Batman and Mommy {Old Town Alexandria Family Photographer}

"Mommy and Me" families are some of my favorite to photograph.  I love seeing the bond between mom and child at any age, and these two were no exception.  The sweet three year old donned his Batman shirt, complete with cape and his mom was simply lovely.  Batman posed, flexed, ran and saved Old Town Alexandria from bad guys.

I always love Old Town, but this family made it extra special since it's so close to their home.

More fun over on Facebook.

Grist Mill Adventure {Alexandria, VA Fall Family Photographer}

There was a touch of fall in the air on Saturday morning, which made a great setting even better.  I met my clients at George Washington's Grist Mill, a place none of us had previously visited.  The workers were friendly and the grounds were perfect for an adventure with two young girls.  Bridges, stone walls, and old buildings made great backdrop additions to the trees with leaves just starting to show some yellow.

Although the four year old was fairly disappointed to learn that George Washington is no longer living and able to meet her, we had fun exploring the grounds.

New Baby Boy {Alexandria, VA Lifestyle Newborn Photographer}

A baby boy, snuggly as can be and his sweet mama.

Window light on a beautiful day.

A baby who hardly cried, let me cuddle him, and was cooperative as can be.

All of these came together last week for a peaceful, in-home newborn photo session.  Baby T, his mama and I got a chance to hang out and capture this sweet stage.

Although my weekend sessions for 2016 are nearly booked, I am taking in-home newborn sessions for weekdays, which is great for moms and dads on maternity or paternity leave.

A First Birthday Celebration {Alexandria, VA Baby Photographer}

The cutest, pouty-ist lips.

The thickest hair.

The most beautiful siblings and parents.

And the most anti-cake baby I've ever met.

This first birthday session was hilarious and adorable.  This sweet little man acted like we were torturing him to get him to try some cake.  His older siblings were happy to sample, but he was not having it.  However, he was still completely adorable and I loved working with his family!  I'm working on putting together my own baby's cake smash next week and wondering if she'll feel the same way!

Professional Update: A White Coat/LinkedIn Session

I love doing headshots for people with a variety of jobs.  Obviously, this client is a doctor and we did a session that included both her white coat and a more standard variety of photos.

Stay tuned later this week, when I'll be sharing a beautiful in-home newborn session.  I still have some availability for fall, but it's going fast!

Annual Family Photos {Old Town Alexandria, VA Photographer}

Sunday evening was beautiful in Old Town Alexandria, and I loved spending it with a family I first met last summer.  They take annual family photos, and I was thrilled that they asked me to capture them again.

We covered some serious distance in Old Town, and ducked around a few Pokestops.  (We weren't playing Pokemon Go.  We did spot large groups of people aiming their phones at nothing.)

Despite the heat, we had a great time.  Old Town is one of my favorite places because it offers so many different backdrops and lighting situations.

I'm looking forward to delivering their full gallery.  August is now booked except for weeknight high school senior and tutorial sessions, and the rest of 2016 is filling quickly.  Email me ASAP to schedule a session.

Georgetown Senior Session {Alexandria, VA High School Senior Photographer}

What do you do with an unexpected wide open Sunday evening?

If you're me, you call your intern because she's now officially a high school senior and you drive to Georgetown to explore, snap some senior photos, and convince her to update your headshot.  (Check out my About Me page!)

After a muggy and hot spell, we had a nice breeze and some beautiful golden light.  Evening light always makes redheads just glow, and I will be editing this session all week!

Happy Senior Year, Jess!  Enjoy your final year at TC Williams.

I can't believe it's already July.  My daughter started summer school today.  I need to finalize our vacation plans, for a vacation that's sneaking up on me.  And I have been busy planning and plotting for sessions ranging from headshots for professional adults to high school seniors to new babies!  

Stay tuned... I have three sessions next weekend so lots of fun updates coming!

I Got a DSLR... Now What?

In 2011, I got a new camera.  It was my first DSLR, a Nikon D3100.

I knew my camera was capable of much more than my old point and shoot.  (And much more than the Blackberry I owned at the time... hey, it was five years ago!)

Challenges abounded.  Why were some pictures focused in the right place and some fuzzy?  Why were some grainy?  The more I learned, the more I was able to capture photos of my daughter that were worthy of hanging on my wall.

I love professional photos.  I love having my family photographed.  I hope you love it, too.  (If you don't, I'm not sure why you're here on my website.  Book a session.  You'll love it.)

The only problem with relying only on a professional photographer is that I'm not following you around your house every single day.  Sometimes, you want to grab your camera and capture the everyday.

In the first image below, my daughter was in the NICU.  The focus is on her back hand.  She's kind of blurry.  An everyday moment in that era... chillin' in her NICU crib.

