Newborn + Big Sister {Arlington, VA Family Milestone Photographer}

I love having the same families in front of my camera.  What started with updating dad's LinkedIn profile has turned into multiple sessions a year, and I've loved watching their daughter grow.  I've also had the joy of watching their family grow!

On a gloomy Saturday morning, I headed to their new house to capture their almost-three-week old baby girl.  The rain took a break long enough to also squeeze in a session for big sister's second birthday.

Sweet nursery window light and outdoor play and trikes and swings and snuggly baby girl....

Down Syndrome Awareness Month {Arlington, VA Photographer}

It's Down Syndrome Awareness Month, so my family participated in the Down Syndrome Buddy Walk for Northern VA this weekend.

My girls had a blast.

Ellie's highlights were petting and hugging a llama, then taking a selfie with it*, jumping in the bounce house, and receiving a medal as a VIP which she promptly shared with her new goat friend.

Caroline's highlights were dancing and then being super sleepy in her stroller and missing the rest of the fun.

*The llama may be an alpaca.  Not sure.

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.

Family of Three {Arlington, VA Fall Family Photographer}

Sunday morning had what could actually be described as a chill in the air.  A few leaves are starting to turn and fall seems to be arriving.  The morning light was beautiful and the perfect time of year for family photos.

This little guy was adorable.  He led the search for bugs, rocks, leaves, dogs, cats and cars.  His parents were sweet as can be and I was happy not only to meet them but to work in Fairlington again.

Tis the season for my calendar being packed full of photographing your beautiful families!  Stay tuned here for lots of updates and sneak peeks, and as always, Facebook is also full of previews!

And in the spirit of fall and the upcoming holiday season, check out my new Gift Guide for 2016!

First Birthday {Arlington, VA Baby Photographer}

My own baby is one year old today.  Happy first birthday, sweet Caroline Grace.  You are so funny and active, such a little daredevil and a surprisingly sensitive little girl, too.

I'm glad you liked your cake.

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.

The Whole Family {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

I got a message recently asking if I could do a session over a weekend I'd blocked off for rain makeups.  I said "yes" pretty quickly, because the session was for a family in town from the Chicago area, Blacksburg, and Florida.

I had a fantastic time capturing this family with grandparents and siblings and so much laughter.  We went to the Bon Air Rose Garden and I was pleasantly surprised to see how many roses were still in bloom, although we also got to play in the fall leaves a bit!  That crisp air is right around the corner (right?  right?) and I'm booking just a couple more fall session!

Playing in the Garden {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

On Saturday morning, just before the excessive heat warning hit, I had the joy of photographing this family in the Bon Air Rose Garden.  We explored and skipped rocks and investigated plants.  Seven year old boys amaze me - they never seem to get hot or cold!

I'm still booking for fall, mostly October and November with a couple September slots open!

Welcome, Baby J {Fairfax, VA Lifestyle Newborn Photography}

When I got asked to photograph new baby J, I was happy to say yes.  Her mama is the friend of some dear friends, and J was a doll baby.  My baby had started walking just a few days before, so a newborn session was the perfect remedy to my own "they grow up too fast!" feelings.

I went to J's beautifully decorated home and got to follow her family around as they fed and comforted her, and settled her down to sleep.

I had a great time with J's family.

If you're interested in a fall family session or a newborn session, contact me ASAP via email!

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.

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

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.

Look Out Kindergarten! {Arlington, VA Children's Photographer}

Here comes Ellie!

After three years of pre-K, she's off to Kindergarten in September.

She has grown up so much since she started preK at just two and a half years old!  We dropped a health form off at her new school earlier in the week and the entire walk there and back was a chorus of "Kindergarten!  I'm ELLIE and I'm going to KINDERGARTEN!  Is this Kindergarten?  Where is Kindergarten, Mommy??"

Make sure those milestones don't sneak by without photos.

No one will miss what year this photo was taken, either - note the Dory shirt.

Booking now for the rest of 2016 - just email me!

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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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!