Family Vacation!

My family recently spent some time in Southern California, so I'm sharing a few snapshots of my kids.  I resume regular photo sessions (three this week!) on Sunday!

My blue eyed littlest.

My apprehensive big girl riding a train.

Sweet little bug who I finally got to meet!  Check out her Mama's site.

My morning sessions are FULL through the end of 2016.  I have a few evenings and afternoons left, though!

Family of Soon-to-be-Four {Arlington, VA Maternity Photographer}

One of my favorite families was back in front of my camera over the weekend.  This lovely family of three is expecting their second baby in September.  The day was predicted to be about 100 degrees with higher "feels like" temperatures, so we met at Potomac Overlook Park bright and early to beat the heat!

The light was lovely and the family was delightful.  Normally my focus in their sessions is their almost-two-year old daughter, so it was fun to focus on mom and her cute belly!

There's a line in my favorite book where the mom looks at a drawing of her daughter and says that it will stand as proof that she is loved.  I feel the same way about maternity photography.  Proof of love, from a mommy and a daddy and a big sister.

I'm booking now for September through November and special sessions for December.  Email me to get on my calendar.

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.

A Special Connection {McLean, VA Family Photographer}

A not very secretive secret: I have a special place in my heart for babies with Down syndrome.

I have an extra-special place in my heart for babies with Down syndrome and lots of medical needs, because once upon a (long) time ago, that described my now healthy daughter with Down syndrome.

I was excited to capture this sweet family of five, with whom I'd originally connected through our local Down syndrome group.

They are beautiful and wonderful.  And dealing with a lot of medical equipment for their baby.  But someday, they'll have a child free of tubes and wires, probably flushing toys down the toilet or tattling on her siblings, and they'll look in wonder at these pictures from this time and wonder how they got from point A to point B.

This family was so warm and affectionate toward each other.  The big kids both treated their baby sister so gently.

"Of these, three remain.  Faith, hope and love.  And the greatest of these is love."

Thank you so much for a wonderful session, for welcoming me into your home, and for letting me capture this season.

Family of Four {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

My busy photography weekend kicked off Saturday morning with a family of four.  It was baby girl's first photo session and the kids were both troopers considering the toasty weather and humidity.  (And the closed pool within sight!)

I loved the color combination mom picked with oranges and pinks, and I loved the interaction between the two adorable kids.  Big brother's toy truck even helped me work my camera for a few photos.

My summer schedule is full except for tutorial sessions and weeknight high school senior sessions, but I have some fall slots left and I am booking now for the rest of 2016!

More sneak peeks of all this week's fun are on Facebook!

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!

On the Mend {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

My five year old is finally feeling better after her tonsillectomy!  Yay!

I'm back to my regular schedule on Sunday, with four photo sessions between then and July 17.

In the meantime, check out my Facebook page and let me know your thoughts on my gallery wall plans.

My Own Family {Arlington, VA Child Photographer}

Last weekend, we were preparing for my five year old's tonsillectomy and anticipating a low-key week ahead.  Knowing that Ellie probably wouldn't be much for smiling this week, and since I hadn't taken any nine month photos of Caroline, I tried to get some pictures of the girls before church.

Big sister takes over the baby bucket.

Big sister shares giraffe.

Laughter.  So much laughter.

Sisterhood: Arlington, VA Family Photographer

These girls are some of my favorites.  I love photographing the same families over the years, because I love to see how kids grow and change.

We had a blast at the Bon Air Rose Garden, running around, laughing during costume changes, and making a quick stop at the playground for a little break.  We managed to get the timing right for some golden light, despite a quick thunderstorm that threatened just an hour before we met up!

I'm continuing to schedule for the rest of 2016, and it's crazy to look at my calendar for September and see so few free slots already!  If you're thinking about booking before the holidays, do so now, even though it's only June!

Like what you see here?  There's more on Facebook, or check out this full session here.
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Family in the Meadow: Rock Creek Park Family Photographer {Washington, DC}

Gift certificates for a photo session are such a fun gift for a family.  Most families don't have high-quality pictures of everyone - there's usually one person who is always behind the camera.  This session was a Christmas gift for the H family, but a few false-starts with weather meant their session occurred in June!