The second image is her last day of preK.  She did NOT want a photo session, because she wanted to go to school.  Ellie moved a lot faster in the second image than the first.  It's an equally unscripted and un-posed moment.  (I yelled, "Get out the door, I want a picture!"  "No, Mommy, let's go to school!  I want to see my friends!")  Yet the image is in focus and she's not a blur.

I'll let the difference speak for itself.

To help you through the growing pains I experienced, I'm offering something new starting at the end of this month - Learn to Use Your Camera Sessions!  These are one-on-one sessions where we work together to help you meet your goals.  Want to learn to shoot in manual mode?  Or just how to pick an appropriate shooting mode?  You only have a point and shoot but you know a few simple tweaks could help you capture great images?  Well, we will get you photographing with confidence!

And lest you think the camera makes all the difference... here's a few from my iPhone.  Composition and light can make or break a photograph, even on a phone!

A photo posted by Megan Landmeier (@meganlando) on Jun 8, 2016 at 3:48pm PDT

A photo posted by Megan Landmeier (@meganlando) on Mar 1, 2016 at 8:33am PST

A photo posted by Megan Landmeier (@meganlando) on Sep 25, 2015 at 5:54am PDT

Happy Father's Day!

Prom 2016: Old Town Alexandria Senior Photographer

One high school student graduating and one getting ready for senior year.  I couldn't be a bigger fan of these two.

We headed to Old Town, Alexandria pre-prom and met at the Carlyle House.  The formal gardens, gazebo and bricks always make me happy - I use them to create some of my favorite images.  When Jess and I first started talking about a prom session, the shot above was the shot I envisioned and I just had to cross my fingers that the balcony at Carlyle House would be open!

After weeks of rain and at times a questionable forecast, the weather was beautiful (if not a little toasty) and I'm so glad I got to capture this fun high school milestone!

My schedule is filling up so call me or email ASAP to get on the 2016 calendar!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the moms, grandmas, stepmoms, mothers-in-law, and all those who give love and guidance,

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Love, 

Megan Landmeier Photography

Tulip Time: Burnside Farms, VA Photographer

I heard about Burnside Farms this year from a friend, shared their site on Facebook, and was reminded that another friend loves tulips.

We managed to squeeze in an after-hours session on the last day the tulips were in bloom, despite scheduling our session for peak tulip days - the weather the week prior was just too hot!

This was another weekend session with rain threatening, but we managed to pick some tulips, laugh, and capture the last of the beautiful blooms.

The teenaged subject many clients may recognize as my fantastic intern Jessica.  We'll be back out to Burnside Farms for Jessica's senior photos this summer and any other members of the class of 2017 who want to have a bright sunny backdrop for their senior portraits.

Interested in a special location session?  Email meganlandmeier@gmail.com.

Now Booking for Spring and Summer!

Schedules fill up fast around here - Don't miss out!

I Heart Faces: The Best Face {2}

Check out my previous post for my first entry.  I Heart Faces is featuring the "Best Face" category right now.  You might get sucked in for hours looking at the beautiful entries.

I had to choose this image because it always, always makes me smile.

Easter Photos in Old Town Alexandria/Announcement!

I love siblings.  And I love bright colors and spring days in February.

Last Sunday, Jessica and I headed to Old Town to photograph this beautiful family for Easter.  The day before was chilly and in the 40s, but we had sunshine and 60s.

Here are a few sneak peaks!

And this seems like a good time to share.

I'll be spending more time with my camera and my kids in the upcoming school year.  Instead of returning to full-time teaching, I'll be continuing to run this business and spend time with my two girls.  What does that mean for you?  Weekday sessions will be available and I'll be able to take on more sessions each month.

Remember to contact me to book photo sessions for spring and beyond!

Lately + Snow.

I'm opening my schedule for family photography in February and on, but until then, I'm enjoying photographing my own sweet kids.

And keeping it real, with more lifestyle photos that winter seems to require.

Days spent inside, cold weather, kids either happy to play or frustrated with each other or laughing.  (And mostly pictures of the baby - Ellie prefers to be behind the camera these days!)

But real.

Along with my regular outdoor family, child, and high school senior portraits, I'm booking a few lifestyle sessions in Northern Virginia this winter.

And if you want photos with this snow in the background, contact me ASAP!  All snow sessions are dependent on weather/plows/roads/snow melt.

Happy snow days, local friends!

Looking Ahead: 2016.

Along with my regular family, child, and senior portrait sessions, here are a few special sessions I'll be offering on a limited basis this spring:

* SNOWY senior portrait sessions - if you are interested, contact me ASAP because this would be based on having some snowy weekends in January or February. (Or March? It could happen.)

* Maternity! I have two early 2016 maternity sessions available for February-April. If you're expecting during that time, give me a call.

* Finally, it's been too long since I've done an adoption homecoming. If you know someone in Northern VA who is bringing home their baby via adoption in early 2016, contact me.

Taken for a friend's adoption and originally posted on my personal blog.