Charlotte NC Family Photographer

15 Jul

North Carolina Family Photographer | Unveiling the New Logo

In January 2011, I worked with the very talented Leslie Vega of Leslie Vega Design to help design the look of my brand starting with my logo. She knew my style instantly, and when we were finished, we had a logo that I have loved for the past couple of years.

Childhood Photography Logo

But as I sat back this year, I felt it was time for a change. In the last two years, my focus has been family portraits and encouraging Moms and Dads to jump into the photos, and that hasn’t been reflected in my logo and branding. And so I reached out to Leslie and asked for her assistance again. I wanted the overall look and feel to remain consistent, but felt the logo need to grow up a little bit. Leslie knew exactly what I needed and I’m so thrilled to unveil my brand new logo for Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography . . .

Family Photographer based in NJ

Leslie and I will be working on a couple of additional projects to update the look and feel of my blog and web site, and I look forward to sharing those with you, along with more adorable images from recent family portrait sessions.

Hope you have a great start to your week!

16 Jun

Marvin, NC Family Photographer | Happy Father’s Day

Just wanted to wish all of my wonderful clients and friends a very Happy Father’s Day! I’m so blessed to have met so many wonderful Dads and Grandfathers while photographing families, and I can’t thank each of you enough for jumping into the photos with your family and children. Here is just a sample of the amazing images I have been able to create thanks to all these great Dads and Grandpas that just love to have fun with their children and families!

Marvin, NC Family Photographer Father's Day Images

And this wouldn’t be complete without sharing images of my absolute favorite Dads and the most important Dads in my life. Special thanks to George Buhl from Black Thumb Studio for photographing my husband’s entire family at a wedding last Christmas, and to Jessica Wernes from Dewdrop Photography for photographing my entire family this past Mother’s Day. I love family portraits and so grateful to the wonderful photographers that photographed my family so I can be in the portraits with them!

And thanks to my husband, my Dad, my father-in-law and my two brothers-in-law for being the best Dads that I know. You are all very loved and we are lucky to have you in our lives. These little munchkins are blessed to have amazing fathers and grandfathers!

Marvin, NC Family Photographer Happy Father's Day

10 Jun

Weddington, North Carolina Family Photographer | Ivy League

Earlier this Spring, I had the incredible opportunity to photograph an adorable family portrait session right on the campus of Princeton University. The campus was just gorgeous and the day and the light was beautiful, so add in a super sweet little boy and his wonderful parents and I might have been in photographer heaven for a few hours. I have so many favorites from this session, and I loved just stepping back a few times and letting this family have fun together. And I loved incorporating the beautiful buildings from the campus into this family’s portraits, as Mom is currently an art history professor at the university and therefore it has a special place in all of their hearts.

Hope these make you smile! Enjoy!

North Carolina Family Portraits Weddington

Springtime Family Portrait session with Weddington NC Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan
Weddington, North Carolina Family Photographer

07 Jun

North Carolina Family Photographer | Walking in the Rain {The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia – Cranford, NJ}

About a month or so ago, I received a Facebook message from a friend letting me know that The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia was looking for a photographer to photograph their event. Now, I specialize in family portrait sessions, and not event photography, so I initially wasn’t inclined to reach out. Plus, I already had a session booked that weekend, and so this would mean more time away from my family. My promise to my children is that while I do work most weekends, I will only book one session per weekend, so the other day is for them.

But then I remembered the reason my friend was involved with the Preeclampsia Foundation. Sadly, she had Preeclampsia during her first pregnancy years ago, and she nearly lost her own life, and she did lose her little baby girl. Remembering her email that explained what happened to her that horrible day when she was about 8 months along in an uncomplicated pregnancy, broke my heart all over again. And while she now has 3 adorable boys, her heart will never forget her baby girl. And so I reached out to the Foundation, and I agreed to be their photographer for the day, because it was just something I had to do.

It turned out to be an incredibly inspiring day, and I met a ton of wonderful people, who smiled despite the torrential rain, and who cried together as we listened to the stories from the speakers. I learned more about the symptoms of Preeclampsia, which every pregnant woman should know, and I learned about the life of Lauren Bloomstein, a sweet woman who lost her life to Preeclampsia after delivering her beautiful baby girl. I now want to be more involved with this organization, and I hope to be available and invited back for future walks. And I continue to pray for the families that have been impacted by Preeclampsia, and I hope to help spread awareness to help save lives.

I created this slideshow with my favorite images from the day and shared it with the race organizers. I invite you to take a couple of minutes to watch, and also ask that you learn more about Preeclampsia and its symptoms from the Preeclampsia Foundation.

The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia – Cranford has raised nearly $50,000 for this cause and I know they were hoping to raised another $500 to reach that $50,000 goal. If this slideshow and the stories inspire you, and you would like to donate, you can do so by clicking here. Thank you for your time.

PS – One of my favorite parts of the day was meeting a mother who told her little girl that they weren’t just walking in the rain that day – they were going “puddle jumping” instead. She turned the rain into rainbows for her daughter and everyone else that got to chuckle while watching that sweet girl have a blast jumping in every puddle she found. And yes, you can find the adorable “puddle jumper” in the slideshow.

Hope she brings a smile to you on this rainy day.

