2023 RECAP!!!

What a year!! 2023 feels like the longest and shortest year of ALL time. It tested me in ways and opened my eyes to SO MANY THINGS and I have learned ALOT about myself over the last 12 months. With that being said it was also one of the most difficult years for me professionally and personally. Funny thing is nothing really significant happened but more a slew of little things finally pushing me to what felt like a late 30’s crisis LOL! As a mom we wear SO many hats throughout the day but with years and years of trying to balance everything eventually you start to let those hats drop one by one. And for me I think they all fell this year. I can laugh about it now because while I felt like I was falling apart there was also so many good things this year brought that kind of got lost in the shuffle. SO today I am sharing some positives of 2023 and also sharing the AMAZING clients who helped me survive this tough year!! You are what got me through!! <3

2023 kicked off with a bang and I celebrated my 10th year in business! A huge milestone that I still cannot believe is real!! A decade dedicated to serving clients and creating beautiful artwork and memories has been such a blessing. But my biggest achievement is seeing all of the returning faces of clients I have been photographing that entire time. Some clients have let me into their lives for over a decade! I have had multiple brides celebrate their 10 year anniversary, families welcome their 2nd and 3rd baby, kids I photographed in their mom’s belly start school, brides texting me they're pregnant, the list goes on. The overwhelming support from returning clients really lifted me up this year and I am forever thankful for the relationships that I have been built over the last 10+ years. I truly cannot thank you enough.

This year alone I have photographed 136 sessions plus more for my own kiddo. I have met 55 new AMAZING families who have all welcomed me into their lives with open arms and shared their excitement about their photos. This year certainly was one of the most rewarding. It was knowing that these incredible faces believed in me during a time I felt so unworthy. Their support allowed me to keep growing as an artist and photographed some of my favorite sessions of all time. THANK YOU to every single one of you for walking alongside me during a tough season. Your support will never be forgotten <3

Another huge perk of 2023 was that I offered tulip, sunflower, creek, cherry blossom, and tree farm minis in addition to my spring and fall. And I LOVED every second of these sessions. Because these are sessions I can’t shoot all year round they have become some of my favorites. I WILL be offering ALL of these again and cannot wait to see what families will join in on the fun!! This year I will be changing things up a bit with how I book to continue to give me time to be creative and recharge.

My goal for 2024 is to make this year about savoring every last moment! I did a terrible job of capturing my own family this year and I am super sad that I let my negativity and self-esteem stop me from capturing more moments with my family. I will NOT make that mistake this year!! So if you are feeling blah email me! Lets chat and make your session this year extra special! I cannot wait to meet new faces and catch up with returning faces!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! To everyone who supported my business this year! You rock!! <3 ~Laura

CASSIE MATERNITY | MATERNITY SESSION | STAFFORD VA

It is no secret that I AM OBSESSED with any session involving water! There is just something about it that gets the creativity flowing and every photo becomes my favorite! This session was the PERFECT example of that! From start to finish this mama to be was glowing!

For every maternity session I always recommend 2/3 outfits! The first one is for the family/couple/or first solo. I always recommend the first outfit being one my client feels the most confident in. This is so important because if you are meeting me for the first time, or this is your first professional photoshoot, those nerves are going to be there! And that is totally normal! That first outfit is for you to feel gorgeous in, and I will tell you how to pose, where to put your hands, what leg to pop, how to tilt your chin etc! And within the first 5 minutes I know you will already feel like a pro!

Outfit 2 is when we get a little more adventurous! I’ll have you dip your toes in the water, and start really focusing on mama! I make sure mom and dad have LOTS of great photos together but outfit 2 is when mama really gets to shine!!

Outfit 3 is all about those artsy photos that always end up being my favorite!! This mama was ALL about being spontaneous and really getting into the water. She also told me I could put her in any outfit. :) I made her a bright orange gown from a gorgeous piece of fabric and the way it popped along the creek was exactly what I had hoped for! Cassie you were such a fun and amazing mama to photograph! Your adventurous spirit was amazing to capture and I cannot wait to meet your little girl!!

If you are interested in learning more about my maternity sessions shoot me a message!! I would love to capture this amazing time for you!!

