Barbara Payne Photography

Fall Leaves Mini Sessions!!! Charlotte, NC

2010-09-23T13:17:00.000-04:00

I am offering mini-sessions for fall pictures. These are for children, families, or couples! Please contact me if you are interested. Now is the time to get those family pictures for the holidays!!!

Baby Girl "S" ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-09-22T09:53:00.003-04:00

I feel I've been so blessed to photograph so many newborns lately. Many people who know me know I would love another baby, but my husband currently opposes. We have two wonderful children but I've always wanted three! Photographing newborns gives me my fix (for now :))!

Miss S was a treat! She's quite alert for a little thing and looks so thoughtful. She reminds me a lot of my daughter as a newborn (she is now nearly 5), always looking around and seemingly afraid to miss anything. I hope to see more of Miss S as she grows and changes this year!

"K" Maternity ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-09-21T13:12:00.006-04:00

Thanks to a good friend of mine (HI RACHEL!!) "K" found me and asked to do her maternity and newborn pictures. I love taking maternity pictures! "K" was a lot of fun and would pose perfectly for me. She even was game for semi-nude artistic pictures which I did not post here, but I do love them. Although "K" feels she's ready to pop, she looks amazing!!

I can't wait to see baby girl when she arrives! Keep an eye out for more newborn pictures early in October!!

The "M" Family ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-09-21T13:06:00.006-04:00

The "M" family is near and dear to my family. They are the pastors of our church, Restoration Tabernacle in Concord. Since it was time for some new headshots anyway, we went ahead and did fall family pictures as well. This was the first time to use this backdrop and I like it a lot! It works well for fall pictures! The kids were great and smiled (and acted a little goofy) for me!! What a fun family :) I love these guys!

Fossil Salon University Area ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-09-21T13:03:00.004-04:00

A good friend of mine, Stephanie, runs a salon out of Fossil Salon and Spa in University Area in Charlotte. She's been cutting and dying my hair for a couple of years now and even convinced me to chop the good 'ole pony-tail that I'm known so well for. The last time I was in, she asked me to bring my camera and get a few pictures of the new salon space and of her and her partner in crime Beverly. If you are in the Charlotte area and looking for a new do, call Fossil Salon and ask for Stephanie!

Miss "O" Downtown Belmont ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-09-21T13:00:00.003-04:00

I'm a member of a Meetup Group for Portrait Photographers in Charlotte. The greatest thing I love about this group is going to new locations and having willing models!! This little model was great!

This was the second time I've gone out to Belmont for pictures and I really love this location. There is a train set up for kids to explore and an unused train track for the kids to sit on and walk along (which is safer than using live tracks). If anyone is interested in pictures in this location let me know!! There are many possibilities here :)

Angel Babies LIMITED EDITION | Concord, NC Photographer

2010-08-26T15:35:00.005-04:00

I'm starting a couple of LIMITED EDITION sets and this is the first. I love making little girls very girly-girly and what's better than angel wings and a halo! This is perfect for girls who are 6 month - 18 months. If you are interested in having a session with this setup please let me know. I do plan on having a mini-session event sometime in the near future...keep an eye out!

"N" Newborn Boy | Concord, NC Photographer

2010-08-26T15:28:00.004-04:00

Boy it is raining newborns again!! :) Little "N" was a treat...who was very sleepy and content no matter what we did! He really reminds me of my little Eli when he was a newborn. It makes me really want another!!

I've been taking pictures for this family since "N"'s big sister was about 6 months old. I love watching families grow and I can't wait to get pictures of them all together.

The "G" family reunion in NYC

2010-08-15T21:51:00.006-04:00

I recently took my first visit to NYC where I had the pleasure of photographing the Gaglio Family reunion. Four generations gathered in Central Park to memorialize this momentous occasion. It was so fun to watch this group laughing and chatting.

Despite the 100 degree record heat and high humidity they were all great sports offering plenty of smiles and laughter throughout the evening.

"E" and "J" Uptown | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2010-08-10T22:28:00.014-04:00

Ah...I love these two kiddos. I've been photographing E since she was 6 months old and J since he was 2 weeks old! Now they are 2 (nearly) and 3 years old and as cute as ever!!! I'm really excited about these pictures because J actually warmed up to me. The past few sessions with him he wanted nothing to do with taking pictures. However, running, singing songs, and eating candy would make any 2 year old smile. Miss E was also full of fun...and at the sassy 3 year old phase. I love it!

These were taken in uptown Charlotte. There are many spots here that are great for portraits!

2010 Birthday Special ~ Book Now!

2010-07-31T22:30:00.006-04:00

Barbara Payne Photography is offering an all inclusive special (sitting fee, prints, and present) for your Birthday Child! Limited Spaces available each month, through December 30, 2010, to capture your child's special memory.

