Blog

As family photographers with a portrait photography studio located in Sterling, VA in Northern Virginia, we specialize in family photography and creating beautiful portraits which you’ll treasure for years to come. As a family portrait photographer, we know how very much families cherish each other and treasure their special family portraits.

We recently read a wonderful post from a fellow photographer regarding the “perfect time” to have a portrait done and, with his permission, we’re posting it here, below the image. We have all felt the way he describes at some time or another, “Oh, I’ll get family portraits later. There will be time then.” As family photographers in Northern VA, it really hit home for us why it’s important not to wait on family portraits when we received this letter from one of our wedding clients explaining why her images meant so much to her:

Heartfelt Testimonial On Not Waiting For Family Portraits

I was lucky enough to hire Mindy and Joriana to do my wedding photography; and I cannot put into words how thrilled I am with their work. They went above and beyond. Little did I realize that not only were they taking pictures of my special day with my husband, but they also managed to take many wonderful generational pictures with my family. Sadly my grandmother passed away soon after my wedding, and those photos that we have of her mean so much more to us. I know once the immediate pain of losing my grandmom subsides, these beautiful, touching pictures are going to be images that I look at for years to come. ~Lauri Andrews

The photograph below is of my maternal grandparents, Joriana’s great-grandparents, Thomas and Belle Langford on their wedding day. This portrait has stood the test of time and without it, I would never have known how very much my mother resembled her mother!

What if there isn’t any more time later?

read more…

As a professional photographer located near Lansdowne, VA in Northern VA, we specialize in fine art family photography. That means we create a beautiful family portrait you will treasure for years and generations to come. And, there is no art more beautiful to display in your home. Lastly, if portraits are taken regularly, they build a visual timeline of your family life.
 
As a family portrait photographer, we understand how much you cherish your family which is why we offer several photography packages, starting with newborns. We have a 2.5-acre outdoor portrait park and a fully-equipped indoor studio enabling us to provide both indoor and outdoor studio photography throughout the year. Feel free to contact us to discuss which venue might be best for your portraits. We are happy to answer any questions you might have about your family portrait session.
 

When should I take Family Portraits?

As Northern Virginia family photographers, we love to help families document memories which will last forever. With a family portrait, you can preserve the beautiful moments life offers us. But how often you update your family portraits depends in part on your budget and your children’s ages. Let’s break it down and take a closer look.
 

Children’s Portraits

An optimal time to do their first professional portraits is when your child is a newborn, ideally between 7 and 10 days old. This is when they are still tiny, still sleeping most of the day, and look like they did inside the womb.
 
Our Bebe Coterie plan is ideal for capturing the baby’s first year starting with that newborn portrait, through to their first birthday or when they start walking.
 
But, of course, this isn’t the only time to do professional portraits of your children!
 
Here are the five ideal stages and approximate ages we recommend to do children’s photography:
* Baby: newborn, three months, six months, nine months, twelve months
* Toddler: eighteen months, two years, three years
* Childhood: four years, five years, seven years
* Youth: ten years and twelve years
* Young Adult: sixteen years and eighteen years/senior year
 

 



 

Family Portrait

A family portrait is more than an image to hang on your wall or display on your desk. Working with a reputable, fine art photographer to create your family portraits allows you to create something your family will treasure throughout their lives and that of their children. At Ever After, we offer museum-quality wall art products rated to last for at least 150 years. In other words, we work with you to create something far more important and longer-lasting than ordinary pictures. We like to say that doing portraits today creates a gift you are giving to the future generations you will not likely meet. Archival-quality portraits are family heirlooms.
 
Taken regularly, professional family portraits create a visual diary or timeline of your family. It is a record of moments throughout your lives which will allow future generations to know what their ancestors looked like. Portraits offer a sense of one’s history and roots. If you doubt that statement, think about the old portraits you own of your great-grandparents or grandparents. What does it mean to you to have those images? If you didn’t have them, would you know what your ancestors looked like?
 

 

Everyday Family Portraits

 
There are many special moments you enjoy every day as a family. You don’t need to limit your portraits to the “big” moments – such as milestone birthdays, big anniversary years, or high school senior portraits – as we highlighted above! You can celebrate your family now and capture the everyday, ordinary stages or moments of life.
 
Children grow up all too quickly! Family members move away and, sadly, pass away. Because of these constant changes in a family’s dynamics, updating your family portraits should be done relatively often or, at least, regularly. Documenting your family to reflect its experiences or changes is an exceptionally unique, valuable, and uncomplicated way of preserving your memories.
 
When you can, we recommend doing professional family portraits at least every other year, if not sooner. Clearly, it is up to you how often you celebrate, honor, and capture your family through professional portraits. However often you decide to do professional portraits, we are here to partner with you as your family photographer. If you have questions about family portraits or our work, please feel free to call us. We are always happy to discuss our work with you, whether you are already a client or a prospective client.
 

Preserve Your Memories

Preserve your most precious – and everyday – moments and memories of the people who mean the most to you with Ever After Portraits. We are a reputable family photography studio in Northern Virginia, near Lansdowne, VA, and have almost two decades of family photography experience. We have worked with families, children, babies, and others throughout Northern Virginia. We know you cherish your family and you want to make your special family moments last a lifetime with a quality family portrait that stands the test of time.
 

Professional Family Portrait Photographer, Family Photography

Ever After Portraits is comprised of Mindy and Joriana Belcher, Northern Virginia family photographers, specializing in candid, emotional and artistic 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. Isn’t it time for a family portrait?
 
Best,
 
Mindy & Joriana – Contact Us!
 
View Our Portfolio | professional photographer

Mark, Migaa and their lovely daughter were a welcome addition to our outdoor family portrait studio, located near Broadlands, VA. Portraits of this family of three were a joy to take.
 



Mark and Migaa are world travelers, and we loved hearing about their travels and how they met in China. Little Ariunaa smiles all the time and just loved read more…