Charlotte NC Family Photographer Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Charlotte Family Photographer

05 Nov

Sweet Marvin, NC Family Photography | Fall Memories

Toddlers are special little people, they notice everything and are so easily amused by the littlest things. I love how the fall background enhances the warmth and love of this young family. This session reminds me of when my kids were toddlers, they were very much like this sweet girl and had to examine each and every leaf! We, too, would spend warm fall days taking long walks and creating special family memories.

31 Oct

Engaging Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Happy Halloween!

Engaging Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Happy Halloween

Halloween is a time to together with your friends, dress up in costumes and get as much candy as you possibly can. Today the costumes are more elaborate and creative as ever, gone are days of clowns and witches – now you have kids dressed up as a bowl of spaghetti or a bag of groceries. But the one costume that has always been popular and will probably always be popular are your superheroes! Spiderman, Batman, and Superman – I think every boy dreams of having those super powers and there’s no better time to fulfill that dream than Halloween!

30 Oct

North Carolina Family Photographer | Moms

Moms have the hardest job on the planet. We are constantly pulled in different directions and feel such pressure to be great at every role we are given. We strive to give our children everything and as a result our lives become one big complicated schedule. As I look back on this misty, rainy, cold day what I remember most is not the pink beach, the wet sand or the deserted boardwalk but this special mom and her strong bond with her adorable son. She’s raised a boy who loves to play, explore and be free! I love how we put those schedules aside and just enjoyed the day and each other!

18 Oct

Charlotte, NC Newborn and Family Photographer | Peace

Charlotte, NC Newborn and Family Photographer

There’s nothing like a photograph of a newborn baby. This young family gave me the privilege of photographing their sweet baby girl. What struck me about her was her expression, it is so peaceful and angelic. I can already see her personality shining through. I predict she will be a calm, laid back, happy child – one who will just go with the flow. As a photographer, what more can you ask for?

16 Oct

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Game On

Little boys are just awesome! I don’t know if it’s the animation in their face or the inhibitions they display, but I just love it when they let loose and wear their personality on their sleeve. This little dude did not disappoint, he came to the session with his game face on!

It must have been contagious because his brother and sister played right along with him. And I can’t forget to send a special thank you to mother nature for supplying us with the leaves.

This session was filled with all kinds of family moments and I loved every moment of it – from photographing the family to preparing the slideshow, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was even a bit giddy as I placed the order for a few beautiful canvas prints with my lab, because I just know the awesome folks at my lab are going to love these as much as I do!

Enjoy!

14 Oct

Charlotte Metro Area, NC Family Photographer | A New Family

Charlotte Metro Area, NC Family Photographer | A New Family

It’s true, when a child enters your life, everything changes! Sure there are 3 a.m. feedings and countless diaper changes but it’s all worth it and these photos capture the essence of a young family. I just love the tender moments they share together not only between the three of them but especially between mom and dad – you can feel the love and connection they share. I think it’s so important to remember where all the love started and this young couple certainly took that time to focus on that too!

10 Oct

Darling Charlotte, NC Family Photography | Red!

What does the color “red” mean to you? For some it means love, for others it means fire or power, but for me it means “redhead” as in this sweet little boy! How cute is he? I just love how his red hair compliments the background and brings out the warm colors. I had such a fun time with this family – the kids played in the grass and traded leaves and we enjoyed the last few days of summer. It tickles my heart to see how much this big girl loves her lil’ brother, and you can just see how much he absolutely adores his big sister. And you can’t miss the last photo at the end – it’s one of my absolute favorite sibling photographs!

03 Oct

The Carolinas Family Photographer | Christmas & Holiday Cards and Your Clothing Selections

The Carolinas Family Photographer | Christmas & Holiday Cards and Your Clothing Selections

Yes, the Christmas music is already playing in my car. About two weeks ago, as we drove home from a doctor visit, my 4 year old little man wasn’t feeling well, and I needed to cheer him up. So I asked Siri to play “The Chipmunks”. Now every morning on the way to school, I get to listen to The Chipmunks versions of “O Christmas Tree”, “All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” and “Jingle Bell Rock” along with a few other classics sung by the high-pitched little animals.

