Cotton-candy skies, golden evening light, belly laughs, and a little bit of magic ... if you ask me, this Charlottesville family session is what childhood summer dreams are made of. 

When Angela reached out to me about photos, she and her family were preparing for a cross-state move. En route, they'd be stopping in Charlottesville and wanted photos with mountain views. So we made it happen!

In true Virginia summer fashion, session day brought 90-degree temperatures — but you'd never know it from these photos. The Rodgers had also been traveling all day — but you'd never know that, either.

​The stress of the day, of the pandemic, of their move, and even the heat all seemed to melt away, leaving only light, fun, dreamy memories of one summer evening in Charlottesville. 

I was so excited to design an heirloom album for the Rodgers, to tell their story for decades and generations to come. It's going to be STUNNING — so stay tuned! In the meantime, enjoy their beautiful session highlights...

I wasn't quite sure what a newborn session in the age of COVID-19 would look like. Turns out, it's just as sweet (but a little more mask-y). 

It'd been a few months since Marlee and Michael's maternity session, and I couldn't wait for the chance to meet their little girl! Because of the pandemic, we decided to delay their at-home newborn session by a few weeks, but later is always better than never when it comes to photos. And of course, baby Riley was still just as tiny and precious!

Some of my favorite images from their session are the ones where Riley is awake and alert (I'm finding more and more that I love those images more than the sleeping ones). After all, babies have so much to take in and explore, and capturing that is just the best.

I was so excited that Marlee and Michael decided to preserve their daughter's newborn photos in a leather heirloom album. Together, we came up with the most stunning engraving design for the cover!

​They also wanted to included a few of their maternity photos inside, along with a favorite Bible verse and Riley's birth details. These special touches completed the album and tell such a beautiful story — for decades to come. I love knowing that one day, Riley will hold this album in her hands and know that even during a pandemic, there was so much love, beauty, and hope in her world.

I didn’t think this series would take me into June or July, but here we are.

As I write this, Virginia is on day two of Phase 3. We can dine inside restaurants, gather with 250 of our closest friends, and listen to music at indoor venues with 1,000 people.

My family and I won’t be doing any of those things, though. Because at the same time, the number of COVID-19 cases continues to climb.

We do enjoy the occasional drive-thru meal, a solo mission inside Target, and a rare visit with family, but it’s all done with a dose of worry. What if.

I’d love to say that I’ll look back on these days and feel some warmth, but I’ll remember — the fear, the anxiety, a sense of being trapped, a loss of time and experiences with family.

So these photos aren’t for me — they’re for Tucker. Because I hope he does remember only good things about this season.

In these photos, we build a giant fort, make friends with goats, get yet another quarantine haircut, and (finally) make a trip to my mom’s.

Laura Richards is a fine art lifestyle & documentary photographer based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She specializes in authentic, feel-good photography that tells "the story of you" for decades. See what makes her different from other photographers in the Charlottesville area here.

Hey there! Thanks so much for visiting this post. It's an important one! I believe that everyone who charges for their products or services has a responsibility to share why they deserve your hard-earned money. So here are my top 7 reasons for why you will absolutely love your next family, documentary, newborn or maternity session:

1. Your images are delivered as real, beautiful things you can actually hold.

The LRP Experience is a complete photography experience you’ll feel good treating your family to. Many photographers hand you a flash drive or email you a gallery link, and that's it. The transaction is over, and you're left to figure out the best places to print your photos. There's suddenly research to do and finding the time to do it — and that's hard!

I used to send gallery links, too, until I realized the tremendous value in going the extra mile for my clients. It's so important to me that every client walks away with much more than digital files. I want you to have high-end, heirloom keepsakes — albums, wall art, folios and fine art prints — to pass down to your children and grandchildren. It's all about building a tangible legacy!  

2. I'm a trained photojournalist who can tell a story through images and turn the everyday into art.

It’s second-nature to me. In college, I studied journalism, serving as an editor and photographer for the student newspaper. My senior year, I attended a month-long photojournalism class in Italy, where I earned a top award for my multimedia work. 

​In 2014, I launched a photojournalism project in which I interviewed and photographed more than 50 men and women at the Roanoke Rescue Mission. I've always had such a heart for telling stories, and I take this storyteller's mindset to all my sessions.  ​

3. You'll be treated to a professional styling service.

That's right. Figuring out the perfect outfits and accessories for you and your family can be stressful! So I provide a complimentary online styling service to all my clients. We'll put together full outfits based on the vibe and color palette you want, and voila — links to beautiful, affordable clothing and accessories will be sent directly to your email. No trip to the mall required!

5. I'm easy to get along with, and I don't judge.

I accept you for whoever you are, whoever your family is. I want to capture your personalities and quirks just the way they are.

6. You can leave the hard parts of parenting at the door.

Wrangling kids to a photo session is hard enough work, so I never want my clients to stress over "good" behavior, perfect smiles, or awkward moments during our session. It's my job to make sure they're comfortable with me and having fun. I'm always up for the challenge of making your sweet kiddos feel like my camera isn't even there.

7. Take it from past clients.

I've been blessed with some of the best clients out there! So many have taken the time to share very kind reviews of their experience with me. See them all here.

Laura Richards is a natural-light family, newborn and maternity photographer in Charlottesville, Virginia. She specializes in turning her clients' images into heirloom-worthy albums, wall art, folios and fine art prints. Learn more about the LRP Experience. 

This session's blog debut is way overdue — especially since it features one of my closest friends! We took these last November, during her family's quick visit to Charlottesville.

We almost missed all the good golden-hour glow, but everything pulled through for a gorgeous evening session by the water (we even had some ducks visit — check out that last image!). Her little boy is a dream to photograph — so smiley and sweet and just in awe of everything around him. Documenting their family is the best! 

Megan and Brian, thank you again for trusting me to capture so many stages of your life together. Can't wait until we can be reunited! 

Love the Lucketts? Check out their maternity and newborn sessions, too!

There are really only two things you need for a gorgeous family session: a little light and a lot of love. A dreamy background also helps, but isn't required. 

Luckily for this special mother-son portrait session, we had all three! My sister-in-law and nephew brought the love, while Chisholm Vineyards provided the stunning backdrop.

We made our way around the property, including the wisteria-laden tasting patio. This feature is an amazing sight to behold — and the smell! I wish you could experience the sweet fragrance in these images. I can't imagine a better place in Charlottesville to sip wine. 

Hope you enjoy these highlights from their session! And for more sessions at Chisholm Vineyards, check out the Ashley Family's blog post and the recap for my Kids' Portrait Event.

Another week — or is it two weeks? A month, maybe? 

In this entry, I document a rainy afternoon in the play room, serious art projects, cereal box robot arms, a puddle-laden walk, and our first big family outing since February — strawberry-picking at Critzer Family Farm in Afton, Virginia. 

As always, my photos are made using only natural light, whether it be through a window, during golden hour, or in direct sunlight. In this series, I experimented with light coming in through our front door — one time around bedtime; another, in late afternoon. I'll note them below, so you can see the difference just a few hours makes.

Front door photo just before bedtime. 

Rainy afternoon in Tucker's play room. I loved playing around with the day's low light.

Front door photo in late afternoon. The light creates such cool rainbow splatters inside!

Breaking in the splash pad. We basically live at the beach now. 

Your kids stick scissors in their mouths too, right? 

Tucker's homemade cereal box robot arms. 

Empty boxes are the best!

Writing a letter to grandma, using stickers for stamps.

A family walk after the rain. Luckily, Tuck lives in his rain boots! 

Ready to pick strawberries! 

But first, this old tractor.

Working on my Mother's Day present! 

Laura Richards is a fine art lifestyle & documentary photographer based in Charlottesville, Virginia. She specializes in authentic, feel-good photography that tells "the story of you" for decades. See what makes her different from other photographers in the Charlottesville area here.

Like many of you, I've lost track of the days.

The weekends carry no real distinction from weekdays. Mornings slide slowly into afternoons. Our backyard is starting to feel just a little smaller.

