Ending the year on a high note with the sweetest baby ever | Washington, D.C. Baby Photographer

As 2011 comes to a close, I look back and am so thankful for all of the wonderful families that I had the pleasure of working with this year. Some were repeat clients, but many were new this year and I had a fabulously fun time getting to know them all. I am especially thankful to the families who allowed me to photograph them more than once during the year to capture different moments in their lives.

One such family was the 'F' family from Washington, D.C. with their darling baby girl. I met them back in September when Baby 'A' was 6 months old. At the time, she was very comfortable propped up on her arms but was not yet moving around on her own (see the session again). I was excited to return to their lovely home for her 9 month session and to witness Baby 'A' in her early stages of mobility.

She was absolutely adorable, dusting the floor with her pretty dress as she pulled herself around on her belly. And so amusing to watch her parents spin her around on her tummy to redirect her from dangerous objects and attempt to guide her towards the camera. She continues to be a wonderful little model, with her abundant smiles and super sweet nature. And it was great to catch up with her parents too. Such a lovely family, I truly enjoy my time with them.

So I look forward to seeing them again in the new year to celebrate Baby 'A's 1st birthday. Can't wait to see if she's standing and walking by then! Such a treat and privilege to be able to capture these big milestones.

Here's a sneak peak from our 9 month session:

Surprisingly Successful Session with MY OWN Kids! | Alexandria, VA Child Holiday Photographer

For years, I've subjected my poor kids to countless desperate attempts over multiple weekends to get the perfect shot for our holiday cards (SO much harder to take photos of my own kids than other people's kids!) This year, on a random October afternoon when there was a break in some rain clouds, I wrangled my kids into some nicer-than-normal clothes and took them down to a favorite cobblestone alley in Old Town Alexandria for a super quick session. To my surprise, with some candy help, not only did I quickly get THE shot for our holiday card, but I also got a several great runner-ups! I've never felt so accomplished (or relieved!) after a session. I've been waiting forever to share some of my favorites!

Happy holiday wishes from my family to yours!
And a big thank you to my clients for making 2011 such a wonderful year.
Nancy =)


The first one is our official holiday photo.
The last one is our favorite, but didn't think it was quite holiday card appropriate.

        

Little Miss 'S', full of Skips, Spins, and Smiles | Alexandria, VA Child Photographer

Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, I squeezed in a mini-session with a little girl from our neighborhood playgroup. I had done a holiday session with her and her parents last year, but this year we kept it simple and just focused on portraits of her.

Miss 'S' is a joy to work with, as she is sweet girl, very playful, full of energy, and very cooperative with me and my camera. Being so pretty and photogenic also helps! Mini-sessions are perfect for kids like her, as it really doesn't take much to get great shots. Her mom and I just gave her some space to be herself, and off she went, skipping and twirling up and down the block, laughing all the way. 

Thank you Miss 'S' for letting me capture the simple joys of being a happy kid!

Supporting a Cause with a Deserving Duo | Alexandria, VA Family Photographer

Back in the spring, I had donated a session to a fundraising event organized by friends to support the Northern Virginia Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders of Children's National Medical Center. The fundraiser organizers, who are also past clients, were so happy that the winner of the session was a hard-working single mom who didn't have any good photos of herself with her adopted daughter. The mom wouldn't have otherwise thought of working with a photographer, but was excited to have the opportunity. Support a good cause AND benefit a deserving family! What a wonderful way to spend my time!

We started our morning session together in the cobblestone alleyways in Old Town Alexandria. It took a while for Miss "I" to warm up to me, and to literally warm up. We eventually moved to a fun pile of red leaves in a nearby garden where she finally loosened up and started having a good time. Nothing like being given the green light to dump leaves on mom to make a kid laugh hysterically.

Thank you 'G' Family for supporting a great cause and for spending a lovely morning with me.

Here is a sneak peak of our session:

Making new friends from the neighborhood | Alexandria, VA Child and Family Photographer

I live in a fabulous little neighborhood in Alexandria, full of families with small children. I recently had the pleasure of meeting and photographing the 'M' Family, who live only a few blocks away. I was kinda surprised that we hadn't met before, considering that we have mutual friends and likely frequent the same playgrounds with our kids.