But Christmas and the holiday season have been on my mind for many months already. As a portrait photographer, one of my favorite products to deliver to my clients is beautiful Christmas and Holiday cards. I’ll start designing card ideas for clients in April and May, because the photographs from their portrait session can always make a beautiful card to share with their friends and families.

Recently, a client was curious about her outfit selection, and wondered if their holiday outfits would work nicely with the Fall Foliage in the parks during this time of year. So, I thought it would be a great idea to share a few examples of holiday card designs from previous sessions as inspiration for future portrait session clients.

While some clients specifically choose to dress in holiday outfits for their portraits, I have found that almost any selection of coordinated outfits will pair nicely with the variety of Christmas and Holiday Card templates I have acquired over the years. My clients have even used images from their Spring and Summer portrait sessions for their cards, and most of the colors in my templates can be adjusted to match the color palette of my clients’ outfits. And honestly, I personally love traditional holiday outfits photographed outdoors with the beautiful Fall Foliage. The colors work well together and complement each other nicely, especially when you included the beautiful, golden Fall sunshine.

After completing one session last year, one of my clients clapped her hands with excitement and said, “Yay! I can’t wait to have my very own Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography Christmas cards this year!” It seriously makes me smile every time I think about that moment and realized my cards were “a thing”.

The Carolinas Family Photographer shares samples of Holiday Card Designs

The Carolinas Family Photographer, Carolyn Ann Ryan, shares samples of Holiday Card Designs for clients

And I just love cards that include images on the front cover, inside and even the back of the card. While I will include my logo on the back of all of my cards, I still love including a sweet and storytelling image on the back of my clients’ cards (and my own too). Sometimes, the back of the card is my favorite. Here are a few of my favorite Back Covers from last year’s holiday cards.

The Carolinas Family Photographer shares samples of the backs of Holiday Card Designs for clients

Hope these cards help to inspire your next portrait session and I continue to look forward to creating more cards for my incredible clients!!!

Vendors: Christmas and Holiday Card Templates from Design Aglow

02 Oct

Charlotte Metro Family Photographer | A cutie pie!

OMG!! This one year old boy is such a cutie pie! I don’t know what I love the most – the red shoes, the images of his hair blowing in the breeze, the cute vest or the checkered bow tie! He is clearly a budding model already demonstrating he can handle multiple locations, wardrobe changes and props! This family is as sweet in person as they look in these photos – I’m smiling right along with them. Oh and let’s not forget this all takes place in my favorite city, New York City.

Wait til you see these images, you’ll be saying … “OMG!”

Enjoy!

Vendors:
Bowtie and Tie: William & Sally on Etsy

26 Sep

Classic Marvin, NC Family Portraits| Extended Family Celebrations

Classic Marvin, NC Family Portraits | Extended Family Celebrations

Could you imagine a better gift for a 40th wedding anniversary? Three thoughtful sisters wanted to provide their parents with beautiful images of the entire family together – parents, children and grandchildren all together. I love these sessions, because this is what family is all about. It is so important to have these images. While Grandma and her girls will treasure these images today, they will also create beautiful treasured gifts for the three little ones in front in another 40 years.

06 Sep

Charlotte, NC Pet Photographer | Family Moments

Charlotte, NC Pet Photographer | Family Moments

You have to love a family that loves their pets. Meet Whiskey and Moonshine. They came from a rescue home in Tennessee. They may be fully grown, but they are still just puppies at one year old. They are beautiful and sweet dogs and are treasured members of their family. When asked if we could include them in the session, I absolutely agreed.

We had a gorgeous afternoon at their home and in Watchung Reservation. Hope these adorable puppies bring a smile to your day.

Enjoy!

