BabySnap Blog » Northern Virginia Newborn, Baby, Child, Maternity, Family Photographer

Check out these local moms and consider giving them your business (instead of those big chains!) They are all very talented!

Ciao Bambino- Jeniene makes “custom party decor for all occasions” and I’m blown away by the cuteness! Her stuff looks great in her Etsy shop, but also check out her client photos on her facebook page to actually see the products set up for parties, soooo cute and custom!

Gorgeous fine art photography by Willow- she has a great eye and only uses high quality papers, mattes, frames, etc.  How great would those look on your empty wall?  I want this one bad!

Need a facial? Mani and Pedi? Eyebrows waxed? (boy do I!) Come see Tanya and Naturally Chic Day Spa and she’ll hook you up with nothing but the best products and treatment! I can personally attest to the fact that she spends a lot of time/care on her clients! Call her at 540-841-4347 and make an appt, website coming soon!

Check out Mannis Creations, also on Etsy, where Janete hand knits and crochets adorable hats and such for your baby/child.  She just started this venture and can make custom pieces if you have something in mind, she made a bunch of stuff for me- I just told her my ideas and she made them happen!

Delicious cupcakes and cakes!  Buttercream cakes by Dina will hook you up with everything from amazingly detailed birthday cakes to cupcakes for any holiday.  Check our her blog and facebook page too for specials and baking tips or to place an order!

Are you a budding photographer? You know how to shoot on Manual, have your technical skills down, but are looking for a push in the right direction to find your style and some inspiration, want to peek at how another photographer does things?  Marta Locklear offers a workshop that will get you fired up!

Need a realtor in this area?  Contact Stephanie for great service and sell your home or find your dream home in our beautiful corner of Virginia! You can also keep up with her on her facebook fan page!

I’m all about supporting local businesses and especially other women/moms so give them a try! The big-dog corporate businesses need some competition!

About a year ago my husband and I stopped buying foods with DYES, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and most things with Partially Hydrogenated oils.  We had a learning period where we had to read tons of labels, but now we have our regular items that we know are ok to buy.  That was our first step in this journey.  I also stopped buying canned veggies and started buying fresh or frozen.  I want to buy all whole foods and organic foods, but with a family of 7 I have to be careful with my budget.  So I chose the most important things and started there.  I do buy organic milk, not only because I have 4 girls and don’t want them sprouting boobs at 9, but also because I’ve heard things about milk that make me gag.  My goal is to buy milk from a farm, but I haven’t gotten that far yet.  Extreme?  Maybe some people think so, but I think “extreme” describes the crap that we have become accustomed to eating.

For months now I’ve been getting more and more grossed out by food.  After finding a hair on my McDonalds french fry, and hearing a report about the germs found in their ice machines, I gave Mickey D’s up completely.  We were probably grabbing it once a week, and I feel great now that it’s gone from our bodies!   When I’m out with the kids and everyone is getting hungry, I try to get home to foods I can control.  If that’s not possible, I try to grab something less gross.  By the way “white meat” does not mean “breast meat”.

Lately I’ve also been talking with friends who know more about this, reading information, and just simply thinking about things I have probably tried not to think about for years.  Just reading the labels on some packaged foods is crazy, what IS all of that???  And we wonder why Americans’ health is so bad overall-  obesity, allergies, diabetes, etc, this junk has to play a role in all of that.  My own daughter has severe seasonal and food allergies and we have no idea why or where they came from.  My goal is not perfection, it is just to do my best at giving my family real food to eat, not processed food filled with dyes, additives, JUNK!  I still have a lot to learn, it’s a process.

PLEASE WATCH THIS TRAILER if you haven’t already.  It’s just a few minutes and the last statement from a farmer is the most profound to me, so you have to watch the whole thing!!  It’s so worth it and will get your brain working!  Don’t be afraid of the knowledge, watch it! Lol! (there’s nothing gross in it)

Today I went out to run some errands and I was reflecting on the last year and my business (I think I was thinking about taxes (UGH) which led me to this lol).  Anyway, I was thinking about what a huge year of growth this was for my business, it’s HARD to run a business!! For anyone who is considering it, go for it but know that it’s not all fun & games.   For example, if  you love taking pictures and you have that “touch” and decide to bring in some extra cash doing something you love, just be ready for the hours and hours you will spend on the business-side of your business.  I had NO idea what I was getting into, and THREE YEARS later… I made a profit.  I guess most businesses work that way, you invest a lot of time & money before you are rewarded.  You learn along the way, make mistakes and fix them, grow and eventually (hopefully) prosper.  I feel very comfortable behind the camera, but not so much being a business woman lol!

So onto the point of my post.  As I was thinking of all of this, I realized that it wasn’t just my “good eye” or a new camera or lens that made this a good year for me.  It was a group of colleagues (mostly women now that I think about it), other local photographers who I met and grew very close with, that made the biggest impact on me this year.  It’s funny because there could be competitiveness between us, we could be rivals right? I mean, we are competitors technically…  but we all have our own styles, niches, ideas, & goals.  And most of all, the desire to help others and have a fellowship amongst ourselves rather than try to be better than each other.  This is long, so I hope I don’t lose my readers here LOL!

I want to thank these friends and fellow photographers, for PUSHING me, CHALLENGING me, TEACHING me, gently GUIDING me, and sometimes hitting me over the head with a brick, haha.  (click on their names to see their amazing work)

Thank you to Willow for your help & company on this journey (and the brick) and for loaning me your speedlite a billion times (as well as other things)- I will miss your company & personality far more than your flash when you move! Thank you to Julia for a TON of great advice, opening your home to us, and for helping me get started with Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep.  Thanks to Rashmi for always answering my questions, giving me great advice, & a killer holiday party.  Thanks to Ingrid for the speedlite lessons, great pictures of my kids, & many hilarious times (like IKEA &  Christmas sweaters!).  Thank you Marta for answering my questions also, hooking me up with local locations, yummy yarn, editing tips, & playdates.  Thanks to Susan for the newborn referrals, great convos, & crazy night out.  Thanks Erin for comparing business notes with me and being my roomie at WPPI (woot woot!).  Thanks to Stacy for your friendship as we figure this all out and to Tiffani, Tisha, & Armin for great workshops!  Thanks to my brother (not local but still so important) Aaron, who always helps me and has my back!  And lastly (I know she thinks I skipped her) thank you sooooo much to my buddy Beth from Sugar Rush Photography for the THOUSANDS of emails back and forth (I’m not exaggerating) brainstorming and bouncing ideas off of each other, for the shoulder to whine on when needed, for being the second shooter when I was panicked, for pushing me when I needed a push, and for just being my partner-in-crime on this road of business-ownership!   And others who I have so enjoyed getting to know this year, esp in the SS/PNO group! I love all of you guys and in addition to the business help, I appreciate your friendship so much!!

In the same nature of all of the guidance I have received, I always try to pay it forward.

I just simply marvel at the generosity and altruism of a group of people who could be rivals, but instead are friends.  XOXO

And some snaps of us (3 of these were taken by Ingrid Kaslik, always documenting she is)