Kayla's Senior Session | Leesylvania Park | Senior Photography Session Virginia

This senior photography session is very special to me. I've known Kayla's mother since she was in third grade and we even grew up together! We went to different high schools but reunited after I finished grad-school and was working again.

At the time I was trying to figure out my future plans and toying around with the idea of starting my own photography business. I wasn't sure at the time where to start and that's when I ran into Kayla's mom, Lauren, again! Lauren had recently started her own photography business and she was able to point me to resources. She was also one of my biggest supporters from the very beginning!

When I met Kayla she was nine years old and I've had the joy of seeing her grow up over the past nine years! I blinked and Kayla went from being a little girl to graduating high school. I'm so glad I got to be the one to capture it!

Lauren was there at the beginning of my photography business and now I got to share this milestone with her and her family!

We split Kayla's senior photography session into two parts, the first was at Leesylvania Park in Woodbridge Virginia. We photographed some in the woods and I got some great pictures on the beach and some on those fun rocks by the water that I love so much!

It was a fun day - the weather was beautiful and sunny. It did get a bit chilly towards the end but Kayla was a trooper and didn't complain about the wind or the chill. I recommended three outfits for her, a fun casual outfit and two cute little dresses. I wanted to highlight her personality with the outfit choices!

The second part of Kayla's senior photography session was a couple of weeks later. Kayla's cap and gown had finally arrived so we met in downtown Fredericksburg to get some city photos. The city portion of the session was much warmer so Kayla did have to freeze! Seeing Kayla in her cap and gown made this moment finally feel so real!!

I feel so blessed to have had the chance to capture this special milestone for Kayla. It was also great to catch up with Lauren as well as her family celebrates their high school senior!

Please check out my blog for more and give me a call if you need a photographer for your special moments!

Baby Maggie | Newborn Photography | Stafford, Virginia

Meet Maggie!! This little girl is very special to me!! Her mama and I are great friends and I have spent the majority of her maternity leave with them! Maggie even became my daily walking buddy along with her mom and I have been SO lucky to see her grow and change over the last 3 months. For her newborn session we went ALL out. Bonus of having a friend photographer haha!! Born on valentines day, this little rockstar had her first mini photo shoot at just 2 days new!! We had a gorgeous February afternoon and we were able to capture a prop shot outdoors in her backyard! Such a rare thing to have a warm enough day in Feb but it was meant to be!! Then we had her normal studio session around 9 days new. She slept like a champ and we flew through her session. We grabbed beanbag and prop shots and Maggie was a PRO! By the end I just enjoyed holding her for another hour while her mom and I just chatted away!

Then a few days later Maggie came back to see me for a very special photo! One where we used my little pup as part of the setup! I have always wanted to incorporate my pup again in a newborn session and I do believe this is one of my favorite photos of all time! By week 4, I really wanted to see her again for a little easter setup and it was so much fun because she was WIDE awake and gave me the best open eye bunny foo foo photo and I could not be more in love! We certainly spoiled this little beauty in her first month of life with all the photos and I could not be happier. She is such a perfect little model and I cannot wait to continue to watch her grow and change over the next year.

Twin Cake Smash | Baby Photography VA

It's not too often I get to do a Twin Cake Smash! I've had the pleasure of photographing these twin boys since they were newborns! In fact, it was one of the first newborn sessions I got to shoot in my new studio!

For this one-year cake smash the theme was baseball; a perfect fit for two little boys! I took the first few photos with the twins in these totally cute blue and sage green rompers. We got a few solo pictures of the boys out in the yard, and of course I used one of my white Luneberry bowls. After a few individual shots we got some of them together.

After that we started the real deal! We took the boys inside and dressed them up in their adorable baseball pants and got to work! We got a few solo photos of each of the twins against the backdrop and then put on their little baseball caps and started the smash. The cake smash is always my favorite part!

Their mama brought two little baseball cakes and we put them in front of the boys and let them go for it---It was adorable!

Every cake smash is a bit different. Usually there's a few tears and some kids take to it more than others. It's always interesting to see their little personalities come out! For the twins, one of them was more into the photos while we were outside and one got more into them while we were inside. But they both really enjoyed that cake. It was loads of fun!

The boys ate their cakes fairly delicately and gave me some of the funniest faces to capture! At one point the twins slowed down a little so their big sister came in and helped feed them. By the end though, the cakes were demolished, it was super cute!

The twins weren't too wild but they sure did give me some epic faces lol! It was so fun to watch them have their cake and eat it too! They made a huge mess of course, but that's one of my favorite parts! This twin cake smash was really great, the family is wonderful and the boys were fantastic. I get to see them all again this fall for some more family photos. I'm really looking forward to it!

It's been a blast watching these little boys grow up, I got to photograph them for their newborn stage and also at five months and now a year!

I really enjoyed this cake smash and can't wait to see the twins again!

If you're reading this and looking for someone to capture these special moments for your family, look me up at https://www.lauralouphotography.com

Baby Jackson | Newborn Photography Session | Stafford, Virginia

I absolutely adore this family!! They came to see me when sweet little Jackson was just a few days shy of turning one month! If the pandemic has taught me anything, it's that photographing newborns a little older than the 2-3 week range is still possible and equally as amazing!! This little guy was a dream and slept like a champ for his session! We were able to photograph SO much from family, parent, sibling, to his adorable solo shots! We also made sure to celebrate his big sister who is watching over him from heaven.

One of the joys of photographing newborns passed that 2-3 week mark is that they are really starting to fill out, and their faces are evolving from that fresh newborn to a sweet little chubby baby. I mean this kiddo has the cutest little lips and even gave me a little smirk!! At the end of the session he was up and ready to party and I loved being able to grab some open eye photos.

This family was truly a delight to work with and I am so happy we got to celebrate such a wonderful memory for them! Here are some of my favorites!

Aimee's Maternity Photoshoot | Manassas Park Virginia

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Aimee and her family before, and this time was no different! I had a wonderful time with her maternity photoshoot! Her baby girl was so cute and posed so well for pictures! Clearly she’s a natural. :)

We did our session at Manassas National Battlefield Park, and the scenery made for some incredible pictures! The day was nice and warm, which is rare for March in Virginia. And the light was PERFECT.

I started by lining everyone up for some family shots. We got some pictures of Aimee and her daughter and got a few photos of them playing around in the woods. We had fun with some blue smoke bombs to celebrate baby Levi!! After that we went down to the creek and that was my absolute favorite! Aimee dressed in a gorgeous burgundy dress and her daughter and husband dressed in burgundy and red to match!

We did family photos along the creek bed and then got a few of just momma and her little girl and few of just mom and dad. We ended the session with solo pictures of mama and they were awesome!

The lighting was glowing and the creek is always one of my favorite spots to photograph maternity sessions. We got a few pictures on this old rickety bridge which I just loved.

By the end of the session I had packed up my gear for our hike back to the car.

As we were all walking back to the parking lot, the field where we had begun the session was so bright and filled with beautiful golden sunlight that I just had to pull out my camera for a few more pictures!

We stopped in some long grass framed by the tree-line and the light came through and made it look like the sky was on fire, it was so gorgeous and just perfect for some final shots!

All in all, this was a very fun session, with a great family. I got to do a session for them two years ago at a tree farm. It was great to see them again and capture these special photos for their family.

Check me out and see more of my work at my website!

National Infertility Awareness Week

Octobr 2019, we received the terrible news that our final embryo transfer had not worked, I vividly remember the shock, the grief, and the overall disappointment I felt. Not only for us as a couple but for our daughter who would never experience becoming a big sister. That pain hit us hard. It devastated us individually and also as a couple. It impacted us financially, and physically took a huge toll on my overall health. It impacted friendships and changed our entire outlook on parenting. I became a hovering helicopter mom in constant fear of something happening to my miracle baby. It truly became some of the darkest days of my life. I had never felt more broken and angry. Each failed transfer left me feeling empty and heartbroken, and by the end I felt like a shell of a human. Six months later when Covid hit I didn’t think I could feel any worse. I was going through the motions of the day to day but I was hurting badly. BUT with covid, came quarantine and a lot of family time with Jeremy and Fin. We were given a strange period of time where life seemed to pause and even stop all together. I felt like this time was given to us to process the last year and a half of treatments and come to terms with what a family with one kid meant. The transition of us all being home was tough but we were truly blessed with 2 FULL years of being home with our girl. Our day to day life transformed into an entirely new reality. It is a very rare thing to have both parents home to raise their child 24-7. We are both really involved in raising her, but the involvement in the day to day and watching your 2.5 year old grow was undeniably the biggest gift. This time allowed us to grieve the loss of our embryos and heal together as a family, and really embrace our family of 3 (plus our pup). We saw Finley’s vocabulary blossom and her personality reach new levels. While we couldn’t give her a sibling, what we could give her was a life that would be so unique to us. It helped me to find a comfort and a peace in our infertility diagnosis, and final outcome. And for the first time I was starting to feel ok with moving forward.

Yes I still feel heartbroken for my kid and I still feel angry sometimes knowing we cannot have more kids. I also still feel that fiery sting in my soul when im told I am lucky to have a kid at all. Because yes, I know that I am extremely lucky to have experienced the most incredible pregnancy. But I also know the damage this diagnosis did to us and how hard we fought for it not to destroy us. It was unfair and shitty, and everyone going through this is allowed to hurt and feel angry. I constantly must remind myself that this pain will slowly subside. But most importantly I know that our infertility diagnosis no longer dictates my identity. It no longer holds me back from celebrating the miracle we have. And gives me a new appreciation of being a mother, and also reminds me how strong we are individually and as a couple. This journey transformed out marriage in a way I could have never predicted when we got married, and it made us stronger and closer. And I would not change any second of it because it brought us Finley and the happiness we feel today..<3

SO during this week I encourage those fighting for their families to share their stories. You deserve to be heard. Reach out to support groups and dont be afraid to talk to a counselor. Ask questions, and advocate for yourself, and find a clinic that makes you feel heard. Treatments are A LOT to process and the hormones layered with the stress is like nothing you are ever ready for. But know you are not alone. And this part of your life will have an ending. And you will get through it. One way or another you will get to the point where enough is enough and you will learn to grieve and find peace in whatever the outcome may be. It may not be easy but you will survive it. Spreading awareness and supporting those who face this battle truly makes the difference. I can never thank the incredible nurses enough (you know who you are) for being with me every step of the way, the new friends and the clients I have met who we have shared and cried about our stories together. And for all the people who surrounded us with love, and mostly to Jeremy for being the most incredible partner though it all. And dont forget to keep fighting! <3

Jacobs Family | Outdoor Newborn Session | Stafford, Virginia

I absolutely adore my friend and have had SO much fun capturing her baby journey. When sweet Maggie was born on Valentine’s day we were blessed with a heat wave for about a week and a half in Virginia. We had temps over 75 degrees which is so rare for our area in the middle of February. W made sure to take full advantage of it and brought their newborn session outside onto the creek! I have always love outdoor newborn sessions, but Virginia temps are so crazy you really need to go for it when that warm day hits! I wrapped baby Maggie in a light pink wrap and an adorable pink bonnet to coordinate with her family. I am obsessed with every single photo we captured!

Then I made sure to get a little prop shot along the creek bed and put Erika back in the gorgeous gown we used for her maternity session. With temps being so warm she eagerly tiptoed into the water for me and she was absolutely glowing!! Between the golden light and the special mommy and baby connection I was in absolute heaven!! Erika, your family is absolutely gorgeous and I am so thankful for your friendship and continual support for me and my business!!! I hope you love her session as much as I do!!

Baby Lucy | Newborn Photography Session | North Virginia

I love a good newborn session! They are some of my favorites and Baby Lucy was an adorable model with the squishiest cheeks! I got to photograph her mom, Kelsey's maternity session and it was phenomenal; now I get the special privilege of capturing Lucy at only twelve days old!

Lucy was so tiny, and just the SWEETEST thing during the session. She had that good "squish" that I just love to photograph in newborns!

Kelsey and Dewey were great during the family portion of the photo session. I played around with some different backgrounds since I knew them well and I wanted the session to be awesome! I used an ultramarine seamless background and I've never been happier with how the "parent" shots came out! 

After that we moved on to the Props part of the session. For the first bit I used some pink furs and then a few wooden props from Luneberry. During a newborn photography session I always try to get a kind of "signature" photo. For little Lucy I used a bucket filled with succulents and some pretty purple flowers with a wood-floor backdrop. I try to keep the personalities of the family in mind when I choose props and I love how these turned out!

After that I moved to a pink-ish setup with some splashes of yellow flowers on the wood-floor backdrop. I would usually move on from the props part of the session to the "beanbag" part, but Lucy was so sleepy I just had to try something new!

Recently I haven't been able to do many sessions with babies in the two to three week stage, so I wanted something special. I am OBSESSED with my Luneberry wicker chair so I pulled it out and I propped a bucket on top of it for a head-on-hands picture. It was one of my favorite photos that I've ever taken!

After a few more pictures, I moved Lucy to the beanbag. Lucy was waking up a bit so I kept it simple. I did a bum-up photo and added a wrap to it for some flair! I did a few different poses with the wrap and then called it a session.

Baby Lucy was the perfect little muse for this newborn photography session. She was just the right age and had so much of that chunky newborn "squish", especially in her adorable little cheeks! I love Kelsey and Dewey so much, and I'm glad I got to capture such a special time in Lucy's life!

If you're looking for someone to capture these special memories for you, why not check me out?

Baby Lana | Newborn Photography Session | Stafford, Virginia

Little Lana was an absolute dream baby for her session. Do you see those squishy cheeks?!? We kicked off our session with some very special photos. Lana’s grandparents were visiting and we were able to capture to some amazing generation photos! Getting to photograph a newborn with her grandparents is such a special thing and really does not happen very often. The newborn stage is so fleeting and with Covid being a factor traveling isn’t always possible. Making this session even more special for everyone. I am so thankful to have been able to capture these for this beautiful family.

Lana was so sleepy and let me capture so many adorable prop shots. My favorite are her in this giant wooden bowl that I found 8 years ago at home goods! I remember it was my first “really” fancy newborn prop and is one of my absolute favorite go to’s especially for babies over 8lbs. Lana was around 9lbs for her session and she fit perfectly! When we moved to the bean bag you really could see all that good squish that I love so much! And especially those chubby cheeks!! I cannot wait to see her for her 6 month sitter in a few short months! She is an absolute doll baby and has the best family to work with!! Check out some of my favorites!

Baby Rome | Stafford, Virginia

Baby Rome was my first session of 2022!! This little dude has the most wonderful family and have had the pleasure of capturing both him and his big brother as newborns. I was so excited to finally meet baby Rome and he came to visit me at just shy of a month old. He was SOOOOO squishy and such a handsome little baby. We started off our session with family photos and sibling photos. I cannot even tell you how amazing his big brother did!!! We truly have a little model on our hands. Then we moved to props and captured one of my favorite photos! I love using greenery and succulents for at least one of my setups as a signature Laura Lou Photography look <3. And that green is really going to be his color. Rome did phenomenally well with all of the transitions from prop to prop and we ended our session with a few poses on the bean bag. Normally I shoot newborn sessions within the first 3 weeks, BUT since Covid hit I have really been enjoying babies a little older. At that 3 week mark newborns start to fill out a little more and will usually wake up at the end for that beautiful open eyed photo!! And Rome did just that! He was the best and I cannot wait to see him for his next milestone!!