Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Don't Worry, Just Leave it to Me | Alexandria, VA Child and Family Photographer

The holiday season should be filled with joy and happiness, not dread and torture over trying to take your own family photo using a tripod and timer. The 'C' family has always had lovely holiday photos, but at a cost to their sanity. After too many years of blood, sweat, and tears, they finally gave up on doing it themselves and reached out to me for help. It's amazing how kids just respond so much better when there is someone on the other side of the camera who is NOT mom or dad. Especially if the photographer is a total goofball. ;)

And sure enough, although the boys were a bit shy at first, I got some of the best smiles of the session right out of the gate. And they both had the loveliest smiles - such handsome fellas! They were wonderful to work with - gentle, cooperative, and willing to try different things. We even had a bit of an injury, but the brave boy soldiered on. What a trooper!

I sure hope that our session was a pleasant experience for the boys and that their takeaway is that taking photos is FUN!

Here is a sneak peak from our session:















Sunday, October 21, 2012

Lollipops, Leaves, and Sisterly Love | Alexandria, VA Child and Family Photographer

For my fifth (!!!) annual holiday session with the 'K' Family, we decided to finally change things up and meet somewhere other than their lovely backyard, particularly now that the girls are older and need more room to roam. The family couldn't have picked a prettier spot than Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna on a beautiful fall day.

The girls, in their gorgeous dresses, immediately started twirling and dancing together, enjoying the wide open space and fresh autumn air. And they probably would have run and run and run all through the gardens had we not had lollipops to entice them to sit down for a minute. (Sometimes, you've just got to do what you've got to do...) But they were delightful little models and their sisterly love was so apparent and wonderful to see in action.

As always, thank you 'K' family for your loyalty and friendship. I truly appreciate our annual sessions, as I love being able to capture the girls as they grow and mature into such beautiful little people, full of energy and personality.

Here is a sneak peak from our session:







Tuesday, October 16, 2012

'Monsters', Meowing, and Managing Head-Bonks | Alexandria, VA Child and Family Photographer

There is never ever a dull moment with the 'B' girls. This year's session included some ear-splitting shrieks and squeals while playing hide-and-seek with the 'Nancy Monster', some kitty cat meowing, the annual transformation of their daddy into a leafy tree (see last year's session here), and even a couple scary head-bonks on brick walls while spinning and dancing too wildly. As always, I just brace myself for a wild ride, aim to be as silly as I can be, and try not to shake my camera too much while giggling at their goofiness. But really, there is so much love, laughter, and energy in the 'B' family that I am so very thankful and honored to be their friend and photographer. I enjoy and appreciate every opportunity to capture images of their true beauty to share with the world.

Enjoy this sneak peak! 








Thursday, October 4, 2012

"Catch Me if You Can" | Washington, DC Baby and Family Photographer

Not every kid sits and smiles on command. If they did, my work would be pretty dull and boring. Instead, it's the chase that keeps things challenging and interesting. Like with this darling 18-month-old, who I photographed several times during her first year when she was barely mobile. Not only is she walking and talking now, but she's running away, far away, at top speed. With a fiery spirit, she definitely dictated where we went and what we did during our time together. Kids like her remind me that the session is all about them, and all I can do is follow their lead and enjoy the ride.

Here is a sneak peak from our session:






Moose on the Loose in Old Town | Alexandria, VA Child Photographer

This is my fourth year taking holiday photos of the 'vG' kids! By now, the kids are so familiar with the routine and with me that they are so wonderfully easy to work with. We met down in Old Town Alexandria and explored a couple cobblestone alleyways for a change of scenery. The kids were super goofy at first, especially the little brother, who insisted on being a moose. But once they got their sillies out, they were ready to play with me. Although we only did a mini-session, the kids were so cooperative that I got a lot more images than I normally do in that span of time. Sorry Mom 'vG' ;)

Here's a sneak peak from our session:

MOOSE!!!!






Monday, October 1, 2012

Hiking with the 'H' Trio | Alexandria, VA Child and Famly Photographer

I had a fabulous time hiking through the woods at a local preserve with the 'H' Family. The kids hid in the fields of wild flowers, climbed trees, threw rocks into a stone creek, and sat on a pretty stone wall. They were both unbelievably willing participants in our photo session. I almost had a hard time getting individual portraits of each of them because every time big brother sat somewhere, little sister wanted to sit right next to him and get in on the picture-taking fun. Then they would hug and laugh with only the slightest urging from their lovely mom. Made my job so easy and enjoyable!

I had a really hard time selecting a few images for a sneak peak. But here are some of my favorites: