Rehoboth Beach Delaware Family Photography Beach Session

Have you ever thought about having a family session in Rehoboth Beach? I absolutely loved this session! Rehoboth Beach is around 2.5 hours from the Washington DC Area and it’s such a great beach within a short drive from DC.

Rehoboth is very family friendly and there are so many great restaurants in downtown Rehoboth! If you have a young child I would also highly recommend FUNLAND!! It’s right on the boardwalk and it’s like a mini amusement park with rides, games, arcades, and kids absolutely go crazy for it!

We go to Rehoboth once to twice a year and I’m pretty certain we’ve never not gone to Funland, even before we had a child!

This Rehoboth Beach family session with this family of 3 took place over the summer. At this beach family session we started out taking portraits of the family and the little one and then focused on movement poses with the family!

One of the things I really love about being a lifestyle family photographer is no two family sessions are the same. There’s such a range between family size, personality, locations of the photo session, interests, connection, and family dynamics.

This lifestyle beach session was so perfect to do with this family. I think when anyone books a family session on the beach they naturally have to be flexible with things that come their way, such as the wind! It was pretty windy but we embraced it. This family was also adventurous by exploring the water and getting a little bit wet!

Are you living in Rehoboth Beach or visiting Rehoboth Beach and looking to take family photos? Send me a message on my contact page or send an email and we can chat more!

In Home Newborn Session Ideas with a Sibling | Bethesda Maryland Newborn Photographers

Hello hello! I’m thinking you made your way to this blog post because you might be looking into a newborn photographer in the Washington DC area. If that’s the case, congrats!

I’m Tabitha and I’ve had family and newborn photography business since 2019!

I offer laid back family and newborn sessions for families in the Washington DC and Atlanta areas that want to document this stage of life.

I want families to feel comfortable in front of the camera and I love capturing connection and color.

I photographed this family (and a dear friend of mine) when their baby girl was born. We actually did a Fresh 48 Hospital session and those images were sooo sweet. It was also some of the first few moments when the siblings met. Big brother did such a good job!

Fast forward a couple of weeks and we took the newborn photos at home. During the newborn session we usually start with sibling and family poses. Toddlers and kids can sometimes be unpredictable and it tends to be easier to get these images at the beginning of the session when the kids are usually more excited and are more likely to have their listening ears turned on!

Related Blog Posts:

• Including the family in a newborn session

• Newborn session with a toddler

An in home lifestyle newborn session includes all family members. We also get images of the parents with the baby and pets too!

Older siblings deserve to have some special time with each of their parents when possible. I also find it helpful to get down on the kids level and chat with them. Most of all they relax a bit. He was so excited to show me his room and all of his loveys!

In home newborn sessions are so special and families are right at home and don’t need to get in the car and travel anywhere! I don’t bring any props to the sessions and we include sentimental items during the session when we can.

Dance party anyone??

Does this sound like an experience you want for your family? Please reach out and we can chat more about your lifestyle newborn session!

5 Images you'll want to have from your Baby's Newborn Photo Session | DC Newborn Photography

Hello hello I’m back on the blog today with a new post! I love being able to look back at past sessions and find a way to show the images by sharing helpful things related to family and newborn photography.

Today’s post talks all about in home newborn photography. Most of the time newborn sessions take the place in the family’s home within the Washington, DC area including Maryland and Northern Virginia.

Most families are still getting situated with routines and feedings and it’s way easier to have the photographer come to the home than to leave your home to meet the photographer.

Related blog posts:

Including the Whole Family at a Newborn Session

3 Rooms in your Home to take Newborn Photos

Since my newborn sessions are lifestyle and baby led, it’s just another reason to stay put at home and not stress out to have to pack everything and get in the car and drive.

I’ve put together this blog post to share 5 images you’ll want from your baby’s newborn session.

1. your baby wearing just a diaper

   It can be hard to tell from images but when you hold your baby you realize how TEENY TINY they are. I love photographing hands and cuddles especially when the baby is wearing just a diaper.

2. documenting a feeding

Newborn babies tend to eat what feels like 15 or 20 times a day. More often than not, the baby will get hungry at one point or another during the newborn session. I like to document what the feeding looks like for your family - bottles, boobs, bibs, burps and all!

3. face to face interaction

Sometimes I get to photograph newborns that are a bit older than a “traditional” newborn age. A benefit of photographing a newborn when they’re closer to the 3-4 week age is they are awake more often and they’ll be able to focus on your face!

4. the nursery

Mama was so proud of the nursery, and understandably so, it’s so beautiful! We took a variety of images near the window with more contrasted light along with pull back compositional shots to document the entire nursery.

All of the elements, details, art, and love that goes into the nursery is so special to each family!

5. meaningful items

Little guy got a bit sleepy so we took several images with him with some family handmade wooden trains. How beautiful are these!

The family is also a big Michigan fan and we got some photos of the adorable matching attire!

Benefits of In Home Family Photography | Washington DC Family Photography

When you are planning your upcoming family photo session and figuring out all of the details, what comes to your mind when you’re deciding on location?

Do you think of outdoor locations such as this or do you prefer to an in home photo shoot?

Since lifestyle family photography can happen either at your home or within the Washington, DC area the decision is up to your family and what helps to capture and tell your story.

Still thinking about which one is for you?

In this blog post I am sharing some benefits of in home family photography.

1. Children are comfortable in their natural environment

   Your family will have a great experience being in front of the camera if your children are happy! Your home is a perfect place for family photos because it’s a familiar place with all of your family items.

   One secret that tends to help children relax in front of the camera is that I ask the children to show me around the house. Kids love to show off their rooms! I’ve found that is a nice way to make a child comfortable and they are more likely to engage with family.

2. In home sessions don’t have to be rescheduled due to weather challenges

   Another benefit of doing the session at your home is not being dependent on the weather. We will use the best pockets of light in your home to tell a story. I also bring a flash at every in home session as a back up option if we are really struggling with light!

   No need to chance the rain, wear big coats and clunky boots, we can stay cozy right at home!

3. Your home is unique

The ways you decorate your home and the colors you use are an indication of your style and what is important to you. I am always looking for color, texture, pattern, and uniqueness and what elements are better than these for your family photos?

Do you have an accent wall and want to show off some art or wallpaper? Let’s use that as a backdrop during your family session!

4. Toys help to tell a story

As you can see in this in home family session, our goal was to take family photos. We started out with portraits of family members and when we noticed the kids wanted a break we were able to move onto something else without the pressure of “performing” in front of the camera!

I loved the Bluey and Bingo play scene (IYKYK) so it absolutely had to be photographed and included in this family’s gallery!

Children are only little once and it’s so important to document these little stages of life.

5. light can be used differently

One of the differences in homes and outdoor settings is that with outdoor settings we are dependent on where the sun is placed, how high or low in the sky, and location. For in home sessions I’m able to use light in a much different way and it tends to lead to a different creative style.

Lighting in home can be bright or can be dynamic and dramatic. It all depends on the home.

If you have a large bay window in your home there is a 99% chance we will take photos in front of it.

6. Kids rooms

The last benefit I wanted to include in this list is the kids rooms! This was one of the girls’ rooms and I was so in love with the blue of the room and how it contrasted with the bed and rainbow blankets.

I loved the idea that the girls brought the toys and it created such a beautiful connection and playful interactions between family members.

Was this helpful for you? As you were reading were you thinking about different areas in your home that would work for your next family session?

Related blog post:

One year birthday celebration at home

Tips for Taking Photos of your Children

I’m Tabitha and I’m a family photographer in the Washington DC area! I offer lifestyle family and newborn sessions. One of the things I want families to have from their photo session is photos of memories and moments that they want to remember.

When I am taking photos of parents and children I tend to try and work fast and efficient and I find myself using similar strategies when taking photos of my own child.

Children can be sometimes unpredictable and their feelings can be fleeting so it’s important to find trust and build engagement and interest for capturing those little moments.

These photos were taken in our backyard during the azalea blooms. My daughter’s favorite color is pink and I thought it would be fitting to have a mini photo shoot of her with the blooms.

You’ll come to read that the blooms were only part of the story and interest in the photos. She quickly decided to move onto other things that were interesting to her!

in this blog post I’ve listed out some tips for taking photos of your children:

Tip #1 Visual Interest

Mine here is the bright pink azalea blooms! I was looking for any way I could include the pinks into the images of her playing and exploring. It was perfect because it matched the colors in her cute little spring/summer dress.

Tip #2 Let them be shy

She thought it was so funny to run away from me and not let me take a photo of her in between dandelion picking. I embraced this game of “gonna get you” and chased her and loved capturing those funny little expressions of her trying to be clever.

Tip #3 Encourage exploration

We have a few different trees that are good for her age and climbing. I actually caught this right as she started climbing when she felt stuck and she couldn’t get down. It was actually quite funny. I did of course help her but first I had to take a photo of the mild struggle.

Tip #4 - Follow their ideas

My daughter was on a mission to find dandelions. Her idea worked out so well because she quickly lost interest in the ideas I had when I wanted to photograph her with the pink blooms. She was over it! We did get a few of what I wanted so I shifted to following her lead and her idea to find the dandelions.

A lot of the time children have some great ideas and it’s nice to follow their lead!

Tip #5 Capture the details

This one is self explanatory. Not only did I capture the “hunt” of the dandelion I also wanted to capture the details of the moment she blew the dandelion seeds.

Tip #6 Take different perspectives

I wanted to tell a story of this little mini photo shoot so I varied up how I took the photos. Some were close up, some far away, some were taken in the shade, and some taken with backlight. The backlighting in our backyard is sooo nice and I try to take at least a couple of images from this perspective. I love how it highlighted her crazy hair!

And yes she’s still holding the fruit snacks. Had to do a little bribery ha!

Tip #7 Add novelty

Here I added something unpredictable and moved the chair to add some novelty. The chairs are usually closer to our house and are meant for sitting near our table. I wanted to move it and have her use it in a different way. I actually encouraged her to see if she could reach and/or smell the flowers and loved how they turned out!

Tip #8 Give them space

She ended up trying to climb this tree as well so I just backed up and took a few different shots of this. I love the perspective, curiosity, and especially documenting how little she is.

Are there any tips you would add to this list? Let me know by leaving a comment below!

Lifestyle Cake Smash in Washington, DC

Today I’m sharing all about this lifestyle cake smash session in Washington DC!

I get inquiries sometimes for cake smash sessions and I love when the family chooses to do the session at their home. I photographed this little guy when he was a brand new little newborn and I was so excited to see the family again and to see how big he got!

Related Blog Posts:

Cupcake Smash Cake Session

1 Year Photos at Home

We started out with some portraits and I couldn’t resist those little diaper shots before getting him dressed! I wanted to highlight the busyness of being a curious toddler that likes to climb and explore. He played with some toys and then we got some images with mom and dad.

This session was so fun because not only did his parents have the idea for the cake smash, they also cooked him an amazing steak!

He is such a good eater and I loved documenting such a cute little breakfast and celebration!

Did you know that cake smash sessions don’t have to be super elaborate and you don’t need a million decorations!

This was perfect. We had the family at home, we focused on the child turning 1 and the family and we also got his cake smash and some cute high chair decorations!

Does your baby have a one year birthday coming up? Please send me a message to chat about how to document such a big milestone!

Brookside Gardens - Family Session in Wheaton, Maryland

Today on the blog I’m sharing photos of this beautiful session at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton Maryland.

Brookside Gardens is such a great place to bring your family, go for a walk, and check out the beautiful scenery. Brookside is part of the bigger Wheaton Regional Park, and if you’ve been you know it’s a huge place!

I’ve met up with friends here, gone on walks, and even checked out the Dahlia Show! I’ve been to the gardens several times and each time I find a new thing to love about the gardens. It also serves as a beautiful venue for weddings and other celebrations.

