If you ask the Kaisers, they might say their session at the University of Virginia didn't go as planned. Their usually happy, silly twins were having a hard afternoon. There were tears and meltdowns, and I know mom and dad left wondering if we had captured anything good. 

But if you ask me, it was totally normal.

Session day isn't always the kids' day — and that's okay. Because where you see tears, I see the way you hold them close. Where you see a tantrum, I see the moment your silly songs make them smile again. (And when those don't work, I have some tricks up my own sleeve.)

Just like life, sessions are often about the in-between moments. They might only last a few seconds, but they always add up to a beautiful memory.

When I met with the Kaisers again for our Reveal Session, they were so in love with the final images. They couldn't believe these were from the same evening! 

And that's really all I want as a family photographer — to show you that there's beauty even in chaotic moments, even through tears and hard times. 

For a laundry list of reasons, I have never hosted a big back-to-back portrait event. But as a new name in a big town, I felt like it was time to meet lots of families at once!

Cue my Limited Edition Kids' Portrait Event, held at the beautiful Chisholm Vineyards (Adventure Farm), just outside of Charlottesville in Earlysville.

Over the course of two dates this month, I had the honor of photographing so many adorable kids of all different ages. It was a whirlwind, but I am IN LOVE with how each of these 5-minute sessions turned out. 

Not only did I meet several new Charlottesville families, but I had a past LRP client travel 3 HOURS to attend — and also some friends from Richmond! 

To each family who came out: A giant THANK YOU for trusting the new girl in town. I couldn't have asked for a better group of sweet, funny, polite (and stylish) kids. Hope to see you all again!

And to Andrea at Chisholm Vineyards: Thank you for letting me use your stunning slice of heaven. It was the perfect backdrop to a magical evening.

While we wait for their stunning heirloom album and matted prints to arrive, I couldn't resist sharing some highlights from the Sink family's lovely session.

I knew their images would be gorgeous (cute family + amazing style + all the love), but I didn't expect our 88-degree, early-September session to look like such an autumn dream. The leaves around us had already crisped and fallen, and the glowy sunset had cast the trees in the background the perfect shade of golden yellow. I love when Mother Nature pulls through for me!

It was such an honor to spend time with this family and witness just how much they adore their sweet, beautiful girl (who, by the way, was SO sweet during our session, even though it was past her bedtime!). 

Rose and Caley, thank you so much for trusting me to document this moment in your lives and create an album worthy to pass down to your daughter one day.

Cotton-candy skies, rippling blue water, and the most fun family of four — if I were ever to dream about photographing a session, I know this is what it would look like. 

Admittedly, it's been a while since I've photographed a family with older children. But it was such a refreshing change of pace. Families go through so many stages, and lately it feels like the newborn and baby stages are the only ones that get professionally photographed. 

I'm so happy that Brooke and Adam chose to treasure and document this stage in their lives — I mean, when else will a teenage boy spend a Saturday evening giving hugs and kisses to his momma?! (Just kidding — Kaiden was very sweet about it, and it melted my boy-mom heart.)

My favorite part about my time with the Saul family, though, was actually a few weeks after their session, when I delivered their gorgeous print art — a Glass Memory Box with prints and a Linen Folio displaying three of their favorite photos. They were just finishing up a birthday celebration, and had several guests over. Watching them open each piece and share their photos with their family was an absolute joy and 100 percent the reason why I do what I do. 

Brooke and Adam, thank you so much for trusting me to capture your beautiful family. It was an honor. Most important, though, thank you for being yourselves around me (and for sticking your feet into the water illegally with me). You guys are the best!

When I first approached Lee Robison, owner of the Golden Shoestring in Roanoke, about collaborating, I had lots of ideas running through my head.

But I was most excited about the possibility of a styled shoot. I was eager to feature some pieces from the store's curated selection of high-end consignment clothing, and show off how beautiful they can look in a relaxed photo session. 

I had so much fun shopping the store and picking out the embroidered top (TINY by Anthropologie), embroidered dress (Umgee), and sandals (Talbots). My model JoAnn looked amazing in everything! 

When I met with JoAnn before the session, I told her that in addition to featuring some great clothes, I also wanted the images to really reflect the relationship she has with her daughter. I wanted her to be able to look at the photos years from now and hear her daughter's sweet giggle and feel the warmth of her hugs and kisses.

I'm proud to say we accomplished just that! I absolutely loved getting to watch them laugh and play. JoAnn and Lee — thank you both so much for spending time with me and helping me create some magic!

There are so many things that make me smile about this at-home newborn session. 

First, the family dynamic. I love when older siblings are very involved. It really does provide a complete family picture. When I look through these photos, I see moments that will be so treasured decades and generations from now — by both brothers. 

Second, baby's facial expressions. They're incredible! He has such a deep stare, and his eyes already tell a story. He was such an active part of his session, and I absolutely love it (that may sound weird, but once you look at the highlights, you'll see what I mean!).

Third, I see a lot of personal and artistic growth. Of course, I grow with every session, but for this one, I had recently invested in a wider lens, in the hopes that it would help me better tell my clients' stories. And it has. As I made photos during this session, I finally felt like my images could breathe.

I always worry a little that outdoor winter sessions will look kind of bland or that my clients will look cold in their photos. 

This was not one of those winter sessions. 

We lucked out on a gorgeous winter evening, with warmer temperatures and the most magical sunset glow. Our little spot just off the Roanoke Greenway was the perfect backdrop for laughing, spinning around, jumping and playing. 

I have so many favorites from this family maternity session — like momma's stunning maternity portraits — but I think I'm most drawn to the images of their sweet little boy, who's soon to be a great big brother. These images radiate everything that is good and simple about childhood, like the joy of a favorite stuffed animal, stomping in the mud, and playing with your mom and dad.

I'm so excited to share these highlights — but I'm even more excited about documenting their new baby soon!

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 year was monumental for Laura Richards Photography. I created my best images yet. I took a leap of faith that continues to be so rewarding. I had dozens of loving, fun families come into my life and trust me with their beautiful stories.

So to celebrate, I'm going to spend the next few weeks sharing my favorite session images. I've broken them down into three categories: Outdoor Family, Maternity, and Newborn.

First up, my amazing family clients!

This session marked little Emma's first birthday and was complete with homemade cake (which her dog loved as well). See more highlights from the Shelton Family here.

Kristie is a fellow photographer, and she and I did a session swap this year. See more highlights from the McCallum's Carvins Cove session here. 

The Kincer session celebrated baby E turning 1! See more highlights from their Roanoke Greenway & Blue Cow Ice Cream session here. 

The Shockley family did two lifestyle sessions with me this summer at their little "oasis" in New Castle, Virginia. See more highlights here.

Had to sneak my own family photo in here, too. 

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.