Sunflower Girl! | Concord, NC Photographer

2010-07-31T09:50:00.006-04:00

This young lady was a pleasure to photograph! My clients are typically families, maternity, babies, and children so it was nice to do something a little different here. Not only did she pose and smile just like I asked, but I didn't have to bribe her with candy and bubbles! Much easier work for me ;)

I really love Sunflowers! I'm so happy there are a few fields in the Charlotte area where photographers are welcomed (as long as we don't damage any of the crop). Since they bloom around July and only last a few weeks, I feel very lucky to photograph them this year. Hopefully next year as well :)

Maternity in the Sunflowers | Concord, NC Photographer

2010-07-31T09:29:00.004-04:00

July is the month for Sunflowers in NC. The organizer of the local photography group showed us this location and I love it!! I am going to use it again next year for sure. I'm happy we went the day we did because the flowers were in full bloom, just like this momma here. "M" is one of the photographers in this group and she kindly modeled for us. I love the look of the big blooms with the beautiful belly!

If anyone is interested in a sunflower session next year, the first couple of weeks in July is best as long as the fields get enough rain next year.

Children in the Park | Concord, NC Photographer

2010-06-30T23:21:00.004-04:00

Recently I joined a meetup group for Portrait Photographers. I really want to learn and grow as a photographer and figured what's better than being surrounded by people with the same passion as I. I've only been to a couple of events, and this one sparked my interest because it was specifically for photographing children and we could bring our own as "models". Meredith is definitely not one to model these days, but she did have fun just playing and being a four year old at the playground. I was able to catch a few good pictures of her especially when she wanted to play dress up with the outfits in the prop box. The other children were all very cute and I was happy to be able to make it out that day. It was rather hot (in the upper 90s) so my children were melting by 10am so we left before the luncheon. Maybe next time I'll be able to hang out a little longer.

If you have a passion in anything, really take a look on meetup.com for a group. I don't know what I would have done without finding friends from joining those groups!!

The "W" five ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-06-30T16:03:00.005-04:00

I've been really behind on updating my blog this summer but thought I should share pictures of this little cutie. I've been taking pictures of twins "A" and "B" since they were around 10 months old. Naturally, it was a pleasure to get to take pictures of baby "C". This little girl made me work for these shots though. I can't tell you how many times she pooped and peed. AND goodness she did not want to sleep! That doesn't matter though I think we got some good shots of her wide eyed and bushy tailed...and even some "pretend sleep" shots as well. I can't wait to see this little princess grow up. She is sure to be as sweet as "A" and "B".

The "W" family of 5!!!

These are two of my favorite pictures from the session. We never thought we'd get the first one with both parents hands because "C" wouldn't go to sleep. But she finally dozed off for about 5 minutes which is just the right amount of time to get the shot.

Beach Portraits ~ Ft. Fisher, NC

2010-06-23T20:30:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I went to the beach for the Beach Portraits event! This was my second event and boy was it fun. What's better than doing your work ON THE BEACH! It was a wonderfully sunny day and not too hot. All the kids did such a great job for me posing and doing whatever I asked them to do...even the younger ones. I know my kids would have run straight for the water but no one did that! I need some pointers from these moms on how they get their kids to behave so well at the beach haha!

I'm so happy for a second successful event! I hope to do many of these in the future.

Baby Roo is a Boy!! ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-05-25T22:07:00.004-04:00

This little guy was a surprise to his mom and dad! They didn't find out gender until his birthday and the whole time thought for sure they were having a girl. Not only was that a surprise but he was 2 lb bigger than his two year old sister at birth. He is very squishy and soft! I loved every moment of him being here for his first portraits. It really gives me baby fever (but I'm resisting that!).

Baby "Roo" is truly a joy!

Newborn Baby "A" ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-05-25T22:02:00.003-04:00

One of my best friends in the whole wide world had a baby!! And it's a BOY! :) I'm so excited for her and happy that I was able to capture some of these pictures during his first couple weeks of life. I really can't wait to watch this little one grow up and hope to be the one taking all his important pictures!! I love you Mommy "R"! Wow things sure have changed in the past couple of years ;)

Spring Event at the Park ~ Charlotte, NC Photographer

2010-05-15T09:20:00.006-04:00

I had my first "event" on May 8 at Freedom Park. This was so much fun and it was really nice seeing some old faces I had not seen in a long time and meeting some new faces as well. Thanks to everyone for making this a success. I will be doing more of these in the future!!

Aweeeeeeeee Newborn "C" | Concord, NC Photographer

2010-04-14T10:16:00.008-04:00

One of my very good friends had a new baby!!! Actually a lot of my friends are having babies and I'm so happy to see all these little ones. So much so that it's giving me baby fever. But no way I'm too busy these days to even consider that!! Little "C" is as cute as they come and is super sweet. It did take a little coaxing (and lots of milk) to get her good and sleepy but our efforts were not in vain. She finally knocked out really hard and we were able to play. Thank you MommyB, DaddyJ and Big Sis A for coming by. I truly enjoyed every moment :)

"J"s Christening Party | Charlotte, NC

2010-04-07T10:11:00.000-04:00

On our first warm and beautiful spring weekend, I had a shoot for a cute 4 month old (almost). This was his christening party!! Even with all the fuss and business of the day, "J" never really complained and even napped halfway through the party. We couldn't have asked for a better day!

Everyone had their turn holding the guest of honor...

And finally I snuck one in of mommy and J.

We went outside a few times to try to get more formal pictures. It was a beautiful day but the pollen was full force. I don't know if that is what caused "J"s eyes to water but this happened everytime we headed outdoors.

I wasn't allowed to take pictures of the christening ceremony at the church, but I did get a few pictures of "J" just before. So cute!

