Leah O'Connell PhotographyCharlottesville, VA
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Family, newborn, brand, and school photography stories from Leah O'Connell.
Maybe it helps that this is my second family. The maid of honor at my wedding. Countless sleepovers, notes passed, songs played sitting side by side on a piano bench. Trips, and funerals, and concerts. They are more than dear to me, so photographing them was like trying to communicate the way I’ve seen them
Every year, families scramble for fall family photos. In Charlottesville, particularly, it’s the gold medal of seasons for a reason. And if you’ve never had fall family photos (or maybe this is your first year as a family with kiddos!) you might be wondering what all the fuss is about. Why does everyone want photos
Over the past 10 years, I’ve photographed families all over the Shenandoah Valley, but these are some of my top favorite locations for family photos in Charlottesville. Locations are always one of the first and biggest decisions to make when planning your session, and many families are surprised to learn that there’s a lot more
There are so many adventurous and beautiful things to do in Charlottesville with kids. Through my years living here, I’ve had the privilege of photographing many families from out of town – whether visiting their old Alma Mater at UVA or gathering for a family reunion, I’ve gotten to meet and work with families from
When I polled my Instagram following about their concerns for family photos, 70% of people said that they were concerned about their own appearance. It’s natural to be concerned when stepping in front of the camera, but I believe it’s a roadblock of self-deprecation that needs to break.
One of the biggest questions I get asked from families inquiring about family photo sessions in Charlottesville is “is it okay if we include our dog!?”
I’ve tested and ordered samples from dozens of labs over the years to narrow down those choices for our families, and am super excited about where we’ve landed in 2021 with our new 8×8 keepsake book.
Fall is by far the most popular season for family photos, but I think spring is getting the short end of the stick as a really awesome candidate. If you know you want family photos in Charlottesville this year, here’s a few things to consider and why a spring session could actually be a way better alternative for you.
If you had to use five words to describe your business, what would they be? You might feel like 5 words is too many or too little but we think it’s just right. Those five words are enough to set your business apart from others while not being too broad where the vision isn’t clear. Not only do these five words equip you better to prepare for your brand session, they inspire and guide us as we move through our time, maximizing each minute.
Whew. This post feels hard to start. Mostly because it was such a hard year in business and life overall. Ya know, global pandemic and all. So I’ll start with gratitude. For the families who trusted me to come into their homes. For the families who let me be one of the only people to meet their newborn babies. For the ability to meet and celebrate families who look different, act different, parent different, and love different than me, but who still believed I was the one who could capture their story.
When I say “extended family photos” you might get shivers thinking about the sweaty mall studio guy who tried to bribe you with a lollipop as Uncle Bill grumble under his breath from the black stool beside you. This is not that. Backyard sessions are amazing options for large families who want to capture a piece of the true memories and relationships shared. They’re also a great way to have photos of people who hate being in photos. This family, for example, traveled from all corners of the country to be together for the holidays, but wanted to keep it simple and not detract from their time just hanging out.
families, Featured sessions, newborns
When Dani reached out last November, we were both pregnant, due around the same time, and met for coffee at a local shop to chat about maternity, hospital, and newborn sessions. It was all pretty typical, except for the fact that Dani is quadriplegic, and now, joins only a handful of other quadriplegic mothers ever to give birth to twins.