You chose a city with three hundred years of stories in it. Yours deserves to be one of them.

The brick sidewalks and the waterfront will still be there. What I want to find is how your family actually lives in this city, not the posed version on King Street, but the real one. The coffee shop you go to every Saturday. The park your kids have claimed. The living room that holds all of it together.

START HERE

MEET SAM

an alexandria va documentary family photographer sam schinsky of s a schinsky photography takes a photo of an extended family at ida lee park where grandpa and grandma swing their grandson towards the camera all with big smiles on their faces

an alexandria va documentary family photographer sam schinsky of s a schinsky photography takes a photo at sunset on scarlet springs farm of a small young family snuggled together looking at one another smiling

an alexandria va documentary family photographer sam schinsky of s a schinsky photography takes a photo at blandy experimental farm of a family with two kids as they parents wrestle the and hug the kids from behind all with big smiles and laughter

an alexandria va documentary family photographer sam schinsky of s a schinsky photography takes a photo of a family sitting on a big log snuggled together parents playing with the kids and laughing with the sun high above them in the frame

an alexandria va documentary family photographer sam schinsky of s a schinsky photography takes a photo at scarlet springs farm of a family with three kids on a farm as mom smiles to camera and kids try to tackle the parents

This is The Good Stuff.

The way your kids still reach for your hand when they're feeling a little nervous. The sounds your house makes on an early Saturday morning before anyone is really awake. The way your oldest surprises you with that gut-busting, nose-crinkling, head-back laugh... still, even now.

Those aren't small things.

Those are the things.

The tiny moments that catch your breath, pull you back into your own life, and make you fall in love with it all over again.

I'm a photographer based in Loudoun County, and I come to you- your home (don't panic) or your favorite happy place- to document your actual life. Whatever is happening there, I want to see it. I need to see the real stuff, the honest, lived in, quietly-sacred stuff, so I can show it back to you. Because you may feel how beautiful your life is from time to time. But I need you to actually see it.

Because the ordinary has an expiration date. And one day, you're gonna miss it.

You don't need a cleaner house. Easier kids. Or a season when life finally settles down.

You just need someone who's looking for the good stuff.

- Sam Schinsky, Virginia

WHY CHOOSE ME?

... its more than family photography - it's the breath in between...

SERVING ALEXANDRIA + NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Alexandria is where your family exists -

From the historic streets of Old Town to the Del Ray neighborhood and the communities along the Potomac that your family has quietly made your own.

This is where you breathe. Where you go to school, where you work hard, where your kids are boldly becoming who they will be forever.

This is your actual life. This is where your session takes place.

BOOK NOW

In-Home Sessions

Do. Not. Panic. Your kitchen, your living room, your backyard. The mess is not the problem. The mess is the perfect point. These walls allow your family to live in safety, in comfort, in freedom, in their absolute best skin. This is where the magic of existing becomes the reality of truly living.

Local Landmarks

Your favorite coffee shop on a Saturday morning. The park your kids have claimed as entirely their own. The waterfront on a Tuesday when nobody is performing for anybody.

Maybe it's somewhere along the Mount Vernon Trail. Maybe it's a spot only locals knows the name of.

These are the places that make Alexandria feel like yours. Let's document that.

Northern Virginia Wide

Alexandria is home base for your session, of course.

But if you ever want to come out my way: out past the suburbs, past the traffic, out where the mountains start- I know some fields and farms and back roads that would make you forget what day it is.

Either way. Tell me where you want to go. I'm in.

Meet Sam

I'm a mom, a veteran, and a former foster care worker.

Photography has been chasing me my whole life. I finally let it catch up...

I'm Sam. I'm based in Round Hill in West Loudoun County and I make the drive to Alexandria because the families who reach out from there are always worth it.

What I've noticed about Old Town people is that they have an eye. They chose that neighborhood because aesthetics matter to them. History matters. A sense of place matters. They are not accidental about where they live. Its a sturdy foundation that's been built in history... something we all need in our lives.