Related Blog Post:
Family Session at Brookside Gardens

We had this photo session during the fall season. Fall is such a wonderful time to schedule a family session at Brookside. Look at the beautiful foliage!

There are several areas that are a little “hidden” away from the more popular areas and that’s one of the reasons I love having sessions here.

Can we talk about how cute this family is? Young toddlers are so much fun to photograph! You can tell this little one has so much fun with her mom & dad and loves to explore!

I think one of my favorite things about this session was photographing the sweet family connection and documenting her curiousity.

There is so much to appreciate with lifestyle photography and having unique photos with your family.

Learn more about scheduling a family session here.

Old Town Alexandria Session | Northern Virginia Family Photographers

Hello hello! Sharing a few images from this family session from this past fall!

The fall season in the DC area is so beautiful. I love having options for choosing the best outdoor location for family sessions - this can include not only Washington DC, but also Maryland and Northern Virginia!

Related Blog Posts:
Family Session at Green Spring Gardens
Old Town Alexandria Family Session

One area I love offering outdoor family sessions during the fall is Old Town Alexandria! Old Town is in Northern Virginia, really just over the bridge from DC. I’ve had quite a few family sessions in Alexandria, Virginia including this family and this family.

Old Town Alexandria is such a great location for family sessions. There are beautiful homes, greenery, landscaping, a cobblestone path, and even the water! There is also a beautiful colorful mural that I’ve used a few times!

There is enough variety in Old Town Alexandria to include for walking family photos, capturing family connection, and beautiful colors.

Have you ever thought about scheduling family photos in the Northern Virginia area? Send me a message to learn more about how to get your family session scheduled!

4 Ways to Get Natural Expressions from Kids

Hello hello! Thank you for being here! If you’re new here - welcome!

I’m Tabitha and I am a lifestyle family and newborn photographer in the Washington DC area. I offer sessions in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia!

Sessions with Tabitha Maegan Photography are laid back, child led, and full of movement and emotion. I want you to have a gallery of special images that represents your family! We can play some games, cuddle, and document your family.

We don’t want to spend the session forcing unnatural expressions from kids and adults - because we know no one likes that! I’ve found that it’s better to anticipate that kids want to move a little bit, and they will likely have better and more natural expressions when engaging with family members.

Here are a few ways to get natural expressions from kids at your Washington DC family session:

1. Let them follow prompts with their ideas.

   Here, I wanted to capture the siblings and I talked a little bit with the kids through my camera and then asked them to hug each other. I love their expressions, especially the one of brother and sister hugging!

2. Parents you all can step away for a few minutes!

   I have a little one and know it can be work to earn trust from a kid! I like to sing songs, ask questions, and make silly sounds to get the children to relax. I’ve found that when the kids are comfortable with me, it’s easier to get natural expressions.

   When the kids need a break for a couple of minutes, I continue taking photos. I love the image below of the little girl and her curly hair! I don’t think we would have gotten that collection of images if we had been forcing the little one to look at the camera and smile!

3. Engage with your kids and try to pretend I’m not there

   Typically once we get portraits of the kids they tend to relax and it’s easier to get images of family connection. Some ideas that will keep your child engaged with you can include - telling them a story, singing a song, and tickles!

4. go with the flow and let go of expectations

   Being a lifestyle family photographer to me means not forcing stiff poses and not making kids pretend they are happy when they are not! I like documenting this stage of life, meaning your child’s interests, silly faces, games, and bringing out your child’s personality. Portraits are important, photos matter. Even if your daughter is running around and her curly hair is covering her face. Or when your little one has a tiny bit if dirt on their pants but it means they had fun running around their session! There are so many ways during your lifestyle family session to get the photos that you will ultimately love. I’m looking forward to photographing your next family session!

   Are there any other tips you would include that would help get natural expressions from kids? Let me know!

Send me a message for my availability for scheduling a lifestyle family session!

1st Birthday at Home Photos

One of the best things about being a lifestyle Newborn and family photographer is being able to document milestones. All. of. the. milestones.

