Around Our Clocks: 10am | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Cold weather is not my favorite, even though it's relatively mild in Northern Virginia compared to many places. But one benefit of winter and being indoors is ample snuggle time. After Christmas, we took advantage of a week at home with both boys to spend lots of time in our pjs. There was tv, but also some crafts (if you count handing a 3-year-old scissors and glitter glue :-) ), fun times with new Legos, and lots of reading from our new Shel Silverstein books. I was a bit wary of Shel SIlverstein for a 3-year-old at first, but he really loves these poems.  They provoke a lot of questions and introduce unfamiliar concepts.  Plus, there so much silliness, and what kid doesn't love that? :-)

These pictures are typical of 10am around our house in the winter. Pajamas and a Daddy-son-cuddle pile on the couch while watching a show.  School and work have returned, but I have lots of pictures to remind me how awesome down time can be. 

2017 is under way and I'm so excited for what this year will bring. We have plans to spend time away with family this year and I can't wait for everyone to meet our youngest son. I have also lots of plans for my business. One that I'm most excited about is incorporating video into my family sessions.  Video adds an element to photography that I didn't even know was missing. Seeing the motion and hearing the sounds, especially of little ones who change so quickly, is wonderfully captured with video and I can't wait to offer that to my clients!

Wishing you the best in the New Year! This post is a continuing post of our monthly Around Our Clocks documentary blog circle. Follow the circle to see what 10am looked like for Meghan Nesom.

How to Make a Wine Cork Photo Stand | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I have a bag of wine corks that has followed my husband and me through three living spaces and two moves. I had every intention of taking it to the nifty wine cork recycle bin at Whole Foods. My husband told me it would never happen and that we should just throw the corks away. Well, he was right. But I got the last word! At least about three of the corks, anyway. :-D

I'm always looking for fun ways to display my prints, especially my square prints, which don't lend themselves to framing. So when I came across wine cork displays for wedding seating arrangements on Pinterest, I thought they would be perfect for pictures. 

Here's how I did it:

What you need:

- wine corks

- small pot (steamer optional) and stove

- small hand saw (recommended) or serrated knife

- large binder clip (optional)

- photos

What to do:

1. Steam your corks. This softens them up a little and prevents the cork from breaking into pieces when you cut it. 15-20 should do the trick. If you don't have a steamer, you can also boil them. This is especially good if you want to remove the any wine stains from the cork.

2. If you have a binder clip large enough to slide over your cork, use it to help secure the cork while you're sawing. I didn't have one, but my fingers would have felt safer with one. 

   Next, use the hand saw to slice off enough cork to leave a flat bottom for a secure stand. You could also cut the cork in half to make two stands, if you like. While you could use a serrated knife, I recommend a hand saw if you have one. It takes a surprising amount of pressure and sawing to cut through the cork. Or maybe my blade was dull. Either way, just be mindful of your fingers!

3. Once you have the bottom of the stand shaved to your liking (it may take a bit of adjustment), use the saw to make a slit in the top of the cork. I made mind right in the middle. You may need to make the slit wider or deeper depending on your photos.

4. Insert your photos and display proudly! Then figure out what crafty things to do with the rest of the corks in your bag. :-)

Do you have any fun photo display hacks? I'd love to hear about them in the comments (and maybe feature them here in another tutorial)!

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Family Favorites - Year in Review | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

The end of the year is a great time for reflection.  2016 has been good.  I'm so grateful for my little family (+1 this year!) and for the wonderful families in Northern Virginia and D.C. who have embraced my documentary style of photographing their families' everyday moments.  Parents often don't get to see themselves in action, so it's wonderful to be able to show all the love and attention they pour into their family.  And I love preserving these moments for children, so who may be too young to remember now, but who will be able to look back at these images and catch a candid glimpse of themselves and what made their family special.

I could go on, but instead, I'll just share a few of my favorites from family sessions this year. :-) I'm looking forward to many more in 2017. Happy New Year!  

Photographing Holiday Traditions | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I have a confession to make.  My oldest son is three and I have been woefully lazy about holiday celebrations in our house.  Until this year, we've visited family at Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I had an excuse for not creating holiday traditions, because we were always traveling. 

But this year, that came to an end.  We're home for Christmas.  And it only hit me about two weeks ago that I haven't done much to celebrate what a magical time this can be for children. Enter mom guilt galore.  I have fond memories of all the decorations that my mom used to put up in our house and how we'd display on the mantle all the holiday cards we received from friends and family. Decorating the tree was a great trip down memory lane, because we'd use glass ornaments from my mom's childhood mixed in with ones my sister and I created every year at school. 

To be fair, we always have a tree (which I happily decorate with my son) and a few decorations around the house.  And thankfully, my husband loves Christmas lights, so he and my son had fun putting them up this year.  So I haven't had to start from scratch. But when it comes to other traditions - things I want my sons to to look back on fondly and consider hallmarks of the holidays - I have some work to do.  So this weekend, we'll be missing family, but I'm looking forward to celebrating with great neighbors and starting a new tradition of baking and decorating cookies with my son.  

For now, here are a few holiday images from our family so far.

I'd love to hear what your family's holiday traditions are.  What do you remember enjoying from childhood?  What fun things do you do with your kids?  If you need inspiration for documenting your family's holiday celebrations, check out these 25 ideas for Christmas pictures and this hands-free way to document Christmas morning and get yourself in the photos as well.

With any luck, I'll be back next year with some fancy traditions to share.  In the meantime, sign up for my email list below to receive tips for documenting your family.

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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Around Our Clocks: 3pm | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

This month in our Around Our Clocks blog circle, we documented the 3pm hour. 3pm in our house is relatively uneventful and varies from day to day. It's not an hour I find myself photographing regularly, like morning when the light is best in our house.  So, this month, I had to plan a little better and really consider what is going on in our family right now that I want to remember.

I chose to document 3pm on a weekday because I wanted to preserve a bit of the last days of my maternity leave.  For me, these weekday afternoons have been a mix of quiet hours before my older son gets home from school and usually involve a cycle of naps, diaper changes, and often an episode of Game of Thrones (a special maternity leave project ;-) ). It was important for me to get in the frame as well because I want to remember (and want my son to see) how much fun I had with him.  And I also want to remember the repetitive baby care and unexpected opportunities for self indulgence while he's so small (and immobile), because I know life will change quickly and what is routine right now will be very different even months from now.

Continue the circle and check out what 3pm is like for Michele.

How to Make an Awesome Vacation Photo Display | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I came across Melissa Stottman's vacation photo display tutorial while I was on vacation last summer and knew it would be the perfect way to showcase a little piece of our family reunion in Montana. I also knew the displays would make perfect Christmas gifts for our family and couldn't wait to make them. Except that I did wait...until almost the last minute.  After a bit of trial and error (I've never stained wood before) and a few extra trips to Lowe's and Michael's, I happily finished then this week and love the way they turned out. Now I just have to remember to ship them in time for Christmas! Here's everything you need to know to make an awesome vacation photo display.

Materials Needed:

• wood plaques (these were $1.29 at Michael's) large enough to fit your print and any mementos you want to include
• vacation memento. I used rocks to remember how much fun my son had throwing them in the lake. You could also use a vial of sand like Melissa shows in her tutorial. Or something else entirely!
• photo of your choice
• printout with location and date info, if desired
• wood conditioner
• wood stain in your color of choice
• paint brushes
• rubber gloves
• old rags/cloths
• sand paper
• mod podge (I used satin finish)
• hot glue gun
• saw tooth picture hangers
• mineral spirits (or paint thinner for cleanup)

After testing a couple of colors, I went with Minwax Ebony. I also learned after testing that unfinished wood can be soft and porous which can lead to blotchy staining, so pretreating with a wood conditioner is a good idea. 

1. First sand any rough edges of the wood and wipe away any dust. Put on your rubber gloves to protect your hands and make sure you're in a well-ventilated area or outside (I wouldn't do the staining process inside because of the fumes.)

Use a paint brush to apply wood conditioner to the plaque. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes, then wipe off any excess with a clean, dry cloth. 

2. Next, the staining. But first a note: It's useful to do a bit of testing on an extra piece of wood to determine how long to leave the stain on and how many coats you need to apply to get your desired color.  It lengthens the process, especially if you wait for the test piece to dry, but it's worth it to ensure your end result had the color you want. 

Within 5-10 minutes of applying wood conditioner, apply a coat of stain with paint brush. I used one coat of Minwax Ebony and let rest for about 10 minutes.  Wipe away excess with cloth and let dry. (I let rest until the next day.)  Use the mineral spirits to clean your brush.

4. Once dry, you're ready to assemble everything else.  It's helpful to arrange everything on the plaque before you start gluing to make sure everything fits.  When you're ready, apply a thin layer of mod podge to the photo and place on plaque. Allow to dry.

If you want to include a bit of info about your vacation, add that next. I printed the location and date of our trip, cut to size, and secured with a very thin layer of mod podge mod podge to prevent bubbling. I printed mine on regular letter paper (I tested three font sizes and 14 worked best for me), but you might try something thicker if you have it to prevent it from bubbling up when you glue it.

5. Before starting this next step, it can be helpful to ensure you have a clean workspace, free from any dust or pet hair (ahem, cat-who- insisted-on-assisting-me).  Once you start applying the mod podge, it's difficult to remove any dirt or stray hairs without smudges.

Apply thin layer of mod podge over entire plaque, including print. Be careful to go very thinly over printer paper. Mod podge dries very quickly, so when going over the photo, I found it helpful to be pretty liberal with the application and move quickly. If you start with the photo you can push any excess to the edges and use on the rest of the plaque. It will look cloudy at first, but will turn clear as it dries, which takes less than half an hour. 

6. Next, use a hot glue gun to secure your memento(s).

7. Finally, secure a saw tooth hanger to the back of the plaque and hang proudly! 

inished vacation photo display hanging on wall | alexandria virginia lifesyle family photographer

Aside from the staining process which took a bit longer due to testing (and that I've never stained wood before) this was a really quick process and super easy.  Check out Melissa's tutorial to learn how to make a display using paint and a sand vial. And please come back to share if you make one yourself.

Sign up below for my email list to receive more ideas for how to display your photos and tips for documenting your family.
 

November 365 Faves | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

We had much to be thankful for this November. But with the impending cold, shorter days, and the end of maternity leave, there were more than a few days this month that left me less than inspired to take pictures. I spent lots of time snuggling my boys and relishing the relatively care-free days before heading back to work. Here are my favorite images from this month.

I hope you have many reasons to be thankful this season.  I'm looking forward what December brings and especially to creating new traditions with my family. This will be the first year we're not traveling to visit family outside Northern Virginia.  Although we'll be missing or other family, it will be fun celebrate our first Christmas at home together.

Check out my original 365 post to learn more about doing a 365 project of your own.  You can start any time you like, but lots of people like to start on January 1, so you've got perfect timing!  Also, sign up for my newsletter below to receive tips on documenting your family and encouragement to get those images printed!

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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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.