Three Reasons to Love In-Home Photography Sessions | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

One of the best parts of family documentary photography is getting a glimpse into what makes a family unique.  One aspect that brings this out is location. In documentary sessions, a family chooses a location that's meaningful to them. That may be their home or a nearby park where their kids play. Or both. Or it could be somewhere else entirely. A family adventure somewhere new, exploring an area together.  Both choices are awesome for their own reasons. I'll be sharing an adventuresome session in a few weeks, but today I'm excited to share this sweet in-home family session in Reston, Virginia and a few reasons I love photographing families in their home.

1. It's more relaxed. When a family is in their own home, they're in their element. For younger children especially, when routines are so important, it's easy to keep everyone stress-free, because you have everything you need.
2. Activities, and special moments, come naturally. Because you're in your home, it's easy to go with the flow of the day.  Preserving memories of the every day is why I love documentary photography. What may be routine today will change weeks or months from now. So having pictures that document how tiny your baby was in her car seat or how soundly she slept in her "milk coma" after nursing will be especially meaningful when she's in a booster seat (or driving her own car!) and has declared nap time unnecessary (it happens :-/). 
3. Life changes fast.  And with it, our surroundings.  The nursery you spent months lovingly preparing for your baby will someday be filled with her own decor of choice, replacing those carefully chosen mementos of baby and childhood.  The house where you first brought her home may even be a distant memory years from now when you've moved miles away for a new job or to make room for another baby.

These are just a few reasons I love in-home documentary sessions.  Check out this previous post for more in-home family session love and this post to learn more about preparing for a documentary photography session.

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A Fun Day with Mama | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

One of my favorite things about shooting family sessions is getting to connect with other parents, especially mothers. When I became a mom, I was pleasantly surprised to learn I'd unknowingly joined a special community of women that had always existed, but was invisible to me before I became a mother.  A community that brings an abundance of support, advice, and humor to one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs there is.  It was such a pleasure to get to know Sy and watch and learn from her with her two little ones, especially since I was due with my second soon after our session. :-)

There was also the added bonus that Sy is a small business owner herself, based in Northern Virginia. Like many parents, she finds inspiration in her children and family and channels that into koko's nest, which features beautiful blankets and accessories for nesting families. (You'll find one of her adorable blankets featured in my Instagram feed from time to time. :-) 

I hope you enjoy these photos from our session.  We spent a fun morning in home (with muffins!) and a trip to a neighborhood park in Old Town Alexandria. I have a special love for photographing moms with their children. So often, we're behind the camera making sure family adventures get documented and we often miss out on being in the picture.  It's so special to be able to provide moms with sweet moments like these that demonstrate their love and dedication and how important they are to their family.

Check out more from Sy and koko's nest on Facebook and Instagram.

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A Day in the Life of a Preschooler | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Ever wonder what your child's day is like at school? My son attended the same preschool from the time he was four months old until his last day last week.  He started a new school after Labor Day and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to shoot a Day in the Life session at his preschool before he left. 

One of my favorite things about documentary photography is showing parents aspects of their lives that they don't usually see. Usually that's because they're the ones taking the pictures or living the moment. That's why hiring a photographer is a wonderful way to capture meaningful parts of your life that you live but don't necessarily see.

In this case, I get to show parents an aspect of their children's lives that they don't usually see because they're not there. And it was doubly fun for me because this is the second documentary session I've done at this school, so seeing the children's growth after a year was really a pleasure. 

Longer documentary sessions like this one (an eight hour session) can be hard to schedule around, especially for busy families. One solution is to break the session up into multiple days. For a family session, this could be shooting a morning routine or midday activity one day and then a bedtime routine in the evening the next day. This allows for a more complete story, and may be easier to schedule for families for whom an eight hour stretch is difficult to fit in.

For this preschool session, I was able to document a morning lesson, outdoor play, naptime, lunch time, and free play for multiple classrooms over the course of several days. The result is a full story of the children's day that gives parents a glimpse into a special part of their child's life. Any parent who has to spend time away from their children knows how it is to wonder what your child is up to while you're apart.

These are wonderful moments to have documented not just for parents but also for children. At this age, they often don't remember their time at preschool. But the love and dedication from their teachers is a wonderful thing to show to them as they get older. This time goes by so quickly and the care and lessons they receive now lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and social interaction. 

Learn more about documentary sessions here. And sign up for my email list below to receive tips for capturing your own family's everyday. 

Puppy Love Adoption Story | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I recently spent a (hot!) summer evening in Alexandria, Virginia with this busy family and their two dogs, Chex and Champ.  It was a special session with the kids to mark the adoption of their new puppy, Champ, to the family. The family recently lost their precious older dog, Chili, and Chex took the loss of his companion pretty hard.  So it was especially sweet to see the immediate bond not only between both dogs and the kids, but also between new friends, Chex and Champ.