Let’s start with maternity sessions which helps to show off that glow as you are getting ready to welcome your baby. Then there’s fresh 48 sessions which take place at your baby’s place of birth so that you have photos from those first few hours with your fresh new baby because let’s be real, do we really remember anything within those first hours? We also have lifestyle newborn photography within the first few weeks to months of your baby being born so that you have photos of your sweet nursery you spent time, on, those adorable outfits that you had to have, and all of the sleeps, cuddle, and feeding sessions. After those newborn photos there are also those milestones such as your baby’s 6 months when they start sitting on their own. Or how about the crawling as they explore the world? And then there’s the big ONE!!

I photographed this little guy shortly after he was born and did lifestyle newborn photos. Fast forward to a year later the family reached out to me to document his first birthday! The family had a big celebration in their backyard with several friends and family. I felt so lucky to document a small window of such an exciting event!

The family decided to do a cupcake smash away from the party to keep it a little more intimate. While the guests were enjoying the party inside, we stepped outside of the family’s home and had these sweet moments.

It was such a fun way to wrap up the first birthday celebration and I am excited to do more of these!

I don’t do much event photography but since this was around an hour or so of documentary style, it was right up my alley. And of course the cake smash!

Are you interested in documenting an upcoming birthday for your little one? Send me a message!

1 Year Birthday Celebration at Home

Believe me when I say one of the best compliments is when I get an email from a family I’ve worked with before saying they want to schedule family photos again!

I worked with this family when their little girl was a fresh little newborn. We did the lifestyle Newborn photos at their home and included the family’s dog too! I was so excited when the family reached out about family photos to celebrate her first birthday!

We did this one year birthday photo session at the family’s lakehouse which was a very special place for this family.

We were able to include several areas that are special to the family such as the backyard, the lake, the pool, and even playing with the grandparents and the family dog again!

Do you have any places that are special to your family? Please send me a message to schedule a family session and let’s talk about the best place to do your lifestyle family session!

Related blog posts:

• One Year Milestone Session at home

In Home Holiday Family Photos

I am so excited to share photos from this sweet lifestyle holiday family photo shoot! Have you ever thought about doing in home holiday family photos? Keep reading all about this session!

This was my second time working with this family. For this particulate session the family wanted to do something a little different than last year’s session. This year the family decided to do Christmas jammies in addition to the formal outfits they picked out for the first part of the session! Don’t get me wrong the family looked BEAUTIFUL all dressed up but I’m really here to share the photos from this part of the session!

When I was younger we did some holiday celebrations but I don’t have photos of matching jammies (was that even a thing back in the 80’s?) or sitting on Santa’s lap, or any of those things so it’s really important that I take a LOT of pictures of my family & daughter along with being able to do this for families I work with each year. It’s so nice to document special holiday activities during in home sessions!

Little guy showed off some of his favorite toys, guessed what was inside the presents, and topped the session with drinking hot chocolate! I think the whipped cream was actually his favorite part!

Some other ideas that come to mind for an in home holiday photo session include activities such as, playing games, baking cookies, playing outside, and making holiday art.

Have you thought about scheduling an in home holiday photo session? Please send me a message!

Northern Virginia Family Photography | Green Spring Gardens

I want to start off this blog post showing gratitude for all of you that trust me to photograph your family! It’s such a honor to give families the gift of family photography because photos really do matter. A LOT!

This was my first time photographing this beautiful family of three. We had the session at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia.

Neither the family nor I had actually been to Green Spring Gardens before this session! The family was looking for something within the Alexandria area and this location came to mind!

They do require a permit but it is very reasonable and means I can do even more sessions at Green Spring Gardens! Most of my sessions are within the Maryland and DC areas and I am always up for the adventure working with families in Northern Virginia.

Related blog posts:

Family of Three - National Cathedral in Washington, DC

Family Session - Old Town, Alexandria

I am so happy with how the gallery came out for this lifestyle family session. One thing you’ll notice about my lifestyle family photography is that I move around a lot to get interesting and unique perspectives when photographing families. The session usually lasts around 45 minutes which often is enough time to get a full gallery of lifestyle family photos. I’ll prompt and guide some interaction to get genuine expressions from family members.

