Family

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The Smith Family Session in Northern Virginia | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

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The Smith family all together by a wooded creek; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer

The Smith family reached out and picked me to be their Northern Virginia Family Photographer for their session. And they were absolute troopers during this session, in spite of the humidity! The session took place in early June, and the weather meant business! Regardless, we had such a fun time taking photos, and the kids were so cute!

The Boys in the Creek

We started the session like I normally would, with all of the posed family pictures. I got some of just the parents, and then with the two boys and each parent, all of my normal family photo fare.

Dad and the two boys in the woods and one of the whole family; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer

After that, we got into the fun stuff! Images of the boys snuggling up to mom and dad and playing around. Family being close to each other and having a good time! These are my favorite things to capture! 

The Boys playing in the creek; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer

There was a small creek at the location, and of course, if you have boys and water, they have to jump into it! I snapped quite a few memorable pictures of the boys playing and splashing around; they were so adorable! 

Sunset in the Field

By the time the sun started to set, I had gotten most of the photos that I wanted, but I knew about a field down the road a bit where the Golden Hour light would be perfect! So we took a short drive and got out into a large field to get some last minute images.

The Smith family walking through a grassy field at sunset; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer

The sun coming down through the grass in the field gave the whole place an ethereal, almost fantastical beauty! The pictures I got there were phenomenal, and it was the perfect end to a fun and productive family photoshoot! 

The Smiths did so well during the session, and I’m so grateful that we got to share this awesome time getting some great photos and sharing the sunset together! 

A Northern Virginia Family Photographer To Serve You!

If you need someone to be your Northern Virginia family photographer, please contact me, I’d love to have a chat with you! 

The Smith boys side by side in the woods with big smiles pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
Little brother giving his big brother a kiss and a few posed photos of big brother among the trees; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
The youngest Smith boy hamming it up on a forest path; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
Mom with her two boys laughing; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
The whole family playing around in a small clearing; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
Dad holding his youngest son and kissing his cheek; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
Mom holding her youngest boy and kissing him on the cheek
Mom and dad posing with their oldest boy among the grass; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
Mom and her oldest boy booping noses
The whole Smith family posed by a creek bed; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
The Smith parents posing with their boys respectively on a forest path; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
The oldest Smith boy posing on a bridge
The youngest Smith boy posing seated on a bridge; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
The whole family posing seated on the bridge
The Smith family from above on the creek bed and the two boys holding each other close on a log
The Smith parents holding each other by the creek; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
The boys playing in the creek; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
The two Smith boys throwing rocks into the water
The whole family walking on the shallow creekbed; pictures taken by a Northern Virginia family photographer
The Smiths walking through a field bathed in the setting sunlight
The two Smith boys haloed in golden light
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What’s The Difference Between A Mini Session And A Full Session | Photographer in Virginia

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Family photo taken during a full family session by a photographer in Virginia

With fall just around the corner, things are beginning to get busy again, so if you’re thinking of hiring a photographer in Virginia, now’s the time to do it! School is in session and schedules are filling up fast. With limited time and very busy days, some people may want to look into minis versus a full photography session. But what exactly are minis and how are they different from a normal session? I'll outline the major differences between the two in this blog! 

Mini Sessions

Mini sessions usually last about fifteen minutes and are done in a marathon format. I'll select a great, central location that I love from one of the many locations I’ve found over the years being a photographer in Virginia. It should also work for different times of day, not just at Golden Hour before sunset. I book each 15 minute mini session ten minutes apart. These sessions are fast!

I schedule my mini sessions twice a year, in the spring and the fall. I always try to schedule them during the best parts of spring or early summer and during the peak times for fall colors.

Just the Basics

Each mini has three main poses and anything extra I'm able to capture is a great bonus! I focus on the full family landscape portrait, just the kids, and then each individual kid. If I have time, I'll also try to snap a few photos of mom and dad with the kids. I don't usually focus on individual shots of the parents with each of their children, but I will try if the parents only have one or two children.

For each mini my main goal is to photograph the standard photos that a family would want for things like Christmas cards! These sessions are not often full of many candid shots, or playful photos, so please consider booking a full session if you want more of those kinds of photos for your albums! A mini can be a great option for families with older kids who just want some updated family photos for their walls or to send in their Christmas cards!

Full Sessions for a photographer in Virginia

As a photographer in Virginia, I also offer Full Sessions. These usually last about forty-five minutes and I take over the task of finding a place to shoot for my clients based on their location. I always start these sessions with posed photos, the whole family, the couple, their kids and all of the normal, expected photos. I really try to crank those out to get to the fun stuff!

My full sessions give me the opportunity to capture the more casual, candid, and lovey-dovey type pictures that you may see on some of my social media posts, or on my blog! These photography sessions are the ones where I get photos of the kids playing around, or the parents lifting their kids in the air with all the smiles and laughter that come along with those things!

Sweet moments of a dad with his daughter by a rocky lake shore

During a full session I have the time to photograph all of the little moments that showcase a family's dynamic. Everyones personalities have a chance to come out while they hang out, and just do what they do! Not every family is comfortable with those kinds of photos, or just want more traditional photos taken, and I am sensitive to that and will gauge that during the session and adjust based on the family.

I recommend full sessions for maternity and senior photos, as well as extended family , and for families with little kiddos.

Forming Bonds

My full length sessions are especially great for families with many kiddos and small kiddos. The extra time gives time for the littles to warm up to me and get comfortable with their new surroundings.

Creating a good rapport with each family I work with is so crucial to get those special and memorable moments.

A couple standing in a tulip field; photo taken by a photographer in Virginia

I hope this eliminates any confusion surrounding how I do both my full and mini sessions! If you need someone to capture these special moments for you, whether in short form, or long, please contact me for more information, I'd love to chat with you!

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Beach Family Pictures With The Rao Family At King George VA Beach

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The whole Rao family, with both sets of grandparents posing on a dock for their beach family pictures

The Rao family and I had a great time getting beach family pictures of their extended family! I've worked with Brittany and David, and their little one Lillian, since she was a newborn! This session gave me a wonderful opportunity to see Lillian with her grandparents, especially since I had the privilege of capturing many of her first milestones. Both sets of grandparents were present - mom and dad's side together for one photography session!

The whole clan lined up on the beach for some beach family pictures

King George VA Beach Family Pictures

We photographed the session on a small beach in King George. The day was windy but the weather was still beautiful, not too hot for an outdoor session. We hung out on the beach while I took pictures of all of the different family groups. I wanted to ensure that everyone had memorable beach family pictures, especially with little Lillian!

Grandma holding little Lillian and kissing her cheek on the shoreline during their beach family pictures

We wanted to get as many different photos of the different groupings as possible: grandparents, parents, siblings, and kids. No easy feat with three families together, but well worth it to capture these sweet beach family pictures for them!

Brittany and David Get In The Water

Brittany and David gave me my favorite part of this session! During their couple photos, David was messing around and pulled his wife into the water, and then pretended to be injured to get her back into the surf! After a minute Brittany fell for it and he pulled her back in and they went under and came up laughing. It was a wonderful family moment, and I know that it will be something that Lillian will remember when she gets older!

Everyone gathering around Lillian and hoisting her into the air on the beach for their beach family pictures

One of my favorite things is getting to know the families I work with, and watching them grow as we grow together! Thank you Rao family for allowing me to capture these cherished family moments! As Lillian grows up I hope that we can capture more of her milestones together. 

If you need someone to capture these truly special beach family pictures, please contact me for more information!

The whole clan in black and white gathered on the beach
Brittany and David with one set of grandparents posing with Lillian on the beach during their beach family pictures
David and his parents with Lillian posed on the beach for their beach family pictures
Lillian being played with and handed to her grandma
Grandpa holding little Lillian for their beach family pictures
Collage of David's parents on the beach and holding their granddaughter for their beach family pictures
David posing with his parents with a large hill in the background
David posing with his mom and dad on the beach during their beach family pictures
Another grandpa hoists his granddaughter into the air on the beach
The Rao family with Brittany's parents, posing on the beach for their beach family pictures
Brittany, Lillian and the grandparents posing on the shoreline for their beach family pictures
Brittany hugging her mom on the beach

Vollbrecht Family Photos | Family Photographer | Stafford VA

The Vollbrecht family posing by a creek photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA

The Vollbrecht family have been with me since close to the beginning of my photography business. It's always a pleasure to be the family photographer for some of my favorite people, and we did the session at one of my favorite places too, Government Island in Stafford VA!

Jeremy, my husband, met Marlar Vollbrecht when they were both in diapers, and they basically grew up together! I've personally known them since I got married. She's been like another aunt to our daughter as well! The Vollbrechts have three kids, Evelyn, Brendon, and Danny.

The three Volbrecht kids posing near some foliage picture taken by a family photographer in Stafford VA

The first time we met these three kiddos they were all pretty young. Their family's session was one of the first photography sessions I did when I started my business! I love it when my clients come back for more, and it's even more amazing when someone has stayed with me since the beginning. As I've grown as a photographer and as a photography business, they've been right here with me, and that's so special!

Marlar and her husband kissing with the woods in the background taken by a family photographer in Stafford VA

The session was over Easter Weekend, and they traveled up from North Carolina. We went to Government Island near me for the photoshoot. I scheduled the session an hour earlier than I normally would so that they could come over for dinner afterwards. We all wanted to hang out!

The weather was warm and it was a full, sunny day. Since we started earlier in the day the light was a little different than I normally shoot, but am really trying to push myself creatively and stylistically. And I LOVE how their photos came outl!

Collage of Marler hugging her daughter and her husband dancing with their daughter by the creek photo taken by a family photographer in Stafford VA

We started with some family shots and then did some with the parents and the kids. My favorite part of any photography session I do here are the creek photos. Not all of my clients want to get into the water, but the Vollbrecht girls were all about it! We got some mommy-daughter shots in the creek and then some of just the girls, it was awesome!

We were just about done, but Brendon, their middle son, wanted to get up on this log over the creek. I've wanted to get someone on this log since I've used this location, but getting to it is no easy feat! It was a bit of a climb and though I wouldn't let little kids try to get out onto it, Brendon was able to get there. The pictures I got were amazing! I'm shooting through the trees framing the creek and soon the girls got involved too!

The three Volbrecht kids sitting on a look hanging over the creek shot by a family photographer in Stafford VA

I got some of the coolest photos I think I've ever shot at this location! From about 300 yards away I got a few pictures of the siblings snuggled up together on this log with the creek reflecting them below. They may not know how much this log has intrigued me, but I finally got a client out on it for some fantastic pictures!

The session went great and even though we started earlier in the day the lighting still worked amazing. We shot some great photos of these wonderful friends!

If you need a family photographer near Stafford VA (or other parts of North VA) please contact me, and check out other posts on my blog!

Collage of the Vollbrecht family all posing together and the one of just Marlar and her kids photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Mr. Vollbrecht posing with his three kids photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Danny sitting posed on a log by a creek photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Evelyn and Danny hugging on a log photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Collage of the Volbrecht sisters laughing together sitting on a log and one of just Danny photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Evelyn posing on a log by the creek photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Brendon sitting posed on a log by the creek photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
The Volbrecht siblings hugging and posing photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Black and white picture of Marlar hugging her youngest daughter photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Marlar kissing Brendon on the head photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Collage of Marlar and her husband posing with their oldest daughter
Collage of dad posing with his two youngest children photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Dad posing with his three kids by the creek photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Collage of Marlar and her husband hugging and mom and her three kids photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Marlar posing with her three kids in front of the woods
Black and white of the whole family posing by a creek
The Vollbrechts laughing together by the creek photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Collage of the whole family by the creek and of dad and Brendon in front of the creek
Daddy dancing with his eldest daughter by the creek photographed by a family photographer in Stafford VA
Marlar hugging Brendon and kissing his head in front of the creek
Marlar hugging Evelyn beside the creek
Collage of the Volbrecht parents kissing and hugging for a photo
Black and white photo of Mom and Dad eskimo kissing with trees in the background
Collage of Dad posing with his two girls beside the creek and Mom with her two girls in the creek
Evelyn posing sassily in the creek
Evelyn and Danny hugging while standing in the creek
Danny standing in the creek for a photo
Brendon sitting on a log overhanging the creek
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2020 RECAP!!

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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!








GENERATION SESSION | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | MANASSAS, VIRGINIA

I have really enjoyed photographing and getting to know this gorgeous family the last few years. So when Maria wanted a generation photo shoot I was ALL about it. I have started shooting more of these sessions and the more I do them the more special and important they become to me. There really is nothing more priceless than photos of our families and capturing these moments together. I loved being able to celebrate the relationship and incredible bond between these 4 gorgeous women. We had the most AMAZING sunset and everything about the location was perfection. It was really tough to narrow down the photos for the blog so here is a photo overload :)! My favorites:

PIKE FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | MANASSAS, VIRGINIA

Here is another one of my favorite families!! I LOVE seeing them every year and watching their girls grow! I met Maria at my college roommates wedding and our friendship was instant the second I saw her again at their first session with me. She is one of those amazing people who just make you feel like you are family and welcomes you with open arms! I so miss these connections with my clients/friends and just reminding myself life will return to normal one day soon! I had SO much fun for their fall session celebrating their families love and soaking up all that golden light. Since spring is quickly passing I am focusing my energies on things being normal enough to shoot again this fall!!! And looking forward to many more sessions with these 4!! Here are some of my favs <3

CAMPBELL FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | MANASSAS, VIRGINIA

Last fall came and went SO fast and has been really fun going through these sessions again! I am missing my clients so much everyday and this helps a little to remind me this wont be forever!! Here is another family I love dearly!! This month we were supoosed to celebrate this baby boy’s first bday and I am sending you guys lots of birthday love from afar!! And cannot wait to see you again!! Here are my favorites from their fall session!!