In STUDIO? Yep! | Washington, DC Lifestyle Photographer

August tiptoed right on in here, didn't it? Hard to believe we're nearing the halfway point of summer! Or maybe a little past it, depending on your school schedules.

Lately I've been feeling inspired. Playing around a bit- and experimenting with a potential new offering- studio photography!

For yearsss I've leaned into my love of natural light and on location shooting. Sometimes that meant shooting at an indoor location, but I never quite had the desire to shoot in a studio- until recently.

In June, when I was in Atlanta, I tried my hand at studio photography with the shoot above. Unfortunately, if you're in DC and interested in shooting here, it's not a local studio!

It was a fun challenge, but instead of booking more studio time for my remaining ATL sessions, I decided to approach them as creatively as possible. And I really enjoyed that!

Back home, I fell into my routine and I'd almost forgotten that I wanted to experiment more!

But my friend, we finally made it happen.

Last week I did my first proper studio session- with lights, props, seamless backdrops, and everything!

I can hardly tell you how excited I am about this!! 

Studio photography is still very new to me and I know that every shoot will be different, but I'm looking forward to expanding.

That being said- studio sessions aren't an official offering just yet. But- if you are interested, I am open to accepting a few studio sessions as I fine tune what this offering will eventually look like.

In the meantime, on location sessions are always available! And we are nearing the busiest photo time of year!

Before we get there though- I have room for one or two additional sessions next month.

If you were interested in spring or summer photos and want to shoot before it gets cold, I'd love to create with you next month! We still have lush greenery available, little to no oppressive heat, and beautiful yummy light. September is my fave!

Ready to shoot? Email me and let me know which session type you'd like and I'll share the remaining September options with you.

Thinking about fall instead?

Click the button above to receive booking info right to your inbox! Books for Q4 (Fall 2026) open in a couple weeks on Tuesday, August 18.

That’s it for me today! When you get a chance, let me know what you think about the studio work!

 I hope to hear from you soon 🤎

-Danni

Little Things | Washington, DC Lifestyle Photographer

While I was driving the other day, Little Things by India Arie came on and I realized it was the perfect song to describe how these last few months have felt.

Despite the state of the world, I have been finding so much joy in the little things.

What are some of those things? I’m glad you asked 😌

• Taking a walk with a nice cool breeze.
  I have been LOVING my (almost daily) walks! Especially with these chilly spring days. I’m soaking them in because I know it will feel like an oven outside soon.

• Listening to the birds- and identifying them with the Merlin Bird ID app.
  This app is such a treat! It’s amazing being able to identify what you’re hearing and learn more about the birds in your area. My next step will be getting binoculars so I can be a proper birder!

• Ice cold water.
  Okay this one is new for me because I have sensitive teeth so I’ve never been a fan of super cold things. But I’ve discovered the joy of drinking ice cold water- with a straw 😅

• A good thrift find.
  Over the winter, I became an accidental thrifter. I say accidental because I started out just looking for sweaters and a coat, and boy was I successful! So I kept coming back 😆 I absolutely have more to share on this, but I’ll do that on a different post.

• The arts!
  Okay so this technically isn’t a “little thing”, but I absolutely have to share it because the joy it has brought me is immense! I recently went to see The Wiz and Bruno Mars and honestly, I don’t even have the words. I left both shows feeling SO full and inspired by the full display of talent and artistry. Great productions are so inspiring to me!

Just a few things that have been bringing me joy ☺️

What has brought you joy lately?

To switch gears a little, here’s some of what we’ve been up to so far this year!

A little family, a little brand, a little grad, some headshots, and a book launch! So many beautiful faces ❤️

Last year wasn’t great for me and I felt like it showed in my work, but this year I’ve felt much better about my work and I’m so grateful to each and every one of my clients!

Would you like to create together this year?

Click the button above to learn more about how we can work together, and receive booking info right to your inbox!

Books for Q3 (Summer 2026) open in a couple weeks on Tuesday, May 19.

I hope you have a wonderful spring season!

-Danni

Proof of life | Washington, DC Lifestyle Photographer

I don't know about you, but this winter absolutely tried to take me out 😩

Truthfully, much of last year did. But despite their best efforts, I'm still here!

Grief has been a constant companion these past few months. And honestly, the older I get, the more I realize it's going to continue to be in some shape or form. Learning to grieve while still allowing space for joy is such a worthwhile skill to learn.

I covered a bit in my last update, but I have zero interest in recounting the low points of the past seven months, instead I want to recap some of the highs 🧡

Over the past couple years I've been working really hard at making sustainable lifestyle changes and one of those is spending more time with people I love! 

Decentering work has been a true blessing because let's be honest, it should have never been the focal point in the first place lol. But we live and we learn, and I'm grateful to Jehovah for his patience with me!

On the topic of work though- last year I got a new camera (Nikon Z7 II) and trying to learn that while managing the heaviness of life, I absolutely felt like I had lost my creative spark.

