Violetta Markelou and VM Photography Studio featured in DC Modern Luxury Magazine’s Annual Dynamic Women Of Washington

Violetta Markelou and VM Photography Studio featured in DC Modern Luxury Magazine’s Annual Dynamic Women Of Washington

Happy New Year to all of you ! Thank you for your continued support of women-owned and operated small businesses.
I’m happy to report that VM Photography Studio and myself are featured in the current issue of DC Modern Luxury Magazine’s annual Dynamic Women of Washington.
I was asked to be in the feature in late September, and of course I happily obliged.
I am thrilled to be able to talk about my businesses and promote I have been doing for more than 15 years.

2017 Year In Review

2017 Year In Review

It’s finally the start of the new year and what a journey these past 365 days have been ! The year of 2017 was full of momentum, creating huge opportunities and forging new relationships along the way.

‘SUPERFIERCE’ at The National Museum of Women In The Arts

‘SUPERFIERCE’ at The National Museum of Women In The Arts

On October 19th, I was honored to be featured as one of six artists for the launch of SUPERFIERCE, a traveling art exhibit hosted by female artists paying it forward. The exhibition and mentorship program, which highlights female artists is the brainchild of fine art...

35 mm portraits of my sister Eleni

35 mm portraits of my sister Eleni

I’m continuing to work with film. Both medium format and 35 mm. My mentor has been telling me for years “slow down, slow down!” He knew film was the way I would actually do that and he was right as always. When you have 12- 36 exposures per roll you think...

AFROPUNK 2016

AFROPUNK 2016

AfroPunk festival 2016 was hotter, more crowded and even more stylish than last year.
Thousands descended on Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn to celebrate the culture, style, music and spirit of AfroPunk.
Since my first time going last year, I vowed to make the trip every year to document the abundance of beautiful women and men of all shapes, shades and sizes.
As expected, there was no shortage of sartorial feasts everywhere you looked. From hippy-bohemian-African goddesses to young men in handmade outfits with stuffed animals attached, AfroPunk was worth the trekking in 90+ degree heat with not one but two film cameras!
NO DIGITAL!

The Real Ibiza

The Real Ibiza

When you think of Ibiza the first thing that comes to mind is probably clubbing to the sound of ntz ntz ntz and pill popping right ?
Even I had the same notion about the island before traveling there, but I knew I was in good hands that would show me many of
island’s unknown gems.
The first thing that I want to say about Ibiza (pronounced E-beetha) but all the natives, is how mystical it is.
From the people to the places I saw, it was evident that there is an inherent spirituality there.
Being from Greece I expected it to look similar to the Greek Islands. And there was definitely a similarity in the overall look of the landscape.
But what was different in Ibiza was the energy and the earthy quality of each person I met. The vibe is more gypsy and extrmely bohemian.
A hippie wonderland of sorts.

Portrait of Gregory Porter

Portrait of Gregory Porter

I had the pleasure and honor to photograph one of Jazz music’s brightest stars a few weeks ago at the NPR Headquarters in Washington D.C.
It happened by chance, as many of my collisions with musicians happen to be.
I was invited by a friend Abby, who knew I was a fan of Gregory Porter to his Tiny Desk concert. I had heard of Tiny Desk concerts for years and have even YouTubed a few performances. But I still didn’t know what to expect or how long the concerts lasted.
I left work giddy in the middle of the day knowing I was about to witness some soul stirring magic! I had seen Mr Porter perform on Jimmy Kimmel a few nights before and per usual it blew me away!
Excited, I brought my Yashica D medium format camera in case there was a good opportunity to get a portrait of him.
I had a half a roll of film left in the camera already (6 frames), so I decided to try my luck.

An Engagement Fashion Photo Shoot Fit For Modern Royalty

An Engagement Fashion Photo Shoot Fit For Modern Royalty

A few months ago I had a wonderful shoot with a handsome young couple who wanted a high-fashion editorial-style engagement photo shoot. They are getting married this summer in a gorgeous castle in Bulgaria and wanted the photos for their engagement website to help create excitement for their wedding and to capture this most exciting time in their lives.
Five wardrobe changes with full on hair, makeup and accessorizing and 15 edited photos was what they requested.
I had a great team of expert lighting, a wardrobe stylist and vintage collector, and a makeup and hair artist to ensure this couple got exactly what they wanted. In under 6 hours at a historic mansion in Georgetown we managed to got it done!

An Unconventional Maternity Shoot for Friends

An Unconventional Maternity Shoot for Friends

I had a great maternity photo shoot with a lovely couple expecting their first child a few months ago. They’re a young and fun couple who I’ve known for the past 6 years.
They wanted something different from the conventional maternity shoot; one that usually is semi nude and involve flowers and soft feminine elements.
Knowing this, we agreed to meet in Blagden Alley in the Shaw neighborhood in downtown Washington. The fast changing neighborhood is newly decorated with with street art coffee shops amongst older buildings.
A perfect backdrop to push the boundaries and showcase their excitement !