Sweet Shenandoah Sun-Filled Family Session

Photographing them has become part of my holiday tradition. It lets me know Christmas is coming. When we first started shooting together, there was just one kiddo and one on the way. It’s my favorite part of shooting with families over time–just watching them change and grow. I love getting their holiday cards and seeing their kids sprout up 4 inches in a year. Learning about their new interests, seeing their personalities come through more and more every year.

I’ve come to think of myself not as a storyteller but just as a witness to the loving chaos that is a family–an art-historian who was lucky enough to see it. There is no controlling the messy delight of young kids. My absolute number one tip to any family getting their photos done is to just have fun! Don’t expect anything, don’t chide the kids, be in awe of them. Snuggle them close. Let them run around. Let them be wild. Be a kid with them. If things aren’t totally perfect every second, that’s okay! Imperfect things can still be beautiful.

Look at this beautiful, imperfectly-perfect sun-filled session in the Shenandoah Valley on an unusually warm December day.