ELIZABETH IS ONE | MILESTONE PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

Sweet Elizabeth is already one!! I cannot believe it! It feels like yesterday that I received the “she’s here” text!! This little beauty is one of my dear friends baby’s and have had the pleasure of watching her grow over the last year. She is such a smiley happy girl and those chunky cheeks are too precious. For her one year session we lucked out with a gorgeous 70ish degree day with incredible glowy light. Bugs weren’t out yet and we just had a blast capturing some stunning photos of this little lady. I cannot wait to see her continue to grow and see her personality continue to shine! Here are some of my faves!!

If you are interested in a milestone session shoot me a message!!

BABY ISABELLA | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

Meet sweet baby Isabella! This gorgeous little lady came to see me mid January for her newborn session. She is the daughter of a special friend whose senior photos I shot many many years ago!! I couldn’t believe how fast those years have gone and getting to see her become a mommy is such an amazing gift. This little girl is so loved by her mom and dad and it is clear they are going to be phenomenal parents. And lets be honest they made one ADORABLE kiddo!

My favorite thing about working with new parents is having the ability to connect and hear all about their journey to parenthood. Everyone’s story is unique and I love being able to share in their excitement. Those sleepless nights and newborn cuddles dont last forever and being able to savor them is so important! In a matter of weeks this sweet girl will have hit new milestones and changed and I am thrilled we were able to capture these when she was 13 days new.

Check out some highlight from our session!! And if you are interested in learning more about my newborn sessions shoot me a message!

BEHIND THE SCENES | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

I have had so many clients mention to me that they love it when I post behind the scenes content. BUT in sessions I often forget to grab those fun action shots because I am in the zone! Or I don’t have someone with me to capture the footage while I’m shooting! This is the year of change and this is something I am really passionate about sharing. I love the story and the fun that leads to “the shot” and will certainly be better about posting more of it here!!

I have been sitting on these photos for over a year now and knew I had to blog about it! I luckily had Jeremy with me so he was able to use my camera and capture me setting Fin in place for these magical photos! What you dont see here is just how FREEZING the water was!! While it was a warmer January day, the water was probably around 40 degrees. BRRRRR!!!! So it was super important to find a way for us to capture this without my kiddo losing feeling in her toes!

I shot Fin’s 4 year shoot at this same location and have been wanting to revisit it now that she was a little older and a little more cooperative when it came to my vision. My goal was to capture a very still shot with the sky reflecting in the water and Fin appearing to walk on top. I wanted a piece of art rather than a close up portrait so that displaying it large would be an option. I placed a plastic foot stool just below the surface of the water and of course it floated! I carried Fin to the stool and slowly got her feet in position and in a balancing act we re-submerged the stool until it was secure. She still had to do a lot of balancing and I know her poor little feet were so cold. The entire setup/shoot lasted maybe 5 minutes because that water was SO COLD!!

The photos turned out gorgeous and I still have many more to edit. But here are a few of me setting up and the final product! Enjoy <3

BABY NIZAR | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

THIS IS THE YEAR!! I have said it year after year that this one would be the best blogging year yet! And each year I have fallen short. I am not afraid to admit this blog has always taken a back seat but I do not want to fall short this year! I have had SO many incredible sessions and their teasers are only a tiny glimpse into the art we have created together. PLUS I just want to share SO much more! This years suggest goal NO more excuses!! Not every past session will be blogged because I am being realistic, but this year I will make sure that my sessions get a home on my blog :).

First up meet baby Nizar!! He was one of my last babies in 2023 and such a treat to photograph. I had the pleasure of photographing his big sis as a newborn and every year since! Seeing her step into her big sister role came so naturally to her and did such an amazing job on her sibling portraits!! She is clearly obsessed with her baby bro and I cannot wait to see her and his relationship grow in the years to come!!

Nizar was such a sleepy little dude and an absolute gem during his session and more importantly it was really great to spend a few hours with this amazing family. The best part of my job is building those lasting friendships and relationships with my clients and watching their families grow and evolve year to year is such a special gift. We captured so many amazing photos!! Here are some of my favorites <3

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!!

RACHEL AND SILAS | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

If you don’t know Rachel she is the owner of Bangs in Boujee, in downtown Fredericksburg. And also my amazing hair girl!! She is incredible at making her clients feel loved and beautiful and I love her so much! We have years of friendship under our belt and every time we get together it’s always a blast!