I'm not 100% sure it's back, BUT I don't feel as poorly about my work as I did last year, so I will absolutely take that. I wish I had the kind of time I used to have when I was younger to just play around and create, but that kind of thing has to be scheduled now 😅 

But on the topic of creating- I want to share some of the things I've been working on!

Last month, I shared with the Insider List that after six years, the Mini Headshot Special was coming back!

It was held on March 1 and sold out fairly quickly- but it was so nice, we have to do it twice! And this time, I'm doing my best to let everyone know!

Would you like to learn more about the Mini Headshot Special?

After signing up at the link above, you will receive details for the next Mini Headshot Special being held on April 19!

Winter is typically light for work, but Spring is on the horizon and I'm looking forward to the creativity a new season will bring!

Want to create together? Click the link below to stay in the loop with availability and calendar updates:

I know I say it every time, but I really do appreciate you being here.

DFinney Photography turned SIXTEEN this past September and I truly couldn't have done this for so long without you.

Thank you 🤎

I hope you have an amazing rest of the week!

-Danni

Where do I begin? | Washington, DC Lifestyle Photographer

It’s been 4 months since my last post but man does it feel like a lifetime.

Soo much has happened since then… I’ll do my best to give you the short version.

When we last chatted, I was hard at work on improving my sleep and overall wellness, and you know what? I was doing SO WELL!

Like “better than I’ve ever felt in my adult life” well.

It was kind of unbelievable, but it also felt surprisingly sustainable and that was a big deal!

Then work kicked into high gear and I kind of lost my footing.

Not terribly, just in an “okay I have to figure this out” kind of way… and I did, a little.

But when I tell you… this spring season was unexpectedly one of the busiest I’ve ever had? Whew. I was absolutely grateful, but man was it a challenge.

Previously during a busy season, I would just keep pushing and then figure out recovery afterwards. But re-learning how to take care of myself in a healthier way meant that I needed to do things differently.

And while I was working on regaining my footing, along came a sinus infection. Literally in the middle of the busy season 😒

Discouraged is not even the word. I had reschedules on top of reschedules!

I was down for a couple weeks, but thankfully I was (mostly) better in time for my week long Midwest work trip.

The work trip!

So… I’ve actually never done a trip like this before. Usually if I’m traveling for work, it’s to one city. But given how amazing I felt earlier in the year (when these plans were made lol), I was like oh this is totally doable!

What were the plans? Flying to Grand Rapids for a shoot… then driving to Detroit for a few shoots… then driving to Fort Wayne for a shoot… then driving to Indianapolis to fly home.

A lot, I know lol. I had rest days in there and each of the drives were about 2 to 2.5 hours so that was no problem, but starting the trip on the heels of being sick (and at the start of that crazy heatwave!) was definitely a challenge.

Despite how challenging it was, there were definitely some blessings sprinkled in and I was so grateful to Jehovah for helping me get through! Even when my flight home was cancelled because of storms at home 😂

So that brings me to where things really fell apart…

The week after I got back, we had a really sudden and tragic loss.

We lost a vibrant and caring husband, friend, father, brother, and uncle in an instant. Honestly I can barely even talk about this without crying because losing Mike has been one of the hardest things I’ve dealt with in a long time. He was such a dear friend to me (more like a big brother) and he will truly be missed.

I’ve been moving a bit slower and I’m grateful to my clients for their grace with the extra time I’ve needed lately.

So that’s the short-ish recap of the last 4 months.

I do have more to share- both photos and life stuff, but I’ll have to do that in a follow-up because I didn’t want this to be any longer!

Thanks for being here and catching up with me 🧡

-Danni

Am I becoming "one of those" people?

I think I’m becoming one of those “I don’t play about my sleep” people 😅

After weeks and weeks (and truthfully, months) of poor sleep, last month I said enough is enough.

I sat myself down and said “Danni, you HAVE to get serious about your sleep.”

Sleep was something that I took for granted for a long time… at the end of the day (whatever time that may be), you’ll fall asleep. But increasingly I noticed that simply was not the case. I even started to dread bedtime because I knew it meant being frustrated that I wasn’t asleep when I should be!

Early last month I found myself going to sleep pretty regularly between 2 and 4 AM and it was not by choice…

Then, the time changed.

And as happy as I was about longer daylight hours, I was equally unhappy because my sleep got even worse and I felt terrible!

That’s when I had to sit myself down and figure this out.

And by “figure this out”, I mean actually DO the things I know are supposed to help you sleep better but that I’ve never really done with any real consistency.

And when I tell you… the FIRST night after I did all the things? I fell asleep before 11 PM and slept for nearly 9 hours.

I was sold.

I immediately became a sleep enthusiast 😂

Now I’ve always loved sleep, but I’ve also always considered myself a “night owl”, mornings have always been difficult, and I just assumed it would always be that way.

But listen… in case you’re like me, I’m here to tell you, it really does make a difference when you’re intentional about your sleep.

