Photographers Archives - Charlotte Family Photographer

13 Sep

South Charlotte Photography Workshops for Parents

Is your DSLR stuck on Auto? Are you missing amazing shots of your kids? Not sure how to capture them best? Unlock your camera’s full potential with Carolyn Ann Ryan’s Photography workshops! Designed specifically for parents (and grandparents) these workshops will teach you how to use your camera and capture better images of your kids.

Photography Workshops for Parents in Charlotte by Carolyn Ann Ryan

Details:

Capturing stunning, authentic images with your DSLR takes more than the push of a button.

In our Level I workshop, we’ll cover:

Fundamental DSLR elements
Exposure, aperture, & shutter speed
Depth of field & background blur
Essential lenses & focal length
Tack-sharp focus
Essential lighting techniques
Compositional strategies for exceptional images

Dates/Times for Level I Classes:

Thursday, October 5, 2017 10 am-12 pm
Wednesday, November 8, 2017 10 am-12 pm

Location: Carolyn’s Home Studio, Marvin, NC 28173

Class Size: Limited to 6 Participants

Investment: $99

Click Here to Register

Spread the Word!

The only thing better than taking a Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography workshop is taking it with a friend! If you know of someone who might like to join you, we would be so grateful for your referrals!

Questions?

Feel free to call the studio office at 704-256-7270 or email carolyn@carolynannryan.com to get more info and sign up

03 Feb

North Carolina Family Photographer | Valentine Gift Idea

Charlotte, North Carolina Family Photographer’s Valentine’s Day Gift Idea

Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away. It’s amazing to realize that we are already into the second month of 2016, and I just finally started remembering to use 2016 instead of 2015 on my checks. But now it’s time to think of Valentine’s Day presents. While I’m not ready yet for myself, as a Family Photographer in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, I do have an amazing idea for all the Dads and Husbands out there, and I’m so excited to share it!

What does a Mother love more than anything else in this whole word? It’s not chocolate, jewelry, flowers, and it isn’t even wine (although, wine can sometimes be a good friend).

It’s her family!

So, this Valentine’s Day, give her a gift that will surprise and delight her. Give her the gift of Memories. Give her the gift of Family with a gift certificate towards a Family Portrait Session.

This is a gift that won’t just last this year, but when she orders beautiful family portraits for the walls in your home, she will see them everyday and always remember the Valentine’s present she loved so much!

Now, I know what you might be thinking. Are you envisioning a torturous family session where you are desperately trying to get your kids to smile? Why would you sign up for that?

That’s where I come in and make that part of the process as painless as possible. With years of experience, I have the secrets to reducing the stress of a family portrait session. We’ll discuss everything to help you and your spouse prepare for the day during our pre-session consultation call. When you arrive at the session, the goal is simply to have fun while spending time with the ones you love the most.

What comes with your gift certificate?

a beautifully packaged gift certificate all ready to present (no wrapping needed)
a $100 print credit to use towards your print order (special offer valid now through February 120th)
on the day after Valentine’s Day, your spouse will receive an email with our online booking calendar to select her session date

How do you get one?
Simply call me at 704-256-7270. I look forward to working with you and your family!

21 Jan

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer receives International Awards at WPPI Competition

Charlotte, NC | Award Winning Family and Pet Portraits

I am beyond thrilled to announce that Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography recently earned four Silver Awards in the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) Second Half 2015 Image Competition . Each year, I submit a handful of my favorite images to the top Image Competitions in order to have my work reviewed and critiqued by some of the most talented photographers in the industry. And I’m not alone in this effort as thousands of entries are submitted by photographers around the globe and every entry is critiqued and scored by the panel of judges.

I’m ecstatic to have multiple images recognized by the judges, and with these awards I have earned the title ‘Associate of WPPI‘. All of the images below were created during portrait sessions with my clients, and I am truly honored and grateful to have had the opportunity to create each of these images. Whether photographing an adorable family of six or a family’s new puppy, I have truly loved being a part of each of these moments.

Charlotte NC Award Winning Family Photographer wins silver award from WPPI

Together is All We Need

Charlotte NC Family Portrait Photographer Award Winning Cat Photograph earns silver award from WPPI

Lost in a Sea of Green

Charlotte NC Family Photographer Award Winning Mother and Son portrait wins silver award from WPPI

Sharing Secrets

Wanna Take Me Home?

28 Oct

Charlotte NC Family Portraits | Focus on the Moments

One of my favorite wedding photographers is constantly reminding photographers that photographing a wedding isn’t about capturing and documenting the shoes, rings and table cards, but it’s about capturing the moments of the day. I think the same can be true in family portraits. It isn’t about photographing a styled session and showing photographs of children holding berries or pinecones (while I will admit these can be beautiful images and wonderful accents to a gallery), but it’s about documenting a family together for an afternoon. It’s about the squeezes and hugs, the way they look at each other, the giggles and laughs, and the stolen moments of pure adorableness. And it’s about remembering the couple of hours they spent together just enjoying each other’s company and being happy. But sometimes, my favorite part of these sessions is remembering the moments that triggered that perfect giggle or smile and what might have been happening behind the scenes to create those seemingly perfect moments. If the viewer of the photographs only knew how we did it. Because yes, maybe the giggles were generated by the tiniest family member singing a song about poops while the family walked together holding hands. As you can imagine, that might just cause the rest of the family to crack up with real, genuine laughter and for me – it becomes the perfect moment. I just love those moments. They are my favorite.

19 Oct

Charlotte Family Photographer | The Gift of Memories

One of my favorite things about this session is that Dad had purchased a gift certificate for Mom for Mother’s Day. He knew she had wanted family portraits for awhile, and he knew she loved my work, so he took a phenomenal opportunity to surprise her and give her the gift of memories for a very special present! Not only did he make her happy when she opened the gift certificate, but I know she was thrilled with the results from the portrait session and the beautiful prints that are now displaying in her home on her walls. This is such a beautiful family and the boys had so much personality!

This is truly a gift that Mom will treasure for many, many years to come! Great job, Dad!

16 Oct

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Beauty Multiplied

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Beauty Multiplied

I really have a special place in my heart for families that have four girls. While I also love families with 1, 2, 3, 5 or more girls, there is just something about the magic number 4. Maybe, it’s because my only sister has four beautiful daughters and my nieces are some of the most awesome kids I know. There is something so amazing about their sisterhood and friendships – words can’t even describe it. It is so evident in the way they support each other in everything they do. And well, my sister is the equivalent of a superhero in my eyes. I absolutely have no idea how she does all that she does, and in the midst of what could be chaos for some, has created an incredibly loving and crazily fun home and family.

And so, I have a crazy amount of respect and love for parents with four daughters, and I have so much spending time with their families and seeing the family dynamics. This family was no exception, and I saw the same crazily awesome feeling of sisterhood existing in this four beautiful girls, and it was such a pleasure to spend an afternoon with them. But I think all in the family would agree, that the littlest munchkin absolutely STOLE.THE.SHOW! We just couldn’t stop giggling at the amazing and sometimes hilarious expressions she provided. It became evident that she just didn’t love sitting in the grass, especially as she would hold her legs up in the air while Dad was trying to sit her down. And then, she just kept us smiling throughout the day. These images not only gave us beautiful photographs for wall portraits and holiday cards, but we were also able to create the most perfect Thank You card for the littlest first birthday party!

I hope these make you smile today!

12 Oct

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Even when they are not so little . . .

As a family photographer, I truly believe there is never a bad time for family portraits. It doesn’t matter the age of your children, younger or older, it’s always a great time to update your photographs. Children deserve to have tons of beautiful images and photographs with their parents that they will keep and treasure years into the future. When children are teenagers, it’s awesome to remind them of the importance of family and the closeness they share with their family members. As children get older, they often start to realize that their parents are their best friends and their biggest fans and champions. These relationships are so fun to capture in images for both parents and children. During this particular session, I especially loved showing these beautiful girls just how stunning they really are, and my favorite photographs from the day were the ones we created of the sisters together. Their incredibly close friendship just shines right through in these photographs. Through thick or thin, these sisters will forever be each other’s best friend.

18 Aug

Marvin, NC Photographer | Back to School Portraits

Marvin, NC Photographer | Back to School Portraits

Tomorrow will be the first day of school for my oldest child. As we relocated from New Jersey to Charlotte, North Carolina earlier this Summer, tomorrow’s Back to School brings excitement and a little nervousness. We are entering a whole new world tomorrow, including the world of school uniforms. We were so excited that we couldn’t wait for the official first day (tomorrow), and took advantage of last night’s beautiful light to capture these Back to School Portraits.

Wishing this girl a wonderful day tomorrow and can’t wait to hear about all her new friendships and the adventures that await her this year.

Mom Photographer Tip: Some of the best smiles and giggles from our brief session came when a fly buzzed my ear and I jumped around in a circle trying to get away from it. I’m sure it was an amusing and entertaining sight and I’m happy it wasn’t caught on video. My daughter thought it was hysterical! But that is definitely something that can be faked while photographing your own kids that is bound to bring a few giggles.

23 Feb

Charlotte, NC Child Photographer – Communion Portrait Season

Westfield NJ, Child Photographer – Communion Portrait Season

Thoughtful. Beautiful. Thankful. Peaceful. Loved. These are just a few of the words that came to mind when I was processing the images of this young lady on her special day. I was lucky to be able to capture some of these images in our studio, as well as outdoors. I can’t help but think that she and her family were also feeling some of the same sentiments, as well.

Communion season is almost here (and hopefully warmer weather to go along with it), so don’t forget to book your child’s Communion Portrait Session or a full family Portrait Sessions and we can also capture your little one in the Communion dress/suit on that same day!

09 Feb

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer – Best of 2014 Portraits Winners

Westfield, NJ Family Photographer – Best of 2014 Portraits Winners

The Best of 2014 Portraits Contest is closed and we are so thrilled to announce the winners! Thanks so much to everyone that took the time to vote in our contest and we loved reading all of your comments too! This was a very close race, and I received so many compliments on all the beautiful images of these wonderful families, and in my eyes you are all winners!!!

The Top 3 Images with the most votes are:

First Place: 16×20 canvas print (valued at $445)

Charlotte NC Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan Best of 2014 Portraits winner first place

Thumb Wrestling Champion

Second Place: 11×14 mounted print (valued at $175)

Marvin, NC Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan Best of 2014 Portraits winner second place

Christmas Jams in Christmas Jammies

Third Place: DVD Music Video Slideshow ($175)

Union County, NC Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan Best of 2014 Portraits Third Place

Little Minion

I will be in touch with each of the winners today to help claim your prizes!

Thanks again to all of our wonderful and amazing clients – it has been a pleasure working with you!

19 Jan

Future Charlotte, NC Family Photographer – The Road Ahead

Getting ready to move to Charlotte, NC

Carolyn Ann Ryan, Family Photographer from NJ, gets ready for relocating to Charlotte, NC

As we have been packing away the holiday decorations (and yes, we are definitely delayed on that task), the reality of the next six months is sinking in more and more – and our upcoming move to Charlotte, NC is almost here. If you are a subscriber to my monthly newsletter, then you probably already saw the news a few months back that my family and I will be moving to Charlotte, NC in June 2015. My husband is being relocated for his job, and so while we are excited about this opportunity, we are also going to miss our family and friends in NJ, and I will certainly miss my wonderful clients.

I’m definitely a sentimental person, and therefore with each holiday and milestone, I can’t help but realize that this is our last Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s in our NJ home. When we purchased this house, we thought it was just a starter house and we would probably only live here for a couple of years. And here we are, 10 years later, and this house has truly been our home. We have loved this town, our friends, neighbors and this whole community.

But I also have been keeping my thoughts focused on the road ahead. These will be exciting times for our family with new home construction, new schools for the kids, new friends to make, warmer weather to enjoy (really happy about this one), and many new adventures for all of us.

What does this mean for Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography? I’m still in business in NJ until the end of June, but the last sessions in NJ will be held around mid-May to ensure that all images are processed and all ordering appointments are complete before we move.

I will unfortunately be unable to donate gift certificates to Tricky Trays and Silent Auctions in NJ this year, but if you know schools in the Marvin, Weddington, Ballantyne, Matthews, Wesley Chapel, and Pineville areas in North Carolina that will be hosting fundraisers in the late Spring, please let me know and I may be able to provide a gift certificate.

Additionally, if you have friends in the South Charlotte area, near Marvin, Weddington, Ballantyne, and surrounding neighborhoods, then please let them know that Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography will be re-launching in the Fall and I’m looking forward to working with families in the area!

We still have six more months to go, but just wanted to give a special thanks to all of our wonderful NJ and NY clients! It has been a privilege to work with you and your families, and thank you for making me part of your moments and memories! If you are ever in the Charlotte, NC area, then please get in touch!

10 Sep

Warmhearted Charlotte, NC Family Photography – Outdoor Happiness

Like so many others, when I’m outdoors and the sun is shining and the light is just so perfect, I’m a happy lady!! These cuties and their parents were all smiles that day and I was so incredibly glad to have found a new, fabulous location to capture this family’s beautiful images. The kids especially loved peeking through the old tree and playing with the crackling leaves in the field. My excitement is building knowing that the weather is turning soon, the sun will be setting earlier, the air will be getting a chill and the leaves are going to start falling. I am so eager about my upcoming fall sessions!!

Marvin NC Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan photographs an adorable Fall family session Photographs by Marvin NC Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan Warmhearted Charlotte, NC Family Photography by Carolyn Ann Ryan

08 Sep

Union County North Carolina Family Photographer | Quiet Moments

No doubt about it, life is busy. Careers, kids, spouse, friends, family – sometimes it seems like there’s not enough time to fit it all in. But once in a while, when you least expect it, life gives you a quiet gift. Sometimes it’s in the form of a warm hug, a silly giggle or sweet kiss that keeps you grounded and reminds you what life is all about. These images remind me that in a fast paced world of go-go-go, there are the moments with our families that we want to hold on to and cherish as we tackle the day to day.

30 Jul

Cheerful Charlotte, NC Child Photographer – Smiles, and Laughter and Minions- Oh My!

Cheerful Charlotte, NC Child Photographer – Smiles, and Laughter and Minions- Oh My!

Any photographer will tell you that you need to be prepared for anything, and for the first time in a long while, I was taken off guard by this little man. The reason why is simple – I didn’t know I could fall in love more than I already am with this little Minion. I had prepared a day for my son and I to capture a few special moments for his upcoming birthday party invitations designed around his favorite character. I have to admit I was prepared with the outfit and hat, but what this little guy did for me when it all came together, was remind me of how NOT so little he is anymore. And that took my breath away for a moment. He is truly “one in a minion!” The beauty of capturing images of your family is that you can look at a photograph and you are instantly takes you back to that moment and you feel the rush of love all over again. THAT is why I love my job!

28 Jul

Darling Charlotte, NC Child Portraits – Growing

Do you wonder what your little one will be when he/she grows up? How will their mannerisms and qualities change when they are not so little anymore. I often think about that as I look through the lens at the little personalities jumping and playing around right in front of me. This little one was incredible to watch, as she playfully grasped at her dress one minute and then the next minute looked inquisitively at the colors jumping off the pages of her books. Through the wardrobe changes and the images we captured with only a diaper cover, I was filled with happiness as I watched this little girl show us her stuff – the big beautiful smiles seem to pop off her face, even the ones with the two little teeth peeking through. 🙂