Four-year-old Cassie greeted me when I knocked gently on the door. “I’m eating breakfast!” she declared happily, letting me into the house and going back to the table. “We’re kinda dragging here,” her dad told me as I let myself …
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Maternity and Family Photos at Forest Hill Park
Let me take you back to a time that feels like one hundred years ago. It was the last week of October, pre-Election pre-Daylight Saving, pre-Halloween. Remember that time? The VA Forestry Service had proclaimed this week to be the …
Front Yard Family Photos
Casey DM’d me on Instagram (@allisonpatelphotography) and confessed she’d never had professional family photos taken before. Her son and mine are extremely close in age (like, hours apart) and it was high time (in my opinion) for two-year-old Henry to …
A Pregnancy Announcement in Forest Hill
As a photographer, I am sometimes privy to special announcements and life news before other people. No matter the occasion, I feel extremely privileged when a client trusts me with their secret. I love being able to help them celebrate …
My Favorite Fall Photo Locations
We’re only a week away from the start of peak leaf season for Richmond, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry. October 20 – 31 is when the experts believe we’ll have peak color, although they also warn that individual …
Home Away from Home
We left our house last week and went to someone else’s (empty) house for a whole week. It was the first time I’d been out of Virginia since 2018. The first time we’d been away from home since my daughter …
How this works: Maternity Sessions
Most of my maternity clients are newbies to maternity photography. You don’t really think about how maternity sessions work when you’re not pregnant. Just like most people aren’t looking for doulas or pediatricians before becoming pregnant, maternity photography is a …
Well Wishes For a New Day
Happy First Day of School! I hear some of you muttering, “what’s so good about it?” under your breath as you read this and I hear you. Bear with me; I have some thoughts, prayers, and well wishes for you. …
Choosing Photos from Your Session: Advice
Now what? You’ve seen your online, password-protected gallery and you’ve been presented with the options: pre-made packages, albums, canvases, or prints. Where do you start? How do you start choosing photos and products that you love so you don’t simply …
Online Ordering: What to Expect
I like meeting clients after our photo session, going through the photos together and hearing the oohs and aahs as you sift through the images. Online ordering has always been an option, but I like sifting together and seeing if …