Sneak Peek: Sullivan Siblings | Virginia Portrait Photography

I had the great pleasure of spending the evening with Colleen and Sean for some sibling portraits. Although the July heat had me melting behind my camera like the Wicked Witch of the West, these two stayed cool, calm, and collected the whole session! Perhaps it's their athletic talents that help them stay so relaxed. Sean is a swimmer -- a future Michael Phelps! -- and Colleen has hopes of playing field hockey in college.  Or perhaps it was the fact that they are super laid-back and easygoing that they just rolled with the punches that mother nature threw us tonight - with smiles and jokes the whole time. Either way, they withstood the heat, and we had a great session!

Sneak Peek: Summer Sisters | Northern VA Portrait Photographer

I have been so excited to share these photos with you! Sophia and Julia decided to give their mom a surprise birthday gift of updated family photos, and I was thrilled to be asked to take the for such a special occasion. It's such a wonderful and meaningful gift, in my opinion! (But then again, I always love photos gifts...*cough* *cough* hint hint). Anyway, back to the real focus of this post: Sophia and Julia. They were such a joy to shoot: easygoing and up for anything, even in wedge heels and sundresses! We completely lucked out with the weather and got a beautiful sunset instead of the yucky thunderstorms that had been in the forecast. All in all, we had a wonderful session, and their mom is going to get some pretty amazing photo gifts!

Sneak Peek: Will & Allie's Day in DC! | Arlington, VA Family Photographer

It is a fact that we all know that the heat in July is what makes the dog days of summer. So let me just preface this sneak peek into Will and Allie's day in DC with a disclaimer: it was hot. Not just a typical hot summer day - a record-breaking-heat kind of summer day. I was a little worried that we wouldn't last more than a few minutes before melting when the temperature read 93 degrees at 8:30 AM. Nevertheless, Will and Allie braved the heat like the troopers that they are, and we had a great time on the downtown mall! Will, the WWII buff of the family, really enjoyed seeing the beautiful new WWII Memorial (and climbing the trees!). Allie followed her older brother around like a champ, climbing trees and even making him run after bubbles in the heat!

Will climbing the gorgeous trees near the Washington Monument.

Allie cools off and blows some bubbles for Will to chase.

Will and Allie meet President Lincoln!

The Value of Photographs: Storage and Protection | Arlington, VA Photographer

Happy 4th, everyone! In honor of this week's patriotic holiday, I'm starting off this post with a little history lesson. Pop quiz to follow! Ready??

(Just kidding! About the pop quiz. Not the history lesson. ;-) )

When the British stormed DC and set fire to the White House in the war of 1812, Dolley Madison famously went to great lengths to salvage a precious portrait of George Washington from the looting British soldiers. She saved the portrait over her own family's personal belongings because she understood the value of that portrait as a symbol of America's fight for independence.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/dolley/

History lesson aside, a very, very important aspect of planning that takes place after your session is how you will store and protect your photographs once you have them. Remember, planning for after your session is not just about showcasing your photos. It is also about storing and preserving them.

Do you have backups for the disc or digital files that I provide to you, in case the dog gets hold of them, or a virus attacks your computer? If you don't, here are some simple steps to ensure that you don't lose those precious family memories:

1) Schedule regular backups of your computer's system. You can usually do this through your computer's control panel or settings menu. I store my backups on an external hard drive.

2) Copy your photos and other important files onto an external media storage device. This protects them and keeps them accessible even if your main computer dies. As an added bonus, keeping those large files on an external device helps your main computer run faster! Any of the following will work:

• CD or DVD

• External hard drive

• Protected thumb drive

3) Store your external media in appropriate conditions. Don't expose to extreme temperatures, direct sunlight, and liquids, and don't store them within reach of young children and animals. If you have prints, store them in the coolest, driest location in your house year round.

4) Use an online backup service. There are so many good (and free!) options out there that this is quickly becoming an excellent way to backup your photos. I use Dropbox for sharing and storing personal files, and love it.

I know it's a  lot of work to back up your photos, but trust me, it's worth it!  Your photographs are the physical forms of intangible memories and therefore hold a tremendous amount of significance for you and your loved ones. If they are lost or destroyed, you can not go back in time and replace them.

Sneak Peek: Jack is 18 Months! | Arlington, VA Children's Photographer

Little Jack turned 18 months on Sunday, and I got to celebrate with him. He was such a miniature man, suspenders and all! Although it was a HOT summer day, we had a great time running around. He chased bubbles, showed off his awesome cars, and of course flashed his beautiful little smile and big, curious eyes for the camera. Here's a sneak peek into our session:

Jack contemplates climbing a tree.

Curiously observing a squirrel and playing with his cars.

Jack shows off a big rock!