Great locations are not hard to find!
One of the best things about living in Northern Virginia is the easy access to and availability of great nearby locations for walks, hikes, runs… and photos! With kids back from college and the whole family home over the holidays, we ventured out to the much loved local Scott’s Run Nature Preserve. A short mid-winter day and chilly outside temperatures persuaded us to stay relatively close to the park entrance and still find great places for some fun family photos. The outside, soft natural lighting and plenty of space for everyone to stretch helped keep the photoshoot relaxed and informal and focused on the family.
What to wear for your photoshoot is often a question that clients ask. And while it’s important to choose clothes that work well together as a family and are appropriate for the setting, it’s still equally important that every individual loves what they are wearing. This family certainly made it work!
Thank you S family. Here are a few of my favorites from our time together:
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your photos!
Share this:
Sweetness and Light
Photographing this young family recently reminded me of the pure sweetness of young toddlers. Gentle, affectionate, and at times shy, yet toy-loving, expressive, and wonderfully curious. And, they can still be so easily swept up and held in your arms. Looking back, baby months and toddler years slip by yet are a time of rapid developmental changes and so I loved photographing this family to preserve a simple moment in time. We beat the chilly weather and kept everyone warm by shooting both inside their home and on their deck to give them a mixture of both posed photos and more candid shots. They wanted to be able to also give the photos to the grandmother, and a mobile app of their photoshoot gallery was perfect for sharing with their out of town family and friends.
Thank you G family. Here are a few of my favorites of our time together.
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your photos!
Share this:
Game Strong!
I loved photographing these guys recently and we lucked out with the last day of mild weather before the holidays and much colder winter temperatures ensued!
We kept things real simple and straightforward. We used their backyard for these relaxed family pictures. The evergreen trees provided a nice lush background for the bright winter sunlight and a great contrast with their natural grey stone seating. They chose relaxed comfortable casual clothes and their beautiful golden retriever was picture perfect too!
It was a no brainer to take a little more time and get some updated shots of these teen boys together and by themselves. The wrought iron spiral staircase give a nice focus for coming together and a flagstone path by the side of the house was a perfect spot for individual portraits.
Thank you A family. Game strong! Here are a few of my favorites from our time together:
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your family!
Share this:
Family Celebrations
I love big and extended families. Especially when they come together to celebrate. And I particularly love the interaction between cousins, it’s so unique. No matter the age differences, there’s a tolerance, a loving, supportive, “in-this-togetherness” bond!
I was excited to capture this extended family celebrating their parents’ 50th wedding anniversary just recently. The bigger kids were so sweet and gentle with their younger cousins, and, of course, everyone cracked up when the very youngest showed off his new walking skills and stole the show! We kept it happy and relaxed throughout the shoot but made sure to capture more formal group gatherings as well as some more casual moments and finally finished off with a few fun teen jumps.
Many congratulations Mr and Mrs F. on their 50th wedding anniversary. And a big thank you to the entire family — here are a few of my favorites from our time together:
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your family!
Share this:
Keeping it fun but getting it done!
Not only are families busy, but with college kids away at school and high school students often super scheduled, it can be a challenge getting everyone together for family photos. Planning ahead, keeping it simple and sometimes close to home helps to get it done without being disruptive or too time consuming. I enjoyed working with this family to make it an easy, fun moment one afternoon this fall. We found a location with open space, beautiful trees and natural outdoorsy features. They chose relaxed and casually coordinated clothes, but with the emphasis on individual choice and style. The weather was wonderful and still warm enough to enjoy being outside without being bundled up in hats, scarves and gloves. I loved showing the connection between sisters and their playful family bonding was fun to show and gave great naturally happy expressions.
Thank you L family. Here are a few of my favorites from our time together:
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your family pics!
Share this:
Simply Stunning Senior…
I loved photographing this senior girl just recently. She needed headshots to support her college applications to theatre programs and future auditions as well as some lifestyle photos for actor comp and model cards. So we stayed local and found different locations in downtown McLean to take some fun relaxed photographs. We looked for backgrounds, poses and lighting that emphasized her eyes and showcased her long hair. She changed outfits a few times to give variety and we found textures and colors in the locations to complement her natural features.
I loved hearing about her rehearsals for the upcoming Langley High School performance, The Dining Room. It sounds intriguing! Definitely going to try to see it this weekend.
Thank you CG. Good luck with all things college related, I can’t wait to hear where you decide to go.
Here are a few of my favorites from our time together:
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your family pics!
Share this:
Puppy Love!
How adorable are these guys? The cuteness is off the charts, for sure! And, how lucky is this pup to land a family with young energetic kids and a great backyard with trees, toys, tennis balls and plenty of room to run. He is the perfect dog for them: fun, loving, gentle, loyal, calm. Just four months old, but clearly he is already a much loved part of their lives.
We kept it relaxed and casual for this young family’s photoshoot. It was a warm October afternoon and we were able to find a number of places around their home to get some great shots. These siblings are at complete ease with each other and I loved seeing the closeness of their bond.
Thank you puppy & family! Here are a few of my favorites from our time together.
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your family pics!
Share this:
Family Focused
I had a blast with this sweet family just recently. Now that their youngest member is about to turn one year old, they wanted some updated relaxed family photos. We chose a nearby location that worked for everyone to gather and got lucky with a warm October afternoon. This quiet trail area with grass, a pond and a bridge continues to be one of my local favorites. A recent clean up effort and repair work around the bridge making it more accessible and even more photogenic.
Transitioning from baby to toddler is such a precious age. This little one was so adorable throughout the session and had such darling reactions as she discovered her surroundings. She had so much fun just being outside, exploring the grass and delighting in all the fall leaves on the ground. Of course she stole the show!
Thank you LS and family for trusting me with capturing images that will be part of your memories in years to come. Here are a few of my favorites from our time together:
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your family pics!
Share this:
Right Here, Right Now!
So excited for this young man as he goes from success to success. Just started his sophomore year in college, after a busy summer earning his SAG card, and already he’s landed an awesome part in a mainstage production and selected for Noteworthy, the premier a capella group.
We made the most of the time he had last month to update his photos to give him some fresh, new headshots and comp card choices. Keeping the crop and focus in tight, we chose locations that gave strong simple backgrounds to give interest and depth without being distracting. Love his looks and the casual tee shirts were on point for a young actor and college kid.
Talk about turning heads. And knowing he’s got the talent, the temperament, and the training, he’s definitely right here, right now!
Thank you JBB. Don’t slow down – keep killin’ it! Can’t wait to see where you go and what you do.
Here are a few of my favorites.
Follow me at:
CONTACT ME to schedule your family pics!
Share this:
Young, fun & happy!
ameliasteinerphotography.com 