Profile Picture

About Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography

Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography is a New Jersey and New York boutique family and children’s photographer based in Fanwood, NJ that specializes in capturing the true sweetness of childhood that can be found in everyday life. “I don’t just aim to make you or your children smile during a portrait session, but also to make you smile nearly every day after simply by glancing at the beautiful prints of your family that will hang on your walls. They’ll make you stop for a moment, take a deep breath, remember that day, and you will smile once again.”

Scotch Plains, NJ Family Photographer | Family

May 15th, 2013

Scotch Plains, NJ Family Photographer | Family

I believe in family portraits and I love, love, love getting parents into the photographs with their children - regardless of the age of the children. Therefore extended family portraits have an absolutely special place in my heart!

I was so excited when my client booked this portrait session with her sister as a gift for their Mom. We now have all of their Mom’s loved ones in one photograph, along with many others to complement and surround her full family portrait.

The family did an amazing job with color coordinating their outfits for the session after our consultation. When I arrived, I was so excited to pair their style with the beautiful morning light and the leaves that were just starting to appear on the trees in the park.

But would you be believe it was just 40 degrees that April morning! It was quite the chilly start to our day! We rotated family members in and out of the portraits so they could each put their jackets on for a few minutes and keep warm!  But you would never know looking at the smiles on their faces how cold it was that day!  I think they were just so happy to spend a weekend together.

The entire family was just wonderful.  Everyone needs a beautiful full family portrait with grandparents, parents and children all together!

Enjoy!

Extended Family Portrait Session in Watchung Reservation, Berkeley Heights NJ Scotch Plains, NJ Family Photographer captures extended family portraits in Watchung Reservation.

Staten Island, NY Child Photographer | Cuteness

May 14th, 2013

Staten Island, NY Child Photographer | Cuteness

I love watching my little clients grow.  I’ve been photographing this family since their older little man was just a tiny newborn baby. And last year, we welcomed their second little guy. It was so wonderful to meet my clients at Historic Richmondtown in Staten Island once again this Spring to photograph their oldest child’s 3rd birthday portraits along with Easter portraits of both little guys.

During our consultation, their Mom and I talked about how much we love Janie & Jack outfits and I just can’t resist a little boy in a hat, so Mom made sure to get some adorable little hats for these munchkins.  Their outfits were just perfect for the day, the season and location.

While we were wandering around Richmondtown in Staten Island, I noticed a few new buildings. These new additions are part of the set for Boardwalk Empire which occasionally films in this area.  We loved incorporating the buildings into our photographs.

I hope you enjoy the irresistible cuteness of these little brothers and I can’t wait for the little man’s 1st birthday session later this year!

Enjoy!

Child Portraits Brothers Staten Island Portrait Session Historic Richmondtown

Edison, NJ Senior Portraits | Bridget {Class of 2014}

May 9th, 2013

Edison, NJ Senior Portraits | Bridget {Class of 2014}

Welcome Bridget from Bishop George Ahr High School to the Class of 2014 Senior Ambassadors for Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography!

Edison New Jersey Senior Portraits

Senior Portrait Ambassador Program Edison NJ Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography

 

Metuchen, NJ Senior Portrait Photography | Emma {Class of 2014}

May 2nd, 2013

Metuchen, NJ Senior Portraits | Emma {Class of 2014}

Welcome Emma from Bishop George Ahr High School to the Class of 2014 Senior Ambassadors for Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography!

Senior Portraits. Class of 2014. Bishop George Ahr High School Edison NJ.

Emma from Bishop George Ahr High School Edison NJ. Class of 2014

New Jersey Senior Portraits | Seniorologie Styled Session {Vintage Style}

April 1st, 2013

New Jersey Senior Portrait Photographer | Seniorologie Styled Session {Vintage Style}

The final session to highlight from the Seniorologie Styled ShootOut is our Vintage Style. I had so much fun with this look, especially in the desert!  With all of the old vintage cars around the area, and the long deserted road through our location, it was so fun to photograph this style our chosen location.  But I think I would also have fun with this style and photographing a session at the NJ Shore this summer.  If you also love this look, and would want to do something similar in NJ, then give me a call.

If you are in the Class of 2013 or 2014, now is a great time to book your portrait session, and there is still availability in the Ambassador Program!!! For more details, see the blog post here and call us!

 

Blog Collage-1364830716021
Blog Collage-1364830987364

New Jersey Senior Portrait Photographer | Seniorologie Styled Session {Prom Queen}

March 20th, 2013

New Jersey Senior Portrait Photographer | Seniorologie Styled Session {Prom Queen}

Next up from the Seniorologie Styled ShootOut is our Prom Queen.  I just love the red dress with our model’s cool red hair and the adorable crown!  We had a few great props during this session, but these are still styles that can replicated here in NJ as well.  You can bring your prom dress to your Senior Portrait Session or swing by a vintage or second-hand shop to find a beautiful dress just for your session.

If you are in the Class of 2013 or 2014, now is a great time to book your portrait session, and there is still availability in the Ambassador Program!!! For more details, see the blog post here and call us!

 

Scotch Plains NJ Senior Portrait Photographer Styled Session with Prom Queen look

Scotch Plains NJ Senior Portraits on location with antique cars

 

Scotch Plains, New Jersey Child Photographer | Pure Happiness – Tiny Tuesday

March 19th, 2013

Scotch Plains, New Jersey Child Photographer

It’s been way too long since I’ve shared a Tiny Tuesday post.  On Tuesdays, I like to share some of my favorite images from client portrait sessions or sometimes of my own children.

This image was taken on a day that just felt like the perfect day.  I absolutely LOVE the Fall season, and this session was around mid-October.  The sun was warm, the leaves were almost at their peak color and this particular park was full of beautiful yellow.   The sun was still high up in the sky, but just twinkling perfectly through the leaves in this particular area.   This adorable girl was just so sweet throughout the session and cooperating for every moment – we had giggles, laughs, hugs, runs, cartwheels and more!

I wanted an image that just highlighted and captured that smile and her abundance of happiness!  I wanted to capture the sweet innocence of childhood and the happiness that comes from spending a beautiful day outdoors with your family.  That perfect childhood laugh is found right in her adorable smile.  The best way to capture this was to come in close to that adorable giggle.   You don’t need to see her whole face to feel her happiness – you just needed to see her whole smile and that’s where all the emotion is contained in this image for me.

Enjoy!

 

Scotch Plains Child Photographer captures Pure Happiness with adorable giggles

New Jersey Senior Portrait Photographer | Seniorologie Styled Session {School Girl}

March 18th, 2013

New Jersey Senior Portrait Photographer | Seniorologie Styled Session {School Girl}

During my recent trip to Las Vegas, for the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Conference (WPPI), I attended a Styled ShootOut with a group of photographers from Seniorologie.  We journeyed to a Ghost Town location about 45 minutes from Las Vegas that was out in the desert and felt like photographer’s heaven.  It had old barns, old cars, signs, props and gorgeous scenery with beautiful light.

Today’s blog post will be the first in a series highlighting the different styles we photographed that day!  I absolutely loved this adorable, preppy school girl style complete with the red hat, varsity sweater and fake eyeglasses.  This style could be easily replicated and I’m looking forward to visiting a few vintage shops for ideas for future styled sessions.

If you are a high school junior or senior and want to have some fun with your portraits, then let’s chat about a styled session for your Senior Portraits!

Enjoy!

 

Fanwood NJ Senior Portrait Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan photographs styled session with a school girl classic look

New Jersey Senior Portrait Photographer | Class of 2014 – Recruiting Senior Ambassadors

March 8th, 2013

I’m very excited for the upcoming Class of 2014 Senior Ambassador Program.  Are you ready for your REAL high school senior portrait experience?

If you want an opportunity to feel amazing about how you looked in your senior portraits and if you want senior portraits that capture your true personality and  don’t look the same as everyone else’s – then welcome to the Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography’s Senior Ambassador Program!