A fun morning with C and P {dogs} | Concord, NC Photographer

2010-03-30T20:24:00.006-04:00

This session was a little out of the ordinary for me! I really did enjoy spending the morning C and P and their owners. C is sick and his owner wanted some pictures of him before he passes and called me. She wasn't sure if I did this sort of thing and I haven't before, but this was totally worth it to me to do. I'm a little bit of a softy when it comes to pets, and I really wanted her to have pictures she can treasure for years to come. C is part of the family after all!

Now...you would think taking pictures of dogs would be completely different than taking picture of children. However, we did a lot of bribing with treats and made a lot of silly noises to get them to look at the camera. Hmmm...that sounds really familiar to me ;)

Also thank you to "Mommy J" for referring this family my way!

"M" is turing one!! | Concord, NC Photographer

2010-03-22T23:39:00.006-04:00

Little "M" came at six months old for pictures and now she is one! Time really does fly around here and I tell you this girl does not look like the same kid as she did six months ago!

We had tons of fun! "M" is a little ham and loved the attention we were giving her. She mostly loved the tickle game with mommy and that was where the best smiles came from. And the CAKE! Boy did this one love her cake!! I haven't had a face plant in almost 2 years and she did it 10 times at least! I couldn't have asked for a better photo day :)

Happy Birthday "A" ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-03-17T10:12:00.007-04:00

Little miss "A" came in for her one year portraits. She is such a cutie and full of energy and personality too. She didn't seem intimidated by all the lights and was quite happy to take pictures as long as she was fed cheerios pretty consistently :)

I enjoyed this session so much and hope to see "A" again sometime in the future!

Enjoy!

Newborn "K" two weeks old ~ Concord, NC Photographer

2010-03-16T20:28:00.006-04:00

My good friend Jan had her baby! This one doesn't know what she has in for her...mommy is a photographer and so is mommy's friend :) Hopefully she won't mind for a few months at least. So far so good...

Little "K" is a chubba-wubba which is totally awesome. I love her chunky cheeks and little fat rolls. She is a squeezable and kissable gift to her family!

Baby Boy "B" is 1 year old!!!

2010-03-09T15:03:00.004-05:00

...and I can hardly believe it! This year really must have flown by because it doesn't seem that long ago I was taking his newborn pictures! And now he is walking and talking and just so full of energy! I really hope mom and dad enjoy these pictures of their little man :)

He was dancing to "5 little monkeys" here. He would mostly just sit still for bubbles and singing. Very busy but very cute and a lot of personality :)

"B" was not very impressed with a huge cake sitting in front of him. At first he showed curiousity but as soon as he touched it he wanted nothing more except for daddy to hold him. I did manage a couple of pictures though...

Beautiful Baby Girl "C"

2010-02-22T15:50:00.004-05:00

Everyone I know is pregnant...it's amazing! And most of them are having girls (except one!). So this is possibly a preview of the next few months of newborn pictures!!

Little C is so sweet and tiny, born on Superbowl Sunday (4 weeks early!). She's a rock star and is very much alert and active for such a newbie. Here she is 12 days old and stayed awake almost the whole 2 1/2 hours she was here.

All of these are in black and white because "C" had been dealing with Jaundice so she was still quite yellow in the pictures...I like newborns in black and white anyway so it's good for me.

I really hope to get to see "C" and mom and dad again in the future! Enjoy your little one!

Technical Difficulties

2010-02-15T15:23:00.002-05:00

If you are coming to check in on my recent sessions, you'll notice all my pictures are missing. In an effort to help protect my pictures from being stolen, I made them viewable to Friends and Family only within Flickr. I didn’t know doing this "breaks" all your links (nor did I get a warning). Thus all my pictures on my blogs are missing. I'm currently in contact with Flickr trying to get this issue resolved. However, if it can't be fixed, my blog may be getting a facelift only to show pictures going back the past few months.

Thanks for being a follower of my blog!

Barbara

Baby Girl and Big Brother | Maternity Photographer Cornelius, NC

2010-02-09T16:56:00.012-05:00

One of my good friends (also a photographer) is having a baby ANY DAY NOW. I'm hoping by this weekend so everyone send labor pixie dust her way :)

This was a fun session that included her 4 year old son. He is struggling with "photographer's child syndrome" just like my two, but he did ok for me.

We love this one...our favorite!! Such a handsome little guy!

Now for the fun to start! This whole series is really cute because "C" was having so much fun painting moms belly. Lots of laughs and giggles here...

And I had to get some of just "C"! Here is one of my favorites.

And one more of the belly! :)

Baby "J" is 6 weeks old! | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2010-02-03T10:07:00.007-05:00

Although "J" is still a newborn he really was very alert and didn't want to miss anything. We did get a few sleepy baby pictures but mostly he was looking around and very curious in everything going on. I had fun with this session. It has been a while for me working with a baby so tiny and I really do miss it. I love these little ones so much!

We had some snow and ice this weekend but I'm glad mom and dad made the hike to my studio to finally get some pictures of little "J".

Enjoy!

This picture cracks me up. Really what 6 week old is this strong!? Mom and dad ... he's going to be crawling before you know it!

This was one of the first pictures I took. A ham in front of the camera already!

"J" Maternity | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2010-01-25T13:21:00.010-05:00

I was very excited for this session...it is my first real session in about a month and MATERNITY is one of my very favorites to do! In 2009 I photoed these two getting married and now look, only 6 weeks away from being mom and dad for the first time.

Mommy "J" has the perfect little belly! I can't believe she is as far along as she is...she looks great!

I can't wait to meet baby girl. I know she's going to be perfect!

My Niece | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2010-01-08T22:21:00.008-05:00

Over New Year’s weekend I went home to Georgia to visit with my mom. My sister and her family also made the trip down which happens just once a year. So I took advantage of my 13 year old niece who loves being in front of the camera as much as I love being behind it :) Teenagers!!!

Well we went to Savannah (on what had to be the coldest day in record for the area) to River Street. I love this part of Savannah and it's perfect for pictures. The lighting was great…the subject was great...the only thing not great was the cold, but we managed :)

In our effort to warm up, we jumped into one of the little shops. They happened to have these cute little umbrellas that I love so much. Conveniently they had the correct color for what my niece was wearing...PERFECT. So I bought one and we headed back out into the cold. It's a good thing a few more doors down is River Street Sweets. Nothing like a bite of pralines to warm the soul!!

"J"...Happy Half Birthday | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-12-22T16:45:00.007-05:00

Little "J" is my last session of 2009. It's been a great year and I have been quite busy. This was a nice ending to a pretty successful year. "J" was great and didn't really complain with the outfit changes or being sat in a strange place. After about 45 minutes, though, she was done, but still cute as could be.
Happy half birthday “J” and Merry Christmas too!

Enjoy!

A and B Uptown Fun | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2009-12-11T06:12:00.006-05:00

Going uptown for pictures is always fun for me. It's my favorite on-location destination around Charlotte. Going with twins is twice the fun :) It took a bit of work to get both "A" and "B" to stand together and be on the same page, but eventually they did with a little bribery. I never thought suckers could last so long (these lasted over an hour haha).

A Holiday Treat | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-12-07T14:25:00.005-05:00

"D" is B-A-C-K! And as usual a treat to photograph! Really I don't have to do much and he even comes up with poses all on his own. Now how many 4 year olds can you say do this!? Not many take it from me. Maybe he knows I always have a special treat at the end haha.

These pictures are really getting me excited for Christmas. I love the PJs and the Santa hat :)

Merry Christmas from the "E" Family | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-12-03T07:21:00.005-05:00

Little "B" is getting SO BIG! I can't believe this is our 4th session already (5th if you count his mommy's maternity session) and he is crawling around and even saying his first words! He'll be eating birthday cake before we know it!

For this session Mommy "C" asked if we could come over and get some family pictures by the Christmas tree to get some pictures for their cards this year. What fun! I did some by the tree, fireplace, and even on the front stoop. "B" needed to have breaks so he could crawl around and explore...and what a cute little crawl he has :)

Enjoy!

Just My Kids | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-11-23T20:43:00.003-05:00

'Tis the season and so I have attempted to get some holiday pictures of my own children. This is no easy task; you can ask any photographer with small children. After lots of bribes and little cooperation, I'm happy to have these. I may try one of them together in the next week or so, after I build my energy again :)

Take 2 | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-11-23T20:35:00.002-05:00

I invited "L" back to the studio for a short 20 minute session so I could get his one year old pictures. At the family's session the previous weekend, he wasn't into taking pictures and I felt bad that mom and dad weren't going to have a good one of "L". So this Saturday they headed back, just mom and "L", for a quick mini-session that went really well!! I'm so happy it worked out this time!

The "P" Family | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-11-18T16:28:00.005-05:00

Such a beautiful family!! I photographed little "S" and "L" about 8 months ago and "L" sure has changed a lot! He still is not too crazy about me taking his pictures, but this time he was full of so much energy and curiosity and kept me and mommy on our toes. His big sis was so awesome for me. She did poses and laughed and told me all kinds of stories. This family was truly a treat to photograph!!

Enjoy!

Fun times with "E" and "J" | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-11-04T15:16:00.005-05:00

This was the most interesting session I've had to date!! Little "E" was great! She would pretty much do anything I asked with a little bribery of course, but "J" was so not into it.

Mommy "S" was at a loss what to do and we laid him down in my son's crib for a short nap hoping he was just tired and when he woke up he'd be in a better mood. It worked a little. He didn't want his picture taken but we still got a few decent shots. He is the first to have to take a nap during a session haha (and while he was getting a nap, Mommy "S" gave me a new hair cut)!

However! These two kiddos are truely cutie pies and I hope next time they both will give me a few more smiles :)

This picture pretty much sums up "J"s mood. Even cake would not cheer him up...It's my party and I cry if I want to!

Four Year Old "D" | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-10-29T23:05:00.006-04:00

"D" (aka Buzz Lightyear) is always a joy to photograph. It's not every day I have a child younger than 5 in my studio who willingly takes pictures without much of the candy bribery. "D" always poses just like I ask him to...and even does some of his own. It's so AWESOME!! H also has such a great little personality and was talking non-stop from the time he stepped through the door until he left. He only paused to eat some candy towards the end!

I really had a good day last Saturday with my two fun subjects ("S" from my previous post and "D"). I hope this continues for a long time!!

