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.
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?
NC Family Photographer | WPPI ACCOLADE OF EXCELLENCE {2013 First Half Image Competition Award Winning Images}
I’m so thrilled and so very grateful to announce that I have earned two prestigious Accolade of Excellence awards in the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International 2013 First Half Image Competition. This is an incredible honor to have my images receive these awards and be included among some of the best in the photography industry.
I’m so thankful everyday that I get to do something I absolutely love, and I’m so very grateful for my amazing and wonderful clients!
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. 🙂
Holmdel, New Jersey Family Photographer | Sunshine on a Cloudy Day
The forecast was partly cloudy and perfect temperature, and in reality it was chilly with a misty rain. I met my clients in Holmdel, New Jersey for a family portrait session, and we ignored the rain and made our own sunshine. You would never guess the weather based on the smiles of this sweet trio and their parents. And I just love the hats that Mom selected for their session!
Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Family Moments
It was a gorgeous afternoon for a family portrait session photographing an adorable toddler just days before her second birthday party. Her Grandma and Grandpa came up from Florida for a surprise visit, so it was perfect timing to include them in the portraits with their adorable granddaughter.
We searched for deer in the parks and this sweet pea just had a wonderful day with her family getting lots of hugs and kisses from her parents and grandparents alike.
Waxhaw, North Carolina Family Photographer | Summer Days
Earlier this Summer, I met an adorable family to capture family portraits with their sweet 2 year old little girl. We started at their home and ventured to a nearby park on the water. The cool breeze from the water was a welcome treat on a Summer Day. Their little munchkin was a sweetheart and I just loved her little side ponytail!
In January 2011, I worked with the very talented Leslie Vega