2023 RECAP!!!

What a year!! 2023 feels like the longest and shortest year of ALL time. It tested me in ways and opened my eyes to SO MANY THINGS and I have learned ALOT about myself over the last 12 months. With that being said it was also one of the most difficult years for me professionally and personally. Funny thing is nothing really significant happened but more a slew of little things finally pushing me to what felt like a late 30’s crisis LOL! As a mom we wear SO many hats throughout the day but with years and years of trying to balance everything eventually you start to let those hats drop one by one. And for me I think they all fell this year. I can laugh about it now because while I felt like I was falling apart there was also so many good things this year brought that kind of got lost in the shuffle. SO today I am sharing some positives of 2023 and also sharing the AMAZING clients who helped me survive this tough year!! You are what got me through!! <3

2023 kicked off with a bang and I celebrated my 10th year in business! A huge milestone that I still cannot believe is real!! A decade dedicated to serving clients and creating beautiful artwork and memories has been such a blessing. But my biggest achievement is seeing all of the returning faces of clients I have been photographing that entire time. Some clients have let me into their lives for over a decade! I have had multiple brides celebrate their 10 year anniversary, families welcome their 2nd and 3rd baby, kids I photographed in their mom’s belly start school, brides texting me they're pregnant, the list goes on. The overwhelming support from returning clients really lifted me up this year and I am forever thankful for the relationships that I have been built over the last 10+ years. I truly cannot thank you enough.

This year alone I have photographed 136 sessions plus more for my own kiddo. I have met 55 new AMAZING families who have all welcomed me into their lives with open arms and shared their excitement about their photos. This year certainly was one of the most rewarding. It was knowing that these incredible faces believed in me during a time I felt so unworthy. Their support allowed me to keep growing as an artist and photographed some of my favorite sessions of all time. THANK YOU to every single one of you for walking alongside me during a tough season. Your support will never be forgotten <3

Another huge perk of 2023 was that I offered tulip, sunflower, creek, cherry blossom, and tree farm minis in addition to my spring and fall. And I LOVED every second of these sessions. Because these are sessions I can’t shoot all year round they have become some of my favorites. I WILL be offering ALL of these again and cannot wait to see what families will join in on the fun!! This year I will be changing things up a bit with how I book to continue to give me time to be creative and recharge.

My goal for 2024 is to make this year about savoring every last moment! I did a terrible job of capturing my own family this year and I am super sad that I let my negativity and self-esteem stop me from capturing more moments with my family. I will NOT make that mistake this year!! So if you are feeling blah email me! Lets chat and make your session this year extra special! I cannot wait to meet new faces and catch up with returning faces!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! To everyone who supported my business this year! You rock!! <3 ~Laura

10 YEARS LATER | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | RICHMOND VIRGINIA

Over 10 years ago Jeremy and I met with the cutest couple at the Starbucks in Dumfries VA for their client meeting. We were brand new to photographing weddings and only had a few under our belt. But when we met Grissel and Josue it was an instant friendship. Their love story was clearly headed for great things and we were thrilled to have been hired to shoot their wedding. I cannot remember all the little details from that special day, but what I do remember is the venue being filled with so much love and support from their family and friends and it was undeniable how perfect these 2 were for one another.

But that was just the beginning of a special friendship. I have watched these 2 welcome 2 beautiful girls into their family and I have been SO incredibly blessed to have captured milestone after milestone for them. I went and looked back and I have captured 13 sessions with them. 13! I cannot even begin to tell you how much this relationship has meant to me. To have witnessed every milestone for the last decade is truly the most generous thank you a photographer can recieve. These 4 have had my back and watched me grow, and build, and work my booty off for my business and have supported me every step of the way. Every new idea, every price increase, every crazy location, they were there and trusted me! I love these 4 so much and cannot wait see what the next 10 years brings their way. Grissel and Josue, THANK YOU! Thank you for being so supportive and kind over the years. Thank you for seeing something in me and trusting us when we were just starting out. And thank you for welcoming me into your home and your lives and building a friendship with us over the years. You are both so special and those amazing girls are truly the result of such a beautiful love story. It has been such an honor to capture your family the last 10 years and am SO happy with these special photos for your big day! SO thankful we lucked out with weather and could capture these when we did!! HAPPY 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! WE LOVE YOU!!

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!!

BRUNER FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

I met Rachel in one of those hospital mommy and me classes about 6 years ago. She was such a kind hearted soul and we instantly became friends. I have absolutely loved getting to watch her gorgeous girls grow up and capture their milestones as well as family portraits. She is always so eager to let me try knew things and always puts full trust in my vision. This year however we wanted to have a totally different feel and vibe and shoot it in-studio! You know me I love the studio, but for families I thrive in that golden light, so I was a little hesitant that I could pull off enough variety that would leave us both ecstatic. BUT as usual, Rachel trusted me and my vision and we went super simple and classic and OMG! I am OBSESSED.

These photos are everything I had hoped they could be. By simplifying our backdrop we were able to capture the girl’s personalities and family dynamic in such a timeless way. She wanted something to hang in her home that would be neutral enough to match any room at any season and I know we did just that. After our inside photos we did do a few quick photos in my yard! So we could get a little indoor and outdoor <3 I love that she pushed me outside my comfort zone and I am so thrilled with the results!! Here are some of the photos we captured.

If you ever want to try something new or have a crazy idea I am ALL about it! Shoot me a message and lets get planning!

TURVILLE FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | FREDERICKSBURG VA

The absolute best part of my job is meeting clients that you have an instant connection with! When I first talked to Jen we hit it off immediately and she has been one of my favorite people to work with! Our first session was in the creek and this time we went in the opposite direction with a very formal look in downtown Fredericksburg. Our original date was rained out and ended up pushing our session into the middle of HOT July. July in Virginia is not a pleasant time, but these 3 were absolute troopers! Being our second session together I already knew I could really get creative and they would be all for it! We also got to celebrate their daughter’s 4th birthday and she came ready to shine! She is a natural little model and such a sweetheart!!!<3

We explored several spots throughout the city and took advantage of the amazing textures, the gorgeous buildings, and the glowy golden light. Everything about this session was magical and we captured SO much. Literally every photo was incredible and impossible to narrow down! I adore these 3 so much and am always looking forward to our next adventure together!! Here are some of my favorites from their session.

If you are interested in a session with me shoot me a message! I would love to capture your family!!

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!!

LAST DAY OF SUMMER | MILESTONE SESSION | OUTER BANKS, NC

How bittersweet it is to say goodbye to summer break 2023! This has been a summer of growth, adventures, and most of all incredible memories. Summer break looks different now that we have a kiddo in elementary school and these moments seem to be fleeting. I blink and all of a sudden I feel like i’m counting how few summers we have left of Finley being a kid. So this summer we tried really hard to savor every day we could, and just enjoy the days where we didn’t have to stick to a schedule. After a tough start to the year I needed a summer where Fin and I could spend some one on one time together in my favorite place. The best 3 days were spent on our impromptu girls beach trip to Nags Head North Carolina. Nothing makes me happier than dipping my toes into the chilly water of the OBX. We crammed 4 little photo sessions in and was seriously the most enjoyable beach trip to date! Seeing Fin frolic in the ocean soothes my soul and is the place where I feel the most at peace. Capturing these photos are so important because they help remind me to take a deep breathe when we have hard days. And they bring me back to those perfect moments with my baby girl. This summer we have all grown so much and I cannot wait to see what adventures first grade will bring. I wish all the kiddos and teachers heading back to school tomorrow and in the coming weeks lots of luck for a wonderful year!!

Here is a recap of our incredible girls trip to Outer Banks North Carolina!! If you would like to book your own outer banks family session email me!! I would love to share this special place with you!!