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Book Your Fall Family Portraits EARLY! | Northern VA Family Photographer
Book Your Fall Family Portraits EARLY! | Northern VA Family Photographer
Guess what?! It’s just days beyond July 4th, but fall is coming and bringing its spectacular colors. Now is a perfect time to book your fall family portraits. As a family photographer, we work all across Northern Virginia from Middleburg, VA to Tysons Corner, VA, and beyond. We can come to you, you can come to us, or we can even meet somewhere including our private, outdoor park. It’s available exclusively to our clients, and in the fall it’s lit up with fall color! It’s a not-to-be-missed opportunity for vibrant, gorgeous fall photographs.
Why book fall portraits now?
Booking now means you’re more likely to get a date which works for your schedule!
Why do fall portraits at all?
Well, if you’re thinking of doing outdoor fine art portraits, then let us, as an experienced family photographer, extol the virtues of fall photographs! In case you haven’t noticed, the autumn colors in our state are spectacular and provide a dramatic backdrop for professional fall photography. The fall weather is more comfortable for outdoor photography, too. Need more convincing? We urge you to browse our gallery of portraits and judge for yourself.
Why do outdoor portraits?
Do you even have to ask? Northern Virginia offers us some of the most gorgeous scenery – whatever the season! Our clients love our outdoor park. It’s a perfect and private backdrop without tourists or strangers photo-bombing your pictures! Outdoor photography also benefits tremendously from warm, natural light.
How do I book?
It’s easy. Just call us or fill out our contact form and we’ll be in touch to schedule your portrait session.
Questions?
You might have questions about our pricing, our experience, about an outdoor portrait session or something else. Whatever your question, give us a call. We’d be happy to chat and answer your questions whether you’re in Middleburg, VA, another Northern Virginia town, or anywhere throughout the DMV!
Family Photographer, Portraits
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Middleburg, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
Tarsha & Donald, Engagement in Georgetown | Northern VA Portrait Photographer
Tarsha & Donald, Engagement in Georgetown | Northern VA Portrait Photographer
Fine art engagement portraits have become popular in recent years. Today more couples than ever are choosing to have professional engagement pictures, most noteworthy our engaged couples in the Middleburg, VA area. Our clients want to commemorate their engagement with something special. Tarsha and Donald were two of those clients, and we were happy to oblige this very lovely couple.
Talking to Clients:
We took the time to hear their story, and ask several questions. The more we learn about our clients, the better the end result of their portrait session will be! After our chat, we suggested doing Tarsha and Donald’s portraits along the beautiful Georgetown Canal. The location worked out perfectly for what they wanted! The results of their portrait session speak for themselves!
Talking to clients to understand their vision and goals for what they want to do with the portraits can significantly impact a session. Without that initial conversation, we might not have suggested this particular venue for them.
Working with Clients:
It was so easy to work with Tarsha and Donald! They were relaxed, fun, and completely natural in front of the camera. They shined, and their love flowed from them right into their portraits. An engagement is an important milestone in any relationship. Documenting it through professional portrait photography is a prudent idea. Decades from now, Tarsha and Donald can look back and remember when…
Wall Art:
For their wall art, this lovely couple selected the Gallery Wrap Finish. They also chose a Legacy Portrait Album. Both are ideal and elegant finishes for these engagement portraits. We work with clients on their product selections and finishes so they get exactly what they want.
To see more portraits from this Georgetown Engagement, click here to view Tarsha and Donald’s Gallery!
We are happy to discuss all the options for your portrait session in the Middleburg, VA and surrounding area. With your input and your vision, we know you will love your portraits!
Family Photographer, Portraits
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Middleburg, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
Photography Tips & Tricks: 5 Tips for Photographing Special Occasions | Northern VA Family Photographer
Photography Tips & Tricks: 5 Tips for Photographing Special Occasions | Northern VA Family Photographer
As a Middleburg, VA family and children’s photographer, we like to think ahead! It’s always a good idea to practice photographing for a special occasion. Whether it is children photography or special family events, our tips can be helpful to you too.
1. Candids:
One secret to shooting great portrait photography at special occasions lies in capturing candid moments. You might need to move around in the shadows of the event. Sometimes stepping out of the middle of the “action” to the periphery will give you a better perspective. A better view will allow you to get better shots. Extra Tip: Try shooting from unexpected angles such as from above looking down on the action.
2. Poses:
Sometimes, you’ll want to ask people to pose for a picture. That’s okay, too. For a less posed look, stagger the individuals in the group rather than lining them up straight across. Extra Tip: Sometimes just asking people to stop what they’re doing and look up is enough. Focus and shoot!
3. Lens:
Using a zoom lens will help you to get those close-ups when you need to, especially if you’re shooting from farther away. At other times, a wide angle lens will serve you better especially when you’re in smaller spaces and you’re close up to your subjects. Extra Tip: Practicing with various lenses will help you know when to use what and when.
4. Details:
The devil is in the details! What often makes a portrait unique are the little things you capture, such as the expression of a child or the smile of an older adult. Those little details can be important symbols of the moment or event. Extra Tip: Aim at your subject’s eyes to focus, especially if you’re using a flash. It will help you get the sharpest image.
5. Lighting:
Whenever possible, make use of the natural light you have. It can be a photographer’s best friend. You can shoot on Manual and set your camera according to the lighting. If you’re an amateur photographer, set your camera to Auto and let it do its thing, taking advantage of both the flash or the natural light. Extra Tip: If you’re taking pictures indoors, use the natural light from a window or doorway.
Finally, enjoy yourself while you’re shooting photos at any special event or occasion – especially when doing children photography, which can be a lot of fun. Move around; shoot from various angles; zoom in and zoom out. Be ready to capture unexpected moments. Those are the most likely to be treasured years later!
If you would like a special and unique portrait session, we are family and children photography experts! Please contact our studio near Middleburg, VA. We would love to discuss our work with you and how we can help.
Other posts in this series:
Photography Tips & Tricks: Lighting tips for family snapshots
Photography Tips & Tricks: Get natural smiles from your kids!
Photography Tips & Tricks: Underwater Pictures
Photography Tips & Tricks: Pets
Photography Tips & Tricks: Confidence is key
Photography Tips & Tricks: 6 Tips for Taking Memorable Disney Park Photos
Family Photographer, Children Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Middleburg, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
Little Divas’ Portrait Slideshow | Northern VA Family Photographer
Little Divas’ Portrait Slideshow | Northern VA Family Photographer
We recently posted about these Little Divas’ Portrait Session held here in our outdoor portrait photography studio in Sterling, VA. These little girls were so much fun to photograph! They were so joyful and loved each other so much! That’s one of the things we love the most about childrens photography, capturing the feelings shared between siblings. We hope you enjoy their slideshow of portraits!
Little Divas Slideshow
Family Photographer, Portrait Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
Peyton & Morgan, Little Divas! | Northern VA Family Photographer
Peyton & Morgan, Little Divas! | Northern VA Family Photographer
Childhood should be about joy and the freedom for a child to be him or herself. Childrens photography should be about capturing that joy and the child’s personality. Peyton and Morgan made it easy for us to document their bubbly personalities! We did their portrait session at our private portrait park near Middleburg, VA and Hamilton, VA. We presumed that, like most children, they would revel in the freedom of the outdoors. Indeed, they did! The girls shined while we captured their portraits.
Capturing Personalities
Their parents told us that the girls had a close, loving bond and were “funny together.” They weren’t kidding! The girls were adorable together! Hugs and kisses were plentiful with big cheeky smiles. During their portrait session, Morgan was just starting to string words together. (“Oh no” was cutely one of her first phrases!) Peyton was the caring older sister always ready to help Morgan. Witnessing their loving sisterly bond was heartwarming. The delight and joy you see in their portraits are reflective of these little girls.
Reflecting a subject’s personality in a portrait – capturing the nuances of who they are – is critical to fine art portrait photography. When we saw the photographs back in the studio, we were thrilled. So, too, were their parents when they came for their viewing.
Outdoor Park
Backed by the rich color palette of the park, the girls took center stage in their portraits. It was a good combination and contrast of compatible colors. Shooting family or childrens photography outdoors offers significant advantages. It allows children to feel less confined. It puts them into an environment they are comfortable with. After all, children usually love the outdoors. Our private portrait park offers our clients the opportunity for complete privacy during their session. Peyton and Morgan thoroughly enjoyed the park and felt free to explore and just be themselves!
Schedule a Session
You can schedule a childrens photography session at our outdoor portrait park located near Middleburg, VA and Hamilton, VA. Just contact our studio to make arrangements. We look forward to hearing from you and meeting you!
Family Photographer, Childrens Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Hamilton, VA and Middleburg, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
Capturing the Pages of Our Lives Through Portrait Photography | Northern VA Family Photographer
Capturing the Pages of Our Lives Through Portrait Photography | Northern VA Family Photographer
If you display family pictures in your McLean, VA area home, then you understand and appreciate the power of portrait photography. Photography gives us a real picture to what we store in our memories. At times, it fills in the blanks created by time or loss.
The Pages and Chapters of Our Lives
Portraits are like the pages and chapters of our life stories. As a professional photographer, we understand that the work we do isn’t just a consumer product. It goes far beyond that. Our portraits document moments within our clients’ lives like pages within a story – their unique story. When viewed collectively, those moments just like pages create chapters. When a client regularly invests in portrait photography, they are visually writing their stories. Their children’s lives are played out in touching imagery to be enjoyed and appreciated well into the next generations.
Priceless Photography
Today’s portraits are priceless in the future. If you’ve lost someone in your life, then you understand this. Their portrait serves a far more touching role now that they are gone. The person you’ve lost lives on not just in your mind and memories, but in their treasured portrait.
Children and Grandchildren
If you are the parent of grown children, then you too understand the value of portrait photography. Your children’s childhood portraits remind you of just how small and precious they once were. And, in your grandchildren’s faces, you see or will see your adult child’s face. Your grandchildren’s portraits will one day remind you of what once was.
We are good at our work because we love and appreciate what we do and the role it plays in our clients’ lives. It isn’t a job for us. It is a passion. As a mother and daughter team, family photography has a personal meaning for us. That is to our clients’ advantage!
Contact us if you’d like to begin documenting those moments in your family’s life through portrait photography in the McLean, VA area. We know you won’t regret it decades from now!
Family Photographer, Portrait Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near McLean, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
Photography Tips & Tricks: 6 Tips for Creating Memorable Disney Park Photos | Northern VA Family Photographer
Photography Tips & Tricks: 6 Tips for Creating Memorable Disney Park Photos | Northern VA Family Photographer
Portrait photography in McLean, VA isn’t quite the same as photography on vacation. With summer holidays upon us, we thought we’d offer a few tips on how to take memorable photos at somewhere as eye-popping as Disney World. (We love Disney!) But you can apply our tips to wherever you go this summer!
Camera settings!
1.Rather than a lesson on how to shoot on Manual, if you don’t already know how to do it, we’d advise you to shoot on Auto “A.” If you do shoot on manual, practice before you go if you haven’t shot in awhile and aren’t an expert. Whether you shoot on Manual or Auto, you need to feel comfortable with your camera’s settings including the flash. The lighting in Disney World could throw you off if you’re shooting into the light or your subject is backlit either from natural or artificial light. At a minimum, know how to turn on your flash even on Auto. You might need to override the Auto settings and activate the flash to ensure your subject is visible in the photo.
Batteries!
2. Make sure you charge your camera each night or carry an extra battery. You don’t want to run out of battery in the middle of the day! Remember, if anything goes wrong and you find yourself unable to use your camera, purchase a disposable one inside the park. It will do in a pinch.
Equipment!
3. Any professional photographer will always check their equipment before they head out the door. You should as well! Also, give some thought to how much equipment you really want or need to lug around on your vacation!
Think out of the box!
4. Portrait photography can be powerful, but it needs to be well thought out and clever. Don’t just pose your family in front of a pretty view and shoot! Get goofy along with Goofy! Do the unexpected in your pictures and with your pictures. Don’t just stand in front of the castle. Look for unusual angles from which to shoot. Look for quirky things which symbolize the spirit of the park, whether it’s a sign or an unusual or unexpected backdrop.
Think details!
5. We tend to get so excited in beautiful places that we forget that the devil is in the details. Some of the most beautiful pictures capture not the overall picture but the detail of something. Yes, the castle in Disney is stunning. But one feature of the castle, such as a grand turret, can give you an equally lovely photo.
Before you shoot…
6. Look through your lens and carefully compose the shot. A closeup can usually best capture someone’s expression. Imagine photographing your child’s face when they first see Mickey or on a thrilling ride. Those types of pictures can be the most memorable. Take your time composing the shot if you have the time or try to anticipate the shot. Most importantly, always be ready to shoot!
