Social media is such a wonderful gift! Morgan and I first connected through Instagram, and I was thrilled when she reached out to schedule a family portrait session. Their daughter, Chloe, turns three this month, so it was the perfect opportunity to update those portraits! The Pazdur family is from southern Maryland (like me!), but we chose to meet in Old Town Alexandria to incorporate the historic city aesthetic. One of my favorite things about the DC area is that there are SO MANY beautiful portrait locations all within an easy drive!

Old Town was still beautiful even well into November, but we met on the COLDEST day of the season thus far. It was about 30 degrees when I parked on my favorite street, and I knew we’d need to shoot quickly to keep Chloe engaged.

Mom and dad helped by bundling her up and bringing snacks and encouraging her, but the reality is, Chloe was just NOT having it. I share this with you because I think it’s important for parents to understand how totally normal it is! Little kids can absolutely sense when they’re expected to perform, even when we’re being as positive and encouraging as possible. Chloe was definitely happiest when she was on the move, so we embraced that and let her frolic the streets to her heart’s content!

Despite some … reluctance … from the youngest Pazdur, I’m so thrilled with what we were able to create! These portraits may not quite reflect the reality of our time together (we worked hard for those smiles!), but they absolutely convey how this family feels about each other. And that’s what’s most important, right?

Thank you SO much for trusting me, Morgan! Please enjoy a handful of favorites from this session!