I photograph inside your home when I can. The kitchen where everyone ends up. The hallway your kids have memorized. The Sunday morning light that comes through your windows in a way that is specific only to your house on your street. That's where the real story is. Thats what home means.

If in-home doesn't feel good to you, we can meander your street, find your places, the spots that hold your memories, the spaces you want... nope... need to remember.

Want something new, something that feels wide open and different - you can always come out my way.

Wherever we are, I prompt something real and then I wait. What comes after the performance ends that's the session.

That's what you're going to want to frame.

WHY CHOOSE ME?

In-Home Sessions

Your home, exactly as it is. The art on the fridge, the dog underfoot, your preteen radiating the specific energy of someone who absolutely did not agree to this - while your youngest, usually the chatty one, has suddenly become a very serious introvert. This is where documentary style does what it does. We play in the backyard. Read on the couch. Maybe we make cookies in the kitchen and something real happens while nobody's paying attention to me anymore. That's the one I'm waiting for.

SEE MORE HERE

Full Family Sessions

Your favorite local spot, for however long it takes. This one is for families who want more room to move - more time, more space, more of the in-between moments that happen when nobody feels rushed. I'll prompt a little more here. We'll play some games, follow the littles wherever they decide to take us, and find the traditional lifestyle moments hiding inside the chaos.

SEE MORE HERE

Half Sessions

Thirty focused minutes. Perfect for smaller families, tight nap windows, and the reality that kids have a limit - and so do the best moments. I'll let you in on something I'm probably not supposed to admit: sometimes you just need to update the family photo. You don't need the whole production. I get it. I really do. We skip the elaborate and go straight to the good stuff.

SEE MORE HERE

Kids Fine Art Personality Portraits

Clean and simple. In your home. Just for them. One at a time your kids will get their annual personality check - for whoever they are this year. No performance required, but there will absolutely be characters. We're not asking them to smile. We're trying to see the honest-to-goodness, sweet-cheeked cheekiness, you see on the regular. School Picture - adjacent. Perfect for toddlers, homeschoolers, kids who are just too cool for school picture day - and mom's who know they deserve something better than what they always end up with.

SEE MORE HERE

Love Notes From...

Melissa Rudder

Sam of s a schinsky photography is truly wonderful. From the initial booking to the final reveal, she is professional, personable and makes everyone in front of the camera feel at ease. She has a special eye to capture beauty, joy, and the unique personalities of each member of the family.

You hope to have a few favorites from a photo shoot but I loved every single one of mine. She captured some of THE BEST pictures I've ever seen of myself in addition to my two energetic boys at a time that I will cherish and remember as a mom.

If you're looking to document a special time in your life or just the everyday in-between moments, book a session with Sam!!!!

MORE TESTIMONIALS

Awarding Winning and Published Family Photographer

Grateful for the recognition - and the families who make it possible

I'm not a competitive person by nature - community over competition always. I'm usually the one to help resolve the conflict that inherently comes from competition debates - which I have a lot of practice considering my very own husband and daughter compete at just about everything. But apparently, it feels pretty cool to win every once in a while for something that is all yours, uniquely you, and extremely subjective. They may not be the biggest awards in the industry, but they are just little nudges of love, letting me know I'm in this arena for a reason, and welcome to stay as long as I choose. So here and there, when I get a little itch to seek out a new competition - I'll make a submission or two and if it results in anything, I will humbly and gratefully put them here, so that my clients, the real people I get to work with, get to see how absolutely beautiful they are inside and out.

Awarded Gold for an s a schinsky photography image submission in Summer 2025 by the SHINE PHOTO AWARDS 26th Edition Virginia Family Photographer

Awarded Bronze for an s a schinsky photography image submission in Summer 2025 by the SHINE PHOTO AWARDS 26th Edition during a family photo session

Some things you may be wondering...

What if my house isn't nice/clean enough?

