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!

In Home Newborn Session | Bethesda Newborn Photographers

This family contacted me to photograph their now family of four. Mom shared that she hadn’t gotten newborn photos taken of this little guy and I was so excited to spotlight both him and big sister! Just because you book a newborn session doesn’t mean the photos will only be taken of your newborn - newborn sessions include all family members.

I’m a lifestyle photographer and I strive at capturing moments of connection instead of perfection.

When you think of your newborn session what comes to mind?

I want you to feel an emotion when you see photos of your family. I want you to see a picture of you holding your newborn and know what it feels like to have their weight on you.

I want you to see a photo holding your child into the air playing airplane and feel the emotion of that face to face interaction with your child. I want you to see a photo of your family and feel an emotion of happiness and closeness.

Your family might be playful or maybe your family is instead calm and intimate. Your photos might be super colorful or they might be neutral tones.

Whatever you choose, I want that to be captured in your family photos.

Have you thought about scheduling a newborn session? Please send me a message!

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!

One Year In Home Milestone Session | DC Family Photography

Babies and toddlers grow so so fast! One day your baby is a newborn and then you blink and they are 6 months old already. And then you blink again and it’s their first birthday!

I photographed this family for the first time when their little guy was 6 months old. The family came back for a session when he was 1 year. 1 year is such a special milestone!

It’s so fun to slow down time and to be able to look back and compare the little differences and growth between then and now. Babies start sitting up around 6 months and they start walking around 1 year and I love photographing both of those milestones!

Keep scrolling to see a few photos of this little guy when he was 6 months old.

He made the best expressions and he was in his most dapper little outfit! We got several adorable shots!

Have you had a milestone session? Send me a message and we can document this special time!

Outdoor Newborn Session | Glenview Mansion Rockville

Most of the time when families schedule their newborn session with me, they decide to have the newborn session in their home.

This lifestyle newborn session was in the DC area at a location that I love- Glenview Mansion!

It was so great to spend time with this large family. All of the siblings enjoyed helping and we even got the grandparents in there too!

Newborn sessions will always have my heart because there are so many moments of connection, love, intimacy, strength and every other emotion there is to be felt when you have a new baby at home.

When you look at the images below you’ll get an idea of all of the variety you’ll get in your gallery- parents with the children, siblings, feeding, and most of all- connection.

As cliché as it sounds, the newborn phase is so so fast so please reach out and help document this precious time!

In Home Newborn Family Session | DC Newborn Photography

I feel so so lucky to have this job! I photographed Mom and Dad for their maternity session at Brookside Gardens in the DC area and just a few weeks later I got to photograph them again at home with the new baby.

Related Blog Posts:

Maternity Session at Brookside Gardens

Frequently asked Newborn Session Questions

One thing I love about in home newborn sessions is that I get to talk with the family about this exciting time of their life, the change, the adjustment, and I get to photograph all. of. the. love.

Each newborn and family session is so unique and each family has different family dynamics, different homes and locations, and the interactions between family members can vary. And I’m here for all of it!

I hope you enjoy some the images below of this beautiful family.

Would you like to learn more about booking a lifestyle newborn session in the DC area?

Family Maternity Session at the National Cathedral

I am a little behind on the blog but I wanted to take some time today to share with you some images from this sweet family maternity session at the National Cathedral in DC. I love shooting at the National Cathedral because it’s beautiful and there’s several areas that are perfect for your family photo session.

We started off in the backyard and then moved our way to the Bishop’s Garden. The Bishop’s Garden includes beautiful blooms, architecture, and a Koi pond.

You couldn’t really tell it was a little bit of chilly day in the DC area. I think this family’s gallery is beautiful!

Check out other blog posts from the National Cathedral:

Choosing a Family Photographer

One Year Milestone Session at the National Cathedral

It was so nice to document this family before baby brother arrives. Did you know that all of your family members can be included at your maternity session? Of course they can!

Send me a message to schedule your maternity and newborn sessions!

Maternity Session at Brookside Gardens

One thing that a small business owner will tell you is how grateful we are for referrals! One of my mom friends has a daughter the same age as my daughter and I’ve been lucky to photograph them twice already. She referred me to one of her friends that she knew was expecting a little one and was looking for a maternity and newborn photographer. I was so excited to be contacted by this family to document this special time as they welcome their first child. I absolutely am in love with the way this maternity gallery turned out!

This maternity session was at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton Maryland and wow, it’s such a magical place!

Mama was glowing and we even got Dad to participate in a few of the photos as well. Let’s talk about this mama’s beautiful dress! Brookside Gardens made for the perfect backdrop for this expecting family.