2020 RECAP!!

Every year I am SO embarrassed to log onto my website after a crazy fall and see how far my blogging fell behind. Every year I vow to do better with it and every year I start strong and theeeeeeeen boom life and busy season hit and blogging goes out the window. I had SO many incredible sessions last year but 2020 was a year unlike any other. Words cannot even begin to describe the insanity of this past year and the emotions that shook every single person’s life. But as this year came to an end there was also much to celebrate. With extra time at home we were safe and healthy and really able to focus on our time together as a family. I am so grateful for that extra time as it benefited Finley and I think really benefited us as parents too. Sure being cooped up had its difficulty but overall 2020 gave us so much to be thankful for.

The year started off strong and I was incredibly motivated after completing my best year yet. January-March started better than most winter months and I was fully booked for April and into May. When all of the lockdowns hit I was devastated and terrified. Like most families there was no warning for one if not both family members income coming to complete standstill with so much uncertainty in sight. Panic certainly set in and I had to figure out a way to make the most of my time not working. In that time I began becoming interested in plants and by the end of the summer had a full fledged garden in the backyard and on my deck. Fin was my assistant gardener and we had a blast learning about plants and exploring garden centers. It was incredible! We were able to grow herbs, a few veggies, and sunflowers. We also made the decision to completely redo my studio space. It had been something I had needed and wanted to do for years and we finally made it happen. Now it is so much more cozy and certainly reflects my business style and brand. I am obsessed!

As Covid restrictions started to lift I was fortunate to be able to reopen for outdoor sessions and then shortly after indoor sessions. I am so thankful for the flexibility, patience, and overall understanding of my clients that allowed me to do so. This year alone I photographed 152 sessions and met 53 new families. The highlight of the year was capturing the newest additions of past clients whose other kiddos I also photographed. I even had the amazing opportunity to photograph my first home birth, and caught lightning on camera 3 times! This year gave me the time to really push myself creatively and feel like I truly honed in on my style and was able to express my artistic vision with each session. Every single on of these families holds a special place in my heart as they stood by me and supported my business through the most challenging year for small businesses. The trust you have had in me to safely photograph your families and newborns is truly a blessing and what kept me going all year. It is because of you that I crushed my goals for the year and saw my business only increase since 2019. THANK YOU. There are so many times in business you feel defeated or uncertain and having new and returning faces contact me with exciting news of pregnancies or wanting updated photos is the best part of my job. Every year I try to do a recap of some of my favorite images and this year was SOOOO tough. Once again I narrowed it down to well over 250 images and made Jeremy narrow it down for me :) Thank you everyone again for supporting me and my business!! I am so excited to tackle whatever 2021 throws my way and cannot wait to meet you!

JENN MATERNITY | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER | WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA

Gosh I miss working SO much!!! But I am kicking off this week with a new plan of action and celebrating one of my favorite maternity sessions from last summer. How gorgeous is this mama!!?? Everything about this session was magical. Maternity sessions are one of my favorite things to capture and these 2 def made this session memorable. We started in the woods and the light was INCREDIBLE. Then we made our way to the beach. The water was SO loud and wild, to date I have never seen it like that again but we rolled with it and captured some of my favorite lovey dovey shots ever. The best part was as we were leaving a driftwood teepee caught my eye and we grabbed a few more shots! Everything about this session went perfectly and I know this summer when things settle down I will get to create more magical moments like this!! Here are my favorites:

AMANDA MATERNITY | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER | WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA

I am trying to keep my chin up during these tough times and dreaming about that summer golden light and all of those expecting mamas and their new babies. My heart breaks I cannot document these moments right now. But im staying hopeful and enjoying the time I did not have before to blog and really enjoy every image from my sessions over the last year. Here is one of my favorite summer maternity sessions!

BABY AYLA | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

I love when I have the opportunity to photograph a fellow photographers sweet babe! I absolutely LOVED getting to snuggle adorable baby Ayla! She was wide awake most of her session but was so laid back and even gave us some perfect little smiles and great eye contact! Ayla kicked off 2020 in the best way and I cannot wait to watch her grow! Here are some of my favorites!

2020 HERE I COME!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
As I kick off this new decade I wanted to thank all of my clients who have made 2019 AMAZING!  This has been an extremely challenging year for my family and for me, personally.  It has been a year full of loss, personal development, and a lot of chapters in my life coming to a close.  But the amount of growth my business has had this year is incredible and an absolute dream come true.  

