dc family photographers

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:

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!

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:

Schedule your in home family session!

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!

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:

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!

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.

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.

Frequently Asked Newborn Session Questions

You’ve landed here because you’re interested in a newborn session! I’ve created this blog post to answer the most common questions about booking a newborn session. My lifestyle sessions are baby led and they are perfect for documenting your growing family.

Keep reading to find out the answers to frequently asked newborn session questions.

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do you do in home sessions?

Yes! I actually prefer to do newborn sessions at home. Me coming to your home is one less thing for you to have to worry about - no need to drive to a studio, no need to buy props, and most of all - you’re in the comfort of your own home. It’s the perfect place for a newborn session!

can we take photos in my front yard or backyard?

Of course! We will discuss areas at your home that are most important to you. When indoors, mid morning around 9 or 10 is the best time for soft light, but it can be a hard time to photograph outdoors at that time, unless there are shaded areas outside of your home. If you’d like both, I will discuss with you about arriving a few minutes early to your home to find the most ideal areas outside that will photograph well so that we can get a mix of indoor and outdoor photos.

what age does my newborn have to be?

Because I’m a lifestyle family & newborn photographer, we can be more flexible when it comes to timing of scheduling the newborn session. I have photographed newborns right after birth up until about 2 months of age. So the answer is - whenever is a good time for you!

do you use props?

I don’t bring anything to my newborn sessions other than my camera, lenses, and maybe a step ladder. No props! Your home environment makes the perfect backdrop. If you have a family heirloom or outfit you’d like to photograph your baby in, we can incorporate that into your session.

what if my baby is awake?

If your baby is awake, I’ll photograph your baby alone and with family members!

what if my baby is asleep?

Same! If your baby is asleep, I’ll photograph your baby alone and with family members! If there are sibling at your family session it may be better to take these sibling shots when your new baby is asleep.

what if my baby gets hungry?

That tends to happen at newborn sessions, and guess what - I’ll still be clicking with my camera! Whether you’re nursing or bottle feeding, I love documenting these feedings based on your comfort level.

do you include other family members?

Absolutely! With this being a lifestyle session, all family members are included. I usually try to take portraits of the baby alone and with each family member. Including pets!

do you pose the baby?

I will direct you to place the baby in the best lighting and may wrap the baby in a swaddle but I don’t do much posing when it comes to my lifestyle sessions. Because I don’t use props, we won’t be putting baby in those adorable froggy poses or putting baby in a basket. Baby alone or in family’s arms are the perfect places for newborn babies at lifestyle sessions!

what is included in the session fee?

Your session fee includes your two hour session along with a digital gallery to share and save your images. I typically include galleries of over 50 images from your session.

do I need to clean my house?

No need to worry! We will only photograph rooms that have the most light - the living room, master bedroom, and nursery are usually great areas. We will be using window light so it’s a good idea to clean any clutter from things that won’t add to the story. I’ll likely ask to rearrange some items depending on the angles of the photos we take.

when should I book the session?

Because I only offer limited newborn sessions each month, please contact me at least 2-3 months before you’d like your session. I’d love to add you to my calendar!

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…

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  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…

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  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.

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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.

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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!

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Potomac Family Photographers | In Home Milestone Session

One of my close friends moved back to her home state of New York a couple of years ago. We met in Atlanta and I was happy for her move but knew I wouldn’t get to see her as much. We talk often and I was so excited when she became pregnant with her daughter and I was already planning when I would get the chance to meet her!

I had seen photos of her daughter online and knew when I had a trip planned to New York I couldn’t contain my excitement to meet her and schedule a 10 month photo session at home to show how big she’s gotten!

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It is so neat to see one of your friends now be a Mom! Her daughter is such a bubbly, fun little baby and I loved spending time with them.

Most of the portraits I take are of newborns and families, but I loved this 10-month milestone session. She was such a wiggle worm and wouldn’t sit still for too long. She kept me moving fast to be able to catch her for a photo and I love the variety we got!

Interested in booking a lifestyle family session?

Head on over to my contact page and send me a message!