Northern Virginia Child Photographer - My Own!

Today was the first day back to school for my little one. Like most people, I took pictures to document the big day. She had very clear ideas about her pictures this time and was very, dare I say, bossy about how she wanted to be photographed. (I have no idea where she gets that from. :)

Welcome to school little sweet one. May your mind be a sponge to learn new things, make new friends and enjoy every minute of it.

This one just makes me smile. She wanted a sign that said "The Princess" but would not give me any sort of pleasant expression when she was holding it. I wonder if she is heading into a more serious phase.

Waiting for her friends to arrive.

Fairfax Virginia Newborn Photographer - Mr. Not Sleepy

Last week I met with this family that I have had the chance to photograph two times before. It is so great to see families grow and change. I did mom's maternity session a few weeks ago and this time I got to meet the newest addition to the family. He was so sweet but seriously the most alert baby I have met. He was not going to sleep for me no matter what but I still managed to get some sweet portraits of him.

Thanks for making the drive to see me. It is always a pleasure!!

A Child Lives Here

Life around our house is always an adventure. Between my different ventures, my husband's work and computer clients and a growing three year old, there is never a dull moment. I am loving watching my daughter grow and experience her world. Some things are fun, like her insisting that she MUST wear a dress every single day with a matching headband and sparkly princess shoes. Other things I could probably do without.

One of those things is her latest obsession with worms, caterpillars and slugs. She would rather look around in our yard for any one of those things than do almost anything else.

One evening after dinner she hit the mother load when she found a caterpillar nest that "burst" (for lack of a better word) and there were hundreds of these caterpillars all over the yard. She didn't feel the need to change out of her bathing suit to go check it out. Complete with matching bucket and magnifying glass, we headed out to collect caterpillars. To say she was completely amused would be an understatement.

Northern Virginia Portrait Photographer - The Moon

You might have heard that this week we had a full lunar eclipse. Many in the photography world were very excited to get their camera on the moon that night. Well, I did wake up and go outside around 3:30 in the morning to see if it was worth carrying out all my equipment to try and get some pictures of the moon. Not only was it below freezing, but there was a very good cloud cover that prevented me from seeing the moon anywhere. So I just went back inside to my cozy bed and didn't think anything of it.

The next night as we were driving home from dinner I couldn't help but notice how the moon looked in the sky. Just big, round and beautiful. So after putting the little one to bed, I bundled up and headed outside to take some pictures. There was a very fast moving cloud cover so I had to time the photos just right. Every once in awhile there would be a hole that the moon would poke through. When it looked like a hole would be in the right spot I would click the shutter button hoping that the timer and clouds would cooperate at the same time. (Hint - if you want shots like this, use a tripod and the self timer, helps eliminate camera shake and motion from the longer exposures you might need.)

I actually like how the clouds add a different dimension to these photos. Sort of mysterious.

Vienna, VA Family Photographer - Fall!

Two weeks ago I met with this great family to take some pictures of their sweet little girl. You might remember them from their maternity session a few months ago. At our session we also took some new photographs of her big brother and the entire family. We took advantage of the last few fall colors on the ground around my home. I don't think I have taken that many pictures in a session for a long time. It has been so hard narrowing it down.

Thanks for coming over to my house for the session. It is always great to see you and I loved snuggling with Little "A" when we were all done. Nothing like a baby who falls asleep in your arms. Love it!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love those baby toes!

I love this shot. Just happy momma and her adorable baby.

You can see more pictures from this session on my Facebook Page Here: Dorie Howell Photography on Facebook

Northern Virginia Photographer - Family!

I am right in the middle of a very busy holiday season and have met some wonderful people in the past 4 weeks. We have been all over the DC Metro area taking pictures for gifts, holiday cards, and just because. I met this family from a referral from another talented photographer, Alice McGuin, and had a great session at one of my favorite locations.

Northern Virginia Child Photographer - Three!

I can hardly believe that three years ago today, a little person came into our lives that would change it forever. Nothing has allowed me to be as fulfilled as becoming a mother to a terrific, fun, spunky, smart, beautiful, little girl. She fills my days with laughter and challenges me in ways that I didn't think were possible.

What a great, fun ride this has been and I can't wait to be your mommy for many years to come. I love you sooooooooooooo much little one! Happy Birthday!

Here she is, perfect and less than 12 hours old.

And now, just as perfect almost three years later.

Centreville Family Photographer - One Month Old

I was so glad that I was able to squeeze this session in at the last minute. This is such a nice family who is totally in love with their precious little boy. We spent the morning taking some great photos around their home in Centreville, VA then waited it out inside so we could take some sweet sleepy shot at home. He was a tough one but we managed to get what we need.

Thanks for spending the morning with me. It was a pleasure meeting you.

I love how he is holding is little ear in the back.

There is nothing sweeter than watching a new dad with his child. Melts my heart every single time.

How gorgeous are they?

McLean VA Family Photographer - Adorable!

I had such a fun session with this family. We had actually canceled the session earlier in the day because of thunderstorms that were moving through the area. I convinced my client to just try it and see if we could get what we needed that afternoon and if we didn't, we would reschedule at a better time.

I hate canceling photo sessions. Once you have a date on the books I will do whatever I can to make sure we can honor that time. I know it takes a lot of hard work to get everything coordinated but on the other hand, I want to make sure that conditions are such that you get the images you are expecting.

During our window that afternoon, everything seemed to click. Little "L" was in a good mood, the light was gorgeous and it wasn't too unbearably hot out.

Thanks for taking a change "T" family. I think it was definitely worth the risk.

How beautiful is this dress? Mom bought it from one of the talented sellers on Etsy.

For this shot I was standing on the edge of the pond about 40 yards away. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Dad put her down on the bridge like this. She stayed there for literally 2.5 seconds but it was so worth it.