Everyone in one frame, for once.
Partners, parents, grandparents, whole households — photographed together the way they actually are with each other. On location across Falls Church, Arlington, McLean and Northern Virginia.
Not everyone looking at the camera at once
The standard family photograph is a row of people arranged shortest to tallest, all instructed to say the same word. It is a fine record and a poor portrait. The frames families actually hang are the ones where somebody is laughing at somebody else.
So a session with Tammy is built in two halves. The first twenty minutes get the formal groupings done while the children still have patience — everyone together, each couple, the grandparents with the grandchildren. After that the direction loosens and the real pictures start.
Included in every family session
- A planning call to choose location, timing and colours
- 75–120 minutes on location across Northern Virginia
- Formal groupings and unposed frames, both
- Seasonal settings: spring blossom, summer sunflowers, autumn colour
- Multi-generation and anniversary sittings welcome
- 20+ finished, print-ready images in a private online gallery within two weeks
Once a year, on the same date
A single family portrait is a nice afternoon. The same portrait made every year becomes something else entirely — a row of frames up a staircase, the children visibly growing, everyone else quietly ageing alongside them. The Portrait Year holds a standing annual date and locks your rate for three years, so the habit is easier to keep than to break.
Questions, answered
What is the best time of year for family portraits?
Late April and early May for blossom, late July and August for the sunflower fields, and late October for autumn colour in the Northern Virginia parkland. Autumn weekends book earliest - usually by late August - so if you want October, ask in summer.
How many people can be in the session?
Up to about twelve comfortably, including grandparents. Beyond that the session needs a longer window so that every smaller grouping gets proper attention; mention the headcount in your note and Tammy will quote the extra time.
Our children will not sit still. Is that a problem?
No, and it is not a failure of parenting either. Young children are given roughly 20 good minutes before the wheels come off, so Tammy front-loads the frames that need everyone cooperating and spends the rest of the session letting them move. The photographs people frame are almost always from the second half.
What should we all wear?
Choose two or three colours that sit near each other and let everyone vary within them. Avoid exact matching, large logos and neon. Tammy sends a short guide with examples once your date is confirmed.
What happens if it rains?
Outdoor sessions reschedule at no cost. Overcast is genuinely good light and is not a reason to move; steady rain is. Tammy makes the call the morning of, so nobody spends the week worrying about a forecast.
Do you photograph extended family and anniversaries?
Yes. Multi-generation portraits and anniversary sittings are among the most-requested sessions, particularly when family visit from out of state. Book these as far ahead as you can, since they depend on everyone being in one place.
Book a family session
Tell Tammy how many of you there are and roughly when — she’ll come back with dates and a location.
Your note is on its way.
Tammy reads every inquiry herself and replies within one business day — check your spam folder if you don’t see her.
In a hurry? Call (571) 599-4437.