Fresh 48 at the Hospital | Northern Virginia Newborn Photographer

Nothing compares to meeting your baby for the first time and getting to know him or her in those first hours. I could gush about this experience all day and love reminiscing about this time with both my boys. I still regret not having a photographer to document my eldest son's first days and I'm so glad to have planned ahead for my youngest. Having experienced this special time makes me that much more honored to photograph it for my client families, like this beautiful new mom at the Women and Infant Health Center at Virginia Hospital Center in Northern Virginia.

Whether you deliver at home or in the hospital, it's an incredible time to preserve with pictures or a film. The newborn phase goes by in a flash and it can be hard to appreciate the sweetness when you're adjusting to a new baby, especially your first. Getting the hang of feeding, changing, napping, and trying to eat, sleep, and bathe yourself can take over, so having someone else there to capture the bigger picture is a relief.

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I love Fresh 48 hospital sessions like this one at Virginia Hospital Center. Seeing a new mom with her baby is a special experience and I appreciate documenting all those early details and sweet moments and thinking about how they will enjoy being able to see and share these first moments both now and years from now.

These images are part of a fusion session which included a Fresh 48 film of this newborn and his mom. I'll be seeing them again soon for an in-home session and can't wait to see how much he's changed.

Contact me to learn about custom multi-session and combination photo and film packages.

A casual birthday celebration | Washington, DC Family Photographer

Photographing a quiet morning with your family may seem like an unusual was to celebrate your child's first birthday. Birthday parties are awesome, but if you're looking to highlight what's unique about this special time in your family life, a casual day at home is the secret to success. That exactly what this Washington, DC family chose to do to mark their sweet son's first birthday.

Birthday parties can be stressful for parents and children alike. Extra people, missed naps, and mixed up routines can be a challenge no matter how carefully you plan. Parties are full of fun moments that make for great photos, but a normal day at home means sharing and capturing what you love best about your family in this fleeting time, from morning naps and breakfast together, to Skyping with Grandma and tickle attacks.

I loved this sweet family's routine of brushing their teeth together. This little guy may not always love brushing his teeth so much.  It's fun to see the things parents do (often over and over again) to entertain little ones and make life happen (like how it sometimes takes two people to put on a toddler's pants). It's those little things that are so easy to look past in the moment and forget as children move on to the next milestone or crazy behavior.

I love photographing the chaos that big family celebrations bring, but there is something equally special about simply showing parents and children with each other. The love they share and the home they create together is what makes childhood memories and celebrating each year so sweet.

Contact me today to learn about planning a session that's perfect for the milestone you're celebrating.

November Favorites | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I unintentionally took December off social media. It started as an experiment in deleting Facebook and Instagram from my phone for a day and then turned into a week and another and another. I checked in from time to time but haven't added the apps back to my phone and I'm not sure I will, at least Facebook anyway. Now that I'm back from a holiday break, I'm excited to share a backlog of photos from November and December, including some amazing client sessions.

Since my break also included a lapse in editing personal photos, these are from November and include those that made our holiday card this year.  November is the best month for fall color in Northern Virginia and we often have warm days, so it's a perfect time for capturing seasonal color (and not freezing your fingers).

I think I'll be making a December hiatus an annual event. I've been surprised to learn how many other things I could be doing (including nothing at all) when I'm not scrolling social feeds. It's been a refreshing break to relax a bit, regroup, and set goals for the new year.

Happy New Year!

Want to learn how to better document your own family's day-to-day?  Sign up for my mailing list to receive 4 Steps to Stop Time and Savor the Moment with Your Family.  It's a simple and fun guide to documenting your family's life with beautiful photographs.

3 things I've learned from having my own family photographed | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

There's truth in the adage, “practice what you preach.” Especially when you have kids, because they'll be the first to call you out. (Not that I would know from experience or anything.)

The saying applies to having your family photographed as well.  While I love a great family portrait where everyone is looking and smiling at the camera, I love even more the pictures of real life.  These are the ones I most enjoy taking for others and the ones I most appreciate of my own family. 

When I look back on pictures from my childhood, I wish I had more photos of my parents and with my parents. Photos that show them being parents and that also offer glimpses into who they were besides Mom and Dad. That's what images of real life offer. An opportunity to see aspects of your life that you may not see when you're in the moment. These images offer an opportunity for your kids to look back and realize that their parents were regular humans too. Heroic and flawed all at once.

