Generated by Rank Math SEO, this is an llms.txt file designed to help LLMs better understand and index this website.

# Ashley Brickner Photography

## Sitemaps
- [XML Sitemap](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [First Birthday Sessions:  Hampton Roads Cake Smash Photography](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/first-birthday-session-hampton-roads-cake-smash-photography/): As a mama of four growing girls, I know the importance of capturing ALL the milestones along the way and that's why I love first birthday sessions and Hampton Roads cake smash photography.
- [Five Tips for a Successful Santa Mini Session](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/five-tips-for-a-successful-santa-mini-session/): I am busy planning for this year's THIRD (!!!) Annual Santa Event and truly these Santa mini sessions are some of my favorite sessions of the entire year. The heart of my business is families and a goal with all my sessions is to capture the joy that families bring to each other -- and there really is no better time of year for that than the holiday season. The magic that is in the air is one I have always felt and getting to experience that (and document it!) with my clients is an honor that I do not take lightly.
- [Milestone Session Photography:  Why Baby’s First Year Deserves More Than One Session](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/milestone-session-photography-babys-first-year-session/): Whether you are an expecting first-time mom or one who is about to have her final baby (and knows how fast it really all goes!), milestone session photography can be intimidating as you figure out which of your baby's milestones are actually worth photographing. Most parents know they want to capture more than one moment but are not sure which ages matter most or how to space the sessions out. As a Virginia Beach newborn and family photographer, I have a lot of experience with capturing the first year of a baby's life and have specific stages that I suggest are important to documenting. Through this blog post, I will explain the stages that I recommend, what each one captures, and how it all comes together into one story of your baby's first year!
- [Tips for Including Dogs in Family Photos](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/tips-for-including-dogs-in-family-photos/): As a Virginia Beach family photographer, I love including dogs in family photos! Ultimately, my goal is to capture your family in whatever season of life you are currently in and of course, with your family! Sometimes that includes your furry friends! :) Dogs are welcome in sessions booked with me and over the years, I have photographed enough families with pets that I am comfortable with it and encourage families to bring their dogs! I also have learned some tips along the way that will be helpful when planning a photo session with your pets and am sharing these below.
- [In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Session Prep Guide](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/in-home-lifestyle-newborn-session-prep-guide/): An in-home lifestyle newborn session is designed to capture authentic moments of a family and new baby in his or her natural surroundings - at home! These are some of my very favorite sessions to shoot. As a mama of four, I know how precious and special those first few weeks after welcoming a new baby are and being welcomed into your space during that time is an honor and privilege that I do not take lightly. I also understand how overwhelming it can be to think about what needs to be done to prep for an in-home lifestyle newborn session. This blog post is focused on helping you plan for your session with ease - the goal of ALL my sessions is for my clients to love the experience as much as they love the photos, and I hope this helps with that!
- [What to Wear for Summer Maternity Photos](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/what-to-wear-for-summer-maternity-photos/): If you are pregnant in the summer and trying to think of what to wear for your summer maternity photos, I get it! As not only a Virginia Beach maternity photographer but also a mama of four girls (one who was born at the beginning of September), I know that when you are expecting -- everything feels hotter than it normally would. Add a photo session to the mix and suddenly 'what to wear' becomes a question about a lot more than just style.
- [Virginia Beach Summer Photos:  Handling Late Bedtimes on Session Evenings](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/virginia-beach-summer-photos-handling-late-bedtimes/): As a photographer who stays very busy with Virginia Beach summer photos for families, when I tell a client the start time that I recommend for their session, I often hear "but my kids go to bed at 7:30". And my response is always the same: first, I GET IT. In addition to being a full-time Virginia Beach photographer, I am a mom of four and I fully understand the importance of bedtime (for both the parents and the kids!!). With that being said though, I have photographed enough sessions to know that in almost all cases, your kids will surprise you and everything will be just fine.
- [What to Expect When I am Your Virginia Family Photographer](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/what-to-expect-virginia-family-photographer/): As a Virginia family photographer who specializes in timeless, light-filled images, I am so fortunate to have worked with many families over the years to help them document precious moments in their season of life. My focus is always similar: to capture beautiful images that my clients will love, while providing an experience that they love just as much.
- [Six Must-Have Newborn Photos from a Virginia Newborn Photographer](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/six-must-have-newborn-photos-virginia-newborn-photographer/): As both a Virginia newborn photographer and mama of four, I know how quickly those first days with your sweet baby go by. It's a blur of tiny feet, feeding schedules, snuggles, diaper changes, and the highest of highs along with some tough moments too. Before you even have time to wrap your head around it, the little newborn you brought home has grown and changed and you can hardly remember what he or she looked or felt like just a few weeks earlier.
- [The Five Must-Have Photos for your Maternity Session by a Virginia Maternity Photographer](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/five-must-have-photos-maternity-session-virginia-maternity-photographer/): As a Virginia Maternity photographer, capturing an expecting mama is an an absolute honor and privilege that I do not take lightly. There is just something so incredibly beautiful about a woman growing another life and it's truly a season that I find so much joy in being a small part of. Through the years, I have documented many expecting mamas (whether it was their first or fourth babe!) and have learned a lot about what images are important to include in that final gallery to ensure that they can look back on this special time for years to come. If you have been strolling Pinterest to find those important maternity photos to capture, don't stress! - I am sharing the five must-have photos for your maternity session.
