stafford newborn photographer

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!

BABY I | NEWBORN SESSION | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

I LOVE when a client comes back to me for Baby #2!! It truly is the biggest thank you from a client to know you not only captured their family once but they continue to come back as their family grows. The funniest thing about this session was 2 years prior to the date we photographed her big sister’s newborn session!! Talk about a fun coincidence.

We started out session outdoors for a few family photos and utilized the great weather! Then headed inside for babies solo photos! She was soooo snuggly and sleepy we flew through every set up. She woke up a bit at the end and we were also able to grab a few smiles and some open eye photos! She was such a sweet little pumpkin and cannot wait to watch her grow!!

Some of my favorite photos are below! Interested in a newborn session? Email me for more info at laura@lauralouphotography.com

BABY C | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

There is nothing sweeter than a newborn!!! And nothing more adorable than seeing proud big sisters holding and loving on their new baby brother!! I had so much fun creating lasting memories for this gorgeous family of 5 and celebrating their newest edition. Newborn sessions are always filled with joy and hope and always are an amazing reminder of all the goodness there is in the world. New life brings new adventures and so many new perspecitives on things and often when I photograph a new baby I try to incorporate some of that newness and excitement back into my own life. Our family is out of the baby stage so being able to participate in the snuggles and soaking up those quiet moments when time stands still is such a special thing. I love this job and love capturing those sweet little babies!! Here are some of my favorites from our session!

S FAMILY MATERNITY | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER | WOODBRIDGE VIRGINIA

March maternity sessions can always go one of two ways in Virginia with its crazy weather. HOT or FREEZING and for some reason there never seems to be an in between! This session took place on my birthday so I knew despite the bizzare weather forecast it was going to work out and be amazing. :) All week leading up to our session temps were chilly but manageable but the weekend hit and we were forcasted in the 40’s and WIND!! SO MUCH WIND!! The temp was SO COLD and there were 30+mph wind gusts. Talk about a wild forecast! With maternity sessions, time is not always on our side when the weather is absolutley bonkers! And with weather this year being so unpredictable we trusted our gut and my incredible clients trusted me to work magic!

The entire session was freezing and windy BUT these two ROCKED IT! They embraced the elements and captured increible photos!! At the end this brave mama even braved the freezing water so we could get those gorgeous water shots!! I am so in love with what we captured. I absolutley adore this couple and couldn’t be more excited to photograph their journey into parenthood! Here are my favorites! If you are interested in a maternity or newborn session shoot me an email!!

R FAMILY | MATERNITY PHOTOGRAPHER | COLONIAL BEACH VIRGINIA

I have had the pleasure of photographing this family for many years now! We met when they had their gorgeous little girl and have been capturing their memories and milestones ever since. When I found out they were expecting baby girl #2 I was over the moon!! We took full advantage of a flash storm emptying out all of the summer traffic and we had Colonial Beach to ourselves. This session was so much fun to capture and I am obsessed with all of there photos we got!! The best part was getting in the water at the end :) Cannot wait to meet their little girl in just a few short weeks!

Here are some of my favorites:

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

BABY CHLOE | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

Meet Chloe!! This little miss was such a good sleeper and we got SO many amazing setups! Talk about a dream session! The coolest part was that I photographed it on my daughters 6th birthday, and her big sis was the last newborn I photographed while pregnant. Lets just say this session was MUCH easier to maneuver without that big ole 39 week belly in the way. <3 Ive known this family for over 6 years and love every session we have together. They are always up for adventure and let me be as creative as I want. They have been so supportive of my business over the years and being able to capture their growing family is the best compliment I could ever receive. This little beauty was so much fun to photograph and I am incredibly grateful to have photographed not one but BOTH their gorgeous girls. They truly will always hold a special place in my heart. Here are some of my favorites. :)

WARREN FAMILY | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | MANASSAS, VIRGINIA

No better way to kick off a friday than with this ADORABLE family!! They welcomed their beautiful baby girl in August and we sure spoiled her with photos!! And I have loved every minute of it!! Since her big sis is now in school I came to them for an evening family session where we got to use their amazing yard! August is always perfect for outdoor newborn sessions and we were lucky the weather was ideal with temp and low humidity! We started the session with sibling photos and big sister Brooke was a PRO. They are clearly going to be best friends and I cannot wait to see their bond and friendship grow!! I love all of the family and parent photos we got as well and am so so glad we got to do these outdoors! This location was absolute perfection. We even snapped a few solo of baby Chloe in the flower beds. Everything about this location was magical and I am so thrilled with what we captured! We even got an end of the session smile. <3 I adore this family so much and am so thankful to have now captured both of their little girls newborn photos!! Come back next week to see baby Chloe’s in-studio session!! Have a great weekend!!

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!!

BABY MILLY | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

Meet Milly! This gorgeous little baby was such a sweetheart and so much fun to photograph! Her mama and I go way back to college and have loved keeping in touch over the years. When she told me she was expecting a baby girl I was over the moon for her and knew this little peanut would be loved so much! She was truly one of the most beautiful little newborns and her mama and dada were glowing when they arrived at my studio. We captured so many setups and variety and honestly I loved all the baby snuggles. Milly slept like a champ and we flew through her setups. My favorite photo of course was froggy!! This phase goes by so fast and I am so thankful I was able to capture these special memories for my friend and her amazing family <3.

If you are interested in learning more about my newborn sessions shoot me an email! Here are my favorites from this session!!