C FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | WIDE WATER, VIRGINIA

I absolutely LOVE this family!! We met about 4 years ago and have had the joy of photographing them every year since!! We always start our spring session with celebrating all 3 gorgeous girl’s birthdays with their special outfits!! Mama outdoes herself every year!! They are such a fun group of kiddos and always look forward to seeing their new gymnastic skills and of course meeting the guinea pigs <3. I think we have officially photographed them all now!!

This session was also special as we got to photograph the entire family!! It is so hard to get all relatives together and it is always a great time when clients can make it happen. We captured ALL the groupings we could think of and I know these are memories that meant so much to everyone.

At the end of the session we finished up the best way we could by getting in the water! :) Anytime a client wants to get their toes wet is my favorite. I even found some sea glass <3. Loved spending another year with these guys!!! Check out some of my favorites.

T FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

This family is seriously THE CUTEST!!! When mama contacted me she really wanted a very classic feel of neutral colored outfits and more black and white images than color. I was super excited because this was something I don’t do as often but have really enjoyed it more and more over the years. It allows me to really focus on the families connection and showcase their love and playfulness. The boys were so stinking cute and got a great mix of emotions and fun faces! The best part is we didn’t have to worry about weather! And at the end because weather wasn’t tooooooooo hot we got outside for a few fun photos! Here are some of my favorites!!

If you want your own session full of timeless images that coordinate perfectly with any home decor shoot me a message!! Lets chat!!

R FAMILY | MILESTONE PHOTOGRAPHER | KING GEORGE VA

I absolutely LOVE this family!!  I have been photographing them for about 5 years and every session is such an adventure.  I love seeing their girls grow and love being able to capture their special moments.  When we started brainstorming this painting session we had ideas of denim overalls, cups of paint, big brushes, and a giant canvas.  This wasn’t going to be a traditional formal posing milestone session; it was meant to be more of a fun full body immersive experience.  It was a great activity for the girls to be silly and messy and get paint all over their parents!   What could be better!!??

When it came time for the session we were battling crazy winds and our canvas was flopping all over the place, knocking over paint cups, not staying where we hung it and was def one of those moments when you just have to breathe and be like we can figure this out haha!!  Our visions had not originally aligned which happens sometimes but we’ve been working together for so long we knew we could figure it out! And to be totally honest I am SO grateful for the challenges we had at the start.  Because we worked the wind problem, nailed the canvas and it all came together organically and turned out amazing. Paint was flying, kids were laughing and crying, then laughing again, the wind was whipping, and there was a beautiful moment of connection and play and genuine fun.  Hands down one of our favorite sessions together and I loved that it was completely different than anything we have shot together before.  Here are some of my favorites!

C EXTENDED FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | WIDE WATER VIRGINIA

Capturing Generation sessions has been a new favorite for me over the last 2 years. It is SO hard to coordinate multiple families with work schedules, kiddo schedules, travel, etc and it is really easy to say “OH maybe next year!” But when families are able to pull it off it is truly the most rewarding experience. Seeing the grandkids together and the interactions of family members that don’t get to see each other all the time is really special.

This family is also SUPER special to me as I have known them the last 10+ years and have been fortunate to celebrate and capture big milestones like engagements, weddings, birth announcements, grandkid arrivals etc! It’s been really amazing. When mama contacted me about her kiddos and grand babies coming into town we made sure to make it happen. We had a perfectly overcast day which is HUGE when you need to capture a morning session. We got to spend the morning on the water and get every grouping imaginable. It was a great time of catching up and celebrating multiple generations of a beautiful family. Check out some of my favorites!!!

V FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

I make it no secret that Virginia weather IS BONKERS!! Summer weather is no exception and with all the wild rain we get, we also get MUD. THICK, SLIPPERY, GROSS MUD!!! So naturally we had a creek session planned following this crazy storm. When I arrived at my favorite creek spot I won’t lie I panicked!! I knew my client and I were super pumped about getting in the creek but the access points were a mess and the thought of getting down a slippery hill with 4 kids under 8 years old gave me some pause. I adventured ALL over the place and FINALLY found a spot to enter that wasn’t great but provided some foliage to eliminate a bit of the slippery situation.

When my client arrived I was really excited because they were totally up for a muddy adventure!! We shot most of the session on the mainland and made sure to capture everything we could want. Then we ventured to the creek!!