It is. The crayon marks on the wall, the kids' artwork covering the fridge door, the couch your youngest claimed as their personal kingdom. Projects, forts, legos... that's not background noise. That's the whole point. Your home is where your family is most themselves. That's exactly where I want to be.

What if my kids don't cooperate?

They will and they won't and that's fine. I'm not looking for cooperation. I'm looking for them - real them, who they actually are at this exact age. The chaos is content. The wiggly moments are the ones you'll love most later.

Do we have to be in matching outfits?

Please don't. Wear what you actually wear. The Saturday morning version of your family is the one I'm here for.

Maybe you'll feel like dressing up a tad - and that's great. Nothing itchy, loud, or uncomfortable though.

I have THIS style guide to help you out, and I am always here as an extra set of eyes too.

When will I receive my photos?

I am always excited to jump right in to your gallery. But the truth is I may have some ahead of yours to complete first.

2 weeks if it isn't a busy season. 4 if it is.

Give or take.

Do I need to buy prints?

You don't have to. But I'll tell you why they matter: because a screen dies and a hard drive fails and a printed photograph on a wall or in an album is something your kids can hold. That's not a sales pitch. That's why I got into this in the first place.

What happens if the weather is bad for an outdoor session?

We will either lean into it and go with the flow, make a plan b, or we can reschedule for another day.

What's included?

That is a question for the details page of the session you're looking at.

But at the time I created this page - generally:

Full Sessions include: time, talent, and (relatively respectful) travel, the full finalized gallery, a gift album from me.

Half Sessions receive: more localized travel, 30 minutes of time, some of the images with the option purchase more.

But I wouldn't think too much on this part, think about what your family needs and has the capacity for right now. There are a dozen photographers with an immense amount of talent all offering similar package - its okay for you to lean into who matches your vibe the best.

READY WHEN YOU ARE

You chose this city on purpose.

The history, the beauty, the sense of being somewhere that actually means something. You have an eye for what's real and what's performed... and you know the difference immediately.

So do I.

When you're ready for someone to come to you and find what's actually there- I will be here.

SECURE MY SESSION

today on the blog...

Family session at Scarlet Springs Farm, Waterford Virginia — documentary family photographer S.A. Schinsky Photography

Why I Keep Coming Back to Scarlet Springs Farm in Loudoun County

August 27, 2026

Where to do Family Photos in the Summer in Northern Virginia

July 23, 2026

image of the skogafoss waterfall in iceland during sunset in a blog about traveling iceland in a campervan as a family

Traveling Iceland in a Camper Van with Kids

June 19, 2026

extended family with two young kids stand in a field holding hands spread out at arms length during their family photo session at ida lee park in leesburg virginia sam schinsky s a schinsky photography

How to Prep the Kids for Your Family Photo Session in Loudoun County

May 26, 2026

ALEXANDRIA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER

You chose a city with three hundred years of stories in it. Yours deserves to be one of them.

This is The Good Stuff.

... its more than family photography - it's the breath in between...

SERVING ALEXANDRIA + NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Alexandria is where your family exists -

In-Home Sessions

Local Landmarks

Northern Virginia Wide

Meet Sam

I'm a mom, a veteran, and a former foster care worker.

Photography has been chasing me my whole life. I finally let it catch up...

In-Home Sessions

Full Family Sessions

Half Sessions

Kids Fine Art Personality Portraits

Love Notes From...

Melissa Rudder

Awarding Winning and Published Family Photographer

Grateful for the recognition - and the families who make it possible

Some things you may be wondering...

What if my house isn't nice/clean enough?

What if my kids don't cooperate?

Do we have to be in matching outfits?

When will I receive my photos?

Do I need to buy prints?

What happens if the weather is bad for an outdoor session?

What's included?

READY WHEN YOU ARE

You chose this city on purpose.

today on the blog...

Why I Keep Coming Back to Scarlet Springs Farm in Loudoun County

Where to do Family Photos in the Summer in Northern Virginia

Traveling Iceland in a Camper Van with Kids

How to Prep the Kids for Your Family Photo Session in Loudoun County

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