NC Child Photographers 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.

21 Feb

Childhood Photographer Charlotte, NC – What are you wishing for this year?

If I asked this question right now, most people in the Northeast would answer with warmer weather, sunshine, Spring, Summer, etc.

Have you ever wondered what a child was thinking when you asked them a question? I just love the sweet expression in this first photograph when I asked her “What are you wishing for this Christmas?” You could tell there was a long list running through her head, and her eyes twinkled and sparkled with happiness as she thought about Christmas morning.

The rest of the session was filled with happiness and giggles as we spent a beautiful afternoon in the Fall enjoying the outdoors. Here’s hoping your wishes come true this year.

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.

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!)

13 Nov

Delightful Waxhaw, NC Family Photography | Feet

Feet are funny! In those first few years they are so adorable and cute. I love how babies and toddlers are always fascinated by their feet but what makes me smile about these twins is how he seems more interested in his sister’s feet than his own! It was just instinct for him to grab his sister’s foot as soon as she kicked it forward. It speaks to the connection between them, and I really I hope that connection simply grows, as they grow up together.

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!

04 Oct

Professional North Carolina Family Photographer | Giggles and Smiles

This sweet family of four is full of happiness and giggles! We spent this beautiful afternoon enjoying nature, smiling and lots of exploring. As I sat back watching this family interact with one another, I wondered what were they thinking about as they laughed and whispered in each other’s ear. What were these boys smiling about as they sat in the warm, green grass? I just love to see the awe and wonder in young faces ; it always reminds me that I need to appreciate and enjoy the little things in life!

Enjoy!

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

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

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

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!