On a beautiful November afternoon, we met at the Carlyle House Gardens in Old Town, which was a perfect location for their active and excitable older boy. He was thrilled to have benches and a gazebo to climb on, paths to run around, bushes to hide in, and leaves to play with. And all in a very contained space, so we never had to worry, but he definitely kept me on my toes! Meanwhile, his baby brother was super cute with his fuzzy baby hair and big smiles. And the parents were wonderfully fun and easy-going, allowing their boys to be themselves, which is exactly how I like to capture them. They were all such a pleasure to work with.

Thanks again to the 'M' Family for another fun-filled session. I sure hope to see you again in the neighborhood!

Here is a sneak peak from our session:

Best Buds outside the Beltway | Northern VA Family Photographer

Treking outside the Beltway to photograph the 'K' Family in early November has become a wonderful annual tradition. This was our FOURTH (!!!) holiday session. I am so thankful for their loyalty and support of my photography over the years. As soon as I entered their home, they wanted to show off their "Nancy Wall", covered with framed images that I have taken of their children over the years. So sweet, totally touched my heart!

The weather is often cool and brisk at this time of year, but the leaves are always colorful, which makes the scenic drive out to see them even more enjoyable. They are such good friends and our kids have so much in common that we always have tons to talk about. I brought my family along this year as well, so that all the kids could play together after we were done with our session. I was delighted to see how well my little one played with their older daughter. They were instant best buds, so cute! Must must must get together again soon, and not wait until the next November!

Here is a sneak peak from our session:

 

This beautiful little girl has the most amazing long lashes!  So envious!!!

 

The girls got cold quickly, so we moved indoors for some photos by the window, then called it a day because the kids were anxious to play.

 

And of course, the "Nancy Wall".  Hope they make room for some of the images from this year's session!

The Merry 'M' Family in Montrose Park | Washington, DC Family Photographer

I met up with the 'M' Family at Montrose Park in Georgetown on one of those beautiful October afternoons that reminds me why I love autumn in DC so much -- cool, but comfortable enough to appreciate the colors without a coat. You never would have guessed that we had had some freaky snowy weather just the day before! And I'm so glad that they introduced me to Montrose Park, as it is lovely piece of countryside tucked away in the middle of the city, with several large open fields, a little garden, park benches, and even a playground.

I knew little Miss 'P' when she was a baby, but hadn't seen her in several years. She has become such a lovely little girl, full of energy and smiles, and she just adores her parents. So wonderful to reconnect with her mom, too. We hadn't seen each other in a long time, but everything felt so familiar and comfortable, as if time never passed. Love how my work has enabled me to catch up with good friends!

The park was perfect for Miss 'P' to run around, and she took full advantage of the wide open spaces, and was as happy as can be. I just love photographing kids when they are so relaxed and free to enjoy their surroundings and be themselves. Their true personalities come shining through. So much more interesting than cheesy grins!

Here is a sneak peak from their session:

Leaves and Laughs with 'L' and 'L' | Alexandria, VA Family Photographer

I recently had the pleasure of photographing the 'vG' Family for their 3rd annual holiday session. The kids are sweet and playful and always make me laugh, which makes for a great time together. This year, we scheduled the session for when their grandparents would be visiting, so we would be able to get some rare extended family photos as well.

Little Miss 'L' cracks me up. She knows she's beautiful and loves to pose for me and my camera - on a bench, by a railing, on a rock, by a tree. (Even when the camera was turned off, she was still striking a pose, ha!) She had lots of ideas of her own of where we should go and who should sit where, so I just followed her lead, which made my job easier! This year, her little brother 'L' finally stood up for himself and demanded that he get his fair share of time in front of the camera as well. Good for him!

We wanted to keep the session simple and casual for the sake of the grandparents, so we stayed close to their lovely home in Alexandria, VA. There were lots of colorful leaves on the ground and the kids were more than happy to play with them, so I was able to get some fun leafy action shots in addition to the posed ones.

As always, I had a wonderful time with the 'vG' Family!

Here's a sneak peak of our session: