We’d like to talk about the difference between your snapshots of loved ones versus our Northern Virginia area portrait studio for professional portraits. Located near Broadlands, VA, we provide the experience of having family portraits you’ll treasure forever.

It seems these days everyone is a photographer because they can just pull out their smartphone. You can take a few pictures to be stored in phone cyberspace but not necessarily displayed where you can enjoy them every day. We think it’s important to discuss why investing (a lot or a little) on professional portraits is truly worth it!

Snapping lots of photos of our family members is truly wonderful. The invention of the smartphone and point-and-shoot cameras has truly revolutionized a hobby photographer’s ability to document their loved ones. It’s easy, and it’s fun! So, why hire a pro and spend all that money? Because it’s worth it, and it’s very different than a snapshot.

• A portrait photography studio can produce work that you can’t on your phone or your easy-to-use camera.
• A professional photographer has years of training and education centered around photography.
• A professional photographer has skills a hobby photographer does not.
• A professional photographer has invested tens of thousands into their business, their equipment, and their training.
• Professional photography is an artistic craft unlike point and shoot pictures.
• And, yes, professional portraits may seem like a bit of luxury, but can you truly put a price on documenting your family for future generations?

You can take a quick snapshot, print it out at your local big-box store and pop the print in a frame and display on your tabletop, desk, or wall. Voila! You’re done. Except that the photo hasn’t been printed on archival paper or framed in museum-quality framing. Will it last 10 years? Possibly, unless you splash something on the frame. If you keep it out on a table where you can see, will it fade from sunlight? Yes, it will. Will it last to the next generation? Perhaps, but only if you store it in an archival box with little light or humidity.

Professional photography is so much more than a snapshot! A professional and boutique portrait studio such as Ever After Portraits works only with archival-quality products and materials. Our goal – besides documenting your family and their relationship – is to ensure your portraits are protected for generation to come without putting them away into a box. How can you enjoy those special moments if they’re hidden away in a box?!
 

 
Is it worth the time and investment?

Ask any bride who’s invested in a high-quality, reputable photographer if they regret spending the money on their wedding day. Ask any parent if they regret spending the money on the professional newborn pictures of their little darling. We can guarantee you that the answer will be “No!” They absolutely do not regret ordering professional portraits from a professional photographer.

Their professional portraits captured very special moments in their lives, ones they can’t relive, and they’ve been documented for generations to come. Years from now, they’ll be able to enjoy their wedding portraits and show their grandchildren their own parents’ newborn pictures!

• Fine art, professional photographers are artists in their own right.
• They are highly skilled, highly experienced, and gifted in their craft.
• They can capture the beauty – both physical and inner – with their portraits.
• They will spend hours in the portrait studio after a photo session to craft a stunning picture.

These are reasons why you should still hire a professional photographer from a portrait studio in addition to your snapshots! If you live in the Broadlands, VA area, or anywhere in the surrounding area, we hope you will let us document the special moments your family experiences and enjoys.

Family Photographer, Portrait Studio

Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, mother-daughter portrait photographers located in Northern Virginia, near Broadlands, VA. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
 
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
 
Best,
 
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
 
Professional Photographer

A parent’s love is boundless and timeless. It transcends everything in our lives, and we carry it with as long as we live. Why not capture that in a lasting portrait? If you browse any photography websites, you will no doubt find the iconic mother and child portraits. What you don’t as commonly see are father and child portraits. We know that a father’s love can be as powerful as a mother’s love. We want to capture that in a portrait for you to enjoy and for your child to one day cherish. For our Broad Run Farms, VA and Northern Virginia area clients, we are offering a Limited Edition Session, Daddy & Me. Book it today because we have very limited slots available with high demand!

Children have unique bonds with each of their parents, enjoying special moments with each parent while creating memories to cherish. There is a unique connection between a child and each of their parents – whether there’s one child or three children in the family.

This is why we love our parent and child photography sessions! Our Divas & Darlins mother/child sessions and our Daddy & Me sessions are always so special and enjoyable to photograph. Who doesn’t love seeing a parent and child interact with such pure joy?! As photographers, it’s our goal to capture that from behind the lens.

If you’d like to enjoy the special bonds in your family between Daddy and child captured forever in print, contact us today! What better way to demonstrate these special bonds than with an Ever After portrait reflecting that bond?

DADDY & ME LIMITED EDITION SESSION

WHO: Fathers (or grandfathers) who cherish their sons and daughters (or grandsons and granddaughters)!

WHEN: MONDAY, MAY 30, 2016

WHERE: Our Outdoor Studio in Sterling, VA

WHY: Because time moves so fast — photography stops it!

This session is perfect for the father, mother or grandparent who values one-of-a-kind portraits of their cherished little ones! Portraits from our 30-minute sessions make the perfect gift for Mom, Dad and especially the grandparents! These sessions are only offered for a limited time. We promise you will feel extra special when you leave, and the best part is that you will have timeless images during this special time of your life.

SCHEDULE TODAY:
For this Limited Edition Session, only 12 session slots are available for our Broad Run Farms, VA and Northern Virginia area clients! So hurry to book yours through our photography website or please contact us here to schedule your session or call the studio at 571.434.0009.
 

Family Photographer, Photography Websites

Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter family photography team located near Leesburg, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
 
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
 
Best,
 
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
 
Professional Photographer

Tip #6 in our series “How to Understand & Work with Your Photographer” is: Think Twice When Hiring Friends! Oh, the lessons we’ve learned in our professional photography and personal lives! As photographers who’ve centered our practice in and around the Broad Run Farms, VA and Northern Virginia area, we’ve learned a lot, seen a lot, and heard a lot! We’ve also met terrific clients along the way and built lasting relationships with them. Today’s piece of unsolicited advice is: Think twice when hiring your friends for anything professional including photography – especially if you’re hoping for a discount!

Why, you ask? Because it could be a recipe for disaster.

Hire a friend for photography if you admire their work, value their time, and truly like their style.

Do not hire a friend if you are expecting a discount or expecting them to change their style to meet your vision. Do not hire a friend just because they have a camera. You will be disappointed, and that will lead to a great deal of tension in your relationship.

Doing business with friends, as anyone who’s tried it can attest, can be both tricky and risky. Try Googling “doing business with friends” and you can read the horror stories. There’s a great article on “hiring friends to be your wedding photographer” on the bridal advice blog The Very Last Detail. Read that and you’ll hopefully think twice about hiring your friend to shoot your pictures!

They offer five good reasons why you shouldn’t hire a friend:
1. A professional is committed to you.
2. A professional will have experience.
3. You will get awesome results from a professional.
4. You won’t have to worry about straining your friendship.
5. You want your friend to enjoy your wedding/event/etc.

So next time you’re thinking about hiring a friend to do your wedding or family photos, you might want to give it a great deal of consideration! We’re not saying that it will never work. In fact, we have several friends who have chosen us for weddings and family portraits, and we still remain friends! Mutual respect is key for business between friends to work, though. If the only reason you want a friend to do your photography is because you expect them to give you a deep discount, then you are risking your friendship. Issues of money between friends causes stress. Really think about this: Is saving a little money worth losing a friend?

Other tips in this series:
Tip #1, Understanding the Process
Tip #2, Don’t ask for more photos than the ones we present to you
Tip #3, Don’t Expect Free Photography
Tip #4, Don’t Crop Out the Watermark
Tip #5, Don’t Edit a Photographer’s Images
 
If you live in the Northern Virginia or Broad Run Farms, VA area, we hope you’ll think of us for your next professional photography session. As a mother-daughter team, we enjoy both our repeat clients and working with new ones!

