Washington, D.C. Portrait Photography by
NEAT SHINY OWL
for people who want more than a record
Creative Approach
Three Languages.
One Vision.
Neat Shiny Owl operates through three distinct but interconnected visual vocabularies. Each serves a different emotional register. Most commissions draw from more than one.
LIGHT
Radiance & Brazen Dimensionality
AETHEREUM
Symbolism, &
Dreamlike Interpretation
SHADOW
Ccontour & Controlled Absence
Selected Work
The Portfolio
“I know who I am. I just haven't seen that version of myself in a photograph. Not yet.”
Your Photographer
Anthony Lewis
Anthony Lewis is a Washington, D.C.–based portrait photographer, editor, and retoucher, currently bolstering his directorial offerings. His work is built specifically for people who carry complexity — especially Black and Brown women who are accomplished, self-aware, and quietly certain that they haven't yet seen the best photograph of themselves.
Sessions are unexpectedly intimate, and quietly transformative — not because anything dramatic happens, but because clients usually finally feel allowed to exist as meekly or as brazenly as they often may not have the space to. Anthony doesn't photograph the way most people expect to be photographed. He photographs dreams, the surreal, and the way most people have always hoped to be seen.
2+
The average week minimum for delivery of finely curated, truthfully edited, & highly handcrafted portraiture
DC
Washington Metro Area is the home base; travel is welcome interstate & abroad
3
Distinct visual languages, carefully developed over several years to highlight the many different facets of you
5+
Genres of photography understood innately by your photographer, to best tell your specific narrative
Pursuing Legacy
More than Fifteen Years of Intentional Portraiture
NEATSHINYOWL is a portrait studio built for people who want more than a record of their appearance — especially Black and Brown women who carry multiple identities, hold multiple truths, and want a photograph that holds those truths without flattening them.
Most photographers are trying to document who you are. Anthony is trying to show who you've become, who you're in the process of becoming, or who you've been quietly waiting for permission to be. This requires a different kind of attention, one that he's elated to make space for, with you.
What you leave with isn't 2-step verification in the form of photographs. Instead, you leave with an artifact: evidence of a specific version of yourself, made with care, during a moment that will not repeat.
SPECIALITIES
BEAUTY | GLAMOUR | BOUDOIR | MATERNITY | ENGAGEMENTS | POST MARITAL PORTRAITS | ALBUM COVERS | AUTHOR PORTRAITS | PERSONAL PORTRAITS
STEP 01
Consultation
Every NEATSHINYOWL commission begins with a conversation. Before a camera is introduced, Anthony takes time to understand your goals, concerns, inspirations, and practical considerations — including how you want to feel during the session and what you want to walk away holding.
STEP 02
Pre-Production
Depending on the project, pre-production may include wardrobe guidance, location selection, styling direction, mood development, and discussion of how the final work will be used, displayed, or shared. This phase exists so that nothing is left to chance on the day of the session.
STEP 03
The Session
Sessions are intentionally paced and collaborative. Whether you've been photographed hundreds of times or never, the NEATSHINYOWL process is built around guidance, observation, and adaptation — not performance. Authentic expressions emerge naturally over time, not on command.
STEP 04
Post Production
Images enter a deliberate curation and retouching process. NEATSHINYOWL does not provide RAW files or proofs. Only the strongest images are selected and refined — retouching prioritizes preservation of character and identity over reduction. Freckles, tattoos, scars, and defining features are generally kept.
Investment
Every Client. Every Session.
Beauty, Glamour & Boudoir.
Following nearly five years of an increasingly thorough & endearing career, a new & improved approach to all client work is now available to you.
Both services include all three primary portrait genres (Beauty, Glamour, & Boudoir) across all three visual languages. The difference isn't just time, but also depth, & the size of your collection.
SIGNATURE COMMISSION
4 Hours
limited time only - save $160
$800
$640
A complete studio portrait experience — three genre sets across LIGHT, SHADOW, and AETHEREUM. Guided from start to finish, with every frame curated and retouched by Anthony.
` ` `
— 2-hour guided studio session
— Three portrait sets — Beauty, Glamour & Boudoir
— LIGHT, SHADOW & AETHEREUM applied across all genres
— Anthony-curated image selection
— Professional retouching
— Digital delivery (~14 business days)
STUDIO PORTRAIT
2 Hours
$1200
The full NEATSHINYOWL experience across four hours — more time, more depth, and a larger final collection delivered in segmented releases over the following month.
` ` `
— 4-hour guided studio session
— Three portrait sets — Beauty, Glamour & Boudoir
— LIGHT, SHADOW & AETHEREUM applied across all genres
— Extended pre-session consultation
— Anthony-curated image selection — expanded collection
— Professional retouching — priority queue
— Segmented digital delivery over ~1 month
For Studio Portraits, please arrive hair & makeup ready. This service does not include outside vendor arrangements.
For Signature Commissions, Please arrive hair & makeup ready. No outside vendor services included.
Wardrobe direction is collaborative, curated jointly between you & your photographer.
Not sure which service fits your goals? Say so in your inquiry. Anthony will recommend the right approach for you.
Behind The Work
The Experience
What does it actually feel like to be in the room? Every NEATSHINYOWL session is guided, unhurried, and built entirely around you — not a pose chart, not a trend board, not a performance.
Presence
Over Perfection:
Sessions are intentional, full of movement, and usually a lot of fun. Nervousness is normal, and so is laughing halfway through realizing you actually like being photographed.
First-time clients are welcome & accommodated from the moment they arrive — no prior experience with being photographed is necessary or assumed.
Custom Production
From $5200
For business owners, solopreneurs, and small organizations who need the NEATSHINYOWL visual aesthetic at scale. Fully bespoke — scope, deliverables, creative direction, and timeline are determined through an intensive pre-production process. This service is not appropriate for clients seeking a personal portrait experience. It is designed for those with an organizational need for distinctive, handcrafted portrait imagery produced in quantity.
Whats’ inside:
— Full creative development & art direction
— Multiple concept execution across visual languages
— Location, styling & production coordination
— Extended pre-production & consultation timeline
— Comprehensive final collection — archival delivery
Inquire about Custom Production →
Start Here
Begin Your Journey,
by starting a conversation.
Every NSO commission begins with a conversation. Share what you're drawn toward, what you're uncertain about, and what feels important — and we'll begin from there.
- STUDIO | Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Are
- TRAVEL | Available beyond the greater DMV area
- RESPONSE TIME | Within 2 business days.