It was worth the wait.

The meadow near the Rock Creek Park Nature Center was high and the predicted thunderstorms held off.  I love watching siblings interact, and this duo was super sweet.  The best smiles from little sister were directed at big brother.

A few glimpses of this session in Rock Creek Park in DC.  The full session is here.

This is my favorite of her.  The total focus on whatever cool bug or leaf and the light.

Such a fun age.  The confident look right at the camera!

Looking for a gift for the special dad in your life for Father's Day?  Or thinking ahead for a birthday or the holidays.  Let me know if you want to book a gift session!  Email or contact me via Facebook.

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Anticipating Baby #4 {Arlington, VA Maternity and Family Photographer}

I love living in a neighborhood full of parks and green space, and I especially love living in a neighborhood with wonderful families like the one I photographed on Saturday evening.

Baby #4 is arriving soon, and will be a lucky kid to have two big sisters and a big brother to welcome him.  The entire family was great to work with - even the littlest, who didn't want to smile for the camera but still let a sweet little personality shine through.  She just wanted to play!

I have a few July and August slots left, so book now by emailing me or through my Facebook page!

Spring is Here {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

Saturday morning was NOT raining, which more or less amounts to a miracle.  (We are on day #13 straight of rain, for any non-local readers.)

I collected my fantastic intern Jessica and we headed out to make sure we had ample dry spots at our location for our photo session.... and found the "Walk for Animals," a DJ, and overcrowded parking.

A quick phone call to the clients and we moved across the street to the Bon Air Rose Garden, where the ground was still soggy but where we were free to roam without lots of other people around!

This family was lots of fun and the sisters were super sweet together.  In almost every picture, the baby is looking at her big sister!

I'm booking now for summer and fall.  My rates are increasing in July, but if you book before that, you lock in the current rate!

Up next: A family session next weekend, some prom photos soon after that, and TWO spots available for May/June!

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.

A Favorite Family {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

On Saturday morning, the rain stayed away, much to my surprise.  I was amazed that I got three photo sessions in this weekend, but I was also beyond happy.  Three great, if slightly soggy sessions in the books and lots of sneak peeks and blogging this week as I edit.

Saturday's session was with a family I've photographed a few times before.  Sweet H somehow is 18 months old now, and she is full of energy and just too cute.  When I first met her she was starting to walk and now she is running and climbing!

Thanks for the privilege of letting me capture your family again!

Book your Fall sessions ASAP!  My calendar is filling up fast!

Family in the Garden {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

I headed out to the Bon Air Rose Garden again last weekend to meet up with a lovely new family.  Most of my clients come through referrals so it's always fun to meet a new family that I don't know at all and to capture their dynamics.

Big sister loved to ham it up and little brother was reluctant, but he's so dang cute you can't tell.  My like my own littlest, mom just had to be present and/or holding him.

April is completely booked but I have a few slots open at the end of May and in June.  My Fall calendar (including holiday-themed photos!) will open to new clients on May 1.  Returning clients are already booking Fall sessions as 2016 flies by!

{Milestone} Arlington, VA Lifestyle Baby Photographer

I had big plans for a family session tomorrow morning, but when I checked the weather earlier, the prediction was 50 mile-per-hour winds and a wind chill of 27 degrees.

Not ideal for a baby and a toddler, so we rescheduled.

But I'd been itching to get out my camera after our trip to Florida, which leaves me inspired every year.

I found my subject during a failed nap time.

This little one is growing up so fast.  She is crawling and pulling up on everything.

We lowered her crib (again) tonight.

Baby Caroline's serious face and grumpy mood today inspired a moody black and white edit.

April 10 and May 14 I have openings for family sessions, engagement sessions, and outdoor spring photos.  Book ASAP because sessions are going fast!

Family: Arlington, VA Golden Light Session.

On Sunday, I had the chance to photograph a family new to our area.  I'd been wanting to do a session at the Bel Air Memorial Rose Garden, and even though I knew the roses wouldn't be in bloom, the park is full of fun features.  Spring was in the air, and while the temperatures were bit chilly, the light was amazing.

Don't forget to book your family's spring photos!  Follow along on Facebook or use the form in the sidebar for more info.

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.