Related Maternity Blog Posts:

5 Tips for a Successful Family Session

In Home Maternity Session

10 Must Have Photos for your In Home Maternity Session

are you thinking about scheduling your maternity and newborn sessions? say hello!

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 Family Photos at the National Cathedral

I was lucky enough to have another session with a one year old! I photographed this family when the little one was a few weeks new. Check out some of the images from her newborn gallery in a Newborn FAQ here. This age is so much fun because the toddlers are getting to be independent but often they can be redirected easily. You can see in this family’s gallery we had a range of images from their session.

We picked to have this family session at the National Cathedral in DC and you can see why! The Bishop’s Garden is beautiful and makes for a perfect backdrop to add color to the images.

One year family photos tend to follow the lead of the baby. Just like newborn sessions, the baby/toddler tends to dictate parts of the session. Sure, meltdowns might happen but I like to keep things relaxed and not have too many expectations for the little ones.

Another thing that’s great about a big milestone such as a one year birthday is documenting moments of the family’s “right now”. You can see we incorporated her lovey, reading books with Mommy, and documenting her being a new-ish walker. And if you look closely you’ll see Miss Independent wanting to explore and not wanting to hold Mommy’s hand ;-)

When is the last time you took family photos? Do you tend to do it around your child’s milestones or do you wait until the holidays? Send me a message to schedule this fun lifestyle session for your family!

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.

How to Choose a Family Photographer | DC Family Photography

Have you ever hired a photographer to take your family’s photos? It might feel a little overwhelming because there are so many choices when it comes to finding the best family photographer for you. There are several family photographers in the DC area, and it might be helpful to know what to look for when choosing a family photographer.

I’ve listed out a few things that you can ask yourself when choosing the best family photographer for you.

what is the photographer’s Style?

Each photographer has their own style. This can be how they compose their images and if they zoom in close or include all elements of the environment. It can be their editing style and if they like bright images with lots of contrast or if they like dramatic light and moody images. Does the photographer take standard portraits or do they focus on lifestyle photography and connection? Consider the photographer’s style when choosing who will be best fit to photograph your family.

I’m a lifestyle family photographer focused on capturing joyful and emotional family connection. Which brings me to the next topic - emotion!

what Emotions do you see in the photographer’s photos?

When you are looking at the photographer’s portfolio - do you see a recurring emotion in the images? It is joy? Is it happiness? Is it vulnerability?

I love photographing my families connecting with each other and capturing joyful, happy moments. At the same time if the toddler is having a meltdown I like to capture the tender moments of being held and comforted by their family members.

do you like the photographer’s Personality?

When you browse the photographer’s website and social media do you have a connection with how they write and communicate? Does it sound like someone you will want to create a relationship with and does it sound like someone you want to hang out with for an hour?

I use a lot of exclamation points and I like imperfection! I am not afraid to be myself, act silly, and be humble. I want you to feel connected to me so that you are comfortable when you’re in front of my camera.

what is the Price of family photos?

Of course you can’t hire someone without knowing how much the service will cost. What is in your budget for family photos? Think about how often you will take family photos and what the final images will mean to your family.

I like to think of family sessions as an investment. Sure, it’s not something you should budget every single month by any means, but if you value a yearly family photo session investment, think about what your budget will be in order to be satisfied with the final product.

Overall-

The last thing I want to mention when you are looking for a family photographer - can you imagine yourself in the photos that you’ve seen?

If so, send me a message!!

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!

Clum Kennedy Park, Kensington Maryland | Newborn Session

Hello! I am so behind on blogging but I couldn’t pass not sharing these images from the sweetest newborn session in Kensington Maryland!

These newborn photos were taken at Clum Kennedy Park in Kensington Maryland and oh. my. gosh.

I actually drove past Clum Kennedy while we were in the area and had to do a double take when I noticed the beautiful spring blooms!

In addition to this newborn session I also had a family session at Clum Kennedy! How cute is this family? I love what the family wore and Mom’s dress matched the pink blooms perfectly!

Have you ever been to Clum Kennedy Park? You should definitely go in the Springtime It’s beautiful!

Send me a message if you’re interested in scheduling a family or newborn session!

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.

Photos I like to take at each Family Session | Maryland Family Photographers

So you want to take family photos, that’s great! I’m so glad you’ve made it here on my website. I’m Tabitha and I’m a family and newborn photographer in the DC area. I offer lifestyle family sessions that are joyful and connected.

