Family Portrait Session | Whetstone Family | Warrenton Virginia Family Photographer
Sweet Family Session | Amber + Cody + Colton | Warrenton VA Family Photographer
Time sure does fly! It's hard to believe that little Colton is growing this fast! His sweet parents brought him to my studio for his newborn pictures what seems like yesterday. I remember having a conversation with Amber about how fast the time would fly, and I think she is agreeing with me!
I was so thrilled that this wonderful young family came back to me for their family pictures. Even though the chill of winter was making its debut we had a great time getting some fantastic family portraits for them in The Plains, Virginia. Nestled between Marshal, Warrenton, and Middleburg this quaint little village area is picturesque everywhere you turn. My youngest went to preschool at a little church in this area.
We met Amber and Cody there, and didn't have to drive very far at all to get these wonderful portraits for them, which will make it to my "forever favorites" hall of fame. :)
Soon we will be photographing this sweet family again, and we are looking forward to seeing them, and to see how much Colton has grown!
For now enjoy these pictures from their last fall family portrait session.
LITTLE MISS C | SLEEPY NEWBORN GIRL | NOVA BABY PHOTOGRAPHER
Northern Virginia Wedding Venue | Sunset Crest Manor, Chantilly Virginia | Outdoor Weddings
When it comes to planning an outdoor wedding there are some absolutely gorgeous venues in Northern Virginia. Not too far away from the bustling of city life in the DC area you can find some of the most picturesque surroundings for an outdoor wedding, sometimes tucked away but right at your back door!
This particular venue is one of these. Off of the main path, this venue invites you to journey down their private road, and around the bend it opens up into magnificence! Sunset Crest Manor rests in the foothills of the Shenandoah Mountains right in Chantilly, Virginia! This exquisite mansion showcases a double staircase with upper balconies all round. The mansion is perfectly suited for a wedding party and guests, with sprawling grounds decorated with flowering trees, roses, and a view of the mountains in the distance. They also feature a separate barn perfect for reception activities.
The owner and staff were the most helpful, and so nice! We certainly enjoyed talking with them and most appreciated their help with navigation of their beautiful surroundings.
We recently photographed a wedding and reception at this beautiful venue. We had a wonderful time getting to know the staff, and the other vendors that were there for the evening.
The DJ this couple hired for the evening ROCKED!!! I must say that no one sat down the entire night. From the first moment of music in the air, the evening was electric! Guests were dancing like there was no tomorrow! Everyone was having a wonderful time. If you are looking for a DJ that exudes professionalism along with friendliness then Michael Cruz is the guy for you! If you are looking for a DJ for your wedding or other event you can check out his website, DMV PRO DJS.
Photo booths at a wedding are a fun thing as well, and this couple had hired one for the evening. Again, another fantastic set-up, and the owners of this business are so very nice, professional, and FUN! I had a great time chatting with them, but more importantly, the guests were having a blast with this photo booth. If you are in the market for a photo booth at your event you will want to give these folks a call. Check out MD Photomemories for your wedding!
We have photographed in quite a few areas in the Northern Virginia area. This venue will be one of my favorites, and I hope that we can go back there again for some else's special day!
See our portfolio for other weddings we have photographed!
Baby Girl N | Pinkalicious Newborn Pictures | Teresa Arthur Photography | NOVA Newborn Photographer
I just love photographing newborn babies! This sweet little girl was just the cutest thing ever, and we had so much fun dressing her up in this luscious soft pink chiffon tutu! Of course it helps to have an adorable baby girl to model it for you too!
With some props, wardrobe, and other things in our travelling studio we set off for Baby N's newborn portraits. We arrived to a nice cozy house, and once we assembled the studio we began her portrait session. It's great that her mom had the house nice and warm for her, as this makes the session more pleasant for a newborn baby being photographed sometimes in their bare skin.
Baby N was very alert, and with lots of patience we were able to get some sleeping baby pictures of her that all moms and dad like. However, I like the awake baby pictures too, and she has such gorgeous eyes!
This sweet little girl is part of our baby plan, and I am really looking forward to her next session, and the rest as she grows. It's going to be fun to watch her personality develop!
NOVA WEDDING | COREY & FRANNY | SPRINGTIME WEDDING
Corey and Franny are married! I have known Corey since he was in........elementary school! Wow! I have said before that it is a little different photographing these couples that I have been involved in part of their childhood. There is a bittersweetness about it all, but it is all good. I have enjoyed watching Corey grow from a young boy into the man that he is today. I know that his parents, our friends, are very proud of him. Corey married his sweetheart among family and friends on a beautiful spring day. I am so thankful that we got to be a part of it all, and we wish Corey and Franny the very best in the years to come.
NORTH CAROLINA WEDDING | MATTHEW & SUSIE NEWMAN | WEDDING DAY PICTURES
This past weekend Dave, Anna, and I had the wonderful privilege of photographing our niece's wedding day. She and Matthew have been sweethearts for quite some time now, and when they announced their engagement we knew right away that we wanted to be there celebrating with them and capturing their very special day.