- [Virginia Beach Mini Session or Full Session: Which is Right for Your Family?](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/virginia-beach-mini-session-full-session-family/): As a mama of four myself, I know how busy you are and also that each family has different wants and needs, so that's exactly why I offer both Virginia Beach mini sessions and full sessions. Clients often ask which session would fit them best and my hope is that by walking you through the differences in this blog post, you can decide which session would (currently) be the best one for you!
- [Chesapeake Newborn Photographer / When To Schedule Your Lifestyle Newborn Session](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/chesapeake-newborn-photographer-when-to-schedule-your-lifestyle-newborn-session/): As a Chesapeake newborn photographer, potential clients often ask me when to book their session!  I love to help with all the questions and this one is such a good one because babies don’t keep (as much as we wish they would!!).  Their tiny features change so quickly and it’s important to get that session on the calendar so you can document them before they do!
- [Virginia Beach Family Portraits / Four Reasons to Book Beach Photos](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/virginia-beach-family-portraits-reasons-to-book-beach-photos/): As a Virginia Beach family portraits photographer, I often get asked where my favorite place for a session is and the answer is always the same - the beach. I am born and raised here and have always loved the beach but honestly as I get older, I appreciate it even more. I work with so many families who are visiting and are SO excited to be able to experience it, and it's the perfect reminder not to take it for granted and of course, to take ALL the photos there.
- [What to Wear to your Virginia Beach Maternity Portraits](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/what-to-wear-to-your-virginia-beach-maternity-portraits/): The number one question I get when helping clients prepare for their Virginia Beach maternity portraits is "what do we wear?". It's also one of the questions I love the most -- styling is one of my favorite parts of the planning process! Before going full-time in Virginia Beach maternity photography, I was a fashion teacher and a lot of my background is in fashion. I know how important it is to choose outfits that will add to the final outcome of your photos, it truly makes such a big difference!
- [What Time of Day is Best for Photos: My Opinion as a Hampton Roads Family Photographer](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/what-time-of-day-is-best-for-photos-hampton-roads-family-photographer/): As a Hampton Roads family photographer who aims for light-filled, classic and joyful images - timing is EVERYTHING! I work with natural light for all of my sessions and getting that pretty light is the very first (and one of the most important!) steps to those magical family photos. Here are my tried and true thoughts on timing your session just right so you get the ideal light and the ultimately the best outcome for your photo session, as well as some tips to help your family manage it best!
- [Six Tips for Sandbridge Beach Photos for Families](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/sandbridge-beach-photos/): I spend a lot of each summer doing Sandbridge beach photos for families and it truly is such a highlight of the year for me, there is just no better place for a session! The beach provides the best backdrop for a photo session, especially for my style of photography. I aim for photos that are full of light and timeless, and also that have lots of movement and candid moments. The beach is ideal for that - not only for the beautiful scenery but also for the wide space and opportunity to move!
- [What to Wear for Your Newborn Session: My Thoughts as a Hampton Roads Newborn Photographer](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/what-to-wear-for-your-newborn-session-hampton-roads-newborn-photographer/): The number one question I get as a Hampton Roads newborn photographer is what do we wear to our session. I know this part can feel stressful, which is why I send over a styling guide as soon as my client books their session, and I always offer my help! Before I was a newborn photographer in Hampton Roads, I was a fashion teacher and have a degree in fashion, so the styling is one of my favorite parts and I LOVE IT. I know that you want to feel your best (and I want you to feel that way also!!).
- [Hampton Roads Newborn Photography/Studio vs. In-Home Newborn Session](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/hampton-roads-newborn-photography-session-studio-vs-in-home/): As a photographer who specializes in Hampton Roads newborn photography, I offer my clients the choice between an in-home session or a session in my natural-lit studio (located in the Great Neck area of VB!). Both options are lovely and will give beautiful results -- there are just a number of factors to consider when choosing which one is right for your family during this precious season of life.
- [Mother’s Day Gift Guide](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/mothers-day-gift-guide/): Mother's Day is coming up + I can think of no one better to celebrate than all the moms, in all the seasons of life. I rounded up some of my favorite gifts for moms below -- as a Virginia Beach Maternity Photographer and mom of four myself, I have found some things I love along the way and am excited to share them below!!
- [Tips for Family Photos with Kids from a Norfolk Family Photographer](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/tips-for-family-photos-with-kids-from-a-norfolk-family-photographer/): Well before I was a Norfolk family photographer, I invested in lots of family sessions with my own family of six. In between those experiences + now spending so much time on the other side of the camera, I have learned a thing or two about what works (and what doesn't!) when it comes to photographing families with kids.
- [My Photography Journey](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/virginia-beach-family-photographer/): I truly feel like I am living my dream career right now as a Virginia Beach family photographer + thought it would fun to share how I got here. I got my first DSLR camera (a canon rebel!) a few months after my oldest daughter, Waverly Maye, was born 12 years ago. Like a lot of moms, I was obsessed with taking pictures of my new baby and of course, I would post them on Instagram for my family + friends to see. This was WAY before Instagram was like it is now - there were no influencers or brand deals or ads, it was just pretty photos.

## Pages
- [Newborn](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/newborn/)
- [Family](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/family/)
- [Maternity](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/maternity/)
- [Home](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/): a virginia beach family photographer who specializes in families, NEWBORNS, + maternity sessions
- [Blog](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/blog/): This is blog page placeholder. Anything you enter here will not appear in the front end, except for search results pages.
- [Sample Page](https://ashleybricknerphotography.com/sample-page/): This is an example page. It's different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this: