I first heard from Hillary back in October, when she and her husband were still two months away from meeting their baby boy. 

In that time, I got to know them first as a couple during their gorgeous fall maternity session, then as new parents and a family of three. This is such an amazing transformation to witness and document — and one of the most rewarding parts about being a photographer and artist.

I have so many new all-time favorites from their cozy at-home newborn session. The light that morning was perfect, and their green bedroom wall gave such a deep pop to their images! 

Their son's nursery is decorated so carefully with special mementos — like books from their many adventures and Hillary's dad's bronzed baby shoes — and antique, travel-themed toys. I love capturing these details, because one day his room will look completely different and reflect his own interests.

Together, these photos tell such a beautiful and rich story. Hillary and Adam — I feel so honored that I was able to help you preserve one of the most important chapters in your lives! 

It's been a year since we found out our son has a peanut allergy. In that time, my husband and I have learned (sometimes the hard way) what to do and what not to do. Everything from eating out, grocery shopping, trick-or-treating and attending birthday parties has changed because of his allergy.

On one hand, dealing with it now — while Tucker is still so young — is easy, since we're the only ones who give him food. On the other hand, he has no idea he has a peanut allergy and can't speak up for himself. He would eat anything that was given to him. 

I hope sharing what we've learned this year will help educate and spread awareness. Peanuts are responsible for the most food-allergy-related deaths in the United States, so staying knowledgeable is important!

1. Peanuts are different from tree nuts. Peanuts are actually a legume, which puts them in a different category than tree nuts. But while Tucker can safely eat cashews, pecans and others, many tree nuts are processed in the same facility as peanuts — making them unsafe. 

2. You can eat at Chick-fil-A. They use refined peanut oil, which does not contain peanut proteins. 
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3. You can ask to be the first to board an airplane, in order to clean your seat and tray. Most airlines have stopped serving peanuts, but they can't control what food passengers bring aboard, nor is there time to clean between flights. (On our flight to Colorado, the woman beside Tucker and me had JUST eaten a peanut butter sandwich before she boarded, so you never know.)

4. You should always wipe down the high chair and table at restaurants. It's always possible that the person who sat there before you had a cross-contaminated dish or a peanut butter sandwich (which is on tons of kids' menus).

5. It's possible to safely eat at an ice cream parlor by always asking the employee to wash the scoops before serving. Our favorite shop, Blue Cow, is SO nice about doing this!

6. Bakery items are a no-go. We've found that because most coffee shops, grocery stores and restaurants get their bakery items from off-site facilities, it's impossible to guarantee if items are safe. There is one exception locally, and that's Corbin's Confections in Salem. They run a completely peanut-free, tree-nut-free and gluten-free bakery. 

7. This leads me into the challenge of birthday parties. Most store-bought cakes have peanut contamination. As Tucker gets older, we will always need to bring our own safe dessert to parties, including those at school. 

8. Halloween will be a challenge, but not completely impossible. Of course, we will always have to monitor what candy he keeps (the list of peanut-free options is short). This year, I learned that when homes are passing out non-food treats, they can place a teal pumpkin outside. Great candy alternatives include balloons, stickers, pencils, silly putty, and glow sticks. 

9. Never offer other children food without asking their parents. This can easily happen at a park, school, a play date, birthday party or family gathering. A child, especially Tucker's age, is completely innocent to what someone is giving them. 

10. You have to check every label. Products you wouldn't expect to have peanut contamination sometimes do. One I found surprising was Whales Cheese Crackers, which are made at a facility that processes peanuts and tree nuts. Another one is Neapolitan ice cream, which we bought for Tucker's first birthday. Not all brands do, but the one we purchased actually listed peanuts as an ingredient. 

I can feel it — 2019 is going to be LRP's best year yet. But you know what would make it even better? If I could cross off everything on my photography wish list!

Do you know anyone who would be interested in one of the five sessions below?

I'm a journalist at heart, so I have such a passion for documentary photography. For me, there's nothing more exhilarating than turning everyday moments with my family into storytelling photographs. Each one is like a small love letter to your children and grandchildren. Whenever I document my own family, I always think these will be some of Tucker's favorite photos one day.

