Because family legacy isn't posed.
REAL LIFE LOOKS GOOD ON YOU
NORTHERN VIRGINIA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER
Everyone quietly posing for photos in their best matching outfits? No, that doesn’t feel like you.
You’re the family with mud on your shoes and marker stains on every shirt. Your life is an apple with two bites that will never be touched again. Your coffee is cold (again), and someone definitely just put underwear on the dog.
THIS IS YOUR LIFE. NOT A PHOTOSHOOT.
Candid and documentary style family photography in Northern Virginia and Washington DC for families who'd rather live the day than pose through it.
Because the things that end up mattering most usually don’t look important while they’re happening.
That's the story.
And right now... almost nobody is taking pictures of it.
That's not a problem.
- A relaxed shooting experience
- Full documentary (no direction, just real life unfolding) or I can step in when the moment calls for it
- The results: non-traditional, totally not stiff, photos that actually look like your people
- Session activities and wardrobe insights, if desired
- Shoebox sessions include printed photos
- Day-in-the-Life sessions include the full digital gallery
- A relaxed shooting experience
- Full documentary (no direction, just real life unfolding) or I can step in when the moment calls for it
- The results: non-traditional, totally not stiff, photos that actually look like your people
- Session activities and wardrobe insights, if desired
- Shoebox sessions include printed photos
- Day-in-the-Life sessions include the full digital gallery
THe session vibes:
I photograph families exactly as they are - in their homes, in their routines, at the places they already love.
No stiff posing or fake moments. No pressure to perform.
No putting it off because things don’t feel perfectly ready.
MATERNITY · NEWBORN · DOCUMENTARY FAMILY
WHAT I PHOTOGRAPH
Maternity
Newborn
Your life doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s. A normal morning. A favorite routine. A random errand that turns into a whole story. If it matters to you, it’s worth documenting.
Documentary family
So why is that the only version you keep? Your life, exactly as it is, is already enough.
None of them look like a posed photo.
Your family exists 365 days a year.
We'll have a chat to see if it's a good fit. Then we'll pick a date and time and plan a day that already feels like your family.
STEP THREE
Fill out the inquiry form. Tell me what you're wanting to document.
STEP TWO
Review my session types. I offer 2, 4, and 6 hour documentary sessions. Maternity and newborn sessions are 2 hours. Party & Event photogrpahy is priced hourly.
STEP ONE
How to
work together
A complimentary roll of film photos
AUGUST BONUS
Families that secure their bookings in August receive a complimentary roll of 35-mm film photos during their session. The session doesn't need to happen in August.
Film photos are developed, scanned, and delivered digitally in addition to your booked package gallery. Results are not guaranteed.
- You keep: an archival keepsake box + curated print stack (50 prints) + 15 digital favorites
- Upgrade: full digital gallery; heirloom album; wall art
The Shoebox is two things at once: a 2-hour session and the keepsake it comes in — an archival box filled with a curated stack of 50 fine prints, ready to be flipped through, passed around, and rediscovered in twenty years, plus a handful of digital favorites to share now.
Perfect for family, maternity, and newborn sessions.
2 Hour Session — $950
SHOEBOX STORY
Session types
01
- You keep: your full hand-edited gallery (30+ images/hr)
- À la carte: heirloom album, wall art
Some stories happen on more than one day. Another Chapter is not a standalone session.
It's a 2-hour session add-on available when someone books a Shoebox but the story they're trying to preserve naturally happens across two moments in time. Additional 2-hour documentary session. Separate date. Complete digital gallery from that session.
Perfect for maternity & newborn sessions or before & after big life changes.
2 Hour Add-On — + $800
AnOther chapter Add-on
- You keep: your full hand-edited gallery (30+ images/hr)
- À la carte: heirloom album, wall art, + The Shoebox print box
More time is more story. The longer I'm there, the more you forget I'm there.
For families who want to remember everything: the rhythms, the transitions, the in-between moments you don’t notice until they’re gone. This is the heart of what I do.
Home life, multiple locations, or a full-day adventure.
4 to 8 Hours — starting at $1,500 to $3,100
Day-in-the-life
02
- You keep: your full hand-edited gallery (30+ images/hr)
- À la carte: heirloom album, wall art, + The Shoebox print box
Be in it. I’ll document it. You shouldn’t have to choose between enjoying the moment and remembering it.
Birthday parties, celebrations, gatherings, and milestones covered without pulling you out of the experience.
$450/hour (2 hour minimum)
EVENT
03
Thank you!
We will be in touch soon.
Want to learn more about documentary family photo sessions and find a date to book yours? The first step is reaching out. I'll get back to you ASAP!
Send a note
Portrait of me by my 5 year old daughter, Fay
I have an unshakeable belief that the pile of clothes on your floor and your sink full of dishes should join your family photos like proud trophies that screams “WE LIVE HERE.” Because time is moving too fast to let a dirty cup or mismatched socks intimidate you out of photos.
I don't think family photos should feel like another thing on your to-do list.
No color palettes.
No bribing kids to smile.
Instead, we'll hang out.
Maybe we'll bake pancakes.
Maybe your kids dump every toy they own onto the living room floor. Maybe we will go out on an ice cream adventure.
Just honest moments, so when “these days” become “those days,”
you actually have something to look back on.
JANAE
KEEPING YOU IN YOUR FAMILY STORY
award-winning photographer
The award: "Chocolate chip pancakes during a photo session" drawn by Fletcher, age 5
Like deciding to make pancakes and ending up with flour in between your toes.
Like your toddler insisting on wearing rain boots with pajamas.
Like your oldest teaching you the rules to a game they invented thirty seconds ago.
Like laughing because someone definitely just put underwear on the dog.
In other words... pretty normal.
And that's exactly what makes it worth remembering.
What a session feels like.
This isn't a photoshoot. It's your life.
EASY
Album-Worthy
Album-Worthy
Thankfully, I make album-worthy photos of your family without any extra effort on your part.
Convincing your partner to get dressed up for photos, dragging your family to a new location, feeling awkard while posing, and expending extreme effort to keep everyone happy and smiling at the camera. By time it's all done, you can't possibly imagine doing that again until the next year.
BUT YOU CAN't MANAGE THE HASSLE, STRESS, FRUSTRATION.
Photos that have a heartbeat, ones that come alive with story. Photos that will trigger memories of the way things were. Photos your kids and grandkids can laugh and debate about today and in 20 years.
You want BEAUTIFUL family photos
Photography IS...
Documentary
FROM REAL CLIENTS
perfect reviews
— CATHERINE MUFFLER
“She was calming and kind with our three little kids, and the photos are amazing keepsakes for this phase of our life we will cherish forever! Janae captured so many beautiful little moments we're having a hard time choosing which to frame.”
— CAITLIN BREEN
“Working with Janae was an absolutely awesome experience! She is not only an incredibly talented photographer but she’s also warm, joyful, kind, and has the BEST go-with-the-flow personality which was essential when trying to photograph 3 feral children."
— MEL USRY
“ She beautifully captured the fun and joy our son had at his party. We are so glad to have been able to be fully present during the party and have all these great photos as memories to hold onto.”
— LILLY WANG
“Janae has a natural fun energy that makes posing for photos not awkward at all and was able to capture a lot of great shots of us! The photos she took of us and editing style are true to us and really captured the memories we want to remember forever in a beautiful and honest way.”
REAL LIFE SESSIONS / REAL LIFE SESSIONS / REAL LIFE SESSIONS
Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Takoma Park
/MARYLAND
Washington, DC, District of Columbia
/DC
Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church
/VIRGINIA
LOCATIONS SERVED
Whatever feels like you.
No matching outfits required. I'll send a simple guide with a few tips, but comfort always wins.
What should be worn for a session?
A little—but not much. I'll help with good light or suggest an activity if we need one, but mostly I'm following your family rather than directing it. If you need help brainstorming session ideas, I have plenty of ideas!
No awkward posing. No fake laughing.
WILL YOU TELL US WHAT TO DO?
Day-In-The-Life documentary sessions aim to capture you carrying out your favorite version of a day. These are not heavily directed sessions. Most families book a 4-hour session that allows them to relax. For the most adventurous families, we spend a whole day together.
WHAT IS A DOCUMENTARY SESSION?
Frequently asked questions
Probably whatever your toddler decides is the most important object in the universe that day.
Usually a stick. Sometimes a dead worm. Once... a very emotional potato.
WHATS THE WEIRDEST THING YOU'VE PHOTOGRAPHED?
Usually at your home or somewhere your family already loves spending time.
Backyards, neighborhood walks, ice cream shops, the creek, Grandma's house... all fair game.
WHERE DO SESSIONS HAPPEN?
Nope. I have never—not once—had a single session where a child "behaved" by adult standards.
And you know what? Every single one has been full of personality, connection, and photographs their parents love. Kids don't have to perform for me. They just have to be kids.