Keep scrolling to see a snapshot of some of the images you’ll receive in your family gallery when you book a session with Tabitha Maegan Photography!

Family of Three | National Cathedral in Washington DC

Does anyone else think this age is so fun?? This family reached out to me about scheduling family photos with their daughter. Upon getting to know the family I learned she is around the same age as my daughter and I was so excited about that!

One of the things the family shared about their daughter was her excitement and joy and exploring new things.

We picked this location at the National Cathedral in Washington DC because mom & dad spent a lot of time here and wanted to have some photos of this special place!

If I had to use a word to summarize this session I would say curious and loving (I know that’s two words ha!).

I’m so grateful for families that trust me to photograph their family and document parenthood.

Related Blog Posts:

Playful Family Session at the National Cathedral

Send me a message to schedule your own family photos!

Including the Whole Family in a Newborn Photo Shoot | DC Newborn Photographers

I often get asked questions about families wanting photos of other family members when we schedule the newborn session. My answer is always yes! With lifestyle family photography, it would be weird NOT to include siblings and caregivers.

Are you interested in seeing what a newborn session looks like with the whole family? Check it out!

• the newborn session is led by the baby (or the sibling)

  Baby doesn’t want to be put down? That’s okay! Baby is hungry? Totally fine. Baby didn’t get a lot of sleep? We still get great photos!

  If there are siblings, usually one of the children has more needs at any given moment. If the baby is settled, content, and happy, at one point there may be an older sibling that wants attention. At least one of these scenarios will likely happen during your newborn session and that’s totally okay!

• we will spend time getting each parent with the new baby

  This can be documenting what it looks like during a feeding, or putting them in a new outfit that one of the caregivers or parents picked out. This can look like taking a moment of rest. This can also look like mama looking beautiful in a dress because let’s face it, it takes SO much effort to get ready once you have children (let alone a young baby!)

• If there is a sibling, you know that if one of the parents is with the baby, the other parent is likely with the other child. This is a great time to get photos of the other parent with the other child!

• we will spend time in different areas in your home

• Since newborn sessions are typically scheduled in the morning, we will use the morning light coming through the windows. Think the master bedroom, kid’s room, and other family / living room areas.

• Moving around in different areas adds visual interest to your gallery and captures your home where you raised your beautiful family!

• if your family is calm and quiet, your gallery will depict calmness. if your family is playful and engaged and busy, your gallery will depict playfulness!

• I don’t force children and families to do anything uncomfortable or that doesn’t feel like them.

• My job as your lifestyle family photographer is to help guide and pose you to incorporate your connection, family, and environment to tell your story at any given time. For this family, it’s capturing a young boy and his baby brother.

• portraits of the kids

• There will usually be some moments that your baby is content, fed, and happy and I make it a priority to get portraits of the baby. This can be in a diaper or onesie, in a cute outfit, or can include a special blanket or item that was made or given to your baby.

• If there is a sibling, I typically try to get your older sibling to interact and trust me and there are usually some really great images that come from that.

I hope this was helpful to share what a session can look like with other family members.

Related blog posts:

• 3 rooms in your home to take newborn photos

• what I want you to know about a newborn session with a toddler

• in home newborn session in bethesda maryland

Send me a message to schedule your next family session!

3 Reasons to Schedule Family Photos at Home | Maryland Family Photography

Have you ever been interested in an at home session? I absolutely love them! I get to do in home sessions most often during Lifestyle Newborn sessions, however, it’s not as often that I do in home sessions for family sessions with older children.

This blog post will give you a few reasons to convince you that your home is perfect for a family session!

Here are reasons why you should schedule a session at your home:

1. you don’t have to pack up the kids, snacks, etc!

   If you have small kids you totally know how long it can take to lay out all the clothes, make sure the kids have recently eaten and had potty breaks. Amiright? Save your self some time and schedule a family photo session at your home, outside!

   When you have a session at home all you have to do is walk outside and find the beauty of your front yard, backyard, side of your house, foliage, sidewalks, the list goes on and on!

2. kids tend to be more comfortable in a familiar setting

When working with young children, we know they can often be a little bit unpredictable. Children are likely to be more comfortable in an area that is familiar to them.

You probably already have a lot of memories playing outside of your home or in the yard and that will make it easier to get your kids to relax during the session!

3. you will see your home with a new perspective!

I’m just as guilty of not thinking there is “anything special” about different corners or small areas in our front yard or backyard until I actually have my camera and lens in hand.

When I am photographing your family, there is intention behind the image and the story and keeping certain elements in or excluding them. One of the things I love about outdoor family sessions at home is showing you a new perspective!

Related Blog Posts:

• Family Activities for In Home Sessions

Family Activities for In Home Sessions

I absolutely love in home sessions. There are several benefits to in home sessions and I’ll save the reasons why for another blog post - but - they’re amazing and sometimes you can’t do all of these goodies during outdoor sessions!

Keep reading if you want to learn about different activities you can do during your in home family session!

Dance

You read that right - dance! Put on a little music, or sing if you have to - it’s a fun way to bring the sillies out of both the parents and the kids!

*Party Freeze Dance song is currently stuck in my head. Ha!

read

A lot of the time young children have preferred books and this is such a fun way to document this young stage of life by reading one, or two, or three of your kids favorite (short) books!

complete a puzzle

This is another activity that will help tell your family’s story by freezing this moment of time with the little one!

snuggle on the bed

At some point of your family session it is highly likely I will ask most if not all family members to snuggle on the bed! It always connects the family and there are so many unique perspectives to show connection!

movement

This will of course depend on your child’s age but I do know many toddlers enjoy movement.

This can mean airplane, tickles, chase, gonna get you, or really anything to get the little one to squeal, laugh, and move!

favorite toys

I don’t know what we would have done if we decided that the little guy couldn’t play with cars during the family’s newborn session. Afterall this is an in home session and we want to include home elements! I loved all of the photos with the different activities little guy and his dad with the cars!

include a pet

I will admit that we have two cats and it’s very rare that they participate when we have family photos at home. I love when families ask if the cat/dog/other family pet can participate. Of course!

caregiving

Here’s another activity you might not think of when you think of family activities. Caregiving is one of those things that tells a story - diaper changing, changing stained clothes, handwashing, toothbrushing. They are more documentary-ish but I love those types of activities none the less.

play outside

Most in home sessions are scheduled for late morning but if the weather cooperates, going outside is a nice way to wrap up the session. Whether you want to play a sport, run around, or play with the equipment & toys, it’s a nice way to get some energy out!

Is there another activity you’d like to include during your in home family session? Let me know and I can’t wait to photograph you!

Preparing for a Fresh 48 Session

Hello hello! I will take a guess that you’re here either because you’re expecting a little one or you’ve already booked a fresh 48 newborn session with me!

I wanted to take a little time to write a blog post about preparing for your fresh 48 newborn session.

Fresh 48 newborn sessions are one of my favorites because the first few days with your new baby fly by and I believe you deserve to have photos to remember those moments.

Related blog post:

• Fresh 48 Session at Home

Let’s take a look on how to prepare for a fresh 48 session!

feed your baby right before the session

Newborns typically eat whenever they feel like it so it’s likely you don’t have a feeding schedule yet. I recommend making sure the baby has eaten within the last 45 minutes of your session to ensure a happy baby. Of course we can take feeding breaks during the session if additional feeds are needed!

Have your baby already wearing the hospital shirt & blanket

This is another way to ensure a smooth start to your fresh 48 session. I would actually recommend changing your baby into the hospital shirt & wrap with the blanket either right before or after the feed. That way the baby is warm and cozy and this also means we can take a variety of images during your session without having to make the baby cold or uncomfortable.

Clear the bed and window area

Lifestyle family photography falls between documentary photography and traditional photography. I want you to have the most meaningful photos documenting family connection so I will take some time to make sure that the areas we are photographing are clean.

