everything that could have gone differently that night did. Between the road closures, Ubers repeatedly canceling or being delayed, having to walk several blocks from where our Uber finally dropped us off, and ultimately realizing that neither we nor Rev. Holt could get to the Jefferson Memorial, it would have been easy for the evening to unravel.

Instead, you stayed calm, flexible, and positive through all of it.

We’ll never forget your decision to arrive at the Jefferson Memorial early enough to beat the road closures, and then walk over to the Lincoln Memorial to meet us. We’ll also never forget your incredibly generous offer to have your son drive over to pick us up when it looked like we might not be able to get there at all. That was such a thoughtful thing to do. Although the road closures ultimately made it impossible, the fact that you were willing to involve your own family to help clients you had just met says a great deal about the kind of person you are. Looking back, I can only imagine how stressful it must have been photographing our vow renewal while knowing your 18-year-old son was trying to navigate Washington on one of the most chaotic nights the city has probably ever experienced.

Despite all of that, you were the ultimate professional. Once we made the decision to have our vow renewal at the Lincoln Memorial, you gave us your complete attention and somehow managed to capture every emotion of the evening. Looking through the gallery, it feels like we’re reliving the entire experience from beginning to end. The candid moments, the ceremony itself, the quiet time afterward, and the beautiful architectural shots all tell the story perfectly.

Some of my favorite photographs are actually the quiet, unposed ones—the moments where Belinda and I were simply sitting together talking after the ceremony. Those images are incredibly meaningful to us because they capture not just what happened, but how the evening felt.

Of all the wonderful photographs you captured, some of the ones we’ll treasure most are the quiet moments we didn’t even realize you were photographing.

And then, after everything else, you still took the time to capture that magnificent final photograph of the Lincoln Memorial before tracking down your son and heading home. It was the perfect way to end the story.

I have a feeling you have quite an adventure story of your own about eventually reuniting with your son and making your way home that night! I hope everything worked out safely, and please let him know how much we appreciated his willingness to help us.

What started as a day full of unexpected obstacles ended up becoming one of the most meaningful evenings of our lives, and you played a huge part in making that happen. Looking at these photographs now, it’s hard to believe any of the chaos even existed. That’s a tribute not only to your talent as a photographer, but also to your professionalism, your kindness, and your ability to make people feel completely at ease, even under extraordinary circumstances.

We truly feel fortunate that we somehow found you. However it happened, it now feels almost serendipitous because I honestly can’t imagine anyone else documenting our anniversary the way you did.

Thank you again for your extraordinary work, your patience, your generosity, and for helping turn what could have been a disappointing evening into one of the most meaningful memories of our lives. These photographs are something Belinda and I will treasure for the rest of our lives, and every time we look at them, we’ll remember not only that special evening, but also the extraordinary kindness of the man behind the camera who helped make it possible.

Please also accept our heartfelt thanks to your son. His willingness to help complete strangers on such an extraordinary evening speaks volumes about him, and I’m sure that willingness reflects the example you’ve set. We hope you both made it home safely without too much additional hassle, and we truly appreciate that both of you were willing to go so far to help us.

P.S. One of our very favorite images may actually be the last one you took of the illuminated Lincoln Memorial after we said our goodbyes. Somehow it seems like the perfect final page to the story of that unforgettable evening. Thank you for taking one last photograph before heading off to reunite with your son. It was such a thoughtful touch, and a perfect ending to a remarkable experience.

With our deepest gratitude,

Dr. Gary & Belinda Bircham

After reviewing Stephen's portfolio, we virtually met with Stephen to discuss our vision for photographing our wedding party. We thought he did a fantastic job capturing the venue's beauty, directing couples poses, managing family photos, and capturing all of our unique moments of our party. We especially loved the way he candidly photographed all of our wedding guests on the dance floor enjoying the night. Stephen provided the edited photos about 1 month after our event and was very responsive to any questions we sent his way. Would highly recommend!

Like many couples--my husband and I are camera shy and NOT photogenic. Stephen proved us wrong. We just got our album back and it seems like every photo surpasses the last one. Each picture so perfectly captures our wedding and every emotion we felt as the day progressed. We could not be happier that we booked Stephen for our wedding . RUN don't walk to book Stephen for your wedding!!!

Stephen and his colleague Jess were top-notch professionals. From our first call with Stephen we knew that he was what we were looking for in a photographer; he was flexible, accommodating, and has a calming demeanor. While the "traditional" family/wedding photos were a must, we emphasized that we wanted to walk away with a lot of candid photos of our friends + family having a blast and being themselves. Stephen listened and based on the preview he sent us, we are pumped to see the full collection!

We can't say enough good things about Stephen- he was wonderful to work with and captured the day so perfectly. We will always treasure our photos, especially the candid moments!

Stephen was excellent! He was easy to work with throughout the whole process and the photos turned out better than we could have hoped. Stephen photographed our wedding this September. Through the planning process he was responsive and answered all of our questions. The day of, he was thoughtful and intentional and really eased into the background so it didn’t feel awkward. He even started taking photos before he walked in the door! When we got the photos back (very quickly!) it really felt like he captured the day and us, moments big and small. He also put together a beautiful slideshow which was perfect for sharing with friends and family, especially those not able to attend the wedding. We highly recommend working with Stephen for your wedding.

I didn't think I needed a photographer for my wedding. I was looking for candid shots and thought these could be captured by guests. I am SO happy I found Stephen as he was able to capture poignant candid shots in a stunning way that no guests were able to do. He created a gorgeous brief slide show that captured the essence of our day. I feel so fortunate that we were able to have his talents to memorialize our wedding day!

I hired Stephen because I loved the photos he shot from the previous wedding at the venue we were planning on getting married. Due to COVID, plans changed and Stephen was completely accommodating. We have loved the photos he took of our family only backyard wedding. He captured everything we wanted and surprised us with some photos that were above and beyond what we ever could have imagined.

I'm a former TV reporter, so you can imagine how PICKY I was going to be about choosing a photographer for my wedding! Stephen was perfect. My husband I wanted someone to capture the magical fleeting moments at our wedding, and he NAILED it. He melted into the background and made our guests feel super comfortable. And when we looked at the final photos, we both smiled and laughed and teared up. He perfectly captured the joy and happiness we felt on our wedding day.

Our wedding was a low key affair (courthouse with immediate family). Stephen had photographed a friend's wedding, so when we decided to hire a photographer we immediately reached out to see if he might be free. He was able to arrange his schedule to accommodate us, and we could not be happier he did. He captured so many perfect moments. The photographs are stunning, but the real genius of his work is how he manages to capture the emotions and vibe of an event. That still photographs can radiate so much joy and love is truly remarkable. Not only that, he is incredibly nice and easy to work with. Cannot recommend Stephen highly enough.