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

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

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!

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!

Colorful Family Photos in Blagden Alley DC

I was contacted by this family because they were traveling into DC from out of state and they wanted to book a family session.

I’m so happy they reached out to me and had a vision for this family session at Blagden Alley in DC!

There are so many spots for family photos at Blagden Alley. I love the brick walls, the murals and the urban feel to the photos. The kids didn’t take long at all to warm up. It’s so fun getting to know families and engaging with them to make families more comfortable in front of the camera. I will admit I too need a little bit of prompting and guidance to be comfortable in front of the camera.

When you book a lifestyle family session, the goal is to capture your family in a natural way. The session will NOT be spent getting everyone to look at the camera for all of the photos because that can get a little boring and it’s not unique to your family.

As your DC family photographer, I will help pose and guide your family to play and have fun. If you’re comfortable and happy with your family, you will love the photos in your gallery because you will look relaxed and happy in the photos. That’s the great thing about lifestyle family photography!

Do you have any questions about booking your lifestyle family session?

Send me a message to learn more!

Playful Family Session in Washington DC

Here I am sharing another blog post from a session I absolutely LOVED!

This playful family’s session was at the Bishop’s Garden at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

We started off with family portraits (9 times out of 10 I will ask you to pick up your children for these), moved around to get moments of connection, portraits of the children, mom and dad, and parents with the kids.

I’m a lifestyle family photographer and what I know time and time again, children want to play!

I want you to absolutely love your photos from your session and I know you will when we let high expectations go and let children play.

What I love about lifestyle family sessions is that they are relaxed and I tend to follow your child’s lead as much as possible.

At the beginning of the family session I focus on getting the “safe” shots of everyone looking at the camera and portraits of the children. Those two poses to be the hardest to get towards the end of the session if the kids lose interest so I try to get those within the first few minutes. These two girls were so much fun and they had a lot of energy and seemed to want to just play with each other and with mom and dad. The best part is that they didn’t seem to get bored of getting their photos taken!

Related Blog Posts:

• Spring family session Bethesda Maryland

• Maternity family session National Cathedral Washington DC

Have you already scheduled family photos this year? If not, send me an email or fill out my contact form and let’s chat if we will be a good fit to work together!

Old Town Alexandria Family Session | Colorful Family Portraits

On the blog today I am talking all about this family of three photo session I had in Old Town Alexandria!

We played, snuggled, walked around, and explored a few different areas in Old Town Alexandria. Old Town is full of beautiful row houses, cobblestone roads, alleyways, spring flowers, and beautiful murals! This was a beautiful morning and I’m so happy to have met this family. They picked the perfect spot!

What do you think about Old Town? It’s super cute right???

Send me a message if you’d like to schedule your own family photos! I offer on location sessions in Bethesda, Silver Spring, DC, Arlington, and Alexandria to name a few.

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!

Relaxed Family Photos at McCrillis Gardens | Bethesda Family Photography

I have had several family sessions at McCrillis Gardens and I definitely wanted to share this beautiful family’s session on the blog!

If you’re new here, welcome!

I’m a lifestyle family and newborn photographer in the DC area. I offer relaxed family sessions for laid back families looking for photos to show connection and emotion. I offer sessions in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia and all in between!

If you’ve been here already and you’re familiar with my work - welcome back! So happy you’re here.

I love having family sessions at this beautiful hidden garden in Bethesda. McCrillis gardens has several beautiful plants, flowers, and scenery right in a little tucked away garden in Bethesda. There are several areas I like to use at McCrillis and they include the foliage, the bridge (of course because I love TEAL), the trees, the greens, and the house to name a few. There are some areas I like to use at each session but I’m very flexible and family sessions can actually vary per family. There are several unique areas and I love incorporating new spots to photograph!

Other sessions on the blog taken at McCrillis Gardens:

5 tips for Successful Family Sessions

What I look for in a Session Location

The twins were new walkers and I wanted to make sure I spent some time documenting this amazing milestone while they were holding onto Mommy and Daddy. We moved around and a few times to have variety at this family session and we ended snuggling on the blanket.

During your family session I will pose and guide you in great lighting and scenery and I will photograph sweet moments of your family interacting with each other. I do tend to take a few “everyone look at me for a second” photos at the beginning, but once we’ve got those we shift over to more relaxed, organic photos that actually show emotion and connection.

Have you recently had your family photos taken? Send me a message and we can schedule your family session!

One Year Milestone Session at Home | DC Family Photography

Babies grow so fast and it’s really important to have a way to slow down time!

This family reached out to me because they had family in town to celebrate their daughter’s first birthday and wanted to get updated family photos.

This one year milestone session combined my love for in home family photos and including all family members, even grandparents!

The little girl had just woken up from nap and I captured some really sweet moments with her mama, then with dada, and then moved onto the family’s bedroom to get a variety of images and locations. We ended in the living room when we had the entire family together and both sets of grandparents.

Lifestyle family sessions will always be laid back, capturing connection, snuggles, and emotion.

Not only do I focus on family members I like to take individual portraits of each child.

In home sessions are really special because the session takes place in the family’s natural environment and children in particular seem to be really comfortable at home. I love to include items that are special to a family as well.

Have you considered taking family photos at home? Send me a message! I’d love to photograph special moments of your family.

Playful In Home Family Session | Washington DC

I was lucky enough to photograph Kate from Kate Decorates! Walking into her home was such a DREAM and I just didn’t even know where to begin! Her family was adorable and we had such a fun and playful family session in their home. I always feel honored to photograph a family inside their home and to get a sneak peek into their life! Kate has the cutest design style and so. much. color so you know it was a good match!

During her in home session we took colorful family photos in the family’s living room, den, a little bit in the dining room and some near the front door.

Your family session should take place anywhere that best fits your family! In this case, taking the family photos at home in the Washington DC area was perfect.

Have you ever considered taking family photos at home or do you usually go outdoors at a park? Send me a message and we can figure out the best place to take your family photos!

Kensington Maryland Family Photographer | Clum Kennedy Park

This was my second family session at Clum Kennedy Park in Kensington Maryland. Check out this Newborn Session to see more of the beautiful spring blooms! Clum Kennedy is a small, quiet park in the Kensington neighborhood of Maryland. It’s super close to shops and walking trails in Kensington Maryland and I thought it would be perfect for a lifestyle family session. My photography style is vibrant, colorful, and playful and all of those worked really well at Clum Kennedy with the beautiful, colorful flowers!

Are you interested in a family session? I’m booking sessions outdoors and even in the comfort of your own home!

Send me a message to schedule your lifestyle family or newborn 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!

What I look for in a Session Location

When planning a family session location, there are a few things to consider. Your family may already have a special place that is meaningful to you that would make the perfect location! Here in the DC area, there are several areas that make for a great place to take family photos. When I am helping a family decide on a location for family photos, there are some things that help make it a great location.

Keep scrolling to read what I look for in a session location…

1. a place to stand 

   At the beginning of the session when we are getting started, I like to start with standing poses. This gives me and the family an opportunity to chat a little and get the “safe” photos where the family is looking at the camera. These standing poses start off a little traditional, and then I will guide the family to interact in order to get more of the lifestyle photos you see in my portfolio and social media pages. Finding a great spot for standing poses is the first thing I like to look for when choosing a session location.

2. a place to sit 

   Of course we need a place to sit as well! Moving around to different spots at the session location gives us a way to have variety in the session. There are several photos we can create when there is a place to sit and/or lay and interact with one another. I want to make sure that there is a clean and uncluttered place to sit without many distractions in the background so that the focus can be on the family.

3. an open field 

   Having an open field is great to have at a session location because it gives the kids a way to run around if they need a break from the session. I don’t typically make the children look at the camera, but sometimes children (especially at this toddler age) still need a cuddle or snack break for a few minutes. This little guy took advantage and was supported to walk around and I’m glad I kept shooting!

4. hazy light 

   If you’re able to either see the sun rise or set at the session location, take advantage! What I love about this location is that there is beautiful sun if you go at the right time. We weren’t there quite in time for the actual golden hour/sunset but I was able to still choose an area with beautiful hazy light to take some creative images of the family.

   Many locations will have “open shade” where the light is even and make for great photos. If I see a sliver of hazy light or golden hour rays, I will definitely guide the family to move to that area to see how we can add more variety to the family gallery.

5. easy parking

   We know how hard it is to find parking in the DC area. I tend to offer session locations that allow for easy parking because I think it makes a great session experience. Many times the family has little ones and/or strollers or pets, so it’s always helpful to be able to have parking close by.

Did I miss anything that you like to consider when choosing the best location to take family photos? Leave a comment!

related blog posts

Bethesda Family Photography | Tabitha Maegan Photography

I am a little behind my blogging from my summer family sessions here in the Washington DC area so today I am sharing this sweet family with you! I have booked many sessions that include newborns and toddlers and I couldn’t wait to photograph this family with young twin boys. We had our session at McCrillis Gardens which is in Bethesda, Maryland and McCrillis Gardens is great for a lifestyle family session! At the beginning of my lifestyle sessions I try to get the family close together either sitting or standing and go from there. The boys were a little shy to warm up but they quickly relaxed and it was as if they forgot I was there photographing them.

What I really enjoyed about my time with this family was the ability to focus on their dynamics and close relationship with one another. I definitely got some shots of just the boys together and wanted this lifestyle family session to focus on the interaction between them. This family was so playful!

You’ll notice in a lot of my work that one person may be looking at the camera and that’s on purpose.

I try to have a main purpose for each image, whether it’s a portrait or a feeling. Some of my favorite lifestyle images is when no one is looking at the camera and when the family is interacting and looking at each other.

The lighting was perfect at McCrillis gardens because we were able to get many family images and portraits, and we spent the last bit of our session towards one of the back gardens where the sun was setting. The lighting was incredible and I love the haziness. I definitely like playing with light when the location allows for it.

How do you want to feel when you see images of your family? Leave a comment below!

Rock Creek Park Family Session | DC Family Photographers

Have you ever had a family session at Rock Creek Park?

Things have been so busy lately and I am coming across so many amazing images I wanted to share from sessions I had over the summer. I got to photograph this family session at Rock Creek Park in Washington DC. I drive through Rock Creek Park almost everyday but I haven’t actually gotten to hike it much. Several people enjoy this park because it’s great for walking and hiking. There’s also a lot of beautiful foliage this time of year and I definitely need to spend more time there! When driving I noticed there are several areas that are good for family sessions and figured “why not?!”

We started our session getting playful family images of their sweet family. C is full of energy and you can tell by all of the photos with her Mom and Dad!

Lifestyle photography allows me as your photographer to capture your family doing things that are unique to your family, in the way that you enjoy doing them.

Of course we aim to take a few standard family portraits (usually at the beginning of the session because of the attention span of the little ones) but once those are done we play! Each family is different and my goal is to make sure you have images after your session that you can show off to friends and family.

After we got some family shots in the green area of Rock Creek Park we went over to Peirce Mill and used their amazing door, which I think was one of my favorite areas from this session! We played a few little games with C to make sure she was still interested in us and she was occasionally looking at the camera with genuine expressions. She danced with Mom and Dad, played on Dad’s shoulders, and sang some songs with Mom. This is lifestyle photography!

We don’t spend your session focusing on everyone looking at the camera. We focus on capturing your family interacting and spending time together.

At the very end of our family session at Rock Creek Park we played in the water and got to see the beautiful waterfall. It’s a waterfall in the middle of Washington DC which I think is awesome. You wouldn’t really know it was back there unless you are familiar with the area. I did a little bit of research and knew I wanted to take some photos near there. We brought water shoes and had some fun!

I am still booking family sessions this year so please reach out if I can be so lucky to photograph your family!