Having photographed as many families as I have, I usually have a good sense of how a session will go based just on pre-session conversations. I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I’m wrong, but that wasn’t the case this time. Angie and her family were exactly as down-to-earth as I imagined and it made for some beautiful Old Town Alexandria family photos!

Old Town Alexandria Family Photos at Shipyard Park

When a family books a session with me, I always send along a pre-session questionnaire to get to know them a bit better. This helps me personalize their experience and make sure we’re on the same page regarding any details they want captured. One of the questions I ask is If your kids are participating, how do they usually do when getting their picture taken? It was Angie’s answer to this that told me everything I needed to know:

“I’m sure we can get some genuine smiles but 3 years olds gonna 3 year old.”

That right there is the best expectation management I could ever ask for from a parent! When we expect too much out of our kids, they get frustrated and it shows in the final images. However, when we let kids be kids and follow their lead, we get a gallery filled with natural, joyful smiles. Plus, the whole experience is more enjoyable for everyone. It can be hard to let go of our expectations (I’m talking to myself here too!), but this is a perfect example of what can happen when we do.

To Angie and Jonathan, thank you for a wonderful morning with your beautiful family. I hope these portraits always serve as a reminder of your 2024 birthday season!

If you are interested in Old Town Alexandria family photos, please reach out to me. I’d love to create some beautiful memories for your family too!

If you enjoyed this post, you may also love:

• Shipyard Park | Alexandria, VA | Casey’s 30th Birthday
• Military Family Photos | Shipyard Park | The Zitelli Family
• Old Town Photography | Shipyard Park | The Walsh Family