Northern Virginia Family Photographer
About Me
Hi, I'm Nicole. I'm a mom to three boys in Northern Virginia. Things are loud, usually messy, and often, despite my efforts, not going according to plan. Motherhood has been a wild ride for me and one of my proudest accomplishments has been learning to (mostly) roll with it.
It's been seven years, but I remember my first photo session as a parent well. My son was about eight months old and I spent the day with mounting anxiety about whether I would be able to time his nap and bedtime just right so we'd make it to our golden hour session with a happy, joyful baby and be those smiling, perfect parents I saw all over social media.
We got pretty photos, but when I look at them, I just remember how stressed I was. How stressed my husband was. How uncomfortable it felt to be in front of the camera.
The photos tell me nothing about my son at that age. How he loved to cuddle with our (now departed) beloved white lab. How he loved to play "Super Baby" flying through the house with my husband. How fast he could army crawl across the floor chasing after whatever caught his interest. These were the moments I wanted to remember. The phases that were so fleeting.
That's how I discovered family documentary photography. The photos from these relaxed sessions with my family give me glimpses into periods of my life that have been wonderful and challenging and that I wouldn't trade for the world. Like the transition from one child to two and always feeling a step behind, but learning to laugh it off when I catch the baby trying to eat play-doh or playing in the toilet. These images take me right back to those moments that have made me the mother I am. The moments where I've discovered the tiny facets that make up these three amazing little people that have taken over my life.
That's what I give to parents with their photos and films. Glimpses of this awesome and challenging ride. A window for their children to look into years from now and see elements of themselves that were apparent even way back when.
Contact me today and tell me what is it that you most want to remember about this moment in your life.
These images were taken by the talented Whitney Rowland.