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!

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?

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

So you have a toddler, and you just had a new baby. And you want to book a newborn session. Now what?

So glad you found me, I’m a lifestyle family and newborn photographer in Washington, DC and lifestyle newborn sessions are my jam!

When a family contacts me to book a newborn sessions, sometimes I get questions like - will you take portraits of the baby? Will you photograph my other child? What if my baby is awake? When should we schedule? I wrote a little blog post here for you called Frequently Asked Questions Newborn Session questions and it’s linked there!

Related Blog Posts:

• In home newborn session | Bethesda Maryland

• Family of three newborn session | Washington DC

In this blog post, there are a few things I want you to know about your newborn session with a toddler.

Newborn sessions are flexible

I don’t have super high expectations for toddlers, especially when they are competing for their parent’s attention. If the toddler needs time to warm up, we will start with photos of your newborn and then give the toddler time to get interested.

And vice versa if the newborn is needing comfort I will start with portraits of the toddler. There’s always something special to photograph during your lifestyle session!

If the baby is comfortable and happy, we will take portraits of the baby. Does your baby prefer to be held? That’s okay too - I’ll have you hold baby while I get family photos and portraits of the baby in your arms.

I will engage with your toddler to get their trust!

I don’t ever want your toddler to think that the session is about the baby. As a lifestyle photographer, I focus on the whole family. I will introduce myself to your toddler and usually ask them to show me their room or some of their favorite toys. And I’m not above singing children’s songs to get them excited.

Sometimes it’s helpful to give the toddler a job such as getting a blanket, or showing their toy to their sibling.

Photos from your newborn session should be natural

Some families are quiet and cuddly, some families are busy and playful. Sometimes the baby wants to eat a lot and sometimes the baby wants to sleep a lot. Sometimes the older one is having a bit of hard time. These sessions are so important as well as powerful.

Your photos will be a natural representation of what happened during your session. If your toddler wants absolutely nothing to do with the camera, we certainly won’t be making your child sit and smile. BUT if they want to be held, I will photograph them with family members. We can’t photograph what didn’t happen!

Newborn sessions are a bit longer than a family session

A lot of the time the newborn will need to feed or be comforted during the session so we allocate around 1.5-2 hours for these shoots. I find it gives us more time to go with the flow and not rush things. It also gives more time to give attention to play with the toddler!

We can’t guarantee any of those “pinterest inspiration” photos (but we can try)

Once your session is confirmed, you will complete a brief questionnaire for me to learn more about your family, names of family members, etc. If there are any photo ideas you have in mind, we will definitely try to get them, however these can’t be guaranteed. Sometimes the newborn and toddler will absoloutely not allow it. BUT good news is we will get very special photos of your family that might not be able to be replicated by another family. Cool right?

If you’re doing this session at home, there are several amazing areas to use!

This can be your toddler’s room, the baby’s room, the kitchen, living room, and/or playroom! For these, we spent a lot of time in the master room, nursery, family room, and we finished the session outside.

Your home is so special and it might not look the same way in 5 years.

Let’s start telling your story!

Are you ready to schedule a family session?

Family of Four Spring Photos in Bethesda Maryland

Do you want to know one thing that will excite a small business owner? Referrals!!! This was my first time photographing this family and they were sent to me from another small business owner and I am so so appreciative of both.

I was kept busy by the boys at this family session and I think because of their energy we got some really amazing images that really show the family’s connection and dynamics and that’s always what I want to capture when I am photographing a family. I know when families come to me, they want genuine connection and laid back sessions. And look what kinds of images we create together!

When was the last time your family was photographed? I think at the very least your family deserves family photos once a year. Send me a message if you have any questions about booking your next family session!

5 Tips for a Successful Family Session

You have your family photo shoot booked, now what? Have you ever had photos taken of your family? I’m glad you’re here! I offer family and newborn sessions in the DC area and it brings me joy to photograph children and families in a natural and organic way. I have included some tips in this blog post about how to make sure you enjoy getting special moments captured with your family.

Keep reading if you want to know 5 tips for a successful family session…

1. use flattering Light

   Light is one of the most important ingredients of what makes a good image. Most of the photos I take at family and newborn sessions use natural light. For in home sessions we will spend time in areas with the best window light in your home. We can think traditional rooms such as the master room, living room or bedrooms, or we can think outside the box and spend time in your kitchen or sun room! When I arrive to your home we will turn off all of the lights and open any window curtains or blinds and see where we can find nice creamy light. For outdoor sessions we will use natural light either first thing in the morning about an hour after the sun rises or about an hour before the sun sets. Midday sun is not flattering and a little harder to work with, so my favorite is golden hour or shaded areas outdoors!

2. wear comfortable Clothing 

   I want you to feel like yourself when you get photos taken of your family, but don’t feel the need to go out and buy super fancy outfits that you’ll never wear again. I usually recommend Mom choosing her outfit first and then dressing the rest of the family in colors and textures that are coordinated with Mom’s outfit. I encourage you to put fun outfits together and making sure you can move around comfortably. Think color, texture, pattern and season. Still not sure what to wear for family photos? Check out this blog post.

3. choose your Location 

   One of the first things I do when a family contacts me about booking a photo session is deciding which location is best for a photo session location. I’m a family photographer located in the DC area and can always recommend areas that I enjoy photographing. Depending on what you’re looking for, we can have your session in a park, an urban location, outdoors at your home. If there is a location that is special to your family we can use that location as well. Check out this blog post for photo locations for your family session in the DC area.

4. be familiar with photographer’s Style 

   As a lifestyle family photographer it’s important that I can photograph and document your family’s memories the way you want to look back and remember. If you are looking for a super posed, formal photography session where everyone is looking at the camera, you may want to search for a different photographer that can better meet your needs. If you’re looking to have a laid back and playful session let’s chat! I will pose and guide your family to naturally interact which will help to create beautiful photos of your family!

5. Prepare your children

   Let your children know ahead of time that we will have a photo session and they will get to play. The last thing we want is for your child to dread the photo shoot. Your family will have a great time playing and snuggling with one another and I’m just there to put you in great spots, make sure you’re close, and take your photos!

Send me a message to schedule your family session!

Outdoor Newborn Photography | Maryland Newborn Photographers

We are still in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and it has been really hard to be able to feel normal and safe with things that we would typically be enjoying. Most corporations are working remotely and small business are trying to find safe ways to remain open and in business for their clients. Our county in Maryland has lifted some restrictions and allowing photographers to be able to work from a safe distance, which is great and that means you can get those updated family photos you’ve been meaning to get! I’ve seen so much online about parents feeling like they aren’t able to get a newborn session scheduled, and I think that’s how it used to be because now is the perfect time to schedule your newborn session outdoors! Be sure to follow the guidelines of your county and state prior to booking your photographer!

So what exactly does an outdoor newborn session look like?

An outdoor newborn session looks really similar to you guessed it - an in home newborn session! I had a long lens that allowed me to remain at a safe distance from the family while also wearing a mask to keep everyone safe! I typically provide newborn sessions inside of the home, but due to wanting to be in a more open space, this family’s backyard in Maryland was the perfect area to photograph their family. I photographed mama, dad, and big sister last fall and was so excited when they contacted me again to document their growing family. Baby boy was 8 days new and was so snuggly and calm!

I wanted to capture portraits of the entire family as well as ones of each parent with each child and of course portraits of the newborn.

If you’ve ever had a lifestyle newborn session you know that the session is baby led. although we have poses in mind, we pretty much have to go with the flow of the baby’s needs.

This little guy was asleep at the beginning of the session so we started with family portraits and portraits of the parents with him. Big sister didn’t want to be left out and you can see how adorable those photos came out when she was noticing her baby brother’s tiny feet! We moved onto taking portraits of baby brother and he was so calm! We had to take a couple of nursing breaks for the hungry baby boy and I typically like to continue shooting during these “down” times. These are relaxed moments where I wasn’t guiding the family to pose or interact. They did it themselves! At the very end of the session we were still doing well with time and had gotten a variety of photos of all family members and we took a few photos of baby boy in sentimental clothing.

Are you interested in booking an outdoor newborn session in the DC area? Send me a message!