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Leah O'Connellphotographer based in charlottesville, va
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A father and daughter clink glasses in a kitchen while grandma and a teen look on, warm string-light glow.

FamiliesCharlottesville, VARelaxed extended family photos at home in Charlottesville, Crozet, and surrounding areas

The Narrative Session

Narrative sessions are designed for the group and the experience. Often, this session is the perfect fit for an extended family, reunion, or small event. The heart behind it is a celebration of what happens when loved ones get together. The time allows for space to create both timeless portraits and undone, candid moments wherever your ground is gathered. The house by lake, the grandparents backyard, or the planned picnic in the vines. Whatever gathering looks like for your family, the images we make from that time will become honest treasures for generations.

Reserve a session

*available for travel

Details

When you all get together, it's a big deal.

It probably doesn't happen a lot. It's probably big and loud and messy and hilarious and a little dramatic, but also really fun. A Narrative Session allows for us to capture all of that energy through variety and direction, intention and play. Whether your group is 10 people or 30, I'll guide our time with direction, capturing timeless images of your whole group along with breakdowns for each family unit, cousins, grandparents, siblings - the whole bit.

While typical extended family sessions may bring feelings of dread, I encourage families to incorporate the activities and traditions you already love doing together into your session. This could include preparing a meal or fishing or playing a card game or backyard baseball. After all, some of the best photos we cherish of our families are those that capture their spirit through the way we connect with them.

After 20 years doing this work, I can say with confidence that the best images unfold with time. Narrative sessions allow us to truly sink in and make the kinds of artful images that come from letting your guard down. Within 2 weeks or less, you'll receive a custom slideshow and final gallery of 100+ quality curated images with full access to download. Every image will be part of the narrative, reflecting the beautiful life you've built and share with the people you love.

$2000

What you get

  • 2 hours
  • Session prep guide
  • Planning call
  • Gallery of 100 final edited images
  • $200 credit for use in the print shop
  • all digital downloads included
Book a session

Featured images

  • Cousins hug tight on a string-lit deck at dusk while grandma looks on with her wine glass.
  • Charlottesville family photographer captures cousins swinging and cartwheeling in a backyard play set.
  • Three generations pile into a close group hug outdoors, cheeks pressed together and smiling.
  • A grandfather in an apron carves a roast at the stove while his grandson holds the platter steady beside him.
  • Grandparents, daughters and a baby huddle close in a wildflower field, their spaniel cradled in the middle.
  • A grandmother and granddaughter share a laughing cheek-to-cheek hug outdoors, hands clasped over her shoulder.
  • A grandmother helps her grandson swing a bat while a little girl tosses him a ball across the backyard grass.
  • Adult siblings and parents raise glasses together for a toast in a bright, open living room.
  • Four cousins sit laughing along a pool's edge with their feet in the water under a cloudy sky.
  • Charlottesville family photographer catches three generations strolling arm-in-arm across an open field.
  • Kids and adults roast marshmallows together around a crackling backyard fire pit at sunset.
  • Three generations and their spaniel gather in front of a weathered barn, the baby held close in a knit cap.
  • A family breaks into a joyful run across the lawn together, grandparents and grandkids laughing mid-stride.
  • Grandparents and their two grown daughters lean in close for a tender embrace on a windy overlook.
  • Extended family gathers lakeside at a reunion, some swimming and others watching from the sandy shore.
  • A grandmother laughs with a baby on her lap by a sunny window as an older sibling leaps nearby.
  • A young couple shares a kiss on the kitchen counter while relatives chat and cook nearby.
  • An older couple shares a quiet smile over coffee at a lace-covered kitchen table, black-and-white portrait.

How it works

  1. // 1.

    Once you reach out with a little more context about your family, I can answer any lingering questions. We'll set a time to hop on the phone and talk through logistics, including a date and time, activities we might include, and I'll send you a proposal to lock it in.

  2. // 2.

    We'll meet for your session create photographs and spend part of the day together. I'll make everyone feel relaxed and direct the flow of our time for a healthy mix of variety, including portraits and activity, stepping back to document the kinds of family moments that make your heart happy.

  3. // 3.

    In 2 weeks or less, you'll receive your final gallery and a custom slideshow set to music. Sink in and enjoy the reflection of your beautiful family and the life you've built together. From here, you can download all your final images and print them however you like, including through the curated print shop attached to your gallery. Your photos will continue bringing light to your days and reminders of gratitude for years ahead.

Get started
An older couple sways together in a sunlit field, foreheads close, lens flare drifting across the grass.

This is for you if:

  1. you want timeless portraits, but nothing stuffy or cheesyyou're not really a "family pictures" family, but you still actually do want those family pictures
  2. You want the experience to feel painless and fun with someone who will take the lead and has experience so you don't have toyou want to work with someone who is open and accepting with all kinds of families
Adult siblings and parents raise glasses together for a toast in a bright, open living room.

I am over-the-moon-thrilled with these photos. I can not think of a more precious gift than these photos.

Karen
leah o'connell lifestyle family photographer in charlottesville, virginia

i fell in love with photographing families while I was living an ocean away from my own.

My first jobs in high school and college were in mall portrait studios - photographs of kids with the Easter bunny, sitting on stools, and with bright harsh light on a little square backdrop. I liked the concept of honoring people in photographs, but not this way.

When my husband and I married, we moved to Hawaii where he was stationed in the Navy and promptly deployed. I was left in paradise, but missing my family. My business gave me purpose and perspective into treasuring an ordinary day with the people we love, the variety of family dynamics, and the potential of photos to bring us into gratitude.

Almost twenty years later, I'm still set on helping families notice and hold what they're most grateful for. I'd love to do the same for yours.

Leah O'Connell

Other sessions

  1. 01Home Sweet Home Session
  2. 02Story Session
  3. 03Field Session
  4. All family sessions

Reach out to get started

Let's make photos that move you.

Fill out this short form to get the ball rolling. I'll answer all your questions and we'll choose a date from there. You don't have to have it all figured out - I'm here to walk you through and make this a beautiful experience from start to finish.

Let's do it