A light-filled at-home family session, Part 2: Digital! | Charlottesville Family Photographer1/29/2024 Welcome to part two of my Model Call for an at-home family session: the digital portion! If you missed Part 1 — the film images — catch up later here! This marks the first time I made FEWER digital images than film during a session, which feels like such a giant step in my artistry. Nevertheless, I'm still in love with these images! As you can see, this session was filled with lots of giggles, playfulness, and gorgeous winter morning light streaming into their Charlottesville farm house. (At-home sessions are particularly wonderful in the winter months, because the lack of leaves on the tress allows more light to pour through.) I hope you enjoy these images, but picture them with your own family, too! At-home sessions aren't about perfect homes — they're about documenting the love you share in them. Laura Richards is a family and newborn photographer and filmmaker in Charlottesville, Virginia. She specializes in at-home, outdoor, and film (analog) photography, and heirloom print art. Start planning your own dream session here.
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A light-filled at-home family session, Part 1: Film! | Charlottesville Family Photographer1/27/2024 Welcome to part one of my recent Model Call for an at-home family session! I shot a ton of 35 film during this session (Portra 400 for color stock and 400TX for black-and-white), so this blog post is just the film portion! What a dream they turned out to be! In fact, this entire session felt like a dream. A mix of tender and playful, but all light-soaked and joyful — a stark contrast to the below-freezing temperature and snow outside. Why did I want to do an at-home session? Simply put, home is where my work feels most authentic. Toward the end of last year, I started feeling an enormous tug to shift my work from mostly outdoor to mostly at-home. It's where you and your kids are most comfortable — a place where you're surrounded by the warmth you know so well. The family I chose for the session lives in an old farm house in Charlottesville, full of its own quirks and imperfections. It's not the family's forever home, but their memories there will live with them forever; I wanted to capture the essence of those memories. The warmth, the light, and the joy of living in the moment as a young family. I can't wait to weave more at-home sessions into my work this year, and I hope you'll come along for the fun! Stay tuned for the digital portion! Laura Richards is a family and newborn photographer and filmmaker in Charlottesville, Virginia. She specializes in at-home, outdoor, and film (analog) photography, and heirloom print art. Start planning your own dream session here.
An intimate at-home newborn session with mom and baby | Charlottesville Newborn Photographer11/13/2023 If you're parent, I know you've felt it — the feeling that your child is speed-growing before your eyes and you haven't properly documented the beauty of the stage they're in. When I first talked with mom Blanca about a session with her new daughter, she was hearing the clock ticking. Her newborn daughter was almost 2 months old, and she was experiencing a hard tug to have beautiful, professional images preserving this early stage of life. I was so excited to be able to help her out, but she wanted me to know — her apartment was a temporary space, without a lot of furniture or a nursery, and her husband would be unable to take time off work for a session. I told her not to worry about any of that! When I walked into her apartment, she led me to her bedroom, which had two big windows and a white bedspread. That's truly all I needed to create gorgeous images for her! Our session felt so intimate and slowed-down. I was able to get creative, using both my digital and film cameras (the film scans are Portra 800 and are the first 11 images below). We were also able to create some breastfeeding images, but those are just for mom!
I've been dreaming of doing an at-home maternity session for YEARS, and it finally happened this weekend — thanks to a sweet Charlottesville family waiting for baby number two. I love that we were able to create beautiful, intimate images in the comfort of their home (especially because it was freezing outside!). They were barefoot, relaxed, and up for all of my creative ideas — which I appreciate so very much! Our session felt especially meaningful, because their daughter arrived in the throes of the pandemic, and they weren't able to capture any professional maternity or newborn photos. To document the look and feel of this second pregnancy was really important to me, particularly the bond between mom and daughter. I would love to see this year bring more at-home maternity sessions. They're wonderful for families with young children, because they can play, snack, or run around when they aren't being photographed (and, they simply feel more comfortable at home!). They're also a great option if you have a fall or spring due date and would be taking your maternity photos in the hottest part of the summer or coldest part of the winter (hello, AC and heat!) Please reach out if an at-home maternity session sounds like a good fit for you!
