Big Changes to Come!

I'd like to say a big thank you to all of those who have supported me in starting my photography business.  I'd like you to know that I don't take it for granted.  I am still in the learning process and appreciate all of the positive feedback, referrals, and support that you have all given me.  I sincerely thank you for letting me be a part of your family's memories and giving me the important opportunity of capturing who they are.  This year I have met some amazing families and children who I will never forget. 

In 2013, I will be changing quite a few things, hopefully for the better.  My goal is to make people happy and to give them photography in a way that is useful to them.  I've received a lot of input from people saying that they would love digital files more than prints.  Because of this, I am changing the pricing structure for 2013 to hopefully suit all of your needs better.  Instead of paying for a session and prints separately, there is now a single session fee.  Included in all session fees is an option for digital files.  There are a few different levels, to make photography accessible to more people.  I hate that people feel forced to have their prints made at big box stores.  I'd like you all to have access to professional prints, so I am drastically cutting the price of professional prints, so that you can have your prints made with me.  There are several advantages to doing this.  To read more about it, click on the pricing tab.  If you'd prefer to have prints made elsewhere, I can recommend some excellent high quality consumer print labs. 

Another big change is that the website is coming and I am hoping to have it ready by New Year's.  This will make it much easier to see your proofs (no more emailed proofs!), order prints, and communicate with me. 

I am also working on setting up a referral program.  This will give you discounts if you refer your friends to me and they book a session.  More details to come. 

Again, thank you for showing your support.  Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The last fall portraits of the season

I can't believe it's Thanksgiving time already!  Christmas is just around the corner.  I took some fall mini-sessions recently, but I'm not going to post those here for a while, if ever, because I know that many of the families would probably like to use the pictures in Christmas cards, and I don't want to spoil that surprise. 

Here is probably the last fall session of the year. Actually, it'll probably be one of the last sessions I do of 2012. I loved this session because it included 3 generations of a family.

Newborn Baby Boy!

Here are a few pictures from a session I did for some really good friends of ours. They recently had a baby boy. Mom actually had some great ideas and came with a few props of her own. It's a rough life cuddling and taking pictures of a one week old baby.

 

 

 

 

Family Portraits with an Urban Feel

This family is very special to me because the mom was my supervising teacher when I was student teaching years ago (yes, I used to be a kindergarten teacher!).  She taught me so much about teaching children and was truly an inspiration.  This was the first time I had the chance to meet her children.  They were unbelievably sweet and affectionate to each other.  I've never seen 3 siblings get along so well. 

We took some of these pictures at a park in Apex and the others in downtown Apex.  I'm not too familiar with downtown Apex, but I already love it for pictures!

Fall Family Portraits

Fall is finally on its way and with it come some beautiful leaves.  The light in the late afternoon is perfect for pictures.  I like to tell people that I prefer to do sessions very early in the morning or around this time in the afternoon, when the sun is low on the horizon and gives a nice warm light. 

This family had two sweet, precocious toddlers. Photographing toddlers can be a challenge. They run the show and pictures need to be done candidly to capture their true personalities. Strangely, this 1-3 year old can be my favorite age to photograph.

Two Cute Brothers

I had a fantastic time photographing this family for 2 reasons.  First of all, they are good friends that I hadn't seen for years.  Second, their two boys are absolutely adorable!  They remind me of my own sons because they are similar ages.  I loved their blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes.  We had a lot of fun capturing their boys in action, as well as their gorgeous new home. 

Back to School Mini-Sessions

School is back in session and I thought it would be fun to get some fun props and take some back to school photos. I had the best little subjects too- 3 elementary school boys. They were all so happy to have their pictures taken.

 

A Girl and Her Horse

This weekend I photographed a girl for her 10th birthday.  What a fun idea for a birthday present! We met at the horse stable where she takes riding lessons.  This girl had a serious side, but clearly loved horses. 

Outdoor Newborn Session

Sometimes I hate the hot summers here in Raleigh, but one benefit is that our summers (and springs and falls) are perfect for outdoor newborn sessions.  For this session, we did about half the pictures inside and half out. 

These pictures prove that you don't need gorgeous mountains or a beach to get interesting outdoor portraits.  These were all taken in my subdivision. 

If you or someone you know would be interested in a newborn portrait session, I can do them outdoors any day when the temperature is around 80 or warmer.  Around here, I could easily do them into October, if not later.

4th of July Newborn

This sweet little girl was born the day before the Fourth of July.  I had to do some patriotic photos, so I made a little red, white, and blue headband.  I actually make all of my own headbands and props, which gives a nice unique touch to my photography.  I like to take advantage of my sewing skills instead of buying props made by other people. 

I love this baby girl's hair.  She slept the entire time, except for breaks for diaper changes (there were several during her session!). 

Birthday Pictures at Yates Mill

It's been a while since we posted any pictures on the blog, even though we haven't taken a break from taking pictures.  Hopefully, I'll have time to add more pictures in the next few days. 

Here are a few pictures from a birthday session I did recently for some friends of ours.  She might be one of the easiest 3 year olds I've ever taken pictures of.  Aren't those blue eyes beautiful?

Pullen Park Photography

I had the pleasure of photographing a really cute family last Saturday at Pullen Park in Raleigh.  It had been a while since I had taken pictures of any kids over the age of 5.  These two teens are in middle school and quite a change from the toddlers I'm used to.  For one, I didn't need to bribe them with lollipops.  It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun taking pictures!