Family Photographer, Professional Photography

Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy and Joriana, a mother-daughter family photography team located in Northern Virginia, near Broad Run Farms, VA. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
 
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
 
Best,
 
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
 
Professional Photographer

This young family of three (soon to be four with the expected arrival of a baby), the Lamberts had never done a family portrait. Their professional photos had been baby photos of their precious red-curly-haired toddler. The Northern Virginia area family was enjoying their time parenting a toddler while getting ready to welcome a baby son when they contacted us. Ashlyn and Luke were interested in doing candid family portraits in a casual outdoor setting. Having looked at photography websites, they liked our style and decided that we were worth trying. We appreciate that very much!

Although they had done baby photos of their one-and-a-half-year-old happy and chatty daughter, Evelyn, they told us it was time for family photos. Ashlyn mentioned that they were also interested in photos of each parent individually with their daughter. We can’t stress enough what a great idea this is! In families, usually one parent is the “go-to” photographer (often Mom!), and most of the family’s snapshots will feature the other parent. The result is an imbalance of photos! Professional portraits featuring the entire family, as well as individual portraits of each parent with the child or children, help to ensure everyone in a family is captured in pictures. Years later, the children will have pictures featuring both of their parents! We can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard adult children say how much it means to them to have family photos of BOTH parents!
 

 
We always ask our clients in their pre-session consult what they want their children to see reflected when they look at those family portraits decades from now. The answer is almost always the same: Parents want their children to see their family’s love depicted in family portraits. That common answer is the most important reason to prioritize your family portraits. Family portraits are an important legacy parents leave for their children, and we always urge parents to order at least one portrait per child in the family. One day each child will have a copy of that beloved family portrait!

After browsing other photography websites, if you find that you like our style, we urge you to contact us. We’d love to work with you and your family on the legacy you will be leaving your cherished children. Our clients hail from throughout the D.C. Metropolitan and Northern Virginia area, including Broad Run Farms, VA.
 

Family Photographer, Photography Websites

Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Broad Run Farms, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
 
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
 
Best,
 
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
 
Professional Photographer

Not too many photography websites discuss death. We’re not going to either! However, we are going to discuss regret. What are some of the biggest regrets people have in their lives before they die? We ask this because it’s not unusual for us to hear from our clients across the Broad Run Farms and Leesburg, VA areas that they regret waiting so long to take family portraits. Many people have a nice family portrait when their children are very young, but then they have nothing for the intervening years up until there’s a wedding or their children have children! That got us thinking about what sort of things we all regret at some point in our lives.

We’ve never had a client or friend tell us that they regret taking family pictures — or any pictures for that matter. We agree. You really can’t take too many pictures, whether it’s of your family or of your family trips. Portraits capture memories in print. They make them tangible. You can revisit those memories as frequently as you want. Whether it’s often or infrequently doesn’t matter. The point is that you have the pictures, the portraits of your loved ones, to enjoy. You wont ever regret having those portraits!

After a lot of thought, as well as some reading, we’ve created a list of the most common regrets people have before they die. (This list is based on a Forbes magazine article.)

