Children's Photography NC Archives - Charlotte Family Photographer

10 Apr

Classic Charlotte NC Family Portraits – National Siblings Day

As you may have heard, today is National Siblings Day and I love taking a few moments on this day to share some of my favorite portraits of siblings from the last year. Siblings are your instant best friends, biggest supporters, shoulders to cry on, and they will be a special part of almost all of your childhood memories. And yes, they are also the people you will likely fight with the most, but regardless of the fights, teasing, or competing, they are the people that will always be there for you when you need them. They will be in your biggest cheerleaders in life, and even your defenders should you ever need them.

There is just something amazing that comes with being and having a sibling, and it is definitely something to celebrate. It is unconditional and everlasting.

Having a sister myself, I have always loved the song “Sisters” featured in the movie White Christmas. ‘Sisters, Sisters, there were never such devoted sisters . . .”

While many of these are classic portraits of siblings, I think the last image at the bottom may be one of my favorites showing the silliness of siblings working together in opposite of their parents. That image was not posed or requested and was just a natural moment from an adorable family session.

And below, here are some favorite images of my family members. On the top left is my four beautiful nieces, which my daughter jumping in. On the top right is a photograph from a family party showing my father with his eldest brother along with my aunt and my mom. The brother two images highlight the sibling goofiness and friendship of my own two children. The bottom left photograph was taken by my talented friend, Annette Goodman, from Annette Goodman Photography during our family portrait session last year.

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.

09 Jul

New Jersey Child and Family Photographer | Walking in Sunshine – Promise Walk for Preeclampsia – Cranford, NJ

For the second year in a row, I photographed The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia held at Oak Ridge Park in Clark, NJ. After photographing last year’s event, I heard from numerous friends and client Moms that had also been impacted by Preeclampsia during pregnancy. And while many of the stories I heard do have happy endings, unfortunately there are still too many that do not.

The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia – Cranford supports The Preeclampsia Foundation, and their mission to provide patient support and education, raise public awareness, catalyze research and improve healthcare practices. This organization holds a special place in my heart for the help they have provided to dear friends, and so I continue to support and contribute to this organization and donate my time to their events.

Thankfully, the sun was out this year for our event organizers, volunteers and walkers, and it was another amazing day! Once again, I met a ton of wonderful people as well as reconnected with good friends.

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 the slideshow, but I also ask that you take some time to learn more about Preeclampsia and its symptoms from the Preeclampsia Foundation.

The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia – Cranford has raised over $32,000 for this cause, with donations still accepted through August. If you would like to donate, you can do so by clicking here. Thank you for your time.

10 Apr

Charlotte, NC Sibling Photographer | National Sibling Day 2014

Siblings. They are instant best friends, biggest supporters, shoulders to cry on, and they will be a special part of almost all of your childhood memories. And yes, they are also the people you will likely fight with the most, but regardless of the fights, teasing, or competing, they are the people that will always be there for you when you need them. They will be in your biggest cheerleaders in life, and even your defenders should you ever need them.

There is just something amazing that comes with being and having a sibling, and it is definitely something to celebrate. It is unconditional and everlasting.

For National Sibling Day, I wanted to share some of my favorite photographs from recent years of siblings just being siblings. And I wanted to give a special thank you to my sibling, my big sister for always being there for me when I needed her.

Charlotte, NC Sibling Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan shares favorite sibling portraits National Sibling Day Portraits shared by Charlotte Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan

28 Mar

Classic Charlotte, NC Fall Family Portraits

Fall seems like a distant memory especially after this past winter. Thankfully I have these warm photographs to remind me that winter will soon come to an end! As I look back at these images, I’m reminded that there is nothing better than family. Through thick and thin and for better or worse, your family is always with you. What a joy it was for me to be a part of this day, I got to witness and experience the true happiness of family.

17 Mar

Sunny Marvin, NC Family Photographs | I need spring!

Sunny Marvin, NC Family Photographs | I need spring!

I don’t know about you but I’m just about done with winter. We’ve had snow, the temps have been in the single digits and the holidays are over so I’d be very happy if we could just fast forward to spring. We are so close to it and I can’t wait!

That’s why I had to post these colorful, bright, cheerful photos of this beautiful family of 4! I can just feel this warm sunshine on my back, smell the green blades of grass and hear the sweet giggles of these two sisters. Oh spring time, you can’t come fast enough!

09 Mar

Delightful Waxhaw Family Portraits | Brothers

Brothers have a special connection – they are playmates, partners in crime and best buds. I’ve photographed this special family for several years and nothing gives me more joy than watching these brothers grow not only taller but closer! I’m so thankful that this family of four has allowed me to capture these special family moments year after year!

24 Feb

Union County, NC Family Photographers | Tickled Pink

Photo sessions with babies can sometimes be unpredictable. We have to coordinate meals, snacks and sometimes naps! Some days you just never know what you’re going to get, but this sweet little girl was a true pro – she posed, giggled and laughed. We did photos indoor and outdoors, had wardrobe changes and even the dog looked picture perfect. Can’t get much better this! And I just can’t get enough of the beautiful dresses and headbands that her mother coordinated for this day! This little lady is truly pretty in pink (and purple too!)

12 Dec

Stylish Uptown Charlotte Family Photographs| Big Sis

Having an older sister is a gift – she’s a friend, a partner in crime, a teacher and sometimes a second mom. This big sister is not only a confident young lady but she has a fun, silly side which allows her to be that quintessential big sister. This younger brother is so lucky to have her to look up to and one day their roles will reverse and he’ll return the favor. Siblings, what a gift!

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

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

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