Leah O'Connell

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Leah O'Connell Charlottesville, VA | Families, newborns, brands | personality-filled sessions outdoor + at home Families, newborns, small businesses

I’m in constant search of what’s underneath and in between. We can be on a sprawling farm in the most gorgeous glowy fal...
10/22/2026

I’m in constant search of what’s underneath and in between.

We can be on a sprawling farm in the most gorgeous glowy fall light, with mountains in the distance and a lake down the hill… and I’ll eat that u. But it’s still just the surface.

I keep looking for the spaces where it feels unraveled and the moments that don’t feel like performance.

Sometimes it really is “picture perfect” on the outside but I’m still going to be drawn to the beauty on the edges.

// recent work with the lovely Jess McGillicuddy | Charlottesville Photographer on Grey Oaks Farm

Some things change. Lots doesn’t.// these photos of the same family 3 years apart. different field, same town, bigger lo...
10/16/2026

Some things change. Lots doesn’t.

// these photos of the same family 3 years apart. different field, same town, bigger love. //

A few ideas that work really well for activities to include in family sessions:Sidewalk chalk or scooters in the drivewa...
10/10/2026

A few ideas that work really well for activities to include in family sessions:

Sidewalk chalk or scooters in the driveway
Popsicles on the front porch
A backyard game (whatever sport your kids are into)
A favorite card game or puzzle at the kitchen table
Time in the kids’ rooms just doing what they do in there (this one is a personal favorite - those rooms are so specific to who they are right now)
Playing with the dog
Roasting S’mores around the fire pit if you have one

The through-line in all of these is that they don’t require prep, props you don’t already own, or a family meeting to organize. They’re just... the stuff of life.

Choosing 1-2 ordinary activities you naturally enjoy doing together helps ground session into playfulness and normalcy so you don’t feel like you’re performing the whole time.

The result = photos that feel true because they are true.

One of the reasons I think I’m drawn to photography is because I’m constantly noticing the present, while simultaneously...
10/06/2026

One of the reasons I think I’m drawn to photography is because I’m constantly noticing the present, while simultaneously thinking about the future and how it will be felt looking back.

What will if feel like to look at this in 25 years?
What about this moment will someone hang onto?
What is just noise?
What is the truth?

I don’t totally know how to turn it off - the narrating is actually quite annoying sometimes on a completely normal Tuesday afternoon.

Is that a storyteller’s blessing or a curse? Asking for a friend. 🙃

What I do know is that it makes me grateful.

For the fall coming in, tables to gather around, relationships worth holding onto, and work that gives my overthinking somewhere to go that really does last for generations.
// images from a midday session in on an early fall day with Nikki Doering and her boys who shined even brighter than the bluest September sky.

So many of the families I photograph tell me the same thing after their session:‘I’m so glad we finally did this.’The fe...
09/24/2026

So many of the families I photograph tell me the same thing after their session:

‘I’m so glad we finally did this.’

The fears and what-ifs always stop us from saying yes to good things. Respectfully, screw that.

The biggest payoff from family photos is slowing down long enough to really look at your people and soak each other in. People think they’re just purchasing photos, but really, they’re gaining a side of presence.

09/15/2026

Most of us have horrendous memories of school photo day. I’m on a mission to make it feel more like a celebration of childhood.

Every personality is welcome.
Relaxed, fun, and timeless.

In the scheme of things, sure, this is a “little” thing.

But I’m always of the belief that little things add up to big things. Like confidence. Ability to be seen. Pride in who you are.

So I’m kicking off school photo season with a lot of joy and gratitude to be part of that.

Outdoor school photos in Charlottesville, VA //

When I was a young mom, I read the book Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman | Spiritual Director and it really stuck with...
09/14/2026

When I was a young mom, I read the book Simply Tuesday by Emily P. Freeman | Spiritual Director and it really stuck with me.

I like the idea of questioning “harder, better, faster stronger.” Let’s be honest, I’m still an Enneagram 3 Gemini Middle Child (TM) so Ima always be *striving* but you’ll also find me working really hard to make sure it’s in a positive direction, not just *because.*

I am so grateful to those who invite me in to photograph their slow everyday-Tuesdays. I know how special my people are to me and I bring all those feels right into every session.

Probably won’t ever get over how lucky I feel to do this work - as an artist and a mother.

*no i’m not pregnant, just flashing back to these impromptu self-portraits I took a week before A was born*

Charlottesville photographer | Richmond photographer | Virginia family photographer

I cringe when cliches slip out of my fingers - embrace the little moments, the magic in the mundane... meanwhile I’m liv...
09/11/2026

I cringe when cliches slip out of my fingers - embrace the little moments, the magic in the mundane... meanwhile I’m living it a minefield of construction paper and discarded cups.

So when I talk to you about the little moments and the mess being allowed, know that I get it. Like really really get it.

You can be crawling out of your skin in the afternoon and welling with happy tears in the evening because the love is so strong.

Both can be true.

Photos don’t capture that part, but they do hold moments in a way that we can’t. And what we pay attention to again and again is the part that sticks.

I used to wait for the resolution of a moment to take the right picture.The squeeze at the end of a hug. The top of the ...
09/10/2026

I used to wait for the resolution of a moment to take the right picture.

The squeeze at the end of a hug. The top of the swing.

But more and more, I’m drawn to the tension.

Maybe it’s because I feel like so much of life is lived in-between.

More and more I think beauty is stuck somewhere in the middle. Im working on finding ways to photograph it and hold some of the humanity in imperfection.

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Charlottesville, VA
22901

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 9am - 8pm
Saturday 9am - 8pm
Sunday 9am - 8pm

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