If there is something in the background/window area that doesn’t help tell the story of your new baby’s birth, let’s move it out of the way.

The focus of a fresh 48 session is the new baby & family connection!

Wear a robe or comfortable clothing

Mamas - you just went through one of the most challenging things of bringing your baby into this world. You might not feel beautiful or feel like you need photos, but let me tell you - YOU NEED PHOTOS OF YOUR NEW BABY AND YOUR FAMILY.

A robe is typically something I recommend because it’s easy to put on, take off, and it’s loose which helps to make you look super beautiful!

If a robe is not your thing, wear something else that makes you feel comfortable and doesn’t limit you moving around or breastfeeding for example.

Let your nurse know ahead of time

One last way to prepare for your fresh 48 session is to let the nursing or staff members know you will have a short photoshoot. The nursing staff come in and out of the room frequently so it will be a good idea to let them know the time of your session so they can expect to check on you before or after.

I can’t think of a time that I did a fresh 48 session and the nursing staff didn’t come in, however, if there is testing/updates/monitoring they can do before or after the session it will be less distracting to your family.

Thank you so much for reading this blog post and I hope you learned some ways to prepare for your fresh 48 session!

Did I leave anything out? Leave a comment below!

3 rooms in your home to take newborn photos

So you’re thinking about scheduling your newborn session. Have you thought about the best location for your newborn session? Your home is the perfect place to take newborn photos!

I’m a newborn and family photographer in the DC area and it brings me joy to photograph family connection and all of the small moments that you want to look back on for years to come!

There are a few rooms I typically recommend using for your in home newborn session. Check them out!

The living room

This family had windows in the front of the house that let in beautiful light the morning of the newborn session. We started with portraits of big sister while baby brother was upstairs getting fed and changed. There’s a lot we can do in a short amount of time - I knew I wanted to photograph her in the chair and to twirl around and be silly. The timing worked out great and we were able to get photos of her with dad. Once the baby and mom came down, we added them to the mix, varying up the family combinations and adding in variety with the window - both standing and sitting poses.

The master bedroom

The master bedroom was actually where we also took photos of big sister’s 1 year milestone photos! You can check out that link here - One Year Milestone Session at Home.

We were able to photograph portraits of baby brother, grabbed a couple of quick family shots on the bed, and then we spent some time chatting while mom and baby brother got some special photos with each other. It’s so important to me that all family members get photographed because all of the connections are special and each family member has a unique bond with others.

The nursery/bedroom

We ended the session in the baby’s room. It was another way to photograph unique family decor and items. Families spend so much time decorating the nursery, for example getting the crib ready and painting the wall, hanging art, etc so I wanted to grab a few photos of this stage of life. We got a variety of family combinations and even got more of the siblings together.

It was such a fun session and I am so lucky to be invited into families homes to do this!

Check out some related blog posts below:

• A Fresh 48 Session at Home

• What I want you to know about a newborn session with a toddler

Thinking about scheduling your newborn session?

Fall Family Session at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton Maryland

One of the best compliments of being a Washington DC family photographer is having families come back to me each year! I met this mama in a local mom’s group and we’ve stayed in contact through the infant, baby and toddler years! I was lucky to photograph baby girl for her newborn session, 1 year photos, and these beautiful fall photos.

Related Blog Posts:
Maternity Session at Brookside Gardens
Frequently Asked Questions about Newborn Sessions

The fall in Washington DC is so beautiful. I’m from Atlanta and moved here in 2019 and I learned quickly how beautiful it is here! I don’t know if it’s just where I lived in Atlanta, but I don’t think we get the range of these fall colors as we do here.

This relaxed and playful family photo session was at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton Maryland.

I’ve had a few sessions at Brookside and it’s an amazing place. They have the fall foliage as you can see here, a rose garden, and they even have cherry blossoms in the spring! Brookside also has a really great trail that is part of Wheaton Regional Park and it’s great for walking.

All this talk about Brookside makes me want to put on my walking (or running if I’m feeling up for it) shoes and enjoy nature!

Are you in the process of looking for a family photographer to capture natural images of your family?