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!

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!

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)! ;-)

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.

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!

Lakeside Family Photos - Lake Wylie, SC Family Photographer

I am just a few short weeks shy of my due date and I am definitely feeling it! I really limited my fall sessions this year because of this, but I just couldn't miss out on a fun session with one of my favorite families! The Smiths love their time on the lake, so we decided that a nearby lakefront park would make the perfect location for their photos.

The park has a beautiful fence with a section of climbing roses. When I saw the evening sun filtering through the glossy leaves and vibrant flowers, I knew this was a perfect spot to stop for a few shots. Kim always does a fantastic job outfitting her boys for their sessions, and this one was no exception. We joked that the twins look ready for a modeling job after this!

Every year when I do photos for this family, I end up with new favorites! I just love how these photos turned out. What a way to close out the year!

5 Minute Photos - Lake Wylie, SC Child Photographer

It's a difficult thing to admit, but I'm here to confess that my little guy has a terrible case of PCS. For those of you that don't know, PCS stands for "Photographer's Child Syndrome" and it means that my child has developed a horrible allergy to my camera. It's so bad that he runs whenever I get my camera out and, in the rare cases that I am able to convince him to hold still for just a few shots, he makes terrible faces (I'm sure due to the pain of his affliction).

But don't feel too bad for me, I've been working on a cure. So far, I have found that if I truly keep my photo sessions with him to a very brief amount of time, he can stand it and I can even manage to get a few smiles! 

He looked so cute with his fresh hair cut and red polo the other day that I took 5 minutes for just a few shots.

Summer Sibling Session - Clover, SC Child Photography

Ah, summer! The perfect chance to throw down a blanket near the wild flowers and have a picnic....or a photo session! Check out this adorable big sister and baby brother!

What a cutie! This little guy had the most beautiful big blue eyes and he definitely knew how to bat those eye lashes. Girls of the future, watch out! :-)

He's so lucky to have a loving big sis, too! You can tell she will do a great job watching over her little brother as they grow up.

"I don't always hang out in a vintage Pepsi crate, but when I do I am TOO CUTE FOR WORDS!"

School Picture Time & an Announcement - Lake Wylie, SC Children's Photographer

Today was school picture day for my son. He looked so cute when he came home, that I just had to take him outside for a little mini photo session.

I just love that big smile and those bright blue eyes! This little guy looks so much like his daddy that it's scary sometimes! :-)

Oh and we also have a little family announcement to make, so after a quick outfit change we took a few photos to help tell the rest of the world our big news!

A new baby brother or sister is on the way! :-D

My Little Racer - Clover, SC Child Photogrpaher

If you've read my "About Me" page, then you know that I got my start in photography taking pictures at the race track. While my husband is not currently racing, he still wanted to be involved in the sport. So as soon as our son was old enough to start, we signed up for him to drive a quarter midget race car at the North Carolina Quarter Midget Association (NCQMA) in Salisbury, NC. After purchasing all the necessary safety gear, I couldn't resist a few studio shots of my little driver to be.

If you have a child between the ages of 4.5 and 15 who might be interested in racing, check out NCQMA.com and you can come join us at the track!

Twins In Tuxes! - Lake Wylie, SC Children's Photographer

The beginning of the year means I get to spend some quality time with two of my favorite little guys for their yearly birthday photo session! Their mom, Kim, always comes up with some fun ideas for each of these sessions, to make them a little more special for the boys and different from the family photo session that they do with me each fall. This year she purchased tiny tuxedos for her twins! Say that five times fast... ;-)

Both boys looked so dapper in their tuxes. I knew of a perfect location to fit in with the formal, but still fun, vibe that the tuxes added to the photo session.

I think the boys might have been channeling James Bond. I assume they like their chocolate milk shaken, not stirred...

The addition of sunglasses gave the look more of a "Men In Black" feel. Meet Agent N and Agent L! They were two cool little dudes!

I had fun spending a little individual time with each of the boys. Their personalities are so different and they had a great time hamming it up for me in front of the camera.

We had some amazing light in the woods as the sun started to set. I just love how their black tuxes pop off of that warm, golden background!

We finished the session up with a few studio shots so the boys could show off their trademark green and blue birthday sweaters. They even remember who gets which color from year to year.

Happy birthday, boys! I had so much fun at your session and I know you did, too. And if anyone out there is desperately seeking two adorable ring bearers for your wedding, give me a call. I'm pretty sure I can hook you up!

This Little Cowboy is Turning 1! - Clover, SC Child Photography

I can't believe it's already been a year since this little cowboy's newborn session. Somehow, it seems like that was just a few months ago! A year ago, we were snuggling him inside that red wooden bucket, and now he's sitting on top of it. It's easy to see just how much he's grown.

Little Mr. C loves balloons and his birthday photo session was the perfect time to use a few to create a fun backdrop!

He wasn't so sure about the cake, but he had a good time digging out the baby snack puffs that we sprinkled on top of it.

This little guy had so many cute expressions, I think he had a fun time, even if we couldn't quite convince him that he really would like the cake...

Train-tastic! - Belmont, NC Child & Family Photography

I am so privileged to have a number of families who have been with me since the very beginning of my business. If you've followed me long, then you know that Marty, Kim and their adorable twin sons are one of those families. They are definitely Speechless VIPs, and I am so honored to feel like I have watched these boys grow up over the last few years!

The boys were happy to help me when I told them to tickle their mom and dad. I'm not sure who laughed more, the twins or Marty and Kim!

With this gorgeous mom and handsome dad, it's easy to see why the boys are so cute! As a side note, I just love Kim's boots! She always does a great job of choosing the clothing for her family for their photos.

I just love these individual shots of the boys. We do something similar to this at each of their sessions, and it's so fun to compare them and see how much they have changed.

This family session was held in Belmont, NC, which is a great area for family portraits. The kids always love the train and the nearby park and variety of restaurants make it convenient to have a fun night out after the session. This vibrant red brick wall was also a wonderful feature to include as a backdrop for their photos.

 Every great photo session should end with a little leaf fight... I think so, anyway!

The Best Christmas Present Ever! - Lake Wylie, SC Child & Newborn Photography

I just finished taking down all my Christmas decorations, and I'm already missing the warm glow of twinkling lights. Looking back at this session that I did before Christmas helps to bring back that festive holiday feeling.

Parents Michael and TJ got a wonderful early Christmas present this year, a beautiful newborn baby boy! Welcome, Baby E!

You can tell Little Miss R enjoyed modeling her beautiful Christmas dress for me in front of their tree.

Their gorgeously decorated Christmas tree made a fantastic backdrop for family photos during the holiday season. I just love the lights and ornaments in the background.

Baby E enjoyed all the excitement of his first professional photo session and even smiled a time or two.

Little Miss R is already taking her duties as a new big sister very seriously. I just know these two little ones will grow up to be fast friends!

Albert, Jennifer & Little Mr. A! - Fort Mill, SC Family Photographer

I'm sure you remember Albert, Jennifer & Little Mr. A from their family session last fall. I love catching up with my repeat clients each year and this beautiful family is no exception!

If you can't quite place them, then I'm sure the photo of this little guy with a leaf will help jog your memory. He was completely fascinated by them last year, and that was something that hadn't changed!

Since I remembered that little Mr. A loved having fun things to hold and check out, I brought some shiny, shatter-proof ornaments with me this year. He loved twirling them around and throwing them in the grass!

I couldn't get over how much this little cutie had grown up since I had seen him last! He was standing tall and buzzing right along with Mom and Dad close behind.

Little Mr. A has the sweetest disposition, he is such a happy little guy!

This is one of my favorite images from the session. I just love those sparkling brown eyes and sweet smile!

And since Mr. A was having a ball with those over-sized ornaments nearby, I was able to get a few photos of just Albert and Jennifer together while he played. I know that it's always nice for busy parents to get a couple of pictures of just the two of them.