Three under Five | Alexandria, VA Child and Family Photographer

The 'D' Family was the first of our neighborhood playgroup friends to have three kids. Right now, all three are under the age of 5 and are all running off in different directions. The are all super sweet, but definitely keep their parents on their toes!

With everyone's busy schedules, I haven't had the pleasure of seeing the family much recently. So I was thrilled to run into the mom at the local park the other week. She mentioned that her eldest son has his first loose tooth and that she thought that this would be a great time to get new portraits of the kids before dealing with years and years of missing teeth. And that the baby girl, as the third child, just doesn't have the same portraits as her older brothers. I was more than happy to oblige to capture such a precious time in their lives. Gosh, 3 kids under 5 -- that still blows my mind!

We met on a lovely afternoon and the kids had a wonderfully fun time, running all over the gardens, free to be themselves. The eldest showed off his tree-climbing and modeling skills, the middle child played a little peek-a-boo with me and was a fearless jumper, and the little one was a rather skeptical of the whole experience, but warmed up with some playful interactions with mom and dad. The boys were so gentle and affectionate with each other and with their parents. So many kisses all around!

Thank you again to the 'D' Family for the opportunity to photograph your beautiful family. I love how my work allows me the excuse to spend time with friends that I don't otherwise get to see much!

 

Here is a sneak peak from our session:

     

So darling, trying to wear her mom's bracelet as a necklace. 

      

Joyeux Anniversaire to Adorable Baby A | Washington, DC Baby and Family Photographer

I went to see Baby A just hours before the arrival of her extended family, who were coming into town to celebrate her first birthday. The party theme was going to be Pretty in Pink in Paris, complete with little Eiffel Tower party favors - too cute! As always, she was a fabulous little model during her session with me, which hopefully primed her for the overwhelming attention she was going to get during her long weekend of family and festivities.

I have truly enjoyed capturing her development and sweet smiles several times during her first year. What a pleasure and privilege! I can only wonder what she'll be up to the next time I see her.

Here is a sneak peak from our session:

Starting off the New Year with New Wheels

My son had been eyeing a lime green bike on display at REI for almost a whole year, but was adamantly against helmets. We tried all sorts of persuasion, as we knew that he would enjoy having his very first bike. But safety first: no helmet, no bike.

But then on a recent visit to the store, my daughter climbed right on a cute purple bike on display and insisted that we buy it for her, complete with a pink princess helmet. Not to be outdone by his little sister, my son was quietly willing to consider helmets. We hadn't planned on buying bikes on a random day in the middle of the winter, but we jumped at the opening, before either of them changed their minds.

Sure enough, my daughter rode her bike only a couple times before deciding she wasn't interested anymore. But buying it was totally worth it. As we had expected, my son LOVES his new bike, is fearless, and wants to ride everywhere. And this winter weather has been so mild that we've had many opportunities to go out for a spin. His huge, beaming smile and hearty laugh totally warms my heart. I absolutely love these childhood milestones, full of pure joy and excitement about newfound independence. Thank goodness for having my camera on hand so that I can remember these moments and emotions forever!

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.