Susie shared with me about how they met, and that shortly thereafter he told her that he would put a ring on her finger one day. He knew that he wanted this very special girl to be by his side for the rest of his life. After a few years of courtship, and getting to know one another he asked, and of course she said yes! We were all so excited for the both of them. To make their wedding day even more special I learned that Matthew helped design her engagement ring with the diamonds from his grandmother's ring, and that Matthew would be receiving his grandfather's wedding band to wear on his finger.
The day was filled with a happy nervous calm...if there is such a thing...just as weddings go. The weather forecast was reporting 80% chance of rain throughout the day, and we wanted some outdoor pictures. So, with some prayers coming from all of us we asked God to give us a few rain free spots for getting some pictures, and He did! Just perfectly planned. The light rains stopped long enough to get before, during, and after the ceremony pictures, and just as we were finishing up with the new bride and groom, the light rains began again! They say it is good luck to have rain on your wedding day. All I know is that my Lord smiled down on us that day, and I was grinning from ear to ear inside!
The reception was so much fun, and so much love on display between friends and families. The light rains continued off and on throughout the evening, but that was just fine.
We actually took the the time to get a fun under the umbrella kiss in the rain shot! It was so much fun!
Susie and Matt, we wish you the very best, and many many blessings from God as you start your married life together. We love you!
Enjoy a first look at some of your wedding day pictures!
NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER WARRENTON VIRGINIA | NEWBORN SAFETY | TERESA ARTHUR PHOTOGRAPHY
What a gorgeous portrait of a newborn baby girl on a swing! This might seem a little scary to put a baby on a swing, and IT IS if you do this straight up, and I STRONGLY discourage anyone from trying to do this pose as is, because then it would be very, very dangerous!
I love taking and posting images to share of newborns that we photograph with this fun prop, but I would be amiss if I didn't tell you how it's done.
Before we photograph any newborn the very first thing that we consider is safety. It is, without a doubt, the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of our photography sessions when it comes to newborns. This image is what we call a composite. It is two or more images merged together to have the end result look like this. I would never in a million years photograph a baby laying on a swing like this straight up.
Below I am sharing the images that it took to make this photograph. A lot of time spent in post production is required to get this result.
As a matter of fact, a lot, and I mean A LOT of time is taken to even get the shot! This is not a rushed attempt; and sometimes it can take a good 30 minutes or more to get a portrait of the baby relaxing on the swing before you even take the first picture! I don't guarantee these images to my clients. Sometimes a baby may not settle, or just is not comfy lying on the swing, even though it is padded. In this instance I will not do the shot. It is not worth getting the baby, parents, and myself all flustered. That does not make for a fun session.
So, anyone considering doing this, please do it the right way, the safe way. Practice, practice, practice before you photograh a real baby on this prop. Or better yet, take some mentoring lessons from a photographer who has lots of experience at it. It is not worth the risk to take shortcuts! It's not fair to the child, the parents, or yourself, and quite frankly if you do take shortcuts.....well DON'T!!
Below you see the three images that were used to get the final image. As you can see I have spotters there at all times, and that the swing is actually resting on a firm surface with beanbags, blankets, a softness all around the perimeter of the swing bottom. Setting this shot up takes a lot of time and planning. Once ready to photograph it only takes a few shots, and we are done with that part of it.
Have fun photographing, and ALWAYS put safety above everything else. And parents, if you have a photographer in mind for your baby;s portraits and you want something like this make sure he or she is comfortable doing this, and has had practice and experience at it.
NORTHERN VIRGINIA NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | ISABELLA | NEWBORN BABY GIRL
I was so excited to finally get to photograph this sweet baby girl! Before she was born her parents came to the studio for maternity portraits, and we just had a blast! Her mommy was about seven months along; the perfect time for a maternity session. I enjoyed hearing updates leading up to the birth of their sweet daughter, and firstborn.
This little gem came to the studio for her debut at five days old. We had a wonderful time photographing her, and captured some sweet moments that her parents can cherish for a lifetime. Being five days old she was a sleepy little baby, and this made it very easy to get some cute poses.
During the session I enjoyed talking with her parents, and got dad to help me with part of the session; he was a real trooper! These new parents are going to be fantastic. They were overjoyed, even though they were tired from adjusting to their new little baby's schedule, to have this precious girl in their lives.
We wish them many fun moments in their lives as they raise her, and watch her grow! It will go by very, very fast!
CHRISTIAN & AMBER ARE MARRIED | NC WEDDING
This past summer we had the privilege of second shooting with Anna K Photographer in Hope Mills, North Carolina. She is a very talented photographer in her area, and strives to give her clients the best wedding pictures from their special day. We have assisted Anna several times, and it is always a pleasure. She is my sister, and that makes it all the better! We have such a great time working together, and we do this quite often.
We had a great time photographing this very sweet couple, and we wish them a lifetime of happiness as they start their journey together. Their first stop is to Germany to live for a few years!