03 Jun

Charlotte, North Carolina Communion and Family Portraits | Formal and Casual

Charlotte, North Carolina Communion and Family Portraits| Formal and Casual

When parents contact me for Communion Portraits, I always suggest booking a day separate from your actual Communion Day and turning the portrait session for your child into an opportunity to also capture family portraits too. On Communion Day, families are often hectic and can feel rushed. There is usually a tight schedule, and not as much time as they wish they had for photographs. When we book a separate day, we have all the time we want and need. We have a chance to photograph the child that received their Communion, as well as their siblings and the entire family in their formal attire, but then as special treat, everyone can change into casual clothes, and that’s when the fun really begins!

And so I loved my Communion sessions this year, especially this one. We started out with our formal portraits, and then the family changed outfits and drove to one of my favorite spots in Watchung Reservation. I love the outfits Mom selected, and the pop of color against the early Spring backdrop of the park. I know Mom can’t wait to see their adorable images on her walls, and they’ll be arriving at her home very soon.

Enjoy!

Child Photographer, Carolyn Ann Ryan, photographs Communion Portraits in Charlotte, NC

NC Child and Family Photographer, Carolyn Ann Ryan, captures beautiful family portraits in Charlotte, NC

30 May

Charlotte, NC Child Photographer | First Communion

Cherry Blossoms and Communion Portraits just seem to go hand and hand. For this sweet girl’s Communion Portraits, I met her, her older sister and their mother at Roosevelt Park in Edison and we found a few beautiful cherry blossom trees to line our backdrops. I love all of the expressions and personality of this giggly girl that you can see in these photographs.

Believe it or not, it was a rainy day, and was even drizzling as I drove to the park for the session, but the skies cleared briefly and a beautiful portrait session followed. After formal photos of this sweet girl and her older sister who received the Sacrament of Confirmation this year as well, the girls changed for a fun and casual portrait session together.

Both girls loved being models for the afternoon.

Enjoy!

28 May

North Carolina Child Photographer | Tiny Tuesday – Bubbles

North Carolina Child Photographer

I love the magic hour just before sunset when the sun is low and just sparkles on everything. It can make something as simple as bubbles look like fireflies dancing in the sky.

This portrait of my daughter was taken just this weekend at a friend’s Memorial Day BBQ. The sound of children filled with the air with laughter, giggles and yes, the occasional screech, scream, and squeal (often coming from my own children). But it was a gorgeous day to be with friends, and the children just loved a great day to play outdoors while the parents enjoyed good food and good company.

Even my 7 year old couldn’t resist a chance to play with bubbles, and I just fell in love with this photograph of her. She looks mesmerized by the bubbles, or maybe she is enchanted by her own reflection in my lens. Either way, the light was beautiful and this is my Tiny Tuesday favorite photograph.

Enjoy.

Marvin, North Carolina Child Photographer captures girl blowing bubbles at sunset

15 May

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Extended Family

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Extended 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 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 by Charlotte, NC Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan

14 May

Marvin, NC 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!

Marvin, NC Child Portraits Brothers Marvin, NC Child Portraits of Brothers by Carolyn Ann Ryan

19 Mar

Charlotte, North Carolina Child Photographer | Pure Happiness – Tiny Tuesday

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

08 Mar

North Carolina Senior Portrait Photographer | Class of 2014 – Recruiting Senior Ambassadors

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!!!

22 Feb

North Carolina Child and Family Photographer | Favorite Fridays – Trendy Ties

As a North Carolina 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!

21 Feb

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Pretty in Pink

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!

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer capturing Fall Family Portrait Sessions

Charlotte Family Photographer, Carolyn Ann Ryan, capturing adorable giggles

Charlotte Photographer, Carolyn Ann Ryan, captures sweet family moments

28 Jan

Marvin, NC Family Photographer | Best of 2012 Portraits: And the Winners Are . . .

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

Second Place: Falling Leaves wins an 11×14 wood print

Third Place: Happy Family wins a DVD Music Slideshow

Fourth Place: Future Rockstar wins a wood gallery cube decor

Fifth Place: All Smiles wins a 12 month calendar

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!

19 Dec

Charlotte, North Carolina Maternity Photographer | PUBLISHED! {THE POPPY CAT}

In just one week, I was published twice on the The PoppyCat blog – once again for Twins Week! This feature shows images from the gorgeous late Summer maternity session with Abby & Scott in Stamford and Old Greenwich, CT. And once again, special thanks to Pamela Harayda for assisting with this session. We had a phenomenal time with Abby & Scott, and as you can see from the photos – there was lots of laughter during the session.

Check out Twin Week – Day Six on The Poppy Cat here and please don’t forget to show them some love and comment on the post!!

About The Poppy Cat: The Poppy Cat features beautiful photography with infants, children and families. “We hope the readers of our publication will see the beauty in the everyday life of being a mother”.

Marvin, NC Family Photographer | Happy Father’s Day

Weddington, North Carolina Family Photographer | Ivy League

North Carolina Family Photographer | Walking in the Rain {The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia – Cranford, NJ}

Charlotte, NC Child Photographer | First Communion

North Carolina Child Photographer

Senior Ambassador Session Scheduling By School

North Carolina Child and Family Photographer | Favorite Fridays – Trendy Ties

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Pretty in Pink

Marvin, NC Family Photographer | Best of 2012 Portraits: And the Winners Are . . .

Charlotte, North Carolina Maternity Photographer | PUBLISHED! {THE POPPY CAT}

Senior Ambassador
Session Scheduling By School