BACKYARD Editorial
A THESE DAYS SUMMER OFFERING · 5 SPOTS ONLY
45 minutes in your own backyard. The sprinkler, the swing, the popsicle already melting down a wrist, the kid who has firmly refused shoes. I come to you — no park and no outfit homework.
SUMMER MINI-SESSIONS
backyard session
Northern VIRGINIA SUMMER MINI PHOTO SESSIONS IN
ALEXANDRIA · ARLINGTON · FAIRFAX · WASHINGTON DC · SPRINGFIELD · MCCLEAN · AND BETHESDA
this isn't your holiday card. Cards are for everyone ELSE. This is the one that lives on your fridge.
WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS
YOUR REAL WEEKEND.
WITH A CAMERA IN IT.
A Backyard Mini is exactly what it sounds like. I show up at your house, you carry on with the regular afternoon, and I photograph it the way it actually looks.
No need to bribe the kids becuase this is going to be fun. The kiddie pool stays full, the chalk stays on the patio, snack are free flowing — and that’s the photo. You tidy nothing.
45 minutes
$350
5
15
in your yard
edited photos
spots only
custom mini
SUMMER MINI PHOTO SESSIONS IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD
LOCATED ANYWHERE WITHIN 20 MILES OF ALEXANDRIA, VA
Available DATES
June 13 · 14
JULY 11 · 12 · 18
Backyard Summer Mini Sessions are short, 45-minute long, candid family photography sessions designed for families in Alexandria, Virginia and the Washington DC area who want relaxed, real-life photos without the stress of a traditional photoshoot. They are priced at $350 and include a selection of 15 edited photos from the gallery, with full-gallery upgrade options available for an additional $150.
Don't overthink the backyard
No kiddie pool required. No swing set, no Pinterest backyard, no special anything. The best frames are whatever your family already does out there on an ordinary evening. A few, to get you picturing yours —
PICTURE IT
Lawn chairs, lemonade, and bubbles
The hose running full blast
Watermelon picnic party
Grilling and drinks, music, and a dance party
Driveway laps scooters, bikes, skateboards, and a basketball
Cartwheel and handstand contest
Bathingsuits, zinc sunscreen, and beachballs
A water balloon fight
Searching for bugs and gardening
Sidewalk chalk and hop-skotch
Family game of twister
The days we're living for
None of these quite you? Even better. Tell me your family's version — that's the version I want to photograph.
My website is getting an overhaul, and in honor of this special-to-me event, I have a special offer.
So for one summer only, I'm bringing a mini-session to you.
A Backyard Mini photo session is 45 minutes in your own backyard. No park, no field, no pressure to get a photo in a matter of minutes. No stress that it has to end up on a holiday card. Just real memories in your own backyard.
PERFECT FOR FAMILIES WHO ARE DOCUMENTARY CURIOUS
SPECIAL OFFER CELEBRATION
Summer photography mini-sessions in your own back yard help you snag meaningful and beautiful family photos without the stress and rush that fall family photos bring. You're not chasing a holiday card deadline or competing with other Northern Virginia families to grab a single golden hour spot. Summer sessions means you're bottling up everything great and stress-free about the year with the only goal to remember how it felt.
How It Works
FOUR STEPS, ZERO HOMEWORK
I come to you
02
No car keys, no driving, Your house, your things. Easy.
Pick your spot
01
Five backyards, five families. Tell me a little about yours and grab a date.
You get the photos
04
10 edited images - in your hands, no fall photo rush.
We don't tidy
03
Thirty real minutes. The hose stays out. I follow the activity around the yard.
AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET THE EASIEST FAMILY PHOTOS OF THE YEAR
You can't photograph a sprinkler in November.
WHY SUMMER, WHY NOW
The backyard is only the backyard right now — green, loud, full of water and light. By October it’s dead grass and a coiled-up hose, a reminder of the cold to come.
Your kid is four and fully committed to the hose. That’s a summer, not a forever. Book in fall and you’ll photograph a different child. Five spots, one booking window — when the list is full, it’s full.
One flat rate. No suprise add-ons.
WHAT'S INCLUDED
45 minutes in your backyard — at a time that suites your family.
Selection of 15 edited images — you chose your favorites.
I travel to you — no last minute rush to an off-site location.
Low stress — no families waiting their turn after you. Free range of your own location.
As little or as much styling as you want — choose real-life no-prep, or style yourselves and your yard as much as you want.
$350
Per session · Select dates in June & July
Want every frame? Upgrade to the full gallery for an additional
$150
THE NOT-SO-FINE PRINT
These sessions are the website photos.
These Days is getting a full rebranding this summer, and a new website deserves new summer photos.
Booking a Backyard Mini means your photos may appear on the new website and on Instagram. If you’d rather keep your family off the internet, I hear you completely — my standard sessions are fully private, and I’d still love to work with you. These five spots are simply the ones that come with a public credit attached.
I want to feature your family!
of families agree: the view from the backyard beats the view from from a field
100%
WHY ONLY 5?
With a rebranding comes simplified packages. My 1-hour family session will be erased from the menu, leaving more time for extended documentary work. Limiting these short sessions to 5 allows me to continue focusing on long-form documentary sessions while giving a few lucky families access at an affordable price-point.
BACKYARD EDITORIAL PHOTO SESSION DETAILS
Pick a session date. Available dates are: June 13 or 14, July 11, 12, or 18th.
Be willing to have your family photos and/or behind-the-scenes videos used in my portfolio, in social media, on the website, and in client materials. Sign a contract and model release form.
$350 session fee due at time of booking. Fee includes selection of 15 images.
Reschedule only in the event of bad weather.
To book, contact me below. We'll make sure its a fit and confirm a date/time and I'll send over the contract and booking link.
These backyard mini photo session are 45 minutes, are priced at a special offer rate of $350, and are long enough to capture real fun and real memories while being short enough to be a quick afternoon add-on.
Sessions can be scheduled in the morning or afternoon (best to avoid high-noon) at locations n the DMV region, including Washington DC, Northern Virginia, and the Maryland areas surrounding DC.
They can be as creative as you want. Want to go all out and coordinate swimsuits and floaties? Go for it. Want to just throw on your favorite shorts and flip flops — absolutely.
You'll walk away from these sessions with:
new memories, real ones
documentation of the now
documentary style- images &
plenty of posed smiling images (if you want)
These sessions can be as directed or undirected as you want. Just let me know how open to direction you are. All direction will be action and activity based, some arranging when the inspiration strikes.
Sessions can occur at your home in Northern Virginia, Washington DC, or Maryland within 20 miles of Alexandria, VA 22301.
Thank you!
I just got your message! I can't wait to connect with you.
I'll do my best to reply to your note as soon as possible.
If a date and time that works for you is available, I will send a booking link with a payment form and contract.
Sign up below to hear about future unique or limited offers as well as fall mini-sessions.
Or read the frequently asked questions below.
or follow along to see the results
WHILE YOU wait
A: You can have your own backyard summer mini photo session in areas within 20 miles of Alexandria, VA. Sessions can be held in places like McLean/Tysons, Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax VA. Sessions can also be scheduled in Washington DC, or in Maryland in areas like Bethesda, Takoma Park, and Potomac MD.
Q: WHERE DO I TRAVEL FOR THESE SESSIONS?
A: The turn-around time here is longer than in the fall, because the session is longer and you get more photos. I'll also be traveling in June. You will have your session in your hands no longer than 4 weeks after your session.
Q: HOW MANY PHOTOS DO WE GET?
A: The turn-around time here is longer than in the fall, because the session is longer and you get more photos. I'll also be traveling in June. You will have your session in your hands no longer than 4 weeks after your session.
Q: HOW LONG UNTIL WE GET OUR PHOTOS?
A: These sessions will mostly be candid photos of your family enjoying an actual activity in your yard. We we certainly grab plenty of photos where everyone is together looking at the camera, but that won't be the majority of the session. If you would like additional guidance or are open to direction, I can help direct some photos that will ensure we get a few great styled action shots.
Q: ARE THESE POSED OR CANDID?
Q: WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR AT A SUMMER MINI SESSION?
A: You can wear whatever feels comfortable to you. These should not be fancy outfits (unless that's the "theme" to your backyard activity). You can wear your favorite outfit or a bathing suit, shorts, T-shirts or dresses. Whatever. I recommend avoiding graphic T-shirts and anything with bold text. In your backyard, a few pops of solid color will look really great.
A: Because of the limited nature of these sessions, I have specific dates set aside. These sessions cannot be rescheduled for convenience, but we will reschedule due to weather, at the photographer's discretion.
Q: Can we make changes after booking?
A: These sessions are less stressful than fall mini sessions. You don't have to go anywhere, worry about dressing for chilly weather or find the ultimate coordinating outfits, you don't have to come find me in a park you've never been to, and you aren't waiting in a line of families to get similar photographs. These are much more unique.
Q: WHY ARE THESE SESSIONS BETTER THAN FALL MINI SESSIONS?
A: Backyard summer mini sessions are longer mini-sessions in the summer instead of the fall. These sessions are $75 more than my fall-minis, but are more than twice the length (45 minutes) and you receive more photos included in the package. Your final gallery of images to select from (or upgrade to) will also be larger. Overall, this is a far better deal.
Q: HOW ARE THESE DIFFERENT THAN FALL MINI SESSIONS?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
A: These sessions are $75 more than my fall-minis, but are more than twice the length (45 minutes) and you receive more photos included in the package. Your final gallery of images to select from (or upgrade to) will also be larger. Overall, this is a far better deal.
Q: HOW ARE THESE DIFFERENT THAN FALL MINI SESSIONS?
A: These sessions are less stressful. You don't have to go anywhere, worry about dressing for chilly weather or find the ultimate coordinating outfits, you don't have to come find me in a park you've never been to, and you aren't waiting in a line of families to get similar photographs. These are much more unique.
Q: WHY ARE THESE SESSIONS BETTER THAN FALL MINI SESSIONS?
A: Because of the limited nature of these sessions, I have specific dates set aside. These sessions cannot be rescheduled for convenience, but we will reschedule due to weather, at the photographer's discretion.
Q: Can we make changes after booking?
A: You can wear whatever feels comfortable to you. These should not be fancy outfits (unless that's the "theme" to your backyard activity). You can wear your favorite outfit or a bathgsuite, T-shirts or dresses. Whatever. I recommend avoiding graphic T-shirts and anything with bold text.
Q: WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR AT A SUMMER MINI SESSION?
A: The turn-around time here is longer than in the fall, because the session is longer and you get more photos. I'll also be traveling in June. You will have your session in your hands no longer than 4 weeks after your session.
Q: HOW LONG UNTIL WE GET OUR PHOTOS?
A: The turn-around time here is longer than in the fall, because the session is longer and you get more photos. I'll also be traveling in June. You will have your session in your hands no longer than 4 weeks after your session.
Q: HOW MANY PHOTOS DO WE GET?
I'm the photographer behind These Days Photography. I am a family, maternity, and newborn photographer for families across Northern Virginia and Washington, DC who are ready to fill their traditional family photo albums with a non-traditional photo experience.
My primary focus is documentary family photography, but I serve all families wanting true-to them photos.
I'm Janae!
Halloween 2025
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