Our Senior Portraits focus on capturing the real you – different locations, multiple settings, multiple outfits and styles – all customized with you. We want to set a completely new bar for high school senior photography — and this is your opportunity to be a part of it.

And we want you to be a representative for Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography for your high school. Help us spread the word about Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography HS Senior Portraits.   And see your amazing portraits used in our marketing materials for the coming year!

Have questions? Keep reading for answers to some of the most common questions about the program.

Fanwood, NJ High School Portraits

What exactly does being Senior Ambassador or representative mean?

I need high school students in the Class of 2014 (current HS Juniors), that are outgoing, fun and comfortable in front of the camera, and looking to have an incredible experience with their high school senior portrait session.  Modeling experience is absolutely NOT necessary. The goal is to have fun, and create images that show your true personality!

What’s in it for you?

Participants selected for the 2014 Ambassador Program are eligible to receive over $850 worth of products and services, starting with your own custom senior photo shoot.  Want a chance to feel like a model for a day?  We will coordinate hair and make-up for your session as well to enhance the experience and ensure that you do feel like a model for your shoot!

How do I get involved?

High School Senior Ambassador Sessions are available for the following dates during High School Spring Breaks.  Sessions will take on place location at local parks and downtown areas.  Possible locations include: Fanwood, Scotch Plains, Westfield, Summit, Chatham, Berkeley Heights, and Metuchen. I work on location, so all dates are weather permitting.

Senior Ambassador
Session Scheduling By School

School Name Session Dates
Bishop George Ahr (Edison, NJ) April 3 – 4, 2013
Kent Place (Summit, NJ) March 20 – 21, 2013
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School (Scotch Plains, NJ) March 29, 2013
Union Catholic High School (Scotch Plains, NJ) March 29, 2013 & April 3 – 4, 2013
Union County Vocational-Technical Schools (Scotch Plains, NJ) April 3 – 4, 2013
The Wardlaw-Hartridge School (Edison, NJ) March 20 – 21, 2013
Westfield High School (Westfield, NJ) March 29, 2013

 

What if my school is not listed?  

We can still coordinate a session date for you and you can help us start the High School Ambassador program at your school.  Just call us to learn more and we’ll get a date scheduled for you.

 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have an amazing, customized portrait session with the opportunity to earn a few perks including prints and a chance to compete for $1000 towards your college education!  To learn more about the program, call me at 908-889-5416 or email carolyn@carolynannryan.com. I’m happy to speak with you and/or your parents about this program, and I highly encourage bringing a parent along for your session. These sessions are lots of fun, and we want your parents to love these portraits too! And there is no minimum order requirement for any of my portrait sessions.

I look forward to hearing from you!!!

New Jersey Family Photographer | Favorite Fridays – Trendy Ties

February 22nd, 2013

As a child and family photographer, I often find adorable, little online stores for clothing for children, as well as cute props and accessories!  My latest find is this adorable online store, Trendy Ties!

As you might imagine, they make adorable ties and bowties for our favorite little men! But now they also make cute little skirts for our favorite little ladies, as well as matching hair ties!  I just received my order today of a sweet tie for my son in the Spring Blue Gingham with a matching skirt and hair tie for my daughter for Easter.  I cannot wait to photograph my children in their coordinating set, and will definitely share photos when I do!

These sets will also be adorable for your children for your Spring Family Portrait Sessions, so I recommend checking out their site and placing your order soon, as these are custom made.

For today’s Favorite Friday, I wanted to introduce my clients, fans and friends to Trendy Ties, as well as let you know that I have a special coupon code that I can share with clients.  So, if you are a current or past Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography client, and would like to place an order with Trendy Ties, then please email me at carolyn@carolynannryan.com for your special coupon code.

Enjoy your weekend!

 

 

Trendy Ties web site

 

Scotch Plains, NJ Family Photographer | Pretty in Pink

February 21st, 2013

Scotch Plains, New Jersey Family Photography.  I absolutely loved this family portrait session and could not have asked for a better day with more beautiful light.  It was mid-October, and the foliage was just a little early this year. The beautiful yellow leaves in Watchung Reservation were the perfect backdrop for this family session.  And I loved how the Mom pulled all the colors together for the session and gave a beautiful color pop with the pink dress her daughter was wearing.

But nothing was better than the beautiful giggles and smiles of this sweet little girl!

Enjoy!

 

Family Photographer capturing Fall Family Portrait Sessions

Child Photographer, Carolyn Ann Ryan, capturing adorable giggles

Scotch Plains Photographer, Carolyn Ann Ryan, captures sweet family moments

I Heart Faces Photo Challenge | LOVE

February 5th, 2013

If you have ever followed along with iheartfaces.com, then you may have seen their photo challenges.  This month’s photo challenge is LOVE.  And while I have a ton of images of children, families, parents, siblings and couples in love – this one just jumped out at me.  This image represents the love we feel for our country.  You don’t have to live in the United States to understand the pride you feel for your own hometown, city, state or country where you live.  But I do love the United States, and this image just captures all of that for me.

I have had military personnel tell me that this image nearly brought them to tears, because it just means so much to them.  It represents everything for them.

And whenever I look at this image, in my head I can hear myself saying, “May you always love your country this much, little man.” And then I just want to give my little man a big squeeze too.

Have a great day!

 

Scotch Plains - Fanwood Child Photographer

Photo Challenge Submission

Fanwood, NJ Photographer | Best of 2012 Portraits: And the Winners Are . . .

January 28th, 2013

The Best of 2012 Portraits Contest has come to a close and I’m so excited to announce our client and voter winners!

Thanks so much to everyone that participated and voted during the contest!

Here are the adorable client winners:

 

  • First Place: Sweet Dreams wins a 20×30 canvas print Newborn Portraits -  Sleeping Baby

 

  • Second Place: Falling Leaves wins an 11×14 wood print
    Family Portrait Metuchen, NJ Fall Portrait Session

 

  • Third Place: Happy Family wins a DVD Music Slideshow
    Scotch Plains Family Photography Portrait Session

 

  • Fourth Place: Future Rockstar wins a wood gallery cube decor
    Staten Island Newborn Photography

 

  • Fifth Place: All Smiles wins a 12 month calendarScotch Plains Child Photographer

 

 

And a special congratulations to our voter prize winners: Christina McCormack, Cecilia T. DeGennaro, and Frank Pernice!  They will each receive a gift certificate for a family portrait session!

Thanks again to everyone that participated!

Fanwood, NJ Family Photographer – NEWS RELEASE – January 24, 2013

January 24th, 2013


CarolynRyanLogo2-for-front-page

Helping Cancer Patients and Families Celebrate Their Lives Through Photography 

Fanwood, NJ Based Family Photographer Teams Up with Magic Hour Foundation to Offer Charitable Portrait Sessions to Local Cancer Patients

FANWOOD, N.J. – January 24, 2013 – Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography announced today that it has joined a network of professional photographers working with Magic Hour Foundation to provide charitable portrait sessions to families of cancer patients and survivors.

By joining with Magic Hour Foundation, Carolyn hopes to serve the individuals and families who are fighting cancer by providing them with the ability to celebrate their lives through photography.  Carolyn will be included in Magic Hour Foundation’s directory of photographers available to cancer patients and their families that apply for Magic Hour Sessions.

Magic Hour Foundation’s vision states that “Family and memories are two of the most valuable treasures in life.  They should be celebrated in the present and captured for the future.”

“Families deserve beautiful images of the ones they love, most especially those who are battling difficult illnesses such as cancer,” said Carolyn Ann Ryan, owner and photographer of Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography.  “I want to give them something that brightens their day, helps them smile, and reminds them in a beautiful way of all the good reasons why they continue to fight each day.”

“We’re thrilled to have photographers the caliber of Carolyn Ann Ryan in our network,” said Alan Darmody, Founder and CEO of Magic Hour Foundation. “We are blessed to offer this service to cancer warriors that need a few added blessings in their life.”

 About Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography

Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography is a New Jersey and New York boutique child and family photographer that specializes in capturing the true sweetness of childhood that can be found in everyday life. Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography was launched in 2009 and is based in Fanwood, NJ. Carolyn photographs on location in Union County, as well as Central and Northern New Jersey and the New York City metro area. For more information, visit www.carolynannryan.com.

Magic Hour Foundation

Magic Hour Foundation is a national network of professional photographers who want to serve the individuals and families who are fighting cancer by providing them with the ability to celebrate the truly important things in life through photography. These charitable portrait sessions will provide an opportunity to be normal – just relax, smile and have fun with loved ones. Above all, we strive to express compassion and love as we support them and pray for God’s grace in their lives, no matter the outcome of their battle. Magic Hour Foundation was formed in 2012 and is based in Atlanta, GA.  In less than six months, the network already has photographers in 34 states and is continuing to grow. For more information, visit www.magichourfoundation.org.

 

Contact:
Carolyn Ryan
(908) 889-5416
carolyn@carolynannryan.com

 

Click here to view official Press Release on PRWeb.com

Fanwood, NJ Family Photographer | Best of 2012 Portraits Contest – Which is Your Favorite?

January 14th, 2013

2012 was an incredible year, and I feel honored and blessed to have worked with such incredible clients!

As a fun way to kick-off 2013, I’d like to say thank you to last year’s amazing clients and showcase my favorite images from 2012! But I have found it IMPOSSIBLE to choose my top favorites!

So, I’d love to enlist the help of my clients and their friends to vote for The Best Images of 2012!  Please share this contest with your friends and family, and ask them to vote too! The more votes, the better!

The top images with the most votes will WIN PRIZES, including:

  • First Place:20×30 canvas print
  • Second Place: 11×14 wood print
  • Third Place: DVD Music Video Slideshow
  • And more . . .

WHEN YOU VOTE – YOU ALSO CAN WIN PRIZES. 

VOTE and comment on your favorite image and your name will also be entered for the chance to win a complimentary family portrait session!

Get your vote in soon & tell all your friends!

Click here to vote http://bit.ly/10u7iyW

Family Photographer - Back to School Portraits - Fanwood, NJ

Child-Portraits-Westfield-NJ

Child-Portraits-Basking-Ridge-NJ

Child-Portraits-Fanwood-NJ

Child-Portraits-Long-Beach-Island-NJ

Child-Portraits-Scotch-Plains-NJ

Child-Portraits-Staten-Island-NY

Child-Portraits-Westfield-NJ

Communion-Portraits-Westfield-NJ

Communion-Westfield-NJ

Daddys-Girl-Family-Portraits-Staten-Island-NY

Family-Portrait-Beach-Vacation_NJ

Family-Portrait-NYC-Meatpacking-District

Family-Portrait-Red-Bank-NJ

Family-Portraits-Allendale-NJ

Family-Portraits-Laurence-Harbor-NJ

Family-Portraits-Metuchen-NJ

Family-Portraits-Scotch-Plains-NJ

Family-Portraits-Staten-Island-NY

Family-Portrait-Watchung-NJ

Family-Superhero-Portraits-NJ

Lifestyle-Newborn-Session-Somerville-NJ

Maternity-Portraits-Stamford-CT

Mother-Baby-Newborn-Portrait

Newborn-Portraits-Staten-Island-NY (2)

Newborn-Portraits-Staten-Island-NY

Newborn-Portraits-Westfield-NJ

Senior-Portraits-Westfield-NJ

Sisters-Family-Portrait-NJ

Sisters-Portrait-Scotch-Plains-NJ

Smiling-Portrait-1936-Chevrolet

Three-Siblings-Portrait-Westfield-NJ

Twins-Newborn-Portrait-NJ

 

 

All Images Copyright Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography | Blog Theme by Photography Tutorials