Portraits Archives - Anne Lord Photography %

Anne Lord Photography - creating family portraits for gift giving or holiday greeting cards.

Outdoor Holiday Family Portraits

September 25, 2023/in family photography, holiday greeting card portraits, Portraits/by Anne Lord

Schools are in session again and Halloween is around the corner. Before you know it the November and December holiday season will be upon us! This inevitably means several family gatherings and opportunities to celebrate with loved ones. Whether you send out holiday cards with a collage of family pictures (including your family pets!) or a single portrait of your family, holiday cards are a lovely way to visually share the latest in our lives.

As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” A picture can tell a story, and by having a professional photographer take your family portraits, your story can be told in a way that your smart phone just cannot capture. A professional family portrait photographer, like Anne Lord in Leesburg Virginia, can help you slow down and truly enjoy being in the presence of the ones you hold most dear. When you look back on these photos years from now, they will stir emotions inside you that make you feel like it was just yesterday!

Gathering family members together is what makes the holidays so enjoyable. It may not be every day you get to see each other, so make lasting memories while in the moment!

When you have a family portrait taken you will be able to look at that portrait and remember the time spent together. The memory of catching up together, who is in school and what they are studying, a new job opportunity, or even an announcement of your family growing—either an engagement or a pregnancy! Anne Lord has the experience and technique to capture your family moments. A long-time portrait, pet and wedding photographer for the Northern Virginia and surrounding communities, Anne loves bringing families together to make lasting memories through her photographs.

Prepare for the upcoming holiday season by gathering your family around for a casual outdoor photo shoot, and don’t forget to smile!

Anne Lord Photography for a fun family portrait session

For holidays, special events, or for creating important keepsakes, only a professional family photographer can bring you the quality you desire. I am scheduling outdoor portrait sessions now for holiday cards. To learn more about your family’s photography options, please contact me at anne@annelordphotography.com, 703-435-5292, or cell phone 703-994-7938.

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.

Bride's hair fixing by hairstylist | Anne Lord Photography

Amazing Hair

January 11, 2015/in Around the Studio, Engagements, Leesburg, Virginia Photographer, Portraits, Weddings/by Anne Lord

Thanks to Up-Do’s For I Do’s, LLC for such an amazing hair job for Sarah.

Happy Family picture couple having one teenage girl and young man | Anne Lord Photography

Wire Family

November 28, 2014/in Portraits/by Anne Lord

My annual family portrait session with the Wire family is always great fun and we always look forward to time with them.

Cute Baby Boy in swing | Anne Lord Photography

Holmes Family

November 26, 2014/in Portraits/by Anne Lord

What a joy it is to keep in touch with past brides. Samantha and Sasha were married 7 years ago and they recently scheduled a family portrait session with Xander and their new baby son, Ashton. Congratulations to you both! I am delighted to continue to be part of your life and to capture special memories and moments, especially with the precious newborn portraits we captured together.