I've hired documentary photographers to document my family's daily life several times in the last few years and every time I've left the experience feeling so grateful to have those moments captured in a way that my children, husband, and I can look back on in years to come.

Having someone photograph my family is so different than doing it myself.  And since I know how it feels to invite a near stranger with a camera into your home and into your life, I wanted to share insights from my experiences and address concerns that some families may have about hiring a photographer to come into your home to document your family life.

1.  Don't worry about feeling awkward.  It's normal. If you feel uneasy, just remember how important it is for your kids to see YOU in pictures of their childhood. 

Often, one parent is the designated (officially or not) photographer in the family, leaving their presence in photos relegated to infrequent cell phone images by other family members, selfies, or the once yearly family portrait for holiday cards.

Of course, in reality you're an integral part of your family's daily life. Working hard to keep the ship running and providing love, support, and fun to your whole family. Having someone else there to photograph leaves you free, even for just a few hours, to just engage with your family.  You may feel a bit awkward or a bit frazzled, but if you just remember your only job is to enjoy time with your family, that is what you and your family will remember and see in your pictures.

2. Kids will be kids. Especially in front of a camera.

Kids have a way of doing the exact opposite of what we want them to do when there's an audience, especially a camera. The best thing to do is to roll with it. Have a rough plan and if they have other ideas, adjust.  They'll be more cooperative if they feel heard.  And even if they put on a performance, you'll likely get some funny photos for the trouble.

Documentary style photographs capture both the endearing moments and the challenging ones. Parenting can be a roller coaster ride. In the span of just a few minutes, you might experience both a meltdown and a fit of giggles. You shouldn't be shy about preserving both.

3. Don't worry about the dull moments. Or the meltdown moments. Or even the frustrated-with-your-spouse moments.

Real life is funny. And frustrating. Fun. And just hard sometimes. Give your children the gift of reality. Life doesn't always happen in golden light and with pretty smiles. Life is also eating play-doh or playing in the toilet when mom's not watching. And making messes and avoiding getting your teeth brushed.

There will come a time when you no longer have to worry about keeping your kid out of the toilet or throwing a fit or no discernable reason (please tell me this is true??) and you're going to want to remember these hilarious and trying moments, even if it doesn't seem that way in the moment.

Seeing these images of just a couple of hours from a morning with my family  in October makes me appreciate and love our chaos all the more.  One day these guys will be grown and I'm sure my husband and I will be bored (after we catch up on years of sleep and television watching, that is).  I'm so glad we'll have these images to look back on and see a glimpse of the little people they used to be and the (awesome) parents we once were.

These images were taken by my talented friend Whitney Rowland and edited by me. Check out Whitney's awesome post on documenting One Second Everyday with video on your phone.

A Fresh 48 Newborn Film | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Last week, I shared this beautiful mama's maternity session on Capitol Hill. Today, I am so excited to share her baby's Fresh 48 film! This little boy arrived on a beautiful day in Northern Virginia and it was a joy to document a part of his first day. There is nothing like capturing a newborn. Everything is so fresh, sweet, and new. Even when they're squalling through frigid diaper changes!

Documenting this time on video is a such special way to remember those first moments.  And it goes by so fast, especially when you're in that new parent haze. I find myself looking back on my sons’ newborn images and videos, thinking, “I can't believe he was ever so tiny.”

And, oh, the sounds. Those adorable squeaks and sighs! Video truly captures the essence unlike anything else!

Also, I just have to say, the staff at the Women and Infant Health Center at Virginia Hospital Center were so friendly and accommodating to work with.

Contact me today to learn more about documentary family films.

Capitol Hill Maternity Session | Washington DC Family Photographer

There's no denying that kids make documentary sessions fun. They're unpredictable, full of spirit, and often unaware of the camera, which makes for great photos. So what if you're still working on growing the kid? Is documentary-style a good choice for a maternity session?

Documentary sessions are wonderful for maternity sessions and especially for first-time moms, as I found with this awesome mama in Washington, DC. Together we planned a session that reflected and celebrated both her life and interests before baby and her love and excitement for her growing baby.

Living and working in DC area is a joy for her and I had a wonderful time capturing some beautiful pregnancy images at the Capitol Building on the National Mall.

After that, we captured her love for cooking during a cozy in-home session. Much of pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, is spent marveling at a wondrous belly and imagining the baby growing inside. Documenting that is a beautiful part of maternity images.

Most of all, I love thinking that someday this baby boy will look back on these images and see not only how loved and anticipated he was but also how beautiful and interesting his mom was, even before she became his mom.

Stay tuned for more of this beautiful mama. I'll be sharing her fresh 48 newborn session soon!

Visit my session information page to learn more about documentary maternity or newborn sessions or contact me today to begin planning your custom multi-session package to document the arrival of your little one.

The secret to a relaxed newborn session with two children | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

What's the secret to a stress-free newborn photography session at home with an older sibling? It's the secret to just about everything in life that involves children. Just take it easy. The moment you plan something is the moment one kid or the other will decide to do something completely out of the ordinary to throw you a curveball. It's Murphy's Law.  The bane of parents' existence, but it can make for a great session.

Children can easily sense when we're stressed. Even newborns. If often will make them more clingy (and whiny).  So if you're worried about everything going perfectly, that's a surefire way to ensure it will not. I'll go even further and say perfect isn't what you want anyway. Life with kids is messy and chaotic. Documenting it as it is, sweet and difficult moments alike, is where the goodness lies. That's where the moments we capture together will be ones you and your children look back on and remember, “that's how our life was.” And it was awesome.

I shared images from my in home maternity session with this Northern Virginia family just a few weeks ago. It was a joy to witness a bit of their journey to becoming a family of four.

The early days of life with a newborn can be a bit of a blur. Between lack of sleep and and seemingly endless routine of feeding and diaper changes and naps, the days may seem slow but they add up so quickly.  Before you know it weeks and months have gone by. So it's especially sweet for me to document those very first days, freezing moments that may otherwise be forgotten in the early days parenting haze.

Those days are extra sweet with an older sibling, though they're perhaps a little more chaotic. Nursing sessions are likely less quiet and relaxed and there's an almost constant need to enforce boundaries as a toddler learns the concept of gentle. On top of being exhausted, you've still got to come up with endless ways of entertaining an older sibling and helping them understand their new role as an older brother or sister.

It's a time of adjustment to a new family dynamic. There are new roles and expectations and some falling back into old rhythms. There's a lot of remembering what life was like the first time around and noting what's new the second time. It is hard and sweet. And so special to photograph.  But I'm probably biased. :-)  

Interested in an in-home newborn session?  Contact me today to learn more about a documentary session for your family. 
 

Documenting Change - In-home Newborn Session | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Those first days and weeks at home with a new baby are especially sweet. They may also be a blur due to lack of sleep, so documenting them can be helpful in that regard. ;-)  A new baby is a big change for parents, even if they've done it before. For older siblings it can be the most momentous change they've experienced in their whole life.  This little guy had been home about two weeks when I visited his family in Northern Virginia. 

Though every family is different, there are some fairly common experiences that come with parenthood and childhood.  One of them is the transition from three to four.  

When I was pregnant with my younger son, even though my older son was very affectionate with my belly and interested in the baby that was growing inside, I still worried that bringing a new baby into our family might traumatize him somehow.  It probably did on some level, but he seems okay anyway. ;-)

Children's responses to a new family member vary, but they are amazing at adjusting to change and it's amazing to watch them interact with their new sibling. The bond siblings share is different than their bond with parents and it's one, as parents, we hope will be forged in childhood and last a lifetime.

During a newborn session it might seem that the primary focus would always be on the baby, but I try to feature each family member and capture a glimpse of their role in the new family dynamic. Older children are learning to navigate life with a little less input from parents, new babies are simply adjusting to life outside the womb, and parents are on a moving spectrum of totally rocking it and just holding on for dear life. :-) 

It's a mix of lots of love and a bit of chaos.  And documenting those early interactions and moments of adjustment make looking back on this time a little easier and that much sweeter.  

Want to learn how to document your own family's day-to-day?  Check out 4 Steps to Stop Time and Savor the Moment with Your Family.  It's a simple and fun guide to documenting your family's life with beautiful photographs.