Fall Family Fun! - Belmont, NC Family Photos

I just love doing photos in the fall. The scattered leaves, gorgeous colors, and cooler temperatures are perfect for photo sessions. And when the humidity finally drops in the Carolina's, well...you just WANT to be outside!

The day of this fun family session was no exception! We couldn't have asked for more perfect autumn weather as we headed out for a nearby hiking trail around Lake Wylie. I had never shot there before, but the lake views and charming bridges made it a wonderful setting for a family session.

You probably recognize these adorable little guys from some of my earlier sessions with them. They just get cuter each time I have them in front of my camera. And this mama knows how to put outfits together for pictures, because they always look fantastic!

We had an awesome time at this session and ended our photo hike with the brilliant orange reflection of the sun setting on the lake in the background. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day!

Boo! - Charlotte, NC Childrens Photography

I convinced my son to let me do a little costume mini-session with him by telling him that I could add wings and things to the photo and make him EXTRA spooky! I'm a little bummed that he has moved past cute costumes into the kind of scary stuff, but he decided pretty early what he wanted to be and stuck with it, so how can you argue with that? He informed us that he was the "Grand Creeper" (aka the Grim Reaper) and thought that the glowing red eyes that came with his costume were super cool.

And our little miss is celebrating her birthday today, so a birthday cupcake was the perfect costume for her. How adorable is she?

Happy Halloween everyone! I hope your day was filled with treats instead of tricks!

Autumn Beauties - Clover, SC Senior Photographer, Teen Photographer

While visiting Virginia for my daughter's first birthday party, the autumn color in my parents' yard was just too amazing not to take advantage of it with an impromptu photo session. Luckily my gorgeous nieces were present and happy to model for me! 

I love them both, and not just because they help me indulge in my photo obsession.... :-)

And no "session" with these beautiful girls is complete without a few shots of them together. Thank you both for always being so willing provide me with photography subjects at a moments notice!

Spooky Turns One! - Clover, SC Children's Photography

What a year! It's hard to believe that my little Halloween pumpkin is turning one! I have to admit that I gave into the Pinterest-Party craziness just a little bit during the planning. I found Dillon and Caroline an amazing sibling outfit set on Etsy from Lightning Bug Lane. This shop is fantastic and was able to customize my order to exactly what I had in mind. The outfits turned out so cute and Dillon even wanted to wear his shirt to school for Halloween (high praise from my picky 6 year old).

We hosted her birthday party at my parents' home in Virginia. My mother's flowers and yard rivaled a botanical garden in their fall glory. It was just a little too chilly to have Caroline outside for too long, but luckily Dillon wanted to show off his cool shirt and posed for a few extra photos for me.

Caroline had two jaw-dropping cakes, both created by Ginny's Tastes with Grace. I searched and searched online and came up with lots of little pieces that I liked from different examples that I found. Ginny was able to perfectly execute my crazy cake plan and bring us exactly what I had imagined. I also found the darling #1 candle on Etsy from Sweet Lil Peaches and the banner to match Caroline's outfit came from Coppers Hollow Bunting.

Unfortunately, our birthday girl was way past due for a nap by the time we got to the whole cake smashing part of the party and she was having none of it! Oh well, even the tears made for cute photos and a story to tell later.

Happy first birthday, Spooky! You will always be my precious little pumpkin!

Suit Up - Salisbury, NC Portrait Photographer

Dillon got a new Radical Racegear / Robbie Stanley Racing driving suit and he looked so awesome in it that I just had to do some updated headshots of my little race car driver!

Dillon's car is a Stanley Racing Bulldog, so on a recent visit to Build-A-Bear Workshop he chose to make a stuffed bulldog and named it Stanley. Stanley just had to make an appearance in the photos, as well!

Another First Day - Lake Wylie, SC Child Photographer

It's so hard to believe that another year has slipped away! Where did my baby boy go? How can it be possible that he is already starting first grade? I guess I just have to accept it... Good luck to my "little man" on his first day of first!

Sun Kissed Field - Clover, SC Children's Photography

It was a perfect summer evening as the sun set behind a dancing field of tall grass, kissing each stalk with a magical golden glow. Caroline was dressed in an adorable ladybug outfit with a darling flowered headband. Dillon finally agreed to change into an outfit that didn't match his sister, but at least didn't have some sort of superhero on the shirt. Everything was in place for a few amazing photos of my children, except for good attitudes!

Oh wow, really - I just wanted a few snaps of each child and one of them together and they sooooo made me work for it. Dillon was grumpy and over it all before we even started. Eight month old Caroline was fussy and more than ready for an overdue bottle. This photog mama was just about to pull her hair out in frustration! Luckily, "Super Daddy" stepped in! My wonderful husband convinced our son to cooperate and teased a few smiles from our baby girl just in time as the sun slipped behind the mountain and we lost that gorgeous light.

Whew, I'm beyond happy with the photos, but it's a perfect reminder of why it is so hard to take photos of my own children. Hopefully when the next photographically-perfect opportunity comes up everyone will have had a nap and snack beforehand (especially me)! ;-)

Blue Eyed Brothers - Charlotte, NC Baby Photographer

Ariel and I had a perfect plan for her newborn photos. My son's racing schedule takes up many of my weekends these days, but I had a free weekend that, based on her due date, seemed like it should be just perfect to do their brand new baby boy's newborn photo session. But then that little guy decided he was completely happy where he was and decided to stay just a little too long. You know what they say about the best laid plans...

By the next date that we found that worked for all of our schedules, that tiny little bundle of newborn goodness was close to 6 weeks old, significantly older than most of my newborns at the time of their session. While I hate I missed capturing those first days, I was very happy that Baby J was just a doll for his photo session and already had a big personality that came through in his photos.

This little guy had some gorgeous blue peepers! And check out that smile! He was so happy for almost the entire photo session. I could have photographed this cuteness all day long!

I love color and you'll notice that you rarely see black and white photos on my blog, even though I always provide them to my clients. But something about these photos just seemed to call for the drama that black and white brings to the table. I feel like the emotion is really apparent in these photos.

Did I mention that dad is a super handsome fireman? No? Oh, let me rectify that! Ace donned his fire gear for a shot that turned out to be one of my favorite photos ever. Love!!

It was such a pleasure hanging out with this beautiful family! I can't wait to watch these two boys grow up together!

Congrats, Grad! - Clover, SC Senior Photos

We were lucky enough to be able to attend my gorgeous niece's high school graduation. We are all so very proud of her and know that she will go far!

CONGRATS, Morgan!!

I couldn't resist a quick photo of Morgan's equally stunning younger sister, Baylie. And my own little guy (having recently "graduated" from Kindergarten) had to get in on the cap-throwing action, as well!

Happy Easter! - Lake Wylie, SC Family Photography

For Easter this year, my family was dressed nicely and we hadn't really done a family picture since my maternity photos last fall, so I decided to give my new interval timer a try so I could get in the photos, too! After a number of crazy outtakes, we finally had something that I thought I could use.

These photos won't ever be able to replace our yearly professional photo session, for many different reasons, but this was a perfect way to document the moment and for me to get in the picture with my family!

Matera Family Peach Blossom Session - Fort Mill, SC Family Maternity Photography

I was lucky enough to have another glowing mama-to-be to photograph among the peach blossoms! Ariel and her family are dear friends and it has been such a pleasure to watch their oldest grow up. In fact, a few photos that I took of him when he was only 3 months old are in the first ever post on this photography page! Now I am so excited for them that this wonderful family is adding another precious little guy to the mix.

Ariel is just gorgeous in her vibrant green dress and I can tell that little Mr. M is over the moon about the idea of being a big brother!

Did I mention that Ariel is super crafty? She made this adorable banner to help them announce that they were having a BOY! How cute is this?

I know they all can't wait to meet their newest family member in a few months! And I am so excited to get to meet him, too!

Estes Family Peach Blossom Session - Fort Mill, SC Maternity Photographer

I had such a great time with the Estes family at their Peach Blossom family maternity session! This beautiful family was anxiously waiting for a baby brother to make his appearance. In fact, they all got to meet their brand new little guy just a few short weeks after this photo session.

Little Mr. W was so excited about being a big brother! And I think his parents were just a little excited, as well. You can tell from the interaction between father and son in these photos just how close this family is. Their fun personalities shine through, as well.

Chao Family Peach Blossom Session - Fort Mill, SC Family Photographer

For the first time this year, I decided to host a day of photo sessions in one of the local fields of peach trees in Fort Mill, SC. I was so happy that the peach blossoms and the weather both decided to cooperate on session day! It was a beautiful day and the peach trees were in their full glory.

The Chao family was one of my returning clients who took me up on a spring session among the trees. Each year that I see them, I am constantly amazed at how much their son has grown up. It was such a pleasure to see him walking between his mom and dad!

This family has such love for each other and it comes out in every photo.

Lisa Headshots - Lake Wylie, SC Portrait Photography

When Lisa contacted me about getting an updated headshot done, I was happy to help her out. She picked a beautiful  turquoise sweater for her photos that perfectly matched her gorgeous eyes.

Lisa's son was quick to jump in when I needed someone to help me scout for the perfect location around their home, so I just had to include a few photos of this cutie, as well!

Dapper Dudes - Belmont, NC Child Photographer

As I'm sure you know, these two little guys are near and dear to my heart! Every winter I look forward to their yearly birthday photo session. The twins are so much fun to photograph and their super stylish mamma always has great ideas for us to incorporate into their photos. 

They had two different looks for their session, so I chose two different locations. We found an open field to play against their dapper bow ties and sweaters. A fallen branch made the perfect seat for these active boys.

The twins' next look was a little more fun with white shirts and colorful pants, in their "trademark" blue and green. I knew a vibrant urban background would work well with this.

Happy birthday boys! Turning 5 suits you and I can't wait to see what we come up for your session next year!

Happy Heart Day! - Clover, SC Child Photography

Happy Valentines Day from my little sweetheart! This adorable little miss is 3 and half months old and sweet as can be!

Happy New Year! - Concord, NC Senior & Teen Photographer

Happy New Year! I got to start my new year off right with some headshots for this beautiful young lady! She is a very talented quarter midget race car driver at NCQMA and needed a few photos for her sponsorship presentations.

Merry Christmas! - Lake Wylie, SC Children's Photography

Every year we attend a breakfast with Santa that takes place in our community. My son looks forward to it so much and it made a great opportunity for our brand new little miss to get her first visit with Santa, too! This Santa is the sweetest!

And of course Caroline had to have a little mini photo shoot in her adorable reindeer onesie, too!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Dual Purpose Cards - Clover, SC Family Photography

By the time I had everything I needed to design Caroline's birth announcements, it was time to send out Christmas cards, too! I decided to make it easy on myself and created a dual purpose birth announcement / Christmas card. 

I had these printed through Millers Lab on one of their Luxe Folded cards. They have some really unique and amazing shapes for these cards, so if you are looking for something that sets your card apart from everyone else's, then this might be an option for you.

Sweet Caroline - Lake Wylie, SC Newborn Photography

I have had difficult newborn clients in the past, but my own child certainly proved to be the most difficult of all! I'm sure trying to do photos, not long after giving birth, probably had a little something to do with it, as well. I tried to take my time and spread out our photo sessions with lots of breaks in between. While there were many ideas that I had wanted to try and didn't get to attempt, I am happy with how the photos turned out overall.

I purchased the cream colored teddy bear hat and crocheted pants from Katie Did It Crafts on Etsy. She did an amazing job with these items and also a pumpkin hat with a removable flower (seen below). I would highly recommend visiting her online shop if you are looking for quality items for your children!

I always try to work in at least one neutral set-up for my newborn sessions. I love the classic look that you get with just a simple white or cream backdrop that lets that squishy, newborn cuteness take center stage!

When I knew that I would have a fall baby, I immediately envisioned a very particular idea that I wanted to photograph. I searched for a backdrop, vintage bucket, and the other props that would need to make my vision a reality. I am so happy with the result as it is exactly how I imagined. My little pumpkin in a perfect setting!

Obviously we had to bring in the very proud older brother for a few sibling shots. He just loved getting to hold and snuggle with his sister for the photos. This little girl has no idea yet how very lucky she is to have a big brother like this!

Trick or Treat! - Charlotte, NC Birth Photographer

Thirty-four hours of labor definitely felt like a trick, but getting to hold my precious little Halloween pumpkin was definitely a treat! Even though I wasn't due until November 16th, my water broke around 5:00AM on October 30th, and our baby girl was born at 3:42PM on the 31st. It seems fitting that I would have a Halloween baby since fall has always been my favorite season and Halloween my favorite holiday. So, without further ado, meet Caroline Autumn!

I think my husband secretly enjoyed the drive to the hospital, but had I known I would have to go so long without anything to eat, I so would have made him stop at a drive-thru! I had made plans for my friend Kristin to photograph the birth, but unfortunately after being in labor for what seemed like forever, things went from "nothing is happening" to "time to push" very quickly and we weren't able to have her there. Luckily my mom was able to be there for the birth, so I handed my camera over to her and she did a great job documenting all the excitement.
Immediately after our little miss entered the world, Ron had to leave to head back home and take Dillon trick or treating with the other children in the neighborhood. I was bummed to have to miss out on trick or treating, especially since I had purchased the cutest skeleton (and baby skeleton) shirt to wear, but obviously I had to stay put. Luckily, I had the most adorable little bundle to keep me company.

Once the Halloween festivities were done, Ron and Dillon (aka Iron Man) came to visit so that Dillon could meet his baby sister for the first time. Honestly, I think he might have been more excited about the adjustable bed and free jello! ;-)

After we did our time in the hospital, we were finally allowed to leave. It was wonderful to have some time with our family and to enjoy being back at home with our newest family member! I think I know someone who will be an awesome big brother, too!