I am a BIG dog person and always LOVE when clients want to include their fur babies in sessions. I first met Casino back in 2019, during Alex and Caroline’s first session with me. Fast forward many years later and they have become great friends and also one of my 2023 bride and grooms! So getting to photograph Casino a second time was so much fun. He is such a special pup and will be turning 15 this year!! He is laid back and great with kids. He even sat on my little ones lap later that night and she was loving it. :). We celebrated his bday a little early with some fun portraits and I am OBSESSED with all of them!! We were able to capture his personality and all of the funny faces he makes! The key to getting great dog photos is treats! Lots of yummy treats!! :) We explored my back yard a bit and also got some fun studio shots. This old boy is so loved and I am so glad we were able to capture these. <3 Here are my favorites!
BEHIND THE SCENES | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA
I have had so many clients mention to me that they love it when I post behind the scenes content. BUT in sessions I often forget to grab those fun action shots because I am in the zone! Or I don’t have someone with me to capture the footage while I’m shooting! This is the year of change and this is something I am really passionate about sharing. I love the story and the fun that leads to “the shot” and will certainly be better about posting more of it here!!
I have been sitting on these photos for over a year now and knew I had to blog about it! I luckily had Jeremy with me so he was able to use my camera and capture me setting Fin in place for these magical photos! What you dont see here is just how FREEZING the water was!! While it was a warmer January day, the water was probably around 40 degrees. BRRRRR!!!! So it was super important to find a way for us to capture this without my kiddo losing feeling in her toes!
I shot Fin’s 4 year shoot at this same location and have been wanting to revisit it now that she was a little older and a little more cooperative when it came to my vision. My goal was to capture a very still shot with the sky reflecting in the water and Fin appearing to walk on top. I wanted a piece of art rather than a close up portrait so that displaying it large would be an option. I placed a plastic foot stool just below the surface of the water and of course it floated! I carried Fin to the stool and slowly got her feet in position and in a balancing act we re-submerged the stool until it was secure. She still had to do a lot of balancing and I know her poor little feet were so cold. The entire setup/shoot lasted maybe 5 minutes because that water was SO COLD!!
The photos turned out gorgeous and I still have many more to edit. But here are a few of me setting up and the final product! Enjoy <3
BABY CHLOE | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA
Meet Chloe!! This little miss was such a good sleeper and we got SO many amazing setups! Talk about a dream session! The coolest part was that I photographed it on my daughters 6th birthday, and her big sis was the last newborn I photographed while pregnant. Lets just say this session was MUCH easier to maneuver without that big ole 39 week belly in the way. <3 Ive known this family for over 6 years and love every session we have together. They are always up for adventure and let me be as creative as I want. They have been so supportive of my business over the years and being able to capture their growing family is the best compliment I could ever receive. This little beauty was so much fun to photograph and I am incredibly grateful to have photographed not one but BOTH their gorgeous girls. They truly will always hold a special place in my heart. Here are some of my favorites. :)
WARREN FAMILY | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | MANASSAS, VIRGINIA
No better way to kick off a friday than with this ADORABLE family!! They welcomed their beautiful baby girl in August and we sure spoiled her with photos!! And I have loved every minute of it!! Since her big sis is now in school I came to them for an evening family session where we got to use their amazing yard! August is always perfect for outdoor newborn sessions and we were lucky the weather was ideal with temp and low humidity! We started the session with sibling photos and big sister Brooke was a PRO. They are clearly going to be best friends and I cannot wait to see their bond and friendship grow!! I love all of the family and parent photos we got as well and am so so glad we got to do these outdoors! This location was absolute perfection. We even snapped a few solo of baby Chloe in the flower beds. Everything about this location was magical and I am so thrilled with what we captured! We even got an end of the session smile. <3 I adore this family so much and am so thankful to have now captured both of their little girls newborn photos!! Come back next week to see baby Chloe’s in-studio session!! Have a great weekend!!
RACHEL AND SILAS | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA
If you don’t know Rachel she is the owner of Bangs in Boujee, in downtown Fredericksburg. And also my amazing hair girl!! She is incredible at making her clients feel loved and beautiful and I love her so much! We have years of friendship under our belt and every time we get together it’s always a blast!
October is just around the corner which means BUSY season for both of us and it was so important to snag some amazing photos of her and her little man before it gets too nuts!!! We lucked out with some incredible pre-fall foliage of wildflowers and tall grass and my favorite fall light! There is just something about September that really gets me pumped for the fall season and is also my favorite time of year for sessions. The weather is cooler, the bugs are starting to be less yucky, and it is a nice calm before the craziness of fall activities and busy season. We don’t get a lot of wildflowers where we live so it is such a special treat every September when I finally have a flowery spot big enough for a session! It doesn’t last long but boy is it magical! We had so much fun running around the weeds, having snacks, and enjoying the cooler weather. I love what we captured and always look forward to our next session together. Here are some of my favorites!! If you haven’t booked your fall session yet NOW is the time!! I look forward to chatting!!
TALK TO ME ABOUT THE FALL!!
Hello everyone and happy Wednesday!! I am feeling rejuvenated after a long holiday weekend and wanted to quickly introduce myself to any new followers! Im Laura, the face behind Laura Lou Photography. I am portrait photographer who specializes in newborn, maternity, and family photography. Im in my 10th year of business and am based in Stafford county Virginia. I am married to Jeremy, my hubby of 12 years and we have a 6 year old daughter named Finley and a 15 year old pup named Layla. Thanks so much for everyone taking the time to read my fall update and for following along as I TRY to blog more!!
SO lets talk about the FALL!! We may be having a heat advisory today but that is NOT going to stop me from getting SUPER PUMPED about fall being ALMOST HERE!!! As far as Im concerned September is the green light to decorate for halloween and celebrate ALL the fun things that the crisp fall weather brings! It is by far my favorite season and also the time of year that I get the most creative energy. There is just something about the fall light, blaring music with your windows down and sunroof open, watching scary movies and the smell of pumpkin and apple pie. GAH I love it ALL!! BUT with all of the fun comes LOTS and LOTS of incredible sessions and is another reason why I love the season so much.
I know I have had a lot of people reach out about my fall sessions and I wanted to give a little update and a peak into the amazing families I got to photograph last year! This season flies by and books fast and with a kiddo in school and activities my availability has gotten a little slimmer. Here is a little recap of the questions I’ve been getting:
Where are you located? I am based in Stafford, Virginia BUT I travel all over from Fredericksburg to Northern Virginia. I also travel out of state to the outer banks frequently and other areas in Virginia. If you are unsure if I will come your way email me! Im always looking for a new adventure!
Do you offer mini session? YES! This is the most asked question especially since I know our wallets are getting a little bit tighter these days! I do offer mini sessions and am offering 3 weekends of minis during peak fall colors. I only have a few spots left so if you are interested make sure you reach out ASAP!
Whats the difference between a mini and a full session? Minis are quick 15 minute sessions that are great for families who want multiple sessions throughout the year or for families who just want to grab a few updated family photos for their Christmas cards! Minis are only offered a few times a year and always sell out!
Full sessions are about 45 minutes and are a great way to really capture your family’s personality in a fun, laid back way! I grab those yearly photos but I also make sure we really freeze this moment in time and where your family is in the season of life. We will laugh, play, run around, throw some leaves, and have a great time.
Do you still have fall availability? YES! But the dates I have are getting slimmer each week! SO if you are wanting fall colors this year GRAB your date ASAP because these dates won’t last long!
BABY MILLY | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA
Meet Milly! This gorgeous little baby was such a sweetheart and so much fun to photograph! Her mama and I go way back to college and have loved keeping in touch over the years. When she told me she was expecting a baby girl I was over the moon for her and knew this little peanut would be loved so much! She was truly one of the most beautiful little newborns and her mama and dada were glowing when they arrived at my studio. We captured so many setups and variety and honestly I loved all the baby snuggles. Milly slept like a champ and we flew through her setups. My favorite photo of course was froggy!! This phase goes by so fast and I am so thankful I was able to capture these special memories for my friend and her amazing family <3.
If you are interested in learning more about my newborn sessions shoot me an email! Here are my favorites from this session!!
BABY EVERLY | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA
Meet Everly!!! This little girl is one special little lady! I met her mom and dad over 4 years ago when I photographed their first little boy. He was one of my first milestone babies and was incredible at every session. Then came their second little boy who I also had the pleasure of photographing for every milestone. He had big shoes to fill for those sessions and he also rocked his sessions. When I got the email that they were pregnant with their third and a little girl I literally squealed lol! To have the honor of photographing 3 kids for every milestone session is truly the greatest part of my job. It really makes you feel like family and watching these kiddos grow into their personalities and uniqueness is the most amazing gift. With all of the crazy covid stuff going on I was SO nervous this session wasn’t going to happen the way we had hoped. BUT someone was clearly looking out for us because she was my first official studio session after I was able to re-open. Literally every setup I had been planning happened and she did INCREDIBLE. Oh Everly I cannot wait to see you for your milestone sessions and watch you grow into an amazing little girl!! Here are some of my favorites from her session <3
PATRICK | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA
Meet Patrick!! Believe it or not but this handsome baby boy is already over a year old!! HOW!? I saw him early March for his one year session and yes I am just now blogging his newborn session! But hey thats ok because it was a GREAT one! This adorable baby boy had the BEST hair ever and was so cuddly. I loved every second of getting to know his parents and have loved working with them over the past year. I miss you guys and am SO thankful to see you once more before the world went crazy <3 Here are some of my favorites:
THOMAS FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA
I am missing that holiday cheer these days!! And thought no better way to bring it back than with this amazing tree farm session. I always have a blast when these 3 are with me!! Their little one, Grayson, reminds me SO much of my own little one and I absolutely LOVE IT!! I have captured Grayson since he was a little newborn and was fortunate enough to capture his first year of milestones! Seeing him now as a 2 1/2 year old is why I have the best job in the world! Each time i saw him, his personality blossomed more and more and he is the happiest most energetic little boy. We had a blast running around the tree farm and playing hide and seek. I loved being able to capture this gorgeous family again and celebrate their love for eachother. This is one lucky little boy! Here are my faves!
