Fairfax Virginia Family Photographer - You!

A few weeks ago I sent out a message to several of my friends and clients asking them to take part in a little project I wanted to do. I wanted to photograph them on their own. No kids, no families, just them.

We women have tendency to hide behind the camera. We don't get in front of it because of how we look or, maybe more accurately, how we think we look. We always have excuses to put it off until another day. We want to put it off until we lose more weight, get our hair done, find the perfect outfit, etc... Then before we know it, the most recent really good pictures we have of ourselves are ten years old.

I have come to realize that being in the pictures is not for me. It is for my child and her children. They don't care what I look like, if I am having a good hair day or if I found the perfect outfit. They will just want to see that I was there. There at the birthday parties, the picnic in the park, the vacations, the dance recitals, and all the other every day things that make life great.

Then every once in awhile, when the hair does look great, and the outfit is just right, we need to step in front of the lens. We need to show our children (especially our girls) that growing older is something that looks good. We shouldn't make our parents keep an old 8x10 in their house of a picture that was taken years ago, just because they don't have anything better to display. (Trust me, parents like great pictures of their kids, no matter how old they are.) And we should provide our husbands with a picture that we are ok with them displaying in their office. (If they are the displaying kind.)

So, when I sent out this idea to some of my friends and clients, I was pleasantly surprised at the response. So in the next few weeks I am holding what I call the "YOU sessions". They are quick, easy, fun and there is no session fee. Yup, NO session fee. What do you have to lose? Nothing at all. Come join me and celebrate YOU!

My friend Mara was my first person to take me up on this. We met tonight when the light was just gorgeous and had a great time chatting and catching up and getting some great new portraits of her. Thanks for coming out Mara. You look great!!

And if you would like to get in on the fun! Just send me a message at dorie(at)doriehowell.com or find me on FACEBOOK . I would love to get YOU in the picture!