Ready...Set...Go! Portrait season is here!

Spring is definitely in the air here in Charlotte. Who isn't loving these beautiful, sunny, 70 degree days? This girl loves them! Another sign of spring being in full effect is portrait season kicking off! I'm excited to head up to the South End tonight for my first shoot this spring of a sweet family. I've got another portrait session on Sunday as well. Whoa... time to dust off the old camera and capture some smiles! Now, when am I going to get around to taking my kids' photos??? They are (almost) 6, 3, and 1. Time sure does fly, which is why it's all the more important to make sure you're documenting these precious ages! Happy Friday, everyone!

Thankful

Hi all. As you can see, I don't blog often. I do update my Facebook page, but blogging just isn't at the forefront of my priority list. It seems so "2010". Anywho, for the fun of it I'm posting a few pics from a family portrait session I just finished up. I am thankful for this, and for the AWESOME family whose pictures they are. They are very relaxed, easy to be around, humble, and sweet. I am thankful for clients like this! I'm also thankful that in less than four days I'll be done editing for the year! This lady doesn't work during the holidays, so one more wedding to finish and a kids' portrait session, and I'm done for 2011! Enjoy your Turkey Day, everyone. God Bless!

Caitlin - Charlotte Baby Photographer

This is one of my favorite posts to share with you. Babies, babies, everywhere! Sitting here expecting our third in April (we're really pulling for a BOY) I've got babies on the brain.

Sweet Caitlin is a miracle in the making. I just can't stop staring at her little face... mostly because I keep waffling on who she looks like more, her mom or her dad. Proud parents are Scott and Beth, one of my alltime favorite couples whose wedding I photographed two years ago at Saratoga Springs.

They are the nicest couple ever, and definitely the type who got married for all the right reasons and nothing more. They are like peanut butter and jelly, and now they've created this amazing little girl who clearly is the light of their world.

Here are a few faves from our session at Davidson College (same location that I took their engagement pictures!)

Back from the Beach

Well, I'm back. Vacation is over, but man was it glorious! We spent 8 days in Atlantic Beach, NC. We've been going for four years straight, and this was our best trip yet. We always go for a long weekend with a few other couples from college (Boiler Up!) All are my husband's fraternity brothers, but we wives are just a close. This year we decided to tack on the remaining week and rented a beach house with my husband's family. It was a killer house just off the water, and everyone had a great time. I think we'll be renting the same house again next year.

Must-Do/See when at the Crystal Coast:
1. Go antiquing! There are so many great antique stores in Morehead City and Beaufort. My favorite find was five decades-old nautical maps of the Carolina Coasts for only $1 each. I'm going to get them custom framed and hang on my wall. Someday they'll go in my (someday) beach house!
2. Visit downtown Beaufort: it's like being in Portland, Maine, but you're right here in Carolina.
3. Go on a sunset catamaran cruise in Beaufort. We've done this several times on Carribbean/Hawaiian vacations, but never with our family. It was just as fun!
4. Visit the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. Our kids had a blast! It's just slightly smaller than Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC, so it's very easy to get in and out in 90-120 minutes.
5. Go to the movies: my husband and I went to see Eclipse {Team Edward} and had a great date complete with popcorn/pop for under $20.
6. Fly kites at sunset. The tide is really low but the winds are high. So fun!
7. Take the Jeep (if you have one.) I give my hubby lots of grief over his tricked out Sahara Wrangler, but it was so much fun for all!

Here are a few family pics:

Us aboard the catamaran cruise

Sails on the sunset cruise

Audrey tossing sand before our annual family photos at the beach (go figure)

Ava flying a kite after dinner

Ava enjoying the surf while Daddy hangs onto her kite above

Chillin on our top porch at the house

My nephew Nick, Ava, Audrey, and my neice Kayla at the NC Aquarium

Summer Sessions - Charlotte Child and Family Photographer

I'm horrible about blogging! Please forgive. The good news is that I have an excellent excuse... I'm busy with photography! The last month has brought about two more portrait sessions and one engagement. I've got a few of my faves to post below.

First off is a family whose little girl I photographed when she was just six months old. Today she's a happy toddler (2.5) and has a baby brother who's six months old. It had been two years since they last took any pictures of any kind, so they decided it was time again. We went to Francis Beatty Park in Weddington (one of my favorite places to shoot) over Memorial Day weekend. We had a great time, and just beat the huge thunderstorm that rolled through right as we were finishing up. Phew!

Second is my first product from this summer's Mini Sessions. This is sweet, five year old Keira. Don't you just love her hair and beaming smile? We went with a "tea party" theme right here in my neighborhood. I live in a very unique, charming neighborhood in Ballantyne with over 9 acres of parks, so we had plenty of locations to choose from. My eldest daughter, Ava, also enjoyed "playing" with Keira at the tea party. They were both smiling the whole time, so my mission was accomplished!

Nikki - Charlotte Engagement

So today was nice and cloudy with a high of only 81! This is uber-odd for Charlotte in August, which is usually melting around 100 this time of year. Luckily, Mother Nature cooperated as I had two shoots today. The sun peeked out here and there, but we made do with it anyway. (Photogs hate sun... ok, "hate" is a strong word, but we prefer some clouds/overcast much of the time.)

My first shoot was with my next bride, Nicki, who's getting married in just three weeks in Lake Norman. We met up at the Latta Plantation for the shoot. She was really easy to work with and has the cutest dimples I've ever seen! I really like how things have turned out so far.

Love these two shots!

I'm not into antiques, but I love the old barn. What can I say?

Just LOOK at those dimples... I want to pinch them.

My second shoot was with good friends of ours who have been dying to get their family portrait taken now that they're a family of SIX! If anyone can juggle a large family, it's these guys. Our hats are eternally off to them... I'm hoping they write a book that the rest of us can read on tips/tricks for child rearing. Just having #2 on the way is starting to freak us out!

"Mom" is really creative, and although I thought I was also creative, I could never come up with all the fun activities/crafts this woman can! Damn Martha Stewart. Some days I wish she would adopt me and I could could be a kid again for a day.