Celebrating 20 years as a Northern Virginia family photographer

It just hit me today. I received my first DSLR camera on Christmas Day 2005. That was over twenty years ago!! Holy smokes! Here’s how that one gift changed my life and led me to become a Northern Virginia family photographer. (Bonus: enjoy these photos from my sessions this year as you read!)

collage of sisters photography in Rebecca Danzenbaker's photography studio and neighborhood

collage of newborn portraits by photographer Rebecca Danzenbaker

My husband and I traveled to Las Vegas for our one-year anniversary in November 2005. We took a Grand Canyon tour, and a solo traveler asked me to take a photo of him near the rim. He handed me his DSLR and showed me the button to press. Click click click. I handed the camera back and said, “nice camera!” My husband remembered, and voila, a new camera landed under the Christmas tree that year.

collage of pink-themed first birthday photos by Rebecca Danzenbaker

collage of newborn portraits with a squishy newborn girl by Rebecca Danzenbaker

I became obsessed. After reading the camera manual cover to cover, I bought two more manuals and read those cover to cover. Still eager to learn more, I signed up for photography classes at the local community college! In 2006, my niece and nephew were born, then my own son. I became a mamarazzi extroardinaire, taking a million photos of them, then my friends’ photos and my sisters’ friends’ photos.

Collage of family photos with blue and white clothes by Northern Virginia family photographer, Rebecca Danzenbaker

collage of Brother photos by Northern Virginia family photographer, Rebecca Danzenbaker

In 2008, while balancing a corporate career, I launched my photography business, certain I could become a successful Northern Virginia family photographer. More classes and workshops helped me learn how to run a business and price my packages to ensure I could pay the bills. (I realize my prices are on the higher end, but I still STRUGGLE to pay the bills every month. That’s how expensive it is running a business!)

Collage of family photos taken in Waterford VA by Northern Virginia family photographer Rebecca Danzenbaker

collage of family photos taken at the Brambleton Reservoir by Rebecca Danzenbaker with sisters in flowy and colorful dresses

In 2013, I left my corporate job and became a full-time Northern Virginia family photographer! And while I now have one novel out and another on the way, this is still my full-time job! And I still very much love it!

high school senior boy portraits collage by Rebecca Danzenbaker Photography

family portraits collage from northern Virginia family photographer, Rebecca Danzenbaker

What I don’t love is blogging. Or scheduling social media posts. Juggling my writing deadlines while keeping up with photography marketing has been a lot. But I’m still here, making absolute magic, even if you don’t see me posting about it very much. In fact…