Puppies grow so fast, so this family wanted their session to document this fleeting time with their newest addition.  After lots of play in the back yard, these guys needed a break!  It turns out puppies are like babies in other ways too.  Great daytime nappers, but not a lot of uninterrupted sleep happening at night, especially for a hound dog puppy. ;-) 

Sweet dreams, Champ!  And I hope you guys are getting some rest, Catherine!  

And if you'd like to support a budding young author and animal welfare advocate, check out Lindsay's story of Chex and Chili! Lindsay will donate 50% of profits from her book to charities benefit animal welfare.  I hope to see a sequel featuring Champ, Lindsay!

Learn more about a documentary session for your family here.  And stay in touch!  Sign up below for my newsletter to receive tips for documenting your family's story.

Getting Dads in Front of the Camera

I've written a lot recently about the importance of us moms getting into pictures with our children.  It's equally important, of course, for dads to get in the frame too!  In our family, this happens all the time since I'm so enthusiastic about documenting our family life. But in many families, Dad may be the family photographer.  Or perhaps Dad just isn't comfortable being in front of the camera.  In honor of Father's Day, here are some of my favorite pictures of awesome Dads in the picture with their kids.

Regardless of who might be the primary family photographer, I think both moms and dads can see the value in parents being in pictures with their kids when they look back on photos like these that show the connection, love, and devotion that is so special between parents and children.  One great thing about documentary, candid photography is that it takes the formality and discomfort out of family photos.  When all you have to do is what you'd be doing anyway - enjoying time with your family - you tend to forget about the camera and beautiful real life moments happen.

Having such visual reminders of these ordinary, but special moments months and years from now when our children have grown and changed so much helps us remember a time and place that, while gone, is just as meaningful as it was when we were living it.  As Rose Kennedy said, "Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments."

It can be easy to underestimate how much the everyday matters, but when you have images that capture the love and connection of your family, you can easily remember the value of such time well spent.

I love documenting these moments for parents to look back on, but what makes my heart smile even more is thinking about the children having these moments documented to look back on. Moments they may have been too little to remember.  Moments that allow for glimpses into who they were from the very beginning. And glimpses into who their parents were when they were children and maybe too young to realize how special that time was.

Happy Father's Day to all the awesome Dad's out there young and old!

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How to Prepare for a Documentary Session | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Finding a photographer that's right for your family can be hard. Even when you've found a good fit, preparing for your session can be stressful. There are some factors that are just out of our control - weather, sickness, and sometimes our family members' moods.  The best thing to do to mitigate these factors and prepare for your session is to relax. If mom or dad, or whoever is organizing the session is stressed over it, chances are, everyone else in the family will be too. The last thing you want to remember when you see your pictures years from now is the stress you hid behind fake smiles.

Thankfully, the nature of documentary-style takes much of the guesswork out of what makes for a great session.  Just being yourself will result in genuine pictures that capture your family's connection and personality.  Sometimes being yourself is easier said than done though. 

Your family may be great with going with the flow. Or perhaps you feel more comfortable having a bit of a plan to go by. Either approach is fine - the point is to do what's right for your family and what will create an environment that is relaxed and natural for you.

Here are a few typical questions that arise about documentary sessions with answers that can help you relax and enjoy the experience.

What do we do? We're boring!

This just isn't true. Whatever you do for entertainment in your family is fun for you, otherwise you'd be doing something else!  Don't worry about what you think other people will find interesting. The beauty of a documentary session is capturing what makes your family your family. Think about how your spend your time together. When/where are you most relaxed, having fun, and enjoying the moment?

There are two approaches to take:

Schedule your session for a typical day. In your family, a typical day might involve activities such as making breakfast, reading books with your kids, folding laundry while they play, settling in for a nap, or just enjoying some downtime. Planning a session around a normal day is a good way to keep your kids feeling relaxed throughout the session.

Plan one or two activities that your family enjoys doing together. These can be low-key or high energy. Maybe you have a special family recipe for macadamia cookies or a friendly rivalry playing Monopoly. Or maybe you enjoy hiking in a nearby park or playing soccer in the backyard. The trick with this approach is doing something that comes natural to your family. Letting your kids (especially older ones) pick an activity is a great way to get them involved in the session rather than feeling forced.

How do we act natural with a camera in our face? Won't it be weird with a stranger in our home?  Yes, it can be a little weird having someone with a camera documenting your day. My approach to a documentary session is to be somewhere between a fly-on-the-wall and an old family friend. I'll engage your family throughout the session, asking questions or playing with the kids.  And sometimes I'll step back to give you your space and document a moment quietly. Typically, after about half an hour, you'll forget about the camera or at least be much less aware of its presence. Follow the lead of your children - they're usually the first to forget.

My child/spouse/self isn't comfortable in front of the camera.  I'm not either. The trick is to plan your session around an environment or activity where you most feel yourself.  (Am I starting to sound like a broken record yet?) In home sessions and everyday activities are wonderful for capturing relaxed, natural moments where you look your best because you're in your element, present in the moment, and not worried about what to do next.

