Charlottesville Portraits!

Hello Charlottesville! I’ve been here since mid-July, but I haven’t actually posted a blog entry since mid-April… oh my goodness, this move has just meant so many transitions, for so many reasons. My oldest son started high school; we’re temporarily in a two-bedroom apartment until we move to a townhouse at the end of the year; I’m looking at different kinds of work options here as we get settled, in addition to networking and establishing my business here; also, if you follow my IG stories, you know we got a kitten! If you know me personally, you know that was not an easy transition for me… but I’m getting used to him, and he IS adorable, and the kids just love him.

Anyway. Even though it was over 90 degrees for much of this week, C-ville, it is actually fall! Which means it’s time for fall portraits! I could not be more excited about just experiencing fall here in C-ville. Where we live right now, we can see Carter Mountain from our apartment complex - so I’m basically color-spotting that mountainside every day now, waiting for the leaves to start changing. I had the pleasure of taking some family photos for some clients-turned-friends of mine, whose unforgettable Moroccan-themed wedding in 2015 included a camel on the streets of Baltimore :) This week, I got to meet their two little ones - whose faces are hidden most unprofessionally in the photos I’m sharing here, as per their parents’ request. Carter Mountain Orchard has already opened its apple-picking and pumpkin patch, so we took some fall family photos there:

Early on in my moving phase, I had the chance to meet one of the kindest, most helpful souls in Charlottesville - my friend Jen, who runs the amazing, inclusive feminist wedding site Catalyst. We took some portraits of her and her husband in what has become one of my favorite places - Charlottesville’s Downtown Mall - with some stops at various quaint nooks, hipster stairwells, and a parking deck with quite a view:

Jen introduced me to Destinee Wright of Destineemrktng - a social media consultant who amazes me with her energy and creativity, and who has been such a gift to get to know as I navigate my first few months as a business owner in Charlottesville! We met up for headshots and portraits at IX Art Park - an utterly unique and funky location for portraits any time of year (fyi - Destinee also makes these killer flower crowns, if you’re interested!):

Destinee is hosting a content creation workshop TOMORROW (Saturday Oct. 5 2019) where I’ll be offering headshots at a reduced rate - visit her website to learn more and sign up!

So i’ve been spending some time exploring this beautiful, unique city, and there are a ton of places i’m dying to take portraits of you! If you’re interested in something green and natural, there are so many parks and trails around the city that offer beautiful backgrounds for family, couple or individual portraits; recently I explored a little bit of Riverview Park and the Rivanna Trail there - with its leaf-strewn paths and tree-lined banks that are just beginning to turn, it’s a perfect spot for fall portraits that really take advantage of the natural beauty in this region:

There are also lakes and ponds with views, if you’re interested in more wide-open type natural spaces, with still water and reflections:

There are any number of bridges and underpasses that offer a more urban backdrop for a different style of portraits:

And of course - there’s the gorgeous campus at UVA! With white-pillared, arch-lined corridors, meandering hidden garden paths, viney brick walls and an old stone chapel, there are so many options to choose from if UVA is meaningful to you - or if you just want to take advantage of its historic grounds and buildings:

Whatever your preference, now is a great time to book your fall family portraits - contact me to set up a date! If you miss the opportunity for headshots tomorrow at Destinee’s workshop, we can always set up something separately - just send me a message. and keep an eye on my mini-sessions page as I’ll be announcing fall mini-session dates shortly!