We have a lot of habits that are actively sabotaging a good night’s rest and undoing them IS going to take some work, but man is it worth it.

So what are the things that I’ve found helpful?

It’s a long list, but a number of them require very little effort, just a willingness to try :) Some I also don’t do every night, but I’ve included them anyway because I didn’t want to leave anything off!

• Low warm lighting

  I have smart bulbs and I lower the lights in my home between 8-9 PM and make the color warmer. No bright/blue lighting.
  
  

• No TV after 9 PM

  If I’m planning to be in bed between 10-11 PM, this is about the time the TV goes off if it wasn’t already.
  
  

• Night mode on phone/ipad

  This reduces the screen’s blue light and comes on automatically at 9 PM, but if I’m winding down earlier, I manually turn it on.
  
  

• Grayscale on phone/ipad

  I don’t remember what this setting is called, but I make the screen on my devices black & white because if I still have things to do on them near bedtime, I want as little stimulation as possible.
  
  

• Don’t read/do anything stimulating

  No researching, brainstorming, or strategizing. No exciting books, involved convos, etc. I’m trying to turn my brain down.
  
  

• Do not disturb/Sleep mode

  Funny enough, my phone is often on Do Not Disturb because I don’t like notifications, but Apple’s “Sleep Mode” is even better! It darkens the lock screen and minimizes or eliminates notifications completely. I like this because even when I do pick up my phone, I’m not distracted by notifications.
  
  

• Stretch and/or lymphatic massage

  I don’t do this regularly, but it’s nice when I am able to and I do think it helps.
  
  

• Lean into sleepiness when it comes

  I used to have trouble with this because I would feel like getting sleepy around 8 PM was too early. I would push through and end up not getting sleepy again until much later. Now, I roll with it when it comes.
  
  

• No nap during the day

  This is hard because I am a napper! But now I realize that usually when I feel sleepy in the afternoon, it’s because I need to either eat, drink more water, or move my body. On the occasions where I simply can’t stay awake, I take a short 15 minute nap so I don’t mess up my big sleep later.
  
  

• Don’t eat too close to bedtime

  I’m still working on this because the whole getting to bed early thing is new to me, but I’ve found that it helps to eat a couple hours beforehand. I also discovered last week that fermented foods eaten too close to bedtime can mess with your sleep too, so I won’t be having kimchi with a late dinner again lol.
  
  

• Keep phone in another room- or at the very least, across the room

  This is such a small thing, but makes a HUGE difference. Not having my phone within reach means that I’m not on it before bed or first thing in the morning.
  
  

• Use a physical alarm clock

  This further helps me detach from needing to look at my phone first thing in the morning and makes me get out of bed to turn it off. Although lately I’ve actually been waking up before my alarm, so I just get up to make sure it doesn’t go off lol.
  
  

• Cool bedroom/white noise

  These were a must for me already but on their own they weren’t enough. I just wanted to make sure they were included cuz even if I do all the other things, if my bedroom is too warm and I don’t have my air purifier/white noise on, I won’t be able to sleep.
  
  

• Use a Sleep Calculator for wake time

  This is another thing I’ve been doing for years, but paired with everything else it’s been even more beneficial. Instead of arbitrarily setting a wakeup time, using a sleep calculator gives me the best times to wake up BETWEEN sleep cycles, not in the middle of one.
  
  

• Mellow music

  This is not a must have, but sometimes when my brain feels especially busy, it does help having mellow music to turn it down.

  Here are a few playlists I’ve found helpful on Spotify:

Whew! I think that’s everything 😅

It’s a lot right?!

But man is it worth it. I’m sleeping better, more consistently, I actually look forward to bedtime, and enjoy waking up! Most days lol. Just this past weekend, I had a couple morning commitments but I got up early enough to have time for ME before diving into the day. That felt amazing, and I really want to make that my norm.

Honestly, had I not hit the low point I did, I know that I wouldn’t have gone THIS hard with it, but I’m grateful. It’s made me much more mindful about how things affect my sleep because I can see and feel the difference. It’s not as simple as “getting in the bed earlier”, it’s a whole process! I threw everything I could at this because I desperately needed something to work, so over time I’m sure I’ll have a simpler routine, but for now I’m just happy to be getting sleep and waking up earlier.

Now I’m not consistently getting 9 hours- truthfully, the first night was the only one I got THAT much sleep lol. But even with that, the quality of my sleep does seem to have improved. My mental ups and downs are still here, but It feels like I’m managing them better and I know it’s no coincidence.

Because it’s new, it still takes A LOT of effort to stick to such an early wind down and bed time, but I can’t argue with the results, and that motivates me to keep going.

So I guess I’ll end with an encouragement from this former night owl: get serious about your sleep! We know we need it, but we greatly underestimate just how important it is to literally everything.

Granted, there is no shortage of things that deprive us of sleep, but I encourage you to please do what you can to improve the quality and/or quantity of your sleep. You may surprise yourself with how big of difference it makes 🧡

-Danni