Find out more about family documentary sessions here. Or contact me here or in the comments below with your questions.

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Celebrating the Bigger Story | Northern Virginia documentary family photography

"Life must be lived as play." - Plato

When Allison contacted me about documenting her family's celebration of her father's 75th birthday, I was excited.  Family celebrations are full of love and fun.  When she mentioned her Dad was a comic fan and the party would be super hero-themed with costumes, I was ecstatic.  How cool would this be? And it was!

It was a beautiful day for documenting an outdoor party in Northern Virginia - sunshine, warm weather - everything one could hope for on an early spring day.  And we got to take full advantage of it.  Allison's father, Neil, has lovingly cultivated his beautiful backyard to be the perfect place for gatherings.  And he took particular care to set up a special area for the kids to play too.

With every guest that arrived, you could feel the love and respect for this family patriarch.  He was definitely the man of the hour, and in high demand, but he took time to play with each of his grandkids in between telling stories and joking with his guests.

Getting together with extended family and friends is always a special time, whether we live close by and get together often or far away and get together only for special occasions. How often do we come away from these gatherings with maybe a few group selfies or quick snapshots on our phone that might get posted to Facebook, but most often get lost in the digital depths of our phone (or worse lost for good when the unexpected happens to our phone)?

Selfies are great for showing our smiling faces, arms around loved ones.  But what about the bigger story of the day?  Where we were.  What brought us together. What we did together that was so uniquely us - our family.  It's difficult to capture those in-between moments when you're busy living them.

Capturing these details help us remember exactly what it felt like to be there.  To experience life in that moment.  These images help us remember how heartwarming it was to watch our father captivate a crowd with his storytelling and easy laugh.  Or how proud we were to watch when our little one worked up the nerve to go down the slide on her own and how happy her smile was when we caught her at the bottom.  Sure, the birthday itself is a big deal, but the reason everyone is really there is to celebrate the love they feel and honor they have for someone special. 

Those feelings are what make life sweet and preserving them with images is what makes family documentary sessions worthwhile.  Pictures that tell the story of life lived - busy, perhaps, but always full of love.

Learn more about these sessions and see more examples of these in-between moments captured on my information and gallery pages.

Three Reasons to Get in the Picture, Mamas! | Northern VA, DC, and MD Documentary and Lifestyle Photographer

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, I'm sharing a few of my favorite images of motherhood.  I'm also sharing three reasons why photographs are so important and why you should get in the frame with your kids.

1. We take photos of what is important to us.

People, events, moments.  The photographs that endure are those that remind us of something that is important.  Family, love, happiness.  These are all aspects of life that we don't want to forget.  We return to those photographs that help us remember what it was like to live in that moment - not only to cherish the past, but to remind us of what matters today.

2. Photographs send a message.

More than documenting these moments for ourselves, with photographs, we're sending a message to others, especially our children, that this is what matters to us.  Relationships with loved ones. Momentous occasions.  Daily activities that add up to a lifetime of memories. Seeing these images, especially in prints you can hold in your hands (more on that in a post to come!), speaks volumes.  Worth a thousand words, right? ;-)

3. Photographs are a part of our family history.

My mom is the historian in our family (thanks, Mama!) and I often tell her I wish we had pictures to go along with all the names and dates in our family tree.  I wish I could see what my ancestors looked like and have clues that give insight into who they were and what was important to them. My hope is that the images I take for my family and others' will become a part of our family stories, painting a more complete picture of where we came from and what mattered to us.

Taking pictures with our kids, not just of them, conveys how important they are to us and how dear we hold our relationship with them and our role as mother.  Documenting these aspects of our lives is not only important for them and for us, but for their children and for future family historians.

Young or old, the familial bond is one of the most enduring aspects of life.  So, now, whether your kids are 2, 20, or 62, go take a picture with them! And while you're at it, if you're fortunate enough to have the opportunity, take a picture with your Mom too!

And because it would be rude to ignore my own advice, here are a couple of recent favorites from my own moments in motherhood.  Happy Mother's Day!

All In a Day's Fun | Northern Virginia Documentary and Lifestyle Family Photography

My husband and I have been friends with Jill and Justin since we first moved to Virginia (before we were married, dating, or even friends ourselves, really).  In fact, Jill was probably my first friend in this area and her social gatherings played a big role in my husband and me getting together. (Thanks Jill!)  Happily, we've all stayed in touch through marriage, new jobs, and the addition of children.  :-)

A couple of Sundays ago, I joined Jill, Justin and their two kids for a family documentary session.  Even though it was an unusually chilly day for April, we had a blast at swim lessons, family time at home, and a friendly backyard soccer match.

And I have to note, this mama did all you see here after running something like ten miles to start her day on what was her last prep weekend before running the Boston Marathon last Monday.  Go Jill!

Contact me to learn more about a documentary session for your family.