We successfully got down the muddy hill and were passing kids between the adults to safely and cleanly get everyone into the creek!!! It was AWESOME and the kids LOVED it. It was refreshing after a hot session and there is no better way to end a photoshoot with splashing in the water. And the creek looked incredible with all the texture and greenery. This session was such a blast and I am so thankful when a new client is up for my ideas and ready to get muddy for some incredible photos! We all made it back up the hill and managed to stay pretty clean!! It was fantastic! Here are some of my favorites!

If you want your own creek adventure shoot me an email: laurah@lauralouphotography.com

RAINY TULIPS | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | NOKESVILLE VIRGINIA

Tulip sessions are one of my absolute FAVORITE things to photograph! I love the spontaneity of booking based on the field reports and trying to play weatherman while also managing multpile sessions per evening. Sounds hectic, but I kinda love that part of it. It helps me get into a totally different creative space and brings in colors that I don’t normally get to experience in Virginia, or at least not year round! Tulip sessions at Burnside Farms in Nokesville Virginia, happen for an average of 3ish weeks in the month of April. The start of their season is all dependent on temperature/rain and when in full bloom are STUNNING. Stumbling upon Burnside Farm was the biggest treat and every year I offer mini sessions during this festival of flowers!!

One of the fun things about tulip sessions, is the weather. The weather can be ALL over the place and each session day is unique based on what that forecast gives us. For these sessions I always tell my clients to expect ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. Rain, full sun, WIND, mud, bugs, and SO MANY PEOPLE.

This year I offered 2 days of minis, and both were complete opposites. I love it. The first day had a wash out the day before, and the rain stopped by late morning. I knew the fields would be muddy but the forecast showed no more rain and overcast clouds really do make for some incredible colors and textures. I had 2 families brave my forecast and the results were incredible. It was chilly, it was muddy, but those flowers were VIBRANT. I still dont know what I prefer for these sessions, both provide such incredible looks. Here are my favorites!!

10 YEARS LATER | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | RICHMOND VIRGINIA

Over 10 years ago Jeremy and I met with the cutest couple at the Starbucks in Dumfries VA for their client meeting. We were brand new to photographing weddings and only had a few under our belt. But when we met Grissel and Josue it was an instant friendship. Their love story was clearly headed for great things and we were thrilled to have been hired to shoot their wedding. I cannot remember all the little details from that special day, but what I do remember is the venue being filled with so much love and support from their family and friends and it was undeniable how perfect these 2 were for one another.

But that was just the beginning of a special friendship. I have watched these 2 welcome 2 beautiful girls into their family and I have been SO incredibly blessed to have captured milestone after milestone for them. I went and looked back and I have captured 13 sessions with them. 13! I cannot even begin to tell you how much this relationship has meant to me. To have witnessed every milestone for the last decade is truly the most generous thank you a photographer can recieve. These 4 have had my back and watched me grow, and build, and work my booty off for my business and have supported me every step of the way. Every new idea, every price increase, every crazy location, they were there and trusted me! I love these 4 so much and cannot wait see what the next 10 years brings their way. Grissel and Josue, THANK YOU! Thank you for being so supportive and kind over the years. Thank you for seeing something in me and trusting us when we were just starting out. And thank you for welcoming me into your home and your lives and building a friendship with us over the years. You are both so special and those amazing girls are truly the result of such a beautiful love story. It has been such an honor to capture your family the last 10 years and am SO happy with these special photos for your big day! SO thankful we lucked out with weather and could capture these when we did!! HAPPY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! WE LOVE YOU!!

TURVILLE FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | FREDERICKSBURG VA

The absolute best part of my job is meeting clients that you have an instant connection with! When I first talked to Jen we hit it off immediately and she has been one of my favorite people to work with! Our first session was in the creek and this time we went in the opposite direction with a very formal look in downtown Fredericksburg. Our original date was rained out and ended up pushing our session into the middle of HOT July. July in Virginia is not a pleasant time, but these 3 were absolute troopers! Being our second session together I already knew I could really get creative and they would be all for it! We also got to celebrate their daughter’s 4th birthday and she came ready to shine! She is a natural little model and such a sweetheart!!!<3

We explored several spots throughout the city and took advantage of the amazing textures, the gorgeous buildings, and the glowy golden light. Everything about this session was magical and we captured SO much. Literally every photo was incredible and impossible to narrow down! I adore these 3 so much and am always looking forward to our next adventure together!! Here are some of my favorites from their session.

