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....

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

Sweet Siblings {Arlington, VA Child Photographer}

A couple weekends ago, I had a Saturday photo session booked.  It rained.  We moved to Sunday.  It rained.  We moved to Memorial Day.  Rain was predicted, but I refused to cancel until I saw water falling from the sky on Monday morning.

Well, I'm happy I didn't reschedule because we had a lovely morning in the Bon Air Memorial Rose Garden and at the adjacent playground.

Big brother was so full of energy and baby sister was the most chill baby I've ever met!

My schedule is filling up already for Fall, so don't hesitate to schedule if you plan on holiday photos this year.  I also have some Summer openings left, with new packages and prices starting July 1.  Booking prior to July 1 gets you the current package and prices.  I'll be adding some Christmas and other holiday cards/birth announcement/graduation announcements options in the coming months to help you use your photos to communicate important information to the people you love.

I have some fantastic photography sessions planned in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on my Facebook page for previews!

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!

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!

Celebration! {Arlington, VA Family Photographer}

This family was amazingly fun.  The daughter is preparing for her birthday and First Communion next weekend and everyone was fun to be around.  Worried about rain, I rushed them around Bluemont Park but two energetic kids meant no one was fazed.

We laughed and jumped a lot, and no one got too muddy.

Email meganlandmeier@gmail.com for booking information!

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!