Warm Smiles, Frigid Fingers
Repeat clients always bring a smile to my face! With so many choices for photographers in our area here in Northern Virginia, not every family I work with comes back to me again (although I always hope you will!). When Jordan sent me an email, I was so happy to see her name - I had taken her family photos two years ago, and they wanted to work with me again this year. It speaks volumes when a family comes back <3
As we discussed where to meet for a location this year, we ended up settling on Algonkian Park again. It's a great little gem in Sterling, VA that offers a small golf course, a lovely event hall and restaurant. a playground, waterpark, and camping options. It's absolutely gorgeous in the fall, but also offers some great evergreen options for a more holiday feel. I pulled into the parking lot on a VERY chilly Saturday, hopped out, and we started chatting about the snow and salt on their mini van - a remnant of visiting Western NY for their Thanksgiving. They'd remembered I'm from Rochester, NY and that we share a small slice of that world.
The three kids were so brave - the temperatures really were quite miserable without coats on. We walked just over a small rise to where the evergreens are and I promised we would be quick! The youngest really wasn't having it with the chilly weather, and it's no fun being thrust into a photo session to smile at someone you don't remember. Eventually, Dad found a great distraction and got him to look toward me as we worked quickly to get some family poses in. It worked like a charm, and "Look, a deer!" was the catch phrase for the next 10 minutes as we continued through the session together. Jordan had grabbed a blanket from the car, and in an effort to keep the kids warm and happy, I decided to throw it in as a prop and get a few shots of the siblings all together. These turned out SO adorable!
As we ended our time together, Jordan asked for one more family pose sitting together on the blanket. A few more "deer" behind me, and we had everything! It was a very quick session, but we managed to get so many cute shots in the time. We walked back to the cars together, chatting about high school, football teams, and visiting family "up north" along the way - it's so lovely to talk with people who know where you've come from. Thank you for braving the cold, and I hope you all have a lovely Christmas!