My husband and I did this for our own maternity session in 2017, and I absolutely love the story they tell. We snuggled on the couch and on our porch swing, read books in our son's nursery and laughed a lot. It was so us, and I would love to give that experience to someone else. 

What could be better than having your hours-old baby documented in the place you brought them into the world? Not much! These documentary hospital sessions are just the sweetest, and I need more of them in 2019!

Will you or your parents be celebrating a milestone anniversary this year? Chances are, they haven't been professionally photographed as a couple since their wedding! They'll love the experience of creating new memories together — as well as having beautiful, tangible artwork from their session that they can pass down to you one day.

Know anyone who makes or sells something beautiful? I would love to help a fellow local business owner create imagery and art for their store!

Storytelling has always been a huge part of my life.

I pored over journalism and photojournalism in high school and college. I used photographs, interviews and my own memories to tell a story of my dad after his death in 2010. I shared the stories of more than 50 men and women living at the Roanoke Rescue Mission in 2014.

And now, I use my experience, skill and creativity to document my own family — our little, in-between moments that often slip by unnoticed. I've been doing this since the day we brought Tucker home, of course, but every so often, I become very intentional about it, documenting for several hours throughout a given day. Below are a few of those days.

I get so much joy out of turning small moments into cherished art. Together, these memories tell a meaningful story of how we lived and loved — in many ways, they're little love letters we leave behind to our children and grandchildren.

​Stories come in all shapes and sizes, and I feel so honored for every one I get to tell. If you are interested in a family documentary session — and turning those images into heirloom art — please email me!

It was an unusually warm evening in January, about 65 degrees. With Tucker's new ball and my camera in tow, we headed to the park. He swung, ran, climbed, explored. Capturing his newfound little-boyhood is so fun for me. Every time I turn around, he's doing something I didn't know he could do. It's hard to let go a little, but always worth it in the end.

Our first snow day of the season. Tucker was so amazed when Tyler held him up to look out the window that morning. The first part of the day was slow — breakfast, playing, TV. Then we bundled up and headed outside, where the snow was still coming down hard. It took Tucker a few minutes to get used to the snow, and it was too deep for him to walk around — but he did love picking it up! Afterward, we took our cold, red faces inside to warm up and nap. 

An afternoon at the Virginia Transportation Museum. I love capturing Tucker's joy over experiences adults take for granted. 

A quick golden-hour dinner at the Roanoke Weiner Stand, a little boy who didn't want to get into his car seat, and a bedtime routine with Dad. It's simple evenings like this that I don't ever want to forget. 

This is the recap I've looking forward to the most! For me, there's nothing better than being able to preserve newborn memories for moms and dads. After all, those early days fly by with no warning at all.

There are so many things about a new baby that you never want to forget — their wrinkly hands and feet, how small they look in your husband's arms or lying beside their siblings, they way they move their little mouths. If only photos could capture that sweet newborn smell! ​

I couldn't feel more honored that these families trusted me to document their adorable, snuggly babies (who are SO big now, by the way!).

I kicked off 2018 with my first Fresh 48 session ever! It was so meaningful to document baby Stella just hours after she was born, in the place where she was brought into the world. See more from her Fresh 48 hospital session here.

This was an at-home family session with new baby James! His big sisters loved on him the whole time, and it was so beautiful! See more highlights here. 

I loved all the detail shots from this sweet baby boy's at-home newborn session. See more highlights here. 

I have so many favorites from baby Sutton's newborn session. He and his sisters are adorable together! See more on the full blog recap.

Graham was so peaceful during his Fresh 48 session, and I couldn't get over him matching with his momma! See more of his photos here.

Baby Desmond's session was so snuggly, bright and colorful — easily one of my favorites! He is so loved by his mommas and big brother! See more from their at-home session here.

Baby Wyatt didn't want to miss out on any of the fun during his newborn session — and that was okay with me, because he has the prettiest blue eyes! See more from his session here.

Laura Richards is a family, newborn and maternity photographer serving the Roanoke Valley. She specializes in authentic, feel-good photographer that tells "the story of you" for decades. Learn all about what makes her different from other photographers here.