My first quarantine journal post documented days 1-10. This one documents moments between March 29 and April 14. To me, it feels like one long quarantine day — a day filled with fire pit dinners and deck lunches, hammock naps, a homemade sprinkler, video chats, nature walks, and an Easter egg hunt (or two or three). 

​We also celebrated Tucker's third birthday (so unbelievable!). It wasn't the party I'd imagined a few months ago, but it turned out to be such a special day, complete with a surprise visit from Albemarle County Fire Rescue. 

I didn't take too many photos from Easter or Tucker's birthday, because I was also filming the day, which definitely takes a lot more focus! Watch those films here. 

This was our very first fire in the pit Tyler built. Tucker's reaction (top left) was "Pee-yew! Hot, hot, hot!"

An 80-degree day in March calls for a run through the hose. 

Eating on the deck or over the fire pit might as well be a night out to a restaurant these days...

Tucker often walks up to the thermostat, hand on hip, and says, "Nice day out!"

Pretending to shop in his play room (guess I'm not the only one missing shopping trips).

We finally broke out the hammock, only to find out Tucker is obsessed! 

Post-nap walks.

Video chats with Grandma.

Building a bird nest, and then (unprompted) cleaning up the mess.

A nice outing and picnic to Walnut Creek Park in Charlottesville. 

Decorating paper eggs with shaving cream and food coloring.

Indoor Easter egg hunt. Turns out Tucker's a pro!

A beautiful Easter morning.

Tucker's third birthday! He had no idea a firetruck was about to come to his house!

We video-chatted each person, so they could see Tucker open their gifts.

Tucker's eggless brownie cake (I accidentally used all the eggs for Easter lunch, but this recipe turned out so good!)

I'm a sentimental sucker for the "lasts" — especially when I can turn them into something magical. 

For the past three years, I've made it a priority to spend the evening before Tucker's birthday to take some photos. For the past three years, it's just so happened to be a beautiful day drenched in golden-hour light. 

Apart from the sentimentally of these little sessions, I love that they allow the following day to be more relaxing. I don't have to worry about keeping cake smears off clothes or interrupting the flow of birthday celebrations for photos that I have (unreasonably) high expectations for. 

If you know our sweet Tuck, I hope you enjoy seeing his beautiful smile during this time of quarantine. If you don't, I hope you'll imagine your own kids having photos like these and reach out when togetherness is once again resumed. 

I hope this is a short series...

The Saturday before day one. My view coming home from a photo session. I'm including it here because, apart from Tyler going to work and a couple of photo sessions for me, we had been self-quarantining for a few days at this point. And to me, this image represents so much of what we are experiencing right now. 

Day 2 of our "official" quarantine. (I didn't even realize it was St. Patrick's Day.) It doesn't look very different from a normal day, except Tyler is working from home. It's a challenge to keep Tucker away from Dada's "work house," but for the most part, he and I have been spending the day in his play room and enjoying the spring weather.

See that little string of pony beads on his easel? Tucker made "Christmas lights" for one of his favorite stuffed animals, a bird puppet. 

Day 4. I pulled out the chalkboard Easter eggs I was saving, so Tucker could use them for his bird. We learned about how baby birds hatch and get fed. I cleaned out a honey bottle; Tucker and I filled it with brown and yellow paper. He's feeding honey to his goat in the third photo. That evening, Tyler and Tucker had their first quarantine haircuts. 

Breakfast popsicles (I think. Probably.) I love the kitchen window image, because it represents what a peaceful moment looks like for me these days: spring-scented candle lit, window open, and Tucker happily playing outside while I get some things done inside.

Tucker skipped his nap that afternoon, so he spent some downtime watercoloring. He made one picture for Grandma, two for his cousin, and six for the trees and bushes in our yard.

We started having "tea time" with Tyler in the afternoons. Tucker likes to make the tea, but doesn't usually drink it. We got out some of Tyler's old photos; Tucker would hold them up and say, "Me!" Later, he made Tyler some cards out of construction paper and stickers (a lot of stickers).