If you are interested in a session with me shoot me a message! I would love to capture your family!!

TALK TO ME ABOUT THE FALL!!

Hello everyone and happy Wednesday!! I am feeling rejuvenated after a long holiday weekend and wanted to quickly introduce myself to any new followers! Im Laura, the face behind Laura Lou Photography. I am portrait photographer who specializes in newborn, maternity, and family photography. Im in my 10th year of business and am based in Stafford county Virginia. I am married to Jeremy, my hubby of 12 years and we have a 6 year old daughter named Finley and a 15 year old pup named Layla. Thanks so much for everyone taking the time to read my fall update and for following along as I TRY to blog more!!

SO lets talk about the FALL!! We may be having a heat advisory today but that is NOT going to stop me from getting SUPER PUMPED about fall being ALMOST HERE!!! As far as Im concerned September is the green light to decorate for halloween and celebrate ALL the fun things that the crisp fall weather brings! It is by far my favorite season and also the time of year that I get the most creative energy. There is just something about the fall light, blaring music with your windows down and sunroof open, watching scary movies and the smell of pumpkin and apple pie. GAH I love it ALL!! BUT with all of the fun comes LOTS and LOTS of incredible sessions and is another reason why I love the season so much.

I know I have had a lot of people reach out about my fall sessions and I wanted to give a little update and a peak into the amazing families I got to photograph last year! This season flies by and books fast and with a kiddo in school and activities my availability has gotten a little slimmer. Here is a little recap of the questions I’ve been getting:

Where are you located? I am based in Stafford, Virginia BUT I travel all over from Fredericksburg to Northern Virginia. I also travel out of state to the outer banks frequently and other areas in Virginia. If you are unsure if I will come your way email me! Im always looking for a new adventure!

Do you offer mini session? YES! This is the most asked question especially since I know our wallets are getting a little bit tighter these days! I do offer mini sessions and am offering 3 weekends of minis during peak fall colors. I only have a few spots left so if you are interested make sure you reach out ASAP!

Whats the difference between a mini and a full session? Minis are quick 15 minute sessions that are great for families who want multiple sessions throughout the year or for families who just want to grab a few updated family photos for their Christmas cards! Minis are only offered a few times a year and always sell out!

Full sessions are about 45 minutes and are a great way to really capture your family’s personality in a fun, laid back way! I grab those yearly photos but I also make sure we really freeze this moment in time and where your family is in the season of life. We will laugh, play, run around, throw some leaves, and have a great time.

Do you still have fall availability? YES! But the dates I have are getting slimmer each week! SO if you are wanting fall colors this year GRAB your date ASAP because these dates won’t last long!

The Olive Family’s Beach Family Session | Beach Family Photography | Fun Family Portraits

The Olive family reached out to me to be their beach family photographer, and I’m so happy that I finally got to meet them in person! They purchased a maternity session for a friend several years ago, and I’ve talked to them through emails. Now we had the chance to meet face to face for a lovely family photography session! 

Great Weather and Great Fashion Sense

This photoshoot was one of my favorite beach family photography sessions this year! The beach was still, with no crazy winds throwing up sand or waves, the water was super blue, and the sky was clear as glass! Usually, June and July in Virginia give us some weather that’s hard to stay outside for, but not for these photos!

The Olive’s chose some beautiful outfits that complemented the location perfectly! The two girls had on little sleeveless seafoam green and cream white dresses, respectively, and they both looked super cute! Mom had a pastel floral dress, and dad had a blue button-down short-sleeved shirt with khaki shorts, all summer vacation vibes! 

With Beach Family Photography, You Gotta Get Into the Water

Anytime I get to shoot beach family photography, I encourage my clients to get in for some pictures! If they don’t want to, that’s always okay, but the Olive family was all in! The girls got into the shallows, and I got some fantastic photos of the whole family in a big group hug in the surf! 

The girls were very cooperative and sweet, and they loved having their pictures taken. The parents were naturals in front of the camera as well! The whole family showed each other so much love and affection, and capturing that in their smiles, hugs, and kisses was so satisfying and rewarding!

This session was so much fun. I’m grateful to the Olive family for letting me share a great beach day with excellent weather for pictures! 
If you need someone to capture beach family photography for you, please contact me, and I’d be happy to chat with you!