Charlotte, NC Pet Photographer, Carolyn Ann Ryan, photographers a portrait session Carolyn Ann Ryan photographs and family with their two golden retrievers for a family portrait session in Charlotte, NC

04 Sep

Weddington, North Carolina Child Photographer | Growing

A few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph one of my 2012 newborn clients for his first birthday! I just love watching my little clients grow and photographing them with their families. This one year old man was just adorable and astounded us with all his words and we loved watching him walk, giggle, and play with his parents. And seriously, how adorable is his tuxedo shirt?

Enjoy!

Weddington, North Carolina Child Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan photographs an adorable little man

07 Aug

Marvin, NC Summer Family Portraits | Everybody

I just love Summer Family Portrait sessions. We photographed this adorable family locally right in a local park and had a great afternoon with the kids exploring the area. At this time of the Summer, there were still a few cicadas around, and the two littlest ones had no fear and loved looking at them and even picking them up to get a closer look. They tried to give me a few to bring home as presents, but I explained that the cicadas would be happiest at the park. 🙂

Check out these images of a sweet local family.

Marvin, NC Summer Family Portraits by Carolyn Ann Ryan
Summer Portraits in Marvin, NC with North Carolina Family and Child Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan.

North Carolina Child and Family Photographer photographs a Summer portrait session in Marvin, NC

11 Sep

Charlotte, NC Child Photographer | Tiny Tuesday – “Someday we’ll tell you what this all means . . .”

On a rainy day in August, and we traveled to Jersey City and spent the morning at the Liberty Science Center. But upon leaving, we found the sky had cleared, and I wanted to visit the Central Railroad of New Jersey historic train station located inside Liberty State Park. It was a short drive from the museum and I knew the kids would enjoy seeing a view of the NYC skyline up close.

But when we got out of the car, my husband and I quickly glanced over and saw the Empty Sky Memorial. Of course, we immediately remembered that day 11 years ago, and our hearts grew a little heavier.

We first ventured into the train station and looked around, and then returned outside to see the skyline again. I have a bunch of images that I love from that afternoon (I’ll post more tomorrow), but as we turned to head back towards the car, we decided to walk through the beautiful Memorial standing tall between us and the parking lot. It was so elegant and peaceful. It deserved a quiet respect. As my husband took my smiling three year old son’s hand and began to slowly walk through the Memorial, I heard him whisper, “Someday we’ll tell you what this all means . . . “.

I paused for a moment with my daughter. In front of me I saw a man with a heavy heart, clutching the sweetness and innocence of childhood right at his side. When I saw their reflection in the side wall, I had to capture the moment. And yes, someday we’ll tell our children what it all means, but not just yet.

Today’s Tiny Tuesday post is in honor of all of those who lost their lives, especially the heroes who gave their lives to help save others.

31 Jan

Charlotte, North Carolina Children’s Photographer | Tiny Tuesday – Expect the Unexpected

What happens when you ask two adorable little girls to gather a pile of leaves and throw them in the air? Sometimes, even the subjects in your photograph don’t know what to expect next.

I loved everything about this session with these two beautiful little girls. The older sister has such a gorgeous smile, beautiful eyes, and she just seems to light up in front of the camera. The younger sister is full of spirit, energy, and a complete bundle of fun!

I also loved the colors here – their mom did a fantastic job with these adorable outfits. While the outfits are completely different, the colors pair nicely together and just pop against our late Fall backdrop.

So, these adorable girls gathered their leaves as requested, and stood really close together ready to toss them into the air. The older one threw her pile up in the air immediately after the first image was shot and honestly before I was completely ready.

But the little one waited just a few seconds more and tossed her pile a little lower (therefore partially in her big sister’s face) – catching her sister completely off guard. And then, this little munchkin was so excited with the leaves raining on their heads that she just starting giggling and running circles around her big sister.

The bottom picture captures a moment of sheer happiness and also one of surprise. What I love most about the images though is how much they made their Mom giggle when we sat down to review them together. Even to this day, everytime she sees that second image, she chuckles remembering the moment. We didn’t expect what happened, but it makes us both smile (and laugh) to remember that feeling of happiness.