elsewhere 

Each summer, Dorothea Dix Park is home to a beautiful sunflower field that is the perfect backdrop for family photos! There are rows of flowers to explore, the perfect amount of space for a family to have fun while taking photos, and even a cool swingset and hammocks to enjoy afterward.

It was such a joy to meet Dawn, Brian, and their girls Julia & Emeline for a fall photo session back in 2020, and then I had the extra special honor of doing an in-home photo session with Dawn & the girls to capture some fun & natural mommy-daughter photos the following summer. Today you get to see both!

Spoiler alert – I didn’t know it at the time, but this was the last session I had with this sweet family as a family of three… Since we took these photos last fall, they have welcomed a baby boy & we’ve done maternity and newborn photos for them as part of the New Life Collection! I’m eager to share those photos with you all too, but it just didn’t feel right to skip over these photos and go straight to their maternity photos. Ada is too cute in these and I’ve got to share!

“Baby Preston will be making his grand debut any day now, so let’s make sure this sweet family’s maternity photos make it on the blog before then! I helped photograph Ashley & Nick’s wedding reception years ago, and I was thrilled when they thought of me to capture this sweet time of anticipation before welcoming their baby boy. Their 5-year-old daughter Belle was amazing during the session, and I know she’s going to be the best big sister!”

“Kate and I know each other from college at JMU, and I had the pleasure of taking Kate & Lucas’ engagement photos one cold, snowy day in Harrisonburg and then photographing their wedding in Virginia Beach back in 2014! Check those photos out on my previous blog, if you’d like. Talk about a throwback! More recently it’s been really fun keeping in touch with her over social media while we both raise little babies! …”

“Life in the time of COVID is tough to navigate sometimes, and there’s an added layer to it when you have active kids who need to move. Susanna, Bryan, and their sons David & Sam have been doing a lot of exploring by creeks & forests during the pandemic – what a great way to spend time together and get out of the house! …”

“We chat about your session & the moments you want to capture, we get all excited to work together and book your photo session, and then the next thought that comes to your mind is, ‘Now I have to figure out what the heck we are all gonna wear ’ That’s a quote from a recent client, and the “what to wear” question is so real! I get this question all the time. As a professional photographer who guides many families through choosing the perfect outfits for their photo session, I’m here to help you! …”

“Alicia & Edward like to celebrate milestone birthdays in extra special ways, and their daughter Abigail just turned 5 years old at the end of June! We met up at a park, recreated some photos from her first birthday photoshoot, and did some exploring. You might recognize this wonderful family from their family photos last spring and their Christmas cookie lifestyle photo session! They’re building their wall of gallery images quite nicely – see more at the end of the post! …”

“I went over to their house one afternoon to witness all the fun of kiddos making Christmas cookies together. These are some of my FAVORITE sessions, when I get to come to your house and capture your family doing something you love together. I get a peek of each of you in your element, and the photos that result tell the story of a fun afternoon spent together. …”

“Kristyn was preparing to graduate from NC State University with her Bachelors in Microbiology and Genetics, and she wanted to take some photos with her family to mark this time in history and celebrate her accomplishments. She also wanted to focus on capturing moments with her and the girls – in her words, “They are my inspiration and are what kept me going when I wanted to quit school.” These girls are joy-bringers, motivators, and the best partners on the kitchen dance floor Kristyn could ask for…”