Ft. Ward, Family of 4

Families with older kids have such a different and fun dynamic when compared to the little ones. Parents and kids still joke and laugh, but the kids can help pose themselves, assist when the dog goes rogue, and follow directions! This family was not only delightful, they were so full of grace. When they asked about scheduling a session, I had ONE day free - but the catch was that I didn’t have childcare that afternoon, so I’d need to bring my kids. Well, they were even great with my wild ones!

Laughter and leaves abounded, the girls were absolutely stunning, and mom and dad were so fun!

And the dog liked me until I took his close up in a Santa hat. After that, we weren’t on great terms. He’s adorable, though.

North Old Town: An Alexandria Family Session

It was my fourth year in a row photographing this family, so we wanted to do something different. Instead of the traditional spots in Old Town Alexandria, we went north of King Street, and froze while getting these cute photos! I will restate it in every post about returning clients: Photographing the same families every year is a gift. I love watching these kids grow. Little ones who barely spoke to me turn into preschoolers who tell me about their favorite animal. (For the record, it was a rhino the day of the session, which was news to both mom and dad, so the favorite animal today could be different.)

**A note on the train track photos: NEVER EVER photograph on train tracks. Tracks that seem unused can still be used, tracks that seem empty might not be. There is one exception. If you can see the end of the tracks and they end in a tarp at the waterfront, you can probably assume that the area is safe.

Old Town Alexandria: Family of Three

I’ve photographed Miss C once a year around her birthday for three years in a row. She’s sassy and funny and beautiful and all the things a photographer longs for in a child client. She’s also just a month younger than my littlest, so I always feel sentimental when I make her images.

Her parents are delightful. Some people laugh easily and that makes them ideal photo subjects.

St. Stephens St. Agnes Senior: Class of 2019 in Old Town

Sophia is a member of the class of 2019. She’s absolutely gorgeous and more importantly, was so fun to photograph. We met up in Old Town Alexandria on a perfect fall day. The leaves were changing, the light was golden, and the Halloween decorations were coming down but the Christmas stuff wasn’t up yet.

Like many fall weekends in Old Town, there were literally lines of photographers at popular locations, but many out of the way spots were deserted!

Family of 5: Ft Ward Park

It had been a couple years since I photographed these three cute kids and their parents. We met up at Ft. Ward Park. Despite a cold rain the night before, we had amazing light, even if it was a bit chilly!

The kids had me laughing, the dog was adorable, and Mom and Dad are simply lovely. Capturing their family was a privilege.

Trinity at Meadow View: Class of 2019

When a senior is fun and joyful and genuinely a joy to hang out with, any photographer is thrilled. When she’s a family friend, even better.

The weather this year has been throwing us for a loop. We settled on a fall session with fall leaves, but there are (still) no striking fall leaves other than random trees here and there. We ended up going to a few spots around Arlington and Alexandria that provided an amazing illusion of flower fields and the middle of nowhere. I’m sad it was just the two of us so we didn’t get any pull backs!

This senior will be an asset to whichever college she attends, and I know she fills her parents and brother with pride. We’re so lucky to know her.