Enjoy!

Miss "S" is 5!!!!! | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-10-26T09:08:00.005-04:00

Where did the time go!? I met little "S" when she was about 16 months old and still trying to figure out that walking business. I can't believe she is now turning 5 and going to Kindergarten next fall! Seriously that means I'm getting OLD! haha

This session was fun. "S" was really playful and loved for me to pretend to be the big bad wolf and blow the house (or in this case to blow "S") down. Mom even brought her Halloween costume and it was a lot of fun to dress her like a cowgirl. She loved my handcuffs too (an old prop I used when my Eli was about 7 months old).

Enjoy! Lots of smiles here :)

Abby is THREE! | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2009-10-24T23:08:00.005-04:00

I've been taking pictures of Abby since she was 2 months old. I love this little girl like she's my own. She's so smart and funny and loves to do everything!

The day we did these photos it was 40 degrees outside (middle of October is normally much warmer here) and everyone was freezing including me. Abby however ran around like it didn't even bother her, but she did want some hot cocoa...which we did get after walking a few blocks and finding a Starbucks.

After the cocoa we were supposed to get a few family pictures but it just didn't work out. The wind really started blowing and everyone was pretty miserable. Next time for sure!

These were in uptown Charlotte. I love this location for big kids!!

A 1950s Style Shoot | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-10-07T22:39:00.006-04:00

"J"s boyfriend bought her a gift certificate for a "50s photo shoot" early this summer as a birthday present for her. She really loves Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn and we tried to recreate some of their poses. Not only was it fun looking for the inspiration but "J" sure can model. We had so much fun!! I really would love to do something like this again in the future!

Late Summer Wedding | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2009-10-01T22:25:00.005-04:00

In September I was honored to shoot as a second photographer again at a wedding in Lancaster, SC. The whole day was beautiful and everyone I met at the wedding were truly good people. I'm happy I was able to be part of their very important day!

Being a second photographer sometimes it is hard to get the "portraits" of the bridal party and family (because the main photographer is doing that)...but I really liked these pictures from the ceremony. Standing at the back I had a great view of everything!

6 month old "M" | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-09-29T20:48:00.008-04:00

"M" was a very serious girl on Saturday although I was told several times that she is normally very happy and smiley. I did catch a few smiles, but mostly she was just very serious. However she looked every time I said her name...I love that eye contact!! She’s such a smart little girl :)

Maybe next time we'll see more smiles, but I think I like a lot of these even without them. Also she rocked the petti-skirt and hair band. Such a girlie girl!

Enjoy!

Newborn Baby "Z" | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-09-24T15:40:00.005-04:00

Newborns are always the sweetest! Baby "Z" is no different other than he already holds his head up somewhat (from tummy time) and already giving great eye contact! What a big boy already at 10 days old! He gave us a time during his shoot because he wanted to be awake the whole time. However, I was able to get a few really sweet sleeping shots and a lot of great awake shots with eye contact. That never happens with a newborn! Way to go "Z"!

Baby "B" is Six Months Old!! | Cornelius, NC Photographer

2009-09-22T21:46:00.004-04:00

This little guy gets my award for the fastest grower!! I've done his portraits since he was a newborn (a premie) and now he's an 18 lb 6 month old! I'm really not sure where the time has gone! Other than being super cute he is super sweet! This was the day after he got shots at the doctors office and put up with us for 2 hours. I must say I love the cuteness here...

Uptown 3 Year Old Twins | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2009-09-11T13:18:00.006-04:00

We went uptown for a shoot of these cute twins. They were so curious about everything going on. There were buses going by, a festival taking over the block, and even a mime. What an interesting and fun day for them! I must say uptown is one of my favorite spots to take pictures! Not only is the lighting usually GREAT, but also there's just lots to see and do while you are having a session.

I hope mom and dad enjoy these pictures as much as I do!

Two year old "A" | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2009-09-08T21:52:00.005-04:00

Wow miss "A" really has grown since the first time she was in for pictures at 6 months old. I love her little silly face and great personality. She's always picking up leaves and rocks and loves the outdoors...until you take her shoes off. Goodness knows don't let her little piggies touch dirt or grass :) Now she's 2 and getting to be such a big girl and talking so much more than last time I saw her. I'm so happy I was able to capture a little bit of her toddler personality.

Beach Pictures

2009-08-23T23:16:00.005-04:00

I went to Georgia to visit my mom for a week...one last mini-vacation before school starts. Meredith goes to Pre-K TOMORROW! One day while in GA we went to the beach and I attempted some beach portraits of my kids. This is such a hard thing and I give a major thumbs up to all photographers who do this on a regular basis. The sun was in and out of clouds non-stop and my kids just wanted to play in the sand and do anything but look at me. However, I did manage a few nice pictures. Maybe next time I can get a good one of them together.

I haven't been posting pictures of my own kids on my blog lately and thought a little update would be nice. Meredith is turning 4 in October and Eli is 18 mo old! They are both growing up so fast!

An August Wedding | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2009-08-22T22:37:00.008-04:00

Recently, I was a second photographer for my friend Jan who has helped me out tremendously on my last two weddings. This wedding was a fun one and a little different than I'm used to. Both the bride and groom have children already and they made up the wedding party!! Since I was not the primary photographer this time, I was able to focus in more on the children and other details.

A special thanks to the bride and groom for letting me share their special day!

Sweet Family!! | Charlotte, NC Photographer

2009-08-14T00:03:00.007-04:00

This family has wanted pictures with me for about a year now! And finally both of our schedules have lined up to make this happen. Mostly it was my fault and I've appologized to Mommy "T" a bunch already. Hopefully her pictures will make up for all the delays. I know she has been very excited for this for a long time.

The day we took these was one of the hottest of the year. Even at 9:00 AM we were all melting. You have to love NC weather. But in the end everything turned out great!

The "M" Family

2009-08-07T15:36:00.011-04:00

The "M" Family stopped in for some casual pictures last Saturday. The dad is the Pastor of our church and as you can see, they are very cool and very much 21st century. They came in originally for new head shots for their web sites, but also for some family pictures since the kids were coming along too.

I had a lot of fun dressing up miss "S". She is such a doll baby. And Mr "I" was such a ham. They are both great kids and this is a wonderful family. However I do need to work on Pastor's comfort level in front of the camera :)

Their web site is at www.restorationtab.com

Enjoy!

The Prayer of My Life ~ How God Changed Me in Seven Months

2009-08-07T15:23:00.006-04:00

That is the title of this young man's book (yes I can call him young since he is younger than me) ;)

Tony is a member of the same chruch as I, and he approched me about a month ago to take pictures for the cover of his book. HOW EXCITING to think that my image will be on the cover of a book...even more exciting is that this book is going to be very awesome, unique, and full of God.

As I hunted all day long for a location, something told me to try an old friend who is a realtor and buys older properties around Charlotte. He had an old manufacturing plant and a run down apartment complex. Timing could not have been better and both locations were PERFECT for what we needed. There was no way I would have found anything like this on my own. Thanks MIKE!

Trash the Dress (well not totally)...

2009-07-30T22:56:00.005-04:00

One of my BFFs from town has been wanting to do a trash the dress session with me for months now and I finally had a free Saturday! This was so much fun and very laid back and I would do it again in a heart beat! Rachel is always so great and poses for me anywhere I put her lol. I couldn't ask for a better model!!

We didn't really "trash" the dress but we still did a lot of fun things. We even passed the fire station and when the guys were hanging out on the balcony. They let us pose with their truck for a few minutes. By 1:30 it was nearly 97 degrees outside so Rachel ended the day with a beer in the parking lot...which she totally deserved for rocking our session!

"I" and "J" {Brothers}

2009-07-22T09:42:00.004-04:00

These boys are so adorable and sweet. Being a little less than 12 months apart, I know mom has her hands full, but she couldn't have picked two better boys! They make a great team :)

Our little session went well with lots of candy bribes and play breaks. I love how I am known as the "candy lady" to many kids. I can really ruin them!!

Enjoy!

Three year old "A"

2009-07-16T01:09:00.005-04:00

Mom and I decided that "A" would cooperate much better at a park instead of my studio so we met at Freedom Park last weekend. It's always nice to see mommy "M" and talk about our kids and take pictures for her. What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning. When we were done with pictures we let "A" swing since he loves it so much!

Uptown with "D"

2009-07-02T00:18:00.004-04:00

Saturday I had such a fun session. I love getting out of the studio lately and "D"'s mom and I agreed that uptown would be a really cool place to take pictures of her 3 1/2 year old. He did great and I could have stayed all day!

Kent and Jennifer ~ Greensboro, NC

2009-06-26T09:27:00.008-04:00

Kent and Jenn were really fun to work for! Kent and I have been friends for almost 10 years and I feel really honored that he wanted me to take part of their special day.

Thank you for letting me help you share your best memories!

Little Miss "A"

2009-06-22T14:52:00.004-04:00

Little Miss "A" just turned two and is a wonderful little girl. I can tell she is very loved by everyone around her. Her grandmother called me for a session while "A" and her mom and dad were in town and luckily I had a spot available Saturday morning. This location was perfect for pictures and thank goodness for gummy bears!

Baby "B" three months old

2009-06-19T07:46:00.004-04:00

I cannot believe that baby "B" is three months old already. I took his mom's maternity picutures as well as his new born pictures. Time sure does fly when you are having fun. Click here to see his newborn pictures.

"B" melted my heart from the time he came through the door. He has such a cute little personality, smiling and cooing. And the little mohawk is just the icing on the cake :)

Enjoy!

Baby "M" six months old

2009-06-05T00:05:00.006-04:00

This little cutie came to see me on Sunday. I'm not sure she liked me too much though since everytime mom would put her down she would look at me and cry. But she's still cute just the same. She let us know when she was D-O-N-E too...she's the boss :)

Enjoy!

Two year old "N"

2009-06-02T00:44:00.004-04:00

One thing I love about this age (two years old) is that it's unpredictable. I cannot search for poses because a two year old will not hold a pose (mostly). All you can really do is sit and play with them and take pictures while you do it. "N" was super sweet and we sang songs and ate candy and had a ton of fun. He would walk off and play (the play room is right next to the studio) then he would come back bright eyed and ready for more pictures. I could do this every day!!!

Newborn Twins

2009-05-31T17:55:00.005-04:00

This was a really fun session that I had a little over a month ago. I am finally able to share! Twin newborns R&R at first did not want to do anything at the same time but when they finally both went to sleep it was wonderful. All I can say when looking at these two is AWE!!!

Enjoy!

"A" just turned two!!!!

2009-05-25T08:44:00.007-04:00

This is one of my favorite little toddlers to photograph. If you don't remember her...I did her 6 month, 12 month, 15 month, 18 month, and now 2 year old pictures. She's such a treat and such a smart little girl!

2 Month Old Baby Boy

2009-05-14T13:35:00.005-04:00

I had so much fun taking pictures of 8 week old Mr. "E" on Sunday. His family is so wonderful and welcomed me right into their home to do our session. Right when we started "E" immediately started smiling and cooing at me. Very Sweet!!

Enjoy!!

3 Month Old Baby A

2009-05-12T09:53:00.005-04:00

Saturday I had the pleasure to photograph little Miss "A". She was an absolute delight and is a very happy and smiley baby. She's a little wiggler though, and I predict she'll be crawling by 6 months old :)

Enjoy the preview!!

Playing Dressup

2009-05-03T07:44:00.011-04:00

I asked my friend to come over last weekend and have a 1950s style photoshoot. I didn't have to ask her twice!! Here are some of my favorite pictures :)

Chris and Rachel ~ A Spring Wedding

2009-04-16T14:08:00.004-04:00

My friend Rachel married on April 3. As a first wedding shoot, I have to admit I was really nervous going into it. About half way through the day I was really just enjoying myself and the beautiful day. I'm so happy I was able to capture these special moments for one of my best friends. Chris and Rachel are really a great couple and I can tell they are really happy together.

Enjoy!!

Easter Pics...

2009-04-16T13:50:00.003-04:00

I know these are a little late...but here are my kid's Easter pictures :) I took them the day before Easter but just now have the time to post them. They did so good for me and I even got both of them smiling AND looking at me. YAY!

Happy Easter

2009-04-04T22:25:00.004-04:00

This is one of my very favorite little girls to photograph. She is always so good for me and does most of what I ask of her. And for 2 1/2 that is very amazing. She should give lessons to my daughter ;) My friend came to visit so we could see the Laurie Burkner Band with our kids. It was a lot of fun, but before we could go to the concert, we took little "A's" Easter portrats. She loved playing dress up and the sucker was the icing on the cake :)

Enjoy!

Introducing Baby P

2009-03-27T08:49:00.003-04:00

I love newborns!!! Especially the ones that just zonk out for me. Baby P was so sweet and even would smile for me!! I like to train them early haha.

Enjoy!

She did finally wake up right at the end...WIDE AWAKE!

Introducing Baby B

2009-03-24T23:23:00.004-04:00

Baby "B" is such a sweet little newborn. The little guy slept for the entire 2 hours with the exception to eat...then back out!

I hope you all enjoy these as much as I do :)

"P" Sister and Brother

2009-03-17T06:51:00.006-04:00

These two cuties were over on Saturday. The older one wanted to play with my daughter and the little one wanted a nap, but with a little coaxing with candy and milk these two did great! I couldn't be happier with these pictures. Enjoy, these are my favorites from the session!

Mommy M's Maternity

2009-03-13T17:56:00.006-04:00

It's a boy...It's a girl!! This mommy-to-be is having twins!! How exciting!!!
I had this session on Sunday and these are some of my favorites. I can't wait to see the babies in a couple of weeks :)

Brother and Sister "C"

2009-03-12T09:18:00.005-04:00

These two cuties we over on Saturday for their first portraits!! They did great and loved all the toys in my studio. I hope you guys enjoy their pictures and here are some of my favorites...

C's Maternity

2009-03-11T00:02:00.004-04:00

I loved doing this session!! Actually I think maternity is becoming one of my favorite sessions do to...especially with a willing daddy-to-be! Here are some of my favorites from "C"'s portraits. Enjoy!!!

ps. Spring must be coming soon because I've had a lot of mommies-to-be in my studio lately :) It's so exciting!!

Eli is 1!!!

2009-03-02T21:18:00.005-05:00

My Baby Boy turned one a couple of weekends ago. He's such a happy little guy...seriously he smiles and laughs all day long! These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago but I finally have time to put them on my blog. He was sick in these...you might be able to tell in his eyes. Poor little guy. He is feeling much better now though :) I've been waiting a year to do a smash cake with him and I was so happy that he really LIKED it (at least for a few minutes). I think he enjoyed the bath afterwards a little more.

Mommy R - Maternity

2009-02-23T21:51:00.003-05:00

I had my first OFFICIAL maternity session. We had so much fun and this woman is AWESOME! She would do anything I wanted to try in what would be one of my longest sessions to date! We did some studio things, took a break for a lunch/snack, then did some outdoors family type pictures. Her and the whole family did GREAT!! I can't wait to meet little Miss P (and take her cute little pictures too)!

Grandchildren

2009-02-16T23:52:00.003-05:00

This is the final session. I was very tired by this point of the day. This is my Mom and dad (in-law) and all their grandchildren. I've wanted to do a nice picture like this since before Eli was born...but now I'm glad we waited. Eli is the last one and we are all done having kids! I can't choose a favorite but I can tell you how few pictures I have of all 7 sets of eyeballs looking my direction at the same time haha. Wait did I get even one...?

AND...this one was just for fun and mostly for the grandchildren. It was taken the night before my crazy 6-session day. These two are usually pretty fun loving and silly, so here's the real na-na and pa-pa. I love it! :)

Will

2009-02-15T22:42:00.006-05:00

I loved taking pictures of Will. He did very well and mom says he is used to getting portraits made so he is trained well. He was so fun and just so cute too! I could just eat him up. Here are my favs. Oh and this is #5 from the portrait marathon...

The Paynes

2009-02-13T23:22:00.004-05:00

Yep the Paynes...we are related! Can you tell? Probably not. This is #4 in my portrait marathon. I wish I could have done more for them, but the two little ones were tired so our session was pretty short. We had snow the week before and school needed to make up the day on Saturday. So we rescheduled the session for the afternoon and both boys hadn't had a nap. Even though that happened, I'm pretty pleased with what we did get. I hope to get to photo them again soon!!

The Searcy Family

2009-02-12T22:18:00.004-05:00

Ah...3 year olds!!! So this is the midpoint of my portrait marathon...and this was my first family. The little one was very cute and would only let me photograph him after I let him test out my lights (to make sure they work right?!). Such a sweet heart!

Eli

2009-02-12T22:07:00.004-05:00

And the fun continues...

Eli is 4 years old, almost 5. He is a bundle of boyish energy and was giving me funny cheesy smiles for about 20 mintues until he got comfortable with me...but then poke'mon saved the day!!!

Janice and Jerry

2009-02-12T21:39:00.004-05:00

I did a portrait marathon on Saturday. Six sessions, back-to-back, in Rockingham (where my In-Laws live). It was fun fun fun!! This is my first session of the 6 and these two are so funny. You can tell they really love each other and make each other laugh. I enjoyed it!

My Two Valentines

2009-02-03T15:34:00.003-05:00

In the spirit of upcoming Valentine's Day, I've decided to get some cute pictures of Meredith and Eli. They have been very willing lately, and when you include candy in the mix, they are golden.

Enjoy and have a happy Valentines Day :)

I only got a few of Eli because he decided to nap the whole time, but it's ok...almost time for those 1 year pictures anyway :)

The H Family

2009-01-28T23:35:00.004-05:00

Mommy S is one of my friends who has come to get pictures with me 4 times now. This is the first time for family pictures though. I had a lot of fun! The little ones are 19 months old and 3 months old so we had our work cut out for us. However they did put up with us for 2 hours, which is great!! Enjoy your pictures S :)

A handsome 2 year old

2009-01-14T08:52:00.005-05:00

This little guy made my day when he came in to the studio. Usually 2 year olds are all over the place, crying, and generally not following any kind of direction. "J" was so GREAT...he did just about anything I asked and, with a little bribing, he put up with me, mom, and dad for nearly an hour of photos. I could not believe it! I'm so happy they brought his "bubba" and I was able to get some photos with him too.

Here are some of my favorites (and this was really hard to narrow down so there are a lot).

Eli is 10 months old!!

2008-12-24T15:08:00.005-05:00

I have no idea where the time went...I have a few recent pictures to share. Enjoy :)

Happy Holidays from my family

2008-12-08T13:29:00.004-05:00

We were finally able to find some time for family pictures last week. It's been a LOOOOOONG time since we've done this and I've never done it myself (always gone to a studio). Meredith and Eli both did great for us. Usually it's one or the other..but never both. The moon and stars must have been aligned just right. Here are some...I haven't gotten to edit all of them yet but there are many more good ones! I'm really happy!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday and a happy new year too!!!

Officially a Toddler "A"

2008-11-25T14:27:00.004-05:00

I have taken "A"'s pictures 3 times now. At 7 months, 11 months, and now 18 months. She's always such a treat! I could photo her all day long and not get tired of those big brown eyes. This is the first time she could walk in my studio though...such a big girl! I can't believe how fast these babies grow up...

The H Family

2008-11-24T00:04:00.004-05:00

This is the second time doing family portraits for the H family. They are fun group and easy to get along with! Great people and great kids! Here are some favorites from our session...

Introducing Baby C

2008-11-17T01:09:00.003-05:00

I am happy to present baby C to the world! He's such a cutie and was so very alert the whole time I was taking his pictures (except maybe 10 minutes towards the end). He loved looking at my light and even gave me some eye contact which is pretty rare for a newborn. I can see lots of curiousity in this little guy.

Just My Kids (and their best friend)

2008-11-10T15:08:00.004-05:00

We had company over the weekend...fun fun fun! Meredith's best friend in the whole world came over and so we went for a little photoshoot. I really wanted take a look at this spot in Dilworth anyway. I love it, although it is kinda small. Anyway this is just a post of my kids and Meredith's friend. I tried some different coloring and things. Oh and my baby is STANDING!!! Such a big boy.

9 month old "J"

2008-10-09T00:06:00.005-04:00

"J"'s family came in for pictures of their 9 month old on Sunday. He was such a treat...and I personlly love the brown-eyed boys. Just for fun, mom and dad jumped in for a few family pictures. Enjoy your sneak peek!

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