I couldn't have dreamed up a better way to kick off my 2023 session schedule. Baby Sam's January newborn session was relaxed, intimate, and full of love and laughter. I've known his beautiful mom since college, and it was such an honor to help her capture the look and feel of this new chapter. Mom was also up for documenting a feeding, which I'd love to do more of this year! Breastfeeding can be such a physical and emotional rollercoaster, and the truth is, you never really know how long your journey with it will last. To preserve it with raw, honest photos is a special thing indeed. Thank you, Sarah and Joel — I hope your photos bring you joy for many years to come!
Jayme is one of the clients I have the honor of working with multiple times a year. When she first reached out to me, she knew she wanted to document her kids during each season and preserve all her favorites from each session in a yearly album. I can't begin to tell you how much I love this idea! There is no wrong time to start a project like this — your children can be any age! Even in just two sessions, I've gotten to know these kids, what they're into, and what makes them smile. For L, it's her friends and the fun things they do at sleepovers (like starting a homemade slime business at 4 a.m.!). For E, it's jokes about guts and farts (which make me laugh, too). Big sister loves her turn front of the camera, while little brother isn't always enthusiastic about it (which is perfectly fine and normal). And yes, they do taunt each other and fight like siblings do. We embrace all this, go with the flow, and find all the little moments of love along the way. I can't wait to see these guys again — we're keeping our fingers crossed for a snow session soon!
A sunrise family session in Charlottesville, Virginia | Charlottesville Family Photographer1/5/2023 I don't consider myself a morning person, but I will happily wake up early for sunrise sessions. Sunrise sessions are so magical and dreamy — I'd consider it one of the best ways to start your day! Seriously. Dedicating one of the first hours of your morning to loving on your family in a stunning, inspiring setting sets the tone for the entire day. I am so thankful to this sweet little family for not only waking up early, but for traveling to Charlottesville from Richmond! Their dedication paid off ten-fold. Just look at the glow in their images — both from the rising sun and their love for each other. All the benefits of a sunrise session:
A winter Motherhood Session in Charlottesville, Virginia | Charlottesville Family Photographer1/4/2023 This beautiful Motherhood Session marked my third session with Jenna and her kids. The first time we met was in 2020, before her daughter was even a thought! Fast-forward two years, and her little boy is a big kid and little Anne Paige is a walking adventurer! We lucked out on a not-too-cold winter evening with a sunset that turned from partly cloudy to completely glowing. I chose this location in north Charlottesville for its long, golden grass, which I knew would add warmth to an otherwise bare backdrop — something that's so important for outdoor winter family sessions! We spent our hour together jumping, spinning, snuggling, hugging, and giving mom LOTS of love — which is pretty much how every session should go!
My last session of 2022 turned out to be my first Fresh 48 in about four years (except for doing my own son's hospital photos in February 2021). Sweet little Lea was just over 36 hours old when our session took place. She was awake and bright-eyed almost the entire time! Her parents helped her celebrate her very first Hanukkah with some special outfits and her first dreidel. Originally, they only wanted photos of Lea (which is completely fine, if you're reading this and considering a Fresh 48), but they made it into the frame toward the end, which I was so happy about. I know Lea will absolutely treasure those photos one day. Amy and Jonathan, thank you so much for inviting and trusting me to document the start of the best, most beautiful chapter of your lives. Lea is so lucky to have you as her parents!
Fall is a beautiful time of year to schedule your family's annual photos, especially here in Charlottesville, but it can also mean photographing during a really chilly morning or evening. Don't let that deter you from the magic these sessions offer! Here are my top 5 ways to keep warm during our (golden) hour together:
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Hello!Welcome to the blog! I'm Laura, a Charlottesville-area photographer specializing in authentic, natural-light photography and heirloom print art. Hope you'll explore my little online home and reach out if you have any questions! Archives
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