The end of January marks the start of my 7th year in business and I am still in shock at how much this profession has provided me, both personally and professionally.  When I started my business, I was fresh out of graduate school and wanted no part of the art historian career path I had invested so much time and money into.  I remember sitting in lectures listening to the stories of how people found their way into their career, and not one of them was doing what they originally set out to do.  I felt so overwhelmed by that, especially since I knew in my heart that this was not the life I wanted.  When I came home from London I had a masters degree, a ton of student loan debt, and zero clue what was ahead or where to go.  I felt like a little girl who loved taking photos and loved working with people, but I had no clue what to do with that.  I applied to so many jobs, had a handful of interviews, a few leads, but no job offers.  It was daunting and very discouraging.  Here I was with a lot of education, little experience, and even less self confidence.  I thankfully had a soon-to-be husband who believed in me, but the biggest challenge professionally was convincing someone to take a chance on me by offering me a job. When that offer never came I decided I needed to create my own opportunity. When I started this business I had no idea if I could make this dream into a career.  But I had a husband who believed in me and a serious drive to make it happen.  So I went for it. I certainly could not have imagined the potential or direction that drive and passion would have taken me.

From year one until now my business has truly transformed into something I am so proud of.  Every year I have pushed myself out of my comfort zone, tackled the balance of my day job with my side hustle, and dealt with some really significant life changing moments. By being a small business owner through all of that I have learned more about myself in those 7 years than i have in my entire life.  When I started this career path my ultimate goal was to provide income for my family while staying home with my kids.   And each year I had the opportunity to be one step closer to both of those dreams.  When I finally quit my day job in 2015 I was terrified, but because of the trust of my clients and their continual support I have not once looked back. There have been SO many tears, late nights,  and a lot of self-doubt.  BUT, at the same time, there have been light bulb moments, bursts of creativity, and some of the most extraordinary moments.  I also had the blessing of enjoying every moment of pregnancy and then being home to watch my daughter take her first steps, say her first words, and literally photograph her every single day of her life. All while pursuing my dream job.  And after a year like this one I cannot be more thankful for that gift.  

This year alone I photographed 162 sessions (42 more than last year) and met 57 new families. That is HUGE!  That means 105 of those sessions were from families who came back to see me again and that is the greatest compliment a photographer and business owner could ever hope for.  We have been through so much the last few years but this year really hit me hard and it was because of my clients being so incredibly compassionate and supportive that gave me the drive to keep on trucking.  And I cannot thank you enough.  It has been with your trust, patience, and willingness to be that person to take a chance on me and my artistic vision that has brought me to this point in my career.  I cannot thank you enough or tell you how thankful I am to have been able to capture your most important, private, and pivotal moments of your lives.  It is because of that faith in me that this year has been so successful. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Some of my favorite images of all time were captured this year and it is because of every single one of you trusting my creative vision for your session.

I am SO excited to kick off a new decade and to see what 2020 will bring.  I am in the process of revamping my pricing guide and packages and really going to be streamlining my brand.  My goal this year is to push myself even further creatively to give you more gorgeous and unique images.  I am also so excited to start implementing new things I have been learning in a business course I enrolled in this fall.  And I am excited to start making your client experience even more special!

Thank you again so much for supporting my business and for continuing to allow me to photograph your family!  I cannot wait to see you in 2020!! But first here is a recap of my favorite images from 2019! Man it was hard to narrow it down!! <3
Much love,
Laura

WHITNEY MILK BATH | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

This gorgeous mama and I met years ago when we both worked at Panera! She met her hubby there, fell in love, and are now welcoming their baby boy. When she contacted me about her maternity session she wasn’t sure what kind of session she wanted but when she decided on a milk bath I was ecstatic! Everything about her session was gorgeous. Motherhood looks gorgeous on you Whitney!! Here are my favorites!

TIFFANY MATERNITY | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER | MANASSAS, VIRGINIA

On this FREEZING cold January day I had to blog about one of my favorite maternity sessions!!! It was a WARM and PERFECT day!! This adorable couple wanted to include their first baby in their maternity photos and I loved every minute of it. You know I am a sucker for a cute pup <3 We had a blast running all over and celebrating their first pregnancy! When this mama showed me the maternity gowns she brought for her session I about did a back flip because they are gorgeous and she is absolutely STUNNING in them! We shot in fields, the creek, the woods, EVERYTHING. It was amazing! Here are my favorite!!

ALLISON MATERNITY | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER | WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA

This summer I photographed another one of my favorite families for their last family/maternity session before welcoming their second baby boy. We had a gorgeous evening which is rare in Virginia, but I do not remember it being too terribly warm. And the light was PERFECT. We had lots of laughs and fun running around the park and watching Dominic steal the show. He is such a ham and full of personality. I have loved capturing this adorable family over the last two years and feel so lucky to continue to capture their family photos. Here are my favs: