Chilly Sunday {Fairlington Family Photographer}

When you schedule a session for May 15 in Arlington, VA, you don't usually expect "feels like" temperatures of 40-something degrees, but that's what we had!  Despite the cold wind, I had a great time getting to know this family for their mini-session.

Twice a year, I donate a session for silent auction for causes I love - my church (coming in August) and the school where I taught for over three years.  I'm a fan of these sessions because mini-sessions are a rarity for me, so it's something new, but most importantly, I meet new people and help raise funds for all the great stuff the PTA provides!

We just scheduled a surgery for my older daughter for late June, which means I took some open dates the following week off my calendar.  Book ASAP - Rates change on July 1, but if you book before that, you get the current rate for sessions through the end of 2016!

Spring is Here {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

Saturday morning was NOT raining, which more or less amounts to a miracle.  (We are on day #13 straight of rain, for any non-local readers.)

I collected my fantastic intern Jessica and we headed out to make sure we had ample dry spots at our location for our photo session.... and found the "Walk for Animals," a DJ, and overcrowded parking.

A quick phone call to the clients and we moved across the street to the Bon Air Rose Garden, where the ground was still soggy but where we were free to roam without lots of other people around!

This family was lots of fun and the sisters were super sweet together.  In almost every picture, the baby is looking at her big sister!

I'm booking now for summer and fall.  My rates are increasing in July, but if you book before that, you lock in the current rate!

Up next: A family session next weekend, some prom photos soon after that, and TWO spots available for May/June!

Tulip Time: Burnside Farms, VA Photographer

I heard about Burnside Farms this year from a friend, shared their site on Facebook, and was reminded that another friend loves tulips.

We managed to squeeze in an after-hours session on the last day the tulips were in bloom, despite scheduling our session for peak tulip days - the weather the week prior was just too hot!

This was another weekend session with rain threatening, but we managed to pick some tulips, laugh, and capture the last of the beautiful blooms.

The teenaged subject many clients may recognize as my fantastic intern Jessica.  We'll be back out to Burnside Farms for Jessica's senior photos this summer and any other members of the class of 2017 who want to have a bright sunny backdrop for their senior portraits.

Interested in a special location session?  Email meganlandmeier@gmail.com.

Almost Mother's Day: A Gift Guide

Mother's Day is almost here.  Over the past year, I've had several clients (dads) ask me about camera-related gifts for their wives.  Since I'm guessing these dads aren't the only ones out shopping, here's a

Mother's Day Camera/Accessory Gift Guide.

*Some affiliate links included

Help mom learn to use that fancy camera!

 You could get her a

book

or even

email

me to schedule a one-on-one "how to use your camera" session.  Send her out somewhere beautiful for the day with her camera.

Upgrade the lens!

 Almost every mom I talk to has the kit lens that came with the camera.  While that's a great way to learn, I highly recommend trying a prime lens for portraits.  A

50mm f/1.8 lens

(this is an example for Nikon users) allows you to more easily get that pretty blurred background (bokeh).  A prime lens also forces the photographer to move more and not rely on zooming in and out, and switching to a prime lens taught me a ton about composition.

Although in the picture above I have a zoom lens on my camera.  The photograph was taken with a prime though!

Little treats!  I don't know a mom with a camera who doesn't appreciate a

new memory card

, a

camera strap

, or if you want to go beyond little,

a new bag

.

Happy shopping, Dads!

Celebration! {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

This family was amazingly fun.  The daughter is preparing for her birthday and First Communion next weekend and everyone was fun to be around.  Worried about rain, I rushed them around Bluemont Park but two energetic kids meant no one was fazed.

We laughed and jumped a lot, and no one got too muddy.

Email meganlandmeier@gmail.com for booking information!