It’s so important to me to document your family in a way that is organic and accurate. You would be surprised how many photos I can take within the hour of your family session. Sometimes we even do it in less than an hour! There are several different photos I like to take at each family session because I think it helps to have a variety of images in your gallery. Maybe you want to print the photos, maybe you want to put them in an album! Kids can be unpredictable so I don’t guarantee any specific images in your final gallery, but here’s a general flow of what your family session with me will be like.

Keep reading if you want to see all of the photos I like to take at each family session.

your family engaged & connected

I will guide you all to interact with each other. This can mean hugging, being close, singing a song, or doing an activity specific to your family.

a “money shot” photo

Some families do want 1 or 2 photos of everyone looking at the camera. Whether this specific “money shot” is for the grandparents or the holiday card, it’s best to take this one at the beginning of the session just in case the children lose interest.

portraits of each child

I think it’s important to take a few minutes to get photos of each child. I will talk to the children, play, sing, and do whatever it takes to make them relaxed and eliciting a natural expression. Sometimes the portraits will be the young child in their parents arms too. It can still be a beautiful portrait even if the little one just wants to be held in their parent’s arms.

sibling shot

Sibling shots can be tricky so I don’t have really high expectations for these. Of course it’s great to have them looking at the camera, but I don’t sweat it if they don’t. After all I’m not looking for picture perfect sibling shots here. I’m a lifestyle family photographer. It’s more important to document your family and focus on the emotions and interactions, whatever that might look like for your family.

each parent with children

We definitely want to get each parent with the children to document the relationship, however silly, playful, or loving the relationship is.

parents

We can’t forget about the parents! I usually do these at the end once I know I’ve gotten the rest of the photos with the children.

extras

There are definitely going to be moments and cute things that happen throughout, or maybe these happen at the end.

When you book a lifestyle session with me you aren’t limited to picking your favorite 5 or 10 images. You’ll receive all of the images that best represent the family connection at your family session. I don’t like to put away my camera until I get to my car because funny moments can happen at the very end of the session!

There you have it! I can’t wait to photograph your family!

6 types of light I use when taking photos

There are so many different styles of photography and I wanted to write a blog post to share some examples of different ways to use light at a photo session. I have a pretty consistent style to the photos I take, whether I’m in the family’s home or outdoors. The way I pose and guide, promote child and family connection, and compose my images are consistent across my sessions. It’s lifestyle photography! If I am in a home that is bright and has colorful decor and has a lot of natural light, it will be an easy choice to go with composing and editing the images to be bright with the setting. It drives me crazy to see photography edits that make a photo look super dark and moody when actually it was bright and daylight outside. I tend to go with the ambience of the session and location.

One reason that I choose not to be a studio photographer is that I like to use light differently, again, for the reasons I mentioned above. Time of day, location, and available light all contribute to what a final image will look like.

Keep reading to see the different types of light I like to use at family and newborn sessions:

backlight/rim light

The sun sets behind the trees at this location and it’s so beautiful to see the sun shining through the trees, illuminating the subjects and getting some rim light! These weren’t quite golden hour but I chose to backlight this mama and her son to have a brighter, joyful look in this image.

golden hour

Depending on the location of the session, we can choose to shoot at golden hour which is the hour right before the sun sets. There is a creamy golden haze that can only be seen twice a day. I’m all about a morning golden hour session but most often the evening golden hour is more preferred for families and young children!

open shade / flat light

This photo session was from an in home newborn session, where we started inside and then came outside for the second half of the session. By the time we came outside there was plenty of sun shining into the family’s backyard so we found an area that was under the trees and well shaded. This type of light is known as flat light. It’s clean and I use it a lot depending on how the light shines through the location. There isn’t as much dimension and the light is pretty even on the subjects which means no eye squinting! ;-)

flash

I always bring my flash during in home sessions just in case we need more light in the rooms. This maternity session was done in the early evening and there wasn’t much light coming through the windows. The nursery as you cam see, has bright color and details that I wanted to capture. We would have had a totally different feel had I used just the natural window light, but I purposely used flash to keep this image bright and colorful.

dappled light

It’s always fun to do something a little different and use light in a new way. I was just photographing this mama in another area of the bedroom when I happened to notice the way the dappled light was coming through the window. I chose to show the color image here but the black and white also looked great with the contrast of all of the lines!

dramatic light

I loved this corner at this family’s home and knew I wanted to do something a little different here too. We took several photos upstairs with the flash and I knew in this specific area I wanted to use the directional light from the window and a lower exposure to create a more intimate image. And of course to focus on this little girl’s beautiful red hair.

It’s always fun to push my creativity to be able to fill your gallery after your family session.

Send me a message to schedule your family 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.

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!