October is just around the corner which means BUSY season for both of us and it was so important to snag some amazing photos of her and her little man before it gets too nuts!!! We lucked out with some incredible pre-fall foliage of wildflowers and tall grass and my favorite fall light! There is just something about September that really gets me pumped for the fall season and is also my favorite time of year for sessions. The weather is cooler, the bugs are starting to be less yucky, and it is a nice calm before the craziness of fall activities and busy season. We don’t get a lot of wildflowers where we live so it is such a special treat every September when I finally have a flowery spot big enough for a session! It doesn’t last long but boy is it magical! We had so much fun running around the weeds, having snacks, and enjoying the cooler weather. I love what we captured and always look forward to our next session together. Here are some of my favorites!! If you haven’t booked your fall session yet NOW is the time!! I look forward to chatting!!

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 ROACH GIRLS | MOMMY AND ME SESSION | NOKESVILLE VIRGINIA

Once a year the most gorgeous sunflower fields are in full bloom and it is the most magical place on earth. Burnside Farm in Nokesville has truly created a unique setting of over 70 acres of sunflowers where people can come explore mazes, pick flowers, socialize, and partake in all of the things that make summer break incredible. Once a year I am able to offer sunset sunflower sessions and they have easily become my FAVORITE end of summer treat!

Photographing this gorgeous family is always the best experience, but this time we got to focus on mama and her girls!! And also her niece. Mommy and me sessions are SO important!! Kids grow way too fast and capturing some special photos together is such a great way to freeze time and remember these summer nights. All of these beautiful ladies are pros when it comes to sessions with me and photographing them is a dream. They are full of personality and spirit and always rock their posed photos. It was so much fun exploring the fields and chatting. This was my first sunflower session of the season and set the bar really high. I adore these girls and cannot wait to see them again!!

If you are interested in a sunflower session I have one more date available!! Email me! I look forward to hearing from you!!

EMILY AND DECLAN | MOMMY AND ME | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

I cannot believe that this summer is coming to an end! Kids will be back in school in 3 short weeks and pumpkin spice candles and fall decor will be slowly entering my house!! But until then I am having a blast going through the sessions I photographed this summer! The creek will always be one of my favorite locations and I am LOVING this mommy and me session. There is no better place than the creek for a little boy to get his feet muddy and splash and hang out with his mama!

This session didn’t go without its weather challenges though! Forecast showed scattered storms most of the day/early evening but did have a pocket of sun peeking back out around golden hour. We moved our session a teeny bit early, enjoyed watching the crazy storm roll in, and sure enough cleared off for the perfect golden glow as we arrived.

I loved everything about these 2 and our session!! Capturing their relationship is so special and am so glad the weather cooperated for us to capture these. There is still time to grab a creek session this summer if you are loving these images as much as me! Contact me for details! And take a look at my favorites!!

VALENTINE FAMILY | EXTENDED FAMILY SESSION | WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA

I have SO many people inquiring about extended family sessions lately and it makes my heart so happy! Extended family sessions can be so overwhelming for clients to plan and I totally get it! There is A LOT that goes into it. Coordinating multiple families schedules, nap time for kiddos, travel, outfits, and then there is the actual shoot itself. It is a lot and I know that. Which is why it is SO important to me that my families show up ready for an adventure! Because no matter what something unplanned is going to pop up and that is what makes our session together memorable and unique!! So let me be here to help make this time together special for your family!! From your first inquiry to delivery of photos I will be there to help you with anything you may need!

Here is a fantastic group that I had a BLAST with!! I’ve worked with the Valentine family for many years now, so when Alex called me about her in-laws anniversary I knew this session would be so meaningful to everyone! We had to navigate the crazy summer weather but Virginia’s weather pulled it together for us. And we had a gorgeous day. I always start with the big group first so the little ones are fresh! I know that every kiddo has their threshold (especially when its hot) and the most important photo is the FULL group.

From there I always break down into smaller groupings, trying to make sure we get the groupings with the kiddos first. During that I will watch to see if and when the kids need a break and focus on other groupings. We explore, capture a few photos, let the kids do their thing, capture some more, then we refocus for a another big group shot mid session. From there I like to pull each individual family for their own little special time together. Because I know getting your family together for photos is hard and I want to make sure you get that yearly photo in addition to the big group. Breaking up the session allows for the kids to take a breather, get some water, have a quick snack and then be recharged for their solo time.

For this amazing session, I def pushed this family LOL!! They were familiar with my eagerness to be adventurous so after all key photos were taken we actually went to a second location to grab one last big family water shot! When we got to our spot it was WINDY and cloudy, a totally different vibe than the first portion of our session which made it awesome. Everyone got their toes wet and in a span of maybe 6 minutes we got some great photos for the entire group. We were able to celebrate family visiting from out of town, an anniversary, and a graduation. It was honestly the best time and the photos turned out amazing.

If you have questions about an extended family session with my I’d love to chat!! Shoot me an email and we can make this happen for your family!