As a portrait photography specialist in McLean, VA we love working with our clients in and out of the studio. Our blog serves as a way to stay in touch, provide helpful tips for photography, and provide information about our work and how we can serve our clients. We hope you’ll follow us here on our blog! Contact us is you would like to discuss our photography or schedule an appointment.
Other posts in this series:
Photography Tips & Tricks: Lighting tips for family snapshots
Photography Tips & Tricks: Get natural smiles from your kids!
Photography Tips & Tricks: Underwater Pictures
Photography Tips & Tricks: Pets
Photography Tips & Tricks: Confidence is key
Family Photographer, Portrait Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near McLean, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
Ashley & Brian, Wall Art from Their Engagement in the Park | Northern VA Family Photographer
Ashley & Brian, Wall Art from Their Engagement in the Park | Northern VA Family Photographer
A pop of color, fun poses, and the wooded backdrop of our outdoor portrait park near the Hamilton, VA and Tysons Corner, VA area is the setting for this portrait session. An experienced family photographer and a beautiful young couple celebrating their engagement — the result is “picture perfect”!
We knew that our portrait park would be ideal for Ashley and Brian’s engagement portraits. The secluded park’s natural beauty seemed to embrace these two in a way that made this couple the highlight of every shot. It was to showcase their mutual love and respect for one another. We also captured their playful sides. As photographers we had so much fun doing their portraits!
Engagement Session
For a slideshow of other portraits from Ashley and Brian’s Engagement Session, click here.
Wall Art Collection
For their wall art, Ashley and Brian selected the very popular Contemporary Frameless Steel Finish. This frameless finish highlights and perfectly captures the vibrant colors. Our proprietary software showed them how their portraits would look on their wall at home.
You too will be able to envision what your wall collection will look like before we even have you in front of our cameras. We make it easy for you to walk out of our portrait studios with a fully finished product ready to hang in your home. As fine art custom photographers, a quality finish product is important and is part of our customer service at Ever After.
If you – or someone you know – live near the Hamilton, VA and Tysons Corner, VA area and are searching for an experienced and trusted family photographer, Ever After Portraits is it! We would enjoy meeting you and doing your portraits!
Family Photographer
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Hamilton, VA and Tysons Corner, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer
The Difference between a Portrait and a Picture | Northern VA Family Photographer
The Difference between a Portrait and a Picture | Northern VA Family Photographer
Is there a difference between a “portrait” and a “picture”? As fine art family photographers, we certainly think there is a difference! And, our savvy clients across the McLean, VA & Waterford, VA areas appreciate that difference.
Difference Between Portrait and Picture
As professionals, we do portraits. The only time we do pictures or snapshots, honestly, is when we are with our own families and pull out a cell phone with a camera to do some quick shots. To us, that’s a picture. It can turn out beautifully and be a good representation of someone or something, but it’s still not a portrait. Why?
A portrait can be a picture, but a picture isn’t a portrait.
A portrait is the likeness or representation of someone whether through sculpture, painting, photograph or other artistic media. A picture is a photograph.
If a portrait sounds like it has more depth than a picture, it’s because it usually does have more depth and tends to offer a story better than a picture does.
A portrait is like a book expressing itself through imagery rather than words. A portrait’s story flows from its canvas evoking intrigue or emotion like a book might.
While pictures can evoke emotion and can be as engaging as a portrait, they don’t have the same “finished” feel as a portrait. Pictures don’t often convey the same richness as a portrait nor tell a story as eloquently. We could say a portrait is 3-D and a picture is more one-dimensional.
This is why we say that we don’t do pictures. We don’t do “cookie-cutter” photography. We do fine art portraits to tell your unique story – whatever it might be.
So, yes, there is a difference between a picture and a portrait. Just browse our website, and we think you, like our McLean, VA & Waterford, VA area clients, will appreciate the distinction and difference between the two. If you would like to work with a family photographer whose goal is to craft your story through portraits rather than pictures, contact us to schedule an appointment. We would be happy to help you!
Family Photographer, Family Photography
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near McLean, VA and Waterford, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Cuppernull Family Slideshow | Northern VA Family Photographer
Cuppernull Family Slideshow | Northern VA Family Photographer
We recently posted about Carolyn and Gary’s multigenerational Family Portrait Session held here in our outdoor portrait park near Great Falls, VA. We had the privilege of being their family photographer, and we enjoyed their session immensely! We thought we’d share a slideshow of portraits from their session with you.
Family Photographer
Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Great Falls, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
Best,
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
Professional Photographer