Walking through Winkler | Alexandria, VA Child Photographer

I recently took my little muse to scope out another local park that I had heard might be a good spot for photos. Winkler Botanical Preserve in Alexandria, VA is a beautiful, tranquil woodsy getaway right off a major highway (I-395), well-hidden from the hustle and bustle of a very busy residential area.  You'd really never know that this nature sanctuary existed unless someone told you about it. And it doesn't even have its own website. The link above is just to the Friends of Winkler group that recently won a major battle against Virginia Dept of Transportation that had wanted to destroy nearly 1/3 of the Preserve to put in an exit ramp and a roadway - way to go Friends!

The 44 1/2 acre property is devoted to preserving local area plants and trees and providing free environmental education to Alexandria City Public Schools.  And sure enough, when we were there, we came across a couple elementary school groups learning about levers, leaves, and lily pads. A trail map does not exist, but the hiking trails are well-maintained, straightforward, and great for easy strolling -- totally doable for little people. There is a lovely man-made waterfall, mountain lodge, fun wooden benches, a little stream, cute bridges, and stone outcroppings. At this time of year, there aren't really any flowers, but there is abundant shade, which is great for photos. I had heard that deer and fox live in the Preserve, but to the disappointment of my little one, we didn't see any critters -- I'm sure they were hiding with all the kids around.

The Winkler Preserve is truly an urban treasure and definitely worth visiting again.  Here are a few photos from our quick visit.

  Here's another view of the super cute wooden bridge. I let out an audible gasp of excitement when we came around the corner and saw it.

Lovely stone bridge. Would be sweet to have a family walk over it.

 

There were several cute little wooden benches along the trail. Couldn't convince her to sit on one by herself, but she was somewhat agreeable to at least standing on one briefly.

 

Fun little stream to explore.

 

Happy girl = Successful visit!  

We will definitely come back again, even just to play. 

Who says girls have to wear pink? | Alexandria, VA Baby and Family Photographer

I recently had the pleasure of photographing Baby "E" and her wonderful family at their lovely home in Alexandria, VA.  The baby girl was as pretty as can be, all dolled up in her navy blue dress to match her two big brothers. At 5 weeks old, her eyes are lighting up and smiles are starting to emerge. This is one of my absolute favorite baby stages -- there is such an amazing transition from being a totally squishy and sleepy bundle to being an animated and interactive baby. I felt so fortunate to be able to photograph her at this age.

The parents are two of the most sincere and kindhearted people that I know. And they are just over the moon about having a girl.  She is such a sweet addition to their two older boys who are both ALL BOY.  When they weren't running around the yard, wrestling, or being goofy with each other, the boys were actually quite gentle and affectionate with her. And they were very good sports about having their pictures taken. I couldn't be happier for this fabulous family of five and I truly enjoyed my time with them!

Here is a sneak peak from our session:

Crimson + Green = Sweetness at Six Months | Washington, DC Baby Photographer

I kicked off the busy fall season with a wonderful session with the "F" family and their beautiful six month old baby girl. I truly enjoyed getting to know the parents, who are so warm and friendly and are just loving parenthood. I learned that the dad went to certain university down the street from my alma mater in Cambridge, MA.  I tried not to hold it against him, as the mom and I actually attended the same school - undergrad for her, business school for me. Small world, and Go Green!

But college talk aside, with the weather starting to turn cool, we decided to stay indoors for our session.  They have a lovely home in NW Washington, DC with huge picture windows in their bedroom, perfect for a photo session with a baby. The sweet little girl was cooperative and smiley and very comfortable propped up on her arms, happily posing for the camera in a variety of outfits and positions.  I just love to photograph babies this age!

I look forward to returning to their home in a few months to capture her cuteness when she's 9 months old.  So many developmental changes happen over the course of 3 months, I cannot wait to see her again to see how she's grown!

Here is a sneak peak from our session.

 

For the Love of Mud | Alexandria, VA Child Photographer

If you were to ask me to describe my son in terms of animal characteristics, I would say that he's part monkey, part fish, and most definitely part piggy, as he LOVES LOVES LOVES to play with dirt and mud.

I generally try to avoid mud play for obvious reasons, but every once in a while, I let him have some fun, especially if he's been miserably holed up indoors after several scorching summer days in a row.  So after a recent thunderstorm that brought some mild relief from the heat, I let the kids put on their rain boots to venture out into a nearby dirt parking lot to explore the big puddles.

It wasn't long before my son started collecting mud with his bare hands into some random cup that he had found and was proudly making "mud ice cream". My daughter is usually the clean one who avoids things like finger paints because it gets her hands too dirty.  But during this one afternoon, I think the thrill of being outdoors and getting to wear her purple butterfly boots got her to temporarily forget about her distaste of mud and she happily followed her big brother around, somewhat fascinated and intrigued by his mud concoctions.

And of course, my little piggy was as happy as could be, covered from head to toe in mud and grinning from ear to ear. And THAT, made the mama in me very happy.

Baby, Bumbo, and Bubbles | Alexandria, VA Baby and Family Photographer

I was excited, yet nervous, about my session with the "R" Family.  They had just had a new baby, upping the kid count to three boys (each two years apart - talk about a handful!). The family had had professional photos taken of the family when each of the two older boys turned 3 months old. Many of the photos are now hanging as huge canvas gallery wraps all over their house, like beautiful pieces of art on the wall.  I was impressed and inspired by how the photographers creatively incorporated every-day kid toys, and even food, to make the images original, playful, humorous, and very colorful. And they truly captured the personality of the family, as I can almost hear their laughter when I look at the images. 

So I was super flattered when they asked me to take photos of the family when the new baby reached the same 3 month milestone.  I was quite nervous about being able to provide images of similar caliber and creativity that would be worthy of hanging on their walls.  But I was inspired by the challenge and was determined not to disappoint.

Before the session, the mom and I spent some time brainstorming about colorful items that the kids could interact with that might make for interesting photos.  We decided to meet at the Caryle House Gardens in Old Town Alexandria since it is full of lovely greenery and varied textures and is a contained space, perfect for very active boys to run around. On the day of the session, the family arrived with a big red wagon full of gear and toys, and I brought along a stroller full of bubbles, treats, and other fun stuff. And of course, we were all well armed with LOTS of patience, since any photo shoot with 3 kids is a challenge, even without any props and accessories!

The most successful item that we used was their lime green Bumbo, which was a bit hit with the kids, as each wanted a turn in it. Love the facial expression on the baby in this one!

 

 

No, there's nothing wrong with the camera lens in this image. A mega huge bubble just floated in front of it.

 

Thank you to the "R" Family for believing in me and for challenging me to try new ways to interact with kids to create original and colorful images. And of course, thank you for all the laughs - there is a LOT of silliness and laughter with this family of 3 young boys!