Create a film of a day in your family's life | Northern Virginia Family Photography

I'm not a big fan of winter, but I love living in northern Virginia where we get to (mostly) experience all the seasons. Fall is especially beautiful and this was a special session, filmed last October about three weeks before I gave birth to my youngest son. (It was also a mini vacation - a night away (and a whole bed to myself!).

I got to spend a weekend exploring with this amazing family on their ranch in northern Maryland. And since we were so far outside of DC, I also got to use my drone for this film which made for some beautiful, unique shots.

I first filmed this family at their home in DC when their youngest was a teensy newborn. That film was all about their new family dynamic with two children. Full of coziness, love, and new baby goodness.

This time around, we spent a lot of time planning what what was most important for them to preserve. Love, of course, but also adventure and the many reasons they moved to Maryland - including spending lots of time outdoors. There were also little people who had grown so much and had so much personality to share. Capturing all the love and energy - and two pups too! - made for a rich film.

Collaborating to create this story was so much fun. I hope you enjoy watching.

Nicole Sanchez Photography works with busy parents in Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland to create stress-free photo sessions that take all the loving, fun, and chaotic moments of family life to make beautiful photos and films that families will love looking at year after year.  Contact me today to start planning a custom photography experience that's perfect for your family.

A fall pumpkin patch family film | Northern Virginia Photographer

It’s that time of year again! Our local Burke pumpkin patch opens in just a few days. I shot this personal film during our visit last October. Oh my goodness, how much changes in a year! A year that, for us, was full of challenges and growth, excitement, and love. And it flew by. I’m so grateful to have little snippets of his voice in the film (“I want to stay here forever!”). He sounds so grown-up now by comparison.

We've been visiting this pumpkin patch since our son was two and this was a special visit with his preschool class and was a fun chance to spend some special time with Mom and Dad. Since we visit every year, it’s fun to see what changes and how our sons’ experiences change as well.

Family traditions play an important role in childhood. They provide a sense of constancy in an ever changing world. They’re fun and give us something to look forward to. But just because we revisit them annually, doesn’t mean we will forever and it doesn’t mean we won’t forget the details. I love highlighting the importance of family traditions by documenting them in films that kids can look back on for years to come and marvel at their own growth, change, and things they experienced when they were too tiny to remember. 

Nicole Sanchez Photography works with busy parents in Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland to create stress-free photo sessions that take all the loving, fun, and chaotic moments of family life to make beautiful photos and films that families will love looking at year after year.  Contact me today to start planning a custom photography experience that's perfect for your family.

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.

October Favorites | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

We've had mercifully mild fall weather in Northern Virginia this season, though we seem to be making up for it with rain and cooler temps in the last week or so. While I was sad to see summer go, I do love the festivities in October. We visited the pumpkin patch and had lots of Halloween fun. But mostly, we enjoyed some final warm days outside. Here are a few of my favorites from October.

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.

September Favorites | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I've been behind on editing images for several weeks, so I only have about 3.5 days of September done. ;-)  Luckily, those days happen to be images that I love. We've had a dry spell in Northern Virginia and the weather has been quite warm. These hiking images were taken on our favorite trail at Mason Neck State Park in Lorton, VA.

I'm slowly warming up to the idea of fall and the holiday season. It helps that Halloween is just around the corner and I love getting the kids dressed up and going trick-or-treating (though I don't have costumes yet!).  I can't wait to share those, though at the rate I'm going, it may be January before I edit them!

Three Reasons to Try an Outdoor Documentary Session with Your Family in the City | Washington, DC Lifestyle Family Photographer

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how awesome in-home documentary sessions are. Now I'm here to tell you how awesome outdoor sessions are.  This may seem incongruous, but one of the best things about documentary photography sessions is that they're adaptable and unique to each family.

One of my favorite things about being a photographer is working with each client to create a session that reflects their family, whether that's chilling at home, exploring the outdoors, or a combination of the two. I love documentary photography because it reflects a family's lifestyle and interests at any given moment. We all know life changes quickly, and having beautiful images tell us the story of a particular time in our lives.   

Here are three reasons outdoor documentary sessions are a wonderful way to preserve your family's memories.

1. Location, location, location.  I mentioned that lifestyle documentary sessions are adaptable. With outdoor sessions, the sky is the limit.  (Okay, perhaps not literally. I might actually draw the line and say you may not see me documenting a family's skydiving adventure, but never say never. :-D ).  You choose a location that is meaningful to your family. For this session in Washington, DC, it made perfect sense to photograph their family in Georgetown.  They're always on the go and taking advantage of all the family-friendly things to do in the D.C. and Northern Virginia area.  Grabbing a coffee and walking around the city is what they'd normally be doing on a warm, fall weekend. Documenting candid moments like these, highlight the beauty in the everyday, because the everyday is what makes up our lives.  So whether it's a stroll through the city, a visit to a museum, or checking out the many outdoor activities that the D.C. region has to offer, all that matters is that it's a place that your family enjoys and connects over.

2. Variety and spontaneity. A city setting like Georgetown has endless variety and room for spontaneity. This is especially beneficial for kids who are active or like to change things up. For this session we started at a coffee shop, walked along the C&O Canal, and then ended at a park with some restful green space.   It could just as easily have been a walk by the waterfront and a stop to get ice cream.  There's no limit to the variations and the city offers so much to do within short distance, so it's easy to make up a plan as you go.  The most important part of family photos is capturing emotion and connection between each of you.  Having a variety of options and allowing for spontaneity can take away the stress of trying to orchestrate that "perfect" shot and makes the whole experience more enjoyable.  When you focus on having fun and enjoying an experience with your family, photography magic happens. :-)

3. Seasonal bounty. An outdoor session, whether in an urban setting like this one in D.C. or in a rural area like a park or even your backyard, can be a beautiful way to capture seasonal family fun. Cozy fall weather and foliage, holiday traditions and snowy days, spring blossoms and energy, or long summer evenings and lingering light are wonderful settings to document your family adventures.  I love the variety that changing seasons brings so much that I'm offering a new multi-session package for 2017.  Details will be posted on my Session Information page soon. :-)

What fun urban settings do you have in mind for family photos?  One goal I have in 2017 is to document a family vacationing in DC and Virginia. It's such a wonderful area to visit and I love seeing it through a visitor's eyes.

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October 365 Faves | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

October went by quickly, no surprise. In Northern Virginia, it's always a mix of warm, almost summer-like days, mixed with cooler ones with a hint of chill. We started to get a bit of color in the changing leaves, but it doesn't really kick in here until early November. So we embraced it and tried to make the most of the dwindling warmth and lingering light. And it makes for great trick-or-treating weather.

Learn more about 365 projects here.  And join my mailing list below to receive tips for documenting your family.