Autumn is a lovely time for professional family portrait photography. Anne Lord shares 5 reasons why.

5 Reasons Why Fall Is a Lovely Time of Year for Family Portraits

October 29, 2021/in family photographer, family photography, family portraits, family portraits with pets/by Anne Lord

The crisp air, the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot, and of course the pumpkin spice latte! It’s fall! The wonderful time of year for bonfires, wearing your favorite sweaters, and getting your family together for a family portrait.

Here are a five great reasons from your Leesburg, Virginia photographer, Anne Lord, on why fall is the perfect time for a family portrait session.

1) Cooler weather and autumn color

Goodbye summer heat and humidity! Standing in front of a camera is instantly more enjoyable when you are not sweaty. It also means not worrying about your makeup, if your eyes are squinting, or if the older members of the family have been out in the heat for too long.

With the cooler weather comes the changing of the leaves. This instantly brings beautiful color and texture to any photo. There are also natural fun props for the whole family. Whether capturing an image of young children, the family pet, or the whole family playing in the leaves, the natural beauty of the outdoors contributes to beautiful images of the family having fun together.

2) Colder weather clothing options can make your portrait pop

You may have heard the line “eyes go where the skin shows.” The option to wear long sleeves and darker pants in the fall can go a long way in making sure your family’s faces are the center of attention in your family portraits. Wearing colors that all go together can help your family look unified and reduce the distraction.

Also, when deciding on what you and your family will wear, imagine where in your home you are planning to display your family portrait. Wherever you envision your portraits being, think about what colors would go well in that space. Generally speaking, the use of neutral clothing colors works great in a wide variety of places and throughout a range of different decor styles.

3) Perfect weather to add your family pet to the photo shoot

As an avid pet lover, family and pet photographer Anne Lord enjoys photographing pets and capturing their unique personalities and special relationships with their family. Most four-legged family members love the fall as much as we do, if not more. It is a wonderful time of year to participate in action photos with your pet, whether chasing a frisbee, jumping in a pile of leaves, or playing fetch!

4) Fall lighting

One of the most important things for a great family photo is the lighting. In the summer, the sun is extremely high in the sky and can be harsh for daytime photos. During the fall, the sun starts getting lower in the sky, making for better lighting in the afternoons. In the fall, there is more of a warm glow that shows even brighter when you have your loved ones around you.

5) Just in time for the holidays

Family vacations, swim lessons, kids’ games, and summer camp are activities that keep people busy throughout the summer months. With school in session again, there is more opportunity to keep everyone in town and schedule a family photo session. With more room in your schedule, and less stress planning around all your family’s activities, a more relaxed and fun environment will bring out those special smiles and moments with your family. You may want to schedule an appointment to have an updated family portrait taken for greeting cards and holiday gift-giving.

Anne Lord: Your Family and Pet Photographer in Leesburg, Virginia

If you would like high quality family portraits, you can get a feel for what Anne has to offer by browsing through her Family and Pet photography portfolio. For any questions or to schedule an appointment contact Anne via email, or by calling (703) 435-5292.

Anne Lord Photography

Tips for Including Your Pet in Your Next Family Photo Session

August 26, 2021/in family portraits, family portraits with pets, pet photography, Pets, Portraits/by Anne Lord

With any photography session, there are simple preparations you can follow to ensure a fun time and successful results. The same holds true when you want to include your pet(s) in your family portraits. Family and pet photographer, Anne Lord, is an avid pet lover and enjoys including furry 4-legged family members well!

With over 21 years of experience in photography, Anne has a few tips and tricks up her sleeve to help you prepare your pet for your next family photo session.

Practice commands and tricks

When planning a photo-op with your pet, it is always great to brush up on commands your pet knows to helps things run smoothly. Although not entirely necessary, a “sit”, “stay”, or “down” can go a long way with helping the success of a portrait session.

If your pet has a special trick or cute pose, you may want to include it in photographs as well. Practicing it with your pet beforehand will keep the trick fresh in your pet’s mind.

Exercise your pet before the session

It is so important that your pet, especially dogs, have an opportunity to release their energy (some people call it “zoomies”) to get it out of their system before the session. Long walks, a jog around the block, a chance to run around at the dog park with other pets, all can make a difference. This will help your pet to relax, be focused, and not bounce off the walls in excitement.

Owners also should prepare for the session

Animals are very sensitive to our emotions and attitudes. If owners go into a session with a calm, positive state of mind, it will set the stage for how your pet and the rest of the family will respond. One thing to remember is to be flexible. It is ok if things don’t go exactly as planned. If you go with the flow, your family and your pet will too. Anne also has the experience to bring a level of calm to the session, which will help as well.

Whether you are preparing for a pet, family, or combined session, you will probably already have picked out your outfit or a family theme. If you are also including your pet, you will want to also prepare his or her “look”. Start with a good grooming, a bath and/or trim if possible. Clear any debris around the eyes of your pet, especially breeds that get tear stains. If your pet tends to get dandruff or shed, give them a good brush over before your session.

Bring toys and treats

Another way to prepare your pet for a session is by bringing their favorite treats and toys. It is great to bring those special treats, the delicious ones that your pet may not get very often. The kind of treat that your beloved furry friend will want to work for as a reward. If your pet has a favorite toy, bring it. Sometimes the best images can be of your pet enjoying that special toy! However, if your pet is very toy motivated, wait until your photographer asks you to bring the toy out. Otherwise, your pet could lose all focus and motivation.

Using a squeaker toy, or a toy that catches your pet’s attention can be very helpful to capture those head tilts and great expressions. However, you may want to use sparingly. Just like the favorite toy that could cause your pet to lose total focus, overuse of a squeaker toy or trigger phrases like “want to go outside?” or “where is mommy?” can cause your pet to become disinterested.

Capturing expressions and interactions

Leesburg, Virginia photographer Anne Lord knows sometimes it is important to get down at eye level when posing clients with their pets to capture those special interactions and moments. If you are unsure what to do with your hands, pet your furry friend! A gentle hand on a pet looks great and is a natural interaction that can be captured and enjoyed for years to come. After all, the important thing is that your family and pet are captured forever in those happy moments between pet and owner, where tails are wagging, and smiles are from ear to ear.

Contact Anne Lord Photography for a fun, creative, family and pet portrait session

Immortalize your family with your special furry family member! View our pet portrait gallery and to learn more about your family and pet photography options, please contact Anne at anne@annelordphotography.com or 703-435-5292.

Anne Lord Photography

3 Reasons To Schedule Your Pet For A Portrait Session

August 27, 2020/in family portraits with pets, pet photographer, pet photography, Pets/by Anne Lord

We all love to take pictures of our family pets when a cute or playful moment presents itself. However, high end photography is hard to achieve when taken with your personal camera or smartphone. It is also impossible to achieve the same quality resolution that a professional photographer can.

Anne Lord is not only a Leesburg, Virginia wedding photographer, but an avid pet lover, who enjoys photographing pets and capturing their unique personalities. Here are three reasons to schedule your beloved pet for a portrait session.

1) Your pet is a part of your family

Pets – they grow up with us, share everyday with us, they are a part of us. Whether you want to capture your playful puppies or kittens before they grow up (which they do all too fast) or have a portrait taken of a faithful pet who is nearing the rainbow bridge; have a professional photographer capture your furry family member’s image.

We all like to get professional photos taken with loved ones, like spouses or families. So why not also capture your beloved pet with a quality shoot as well! If you are usually the one taking the pictures of your pet, sometimes it is hard to be in the photo yourself. Having a pet photographer gives you an opportunity to be participate in the picture and your relationship with your pet be the focus. Pet photography may seem like a little bit of luxury. However, once you capture those special moments and bit of personality with your pet, you will have value them forever.

2) Gallery quality pet portraits

With professional family photos that include your special pet, or portraits of just your four-legged friend, you can have unique and personalized decor for your home. There is no store-bought photo that can mean more than having a custom-made piece of art that is of your cat or dog.

A professional photographer will have the training, equipment, and experience to produce gallery quality portraits. With an experienced pet photographer, such as Anne Lord, local to the Leesburg, Virginia area, you can expect images with great lighting, details, and softness that a point-and-shoot camera or smartphone cannot achieve. By using an experienced photographer for your pet portraits, you can get finely tuned, high end, striking images that display you and your pet’s personality and bond.

3) Priceless memories of your pet that are forever

When we feel nostalgic, we like to return to our photos. Memories are priceless. They tell the story of our lives, and our animals are a part of our lives. Animals do not last forever, no matter how much we wish they did. It is great to be able to get photo opportunities while we have these special family members with us. Why not get a new photo shoot done with your pet every couple of years, when they are still strong and healthy, so that when they do pass, you will have those precious moments from every phase of their life.

Anne Lord Photography for a fun, creative pet portrait session

You will always want to take your own photos of your pets in the moment, but for the purpose of creating important keepsakes or immortalizing your special furry family member, only a professional pet photographer can bring you the quality you desire.

To learn more about pet photography options, please contact me at anne@annelordphotography.com or 703-435-5292.