1) Working too much. At the end of their lives, there isn’t one person wishing they had devoted less time to family and more time to work. Spend time with your family and friends while you can. Be sure to have a good work-life balance.
2) Standing up to others. We will all meet a bully at some point in our lives whether it’s social or work related. It’s not unusual for an adult to say how much they regret not speaking up or standing up to a bully even as far back as grade school! They regret not having had the confidence to stick up for themselves or others. Take a deep breath and stand up. Do it for yourself and do it for others.
3) Losing touch. It’s not uncommon to lose touch with others but when it’s that one special friend, it can lead to regrets later in life. Hold tight to your friendships. You won’t always be together in the same city, but within your power to call, write and contact them. So do it!
4) Living in the moment. These days too much technology gets in the way of socializing with others. Put down the screen and interact with other humans before you realize you’ve lost them.
5) Past loves. It’s amazing how many of us look back on that one special person wondering what might have been, or “if only.” It can be hard to enjoy love you might have now if you’re stuck thinking about something that might not have been as good in the long run as you think! Appreciate the love you have, and don’t ever take it for granted.
6) What others think of us. There’s a great book written by a woman who arrives at her 50’s and has an epiphany. Middle age, she says, is a good time to start not caring about what others think of us. In other words, it’s a time to grow up, be ourselves, and not let others bring us down. Stop caring what others think of you because on your death bed it won’t matter.
7) Lack of confidence. Many adults look back regretting a certain lack of confidence which might have led to poor decisions or outcomes. Build up your confidence. Be comfortable with yourself.
8) Living our parents’ version of us. So many young people pursue the careers their parents want them to pursue rather than pursuing their own dreams. Then one day, years later, they look back and realize they’ve lived the life their parents wanted them to. They haven’t lived the life they wanted to live. If your parents want something for you, then do them the honor of spending time and effort deciding if it’s what you really want. But if it isn’t, then be honest about it, and ask for their advice about pursuing your own dreams.
9) That dream job. It’s not unusual to hear adults say they regret not going after that dream job even if it might have ended in failure. You don’t know it until you try it. If that dream job is ever offered to you, take it or you might regret it one day like so many others.
10) Life shouldn’t be so serious. So many people forget to be happy and not take life so seriously. They’re so busy working, caring for others, and just slogging their way through their days that they forget to enjoy their lives and not take everything so seriously. You have one life to live. Live it well.

Hold tight to those you love and enjoy your life! You’ll never regret that.

 
If you aren’t one of our regular clients, then you’ve probably looked through numerous photography websites. We hope that you’re enjoying our blog and love our work because we can tell you that we love our clients!! If you live anywhere in the Northern Virginia, Broad Run Farms, VA or Leesburg, VA areas, then we’d love to work with you! We are always excited by meeting new people and photographing their families.

Family Photographer, Photography Websites

Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Leesburg, VA and Broad Run Farms, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
 
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
 
Best,
 
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
 
Professional Photographer

Tip #5 in our series “How to Understand & Work with Your Photographer” is: Don’t Edit a Photographer’s Images! Professional photography, not belonging to you, should never be edited by anyone but the photographer.

Would you like someone to alter your work after you poured your heart and soul into it, after you’ve spent years crafting your skills? No, of course not! Well, neither would we, nor any other professional photographer we know.

Our Broad Run, VA and Northern Virginia clients would hopefully ask us for edits before attempting them for themselves! We get to know our clients, what they want for their final product, and we strive very hard to give it to them. Retouching is done to any image which a client orders, whether it’s a huge 40×60 wall portrait or a small gift size print. Before anything is sent to print or any product is ordered, a client is asked to view a proof and then sign an approval page. So if there is anything a client wants done to an image before a product is ordered, they have every opportunity to let us know that!

We won’t be offended if asked to “fix” something on an image. Even Michelangelo was asked to make changes to his masterpiece ceiling in the Sistine Chapel! And if such a master would do so, we certainly can too! Our work and final product as a studio photographer are our photographic works of art.

A lot of time, energy, and skill goes into every photograph including the final touches. If you want to see edits done to a picture, it is without a doubt best to ask the photographer. They would be more offended by you making the edits on your own without permission than being asked for some potential edits. And the truth is, it would be rather insulting to any professional photographer for others to change their work. After all, the photographer put the time and effort into those images; it’s only right they she/he be asked by the client to make any edits.

There is a great Reddit forum discussion on this topic you might want to read. You’ll notice almost every response says “check with your photographer” after a user asks if it’s acceptable to do some additional edits to their photos. We completely agree! In this forum discussion, the edits the user is asking about are common practice but should be only done by the photographer creating and producing the portraits – not by the subject of the photos.

Keep in mind that once you begin editing someone else’s work, it isn’t their work any longer. You just removed their creative ownership. We can assure you that as professionals, your photographer will do a far better job of editing than you will. Just ask!
Ever After is a mother and daughter professional photography team in the Broad Run Farms, VA and Sterling, VA area. Our clients extend across Virginia and we are always happy to answer any questions!

Other tips in this series:
Tip #1, Understanding the Process
Tip #2, Don’t ask for more photos than the ones we present to you
Tip #3, Don’t Expect Free Photography
Tip #4, Don’t Crop Out the Watermark
 

Family Photographer, Professional Photography

Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter portrait photography team located near Broad Run Farms, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.

Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.

Best,

Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!

Professional Photographer

Our Northern Virginia area families, including those in Broad Run Farms, VA, often ask us how they should choose artwork for their homes. Many have visited numerous design and photography websites hoping for inspiration, so we thought we’d offer some tips!

1. Buy and display only what you love. Investors buy art for its potential to rise in value. Collectors, however, buy and display art for the love of the piece, and so should you. Art is personal and you should invest and display art – such as fine art portraiture – that touches your soul in some way. Fine art family portraiture should capture emotion and it should be worthy of your investment.

2. Be open to different mediums. Artwork means many different things, many different mediums. Whether it’s sculpture, oil, or fine art photography, select what works for you, for your home’s design, and for what stirs emotion.

3. Venture out if looking for new art. Great art is often displayed in any number of places from galleries to restaurants to coffee shops. There’s plenty of art available for sale online as well. You can also commission work from a local artist, including a family photographer! There are some stunning pieces available from your local photographer, and beautiful family portraits as artwork will mean more to you than any other kind of art because it’s artwork of those you love and cherish.

4. Pick the right size. Artwork should fit well into its space. It shouldn’t be too large nor too small. You’re striving for balance. If you’re creating a photo gallery wall, create a mock up using paper prior to putting nails into the wall. You can create interest by using a variety of sizes. Here at Ever After, we have specialized design software that allows us to perfectly size your wall art for your home, so nothing is every too large or too small.

5. What’s the focal point? If your artwork will be the focal point, keep that in mind when looking for artwork. If you are considering using fine art family photography to display in a certain spot (I’m sure you know that we feel that’s a wonderful idea!), work with your photographer prior to your portrait session. They can help set up the sessions to create the best portrait for your space, including setting, colors, size, etc.

6. What’s the color? Artwork should ideally coordinate and compliment a room’s colors and design. When selecting artwork for a particular spot, consider the surrounding decor including wall color, furniture, curtains and accessories. Make sure the artwork’s colors coordinate with the room. Even if you want the colors to pop, you need balance.

7. What’s the subject? In most cases, the content of the image should work with its surroundings in the room. The artwork should harmonize with a room, not clash with it. You wouldn’t put a nude oil painting in a children’s playroom, would you?! While an extreme example, you get the idea!

8. Traditional, contemporary or does it matter? You don’t necessarily have to select a traditional piece of art for a traditional room. Sometimes the right contemporary can make a bold statement, and sometimes a traditional piece will look perfect in a contemporary space!

9. Hang it right. People often err by placing artwork too high on a wall when it should be at an approximate eye level. Most art galleries place the center of the painting about 60” from the floor. Try it.

10. Lights! For the greatest emphasis and impact, light your artwork! Great lighting will make it a beautiful and stunning focal point.

If you’ve visited other photography websites, but really like and prefer what you see on our website, we’re happy to photograph your family to create your own beautiful artwork. We work with clients near to (and far from) the Broad Run Farms, VA area. Wall art of your family is always the best investment. These are the people you love, and decorating your home with portraits of family will give you years of enjoyment. You will never regret investing in wall art of those you cherish!

Family Photographer, Photography Websites

Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy Belcher and Joriana Belcher Anderson, a mother-daughter professional photography team located near Broad Run Farms, VA in Northern Virginia. We specialize in timeless and emotive fine art family portraits.
 
Family means everything and capturing those precious moments to preserve forever will mean family heirlooms for you to share for years to come.
 
Best,
 
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
 
Professional Photographer