Skip to content
Leah O'Connellphotographer based in charlottesville, va
Reach out
Reach out
Four kids race through the ocean shallows, waves breaking around their ankles.

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

The Story Session

Story sessions are built for range. Maybe we start by playing at home and then walk down to the river to splash in the creek. Maybe we meet for coffee and bagels, then play at the skate park like you do every Saturday morning, except this time, we make vibrant pictures that capture not only your family, but the familiarities that bring you closer. Story sessions are all-inclusive - so you don't have to decide between timeless portraits and heart-melting details. The story of family has many colors, and this session is for reflecting the whole spectrum.

Reserve a session

*available for travel

Details

Photos that look how life feels.

Whether or not you think 90 minutes is a long time for family photos, after 20 years doing this work, I can say with confidence that the best images unfold with time. Story sessions allow us to truly sink in and make the kinds of artful images that come from letting your guard down. These can take place at home and incorporate your favorite family traditions in any season - carving pumpkins, playing in the snow and making cocoa in the winter, climbing trees and riding bikes in the spring, playing in the sprinkler or going to your favorite ice cream shop in the summer.

Through the addition of a planning call in this creative process, I can help develop a plan for our time that will direct the flow and incorporate the kinds of moments you treasure. Within 2 weeks or less, you'll receive a custom slideshow and final gallery of 75+ quality curated images with full access to download. There's no choosing favorites here because every image will be part of the narrative, reflecting the beautiful life you've built with perspective and light.

$1400

What you get

  • 90 minutes
  • Session prep guide
  • Planning call
  • Gallery of 75 final edited images
  • $100 credit for use in the print shop
  • all digital downloads included
Book a session

Featured images

  • A couple shares an ice cream cone at a picnic table while their daughters look on nearby.
  • Four kids leap together off a dock into a green pond beside a floating water slide.
  • From above, a toddler reaches for her newborn sibling on a blanket as the family dog looks on.
  • On a backyard patio, a dad feeds his son a slice of apple while a girl snacks nearby.
  • A man kneels to propose on a mountain overlook, the Blue Ridge stretching out behind them.
  • A birthday cake arrives for a boy in his high chair as excited dogs and grandparents look on.
  • Grandparents and a toddler greet two horses at the fence, autumn color filling the barnyard.
  • A mother feeds her baby a bottle while seated on a blanket in a sunny park.
  • Two brothers stand on a lakeside dock at sunset, one playfully mussing the other's hair.
  • A family gathers around a crackling firepit, roasting marshmallows as their toddler reaches in.
  • A mother and teenage daughter laugh as their dog shakes off water in a wooded creek.
  • In black and white, a father feeds a newborn while mom and a toddler cook together in the kitchen.
  • A curly-haired toddler runs laughing through rows of a flower farm with his dad close behind.
  • A mother holding her newborn watches her son crouch on a skateboard, hillside view behind them.
  • A dad in a dragon mask helps his son into a matching dragon cape in the front hallway.
  • A father sits with his toddler at a floor-to-ceiling window, autumn trees glowing outside.
  • A family snowball fight breaks out in falling snow, a baby bundled up watching from mom's arms.
  • A mother carries her son sideways across the beach as he giggles in her arms.

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 based on the vision, and I'll send you a proposal to lock it in.

  2. // 2.

    We'll meet for your session create photographs - but it will feel more like a family playdate. I'll make everyone feel relaxed and direct the flow of our time for a healthy mix of variety, including portraits and 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 fruit of this beautiful life you're building. 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
In a cozy mudroom, a mother fixes her daughter's ponytail beneath a row of coat hooks.

There's something so special about photos that really look how life feels, and I know we will look back on these with so much love.

Looking through these photos has been such a gift!! I'm in awe of how you beautifully captured all the in-between moments. They feel so dynamic and intentional.

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

More about me

I’m one of the first to meet your newborn baby, the one who won't judge your clothes baskets and unmade beds, and the one who can preserve the way your husband looks at you with a twinkle in his eye after 12 years of marriage. My life's work is about honoring people and telling stories.

I believe art has the power to light up the world in dark places, starting at home.

I'm a mom of 3 who loves mornings and words. I rely heavily on black coffee and a sense of humor.

Leah

Meet the photographer

Other sessions

  1. 01Home Sweet Home Session
  2. 02Field Session
  3. 03Narrative Session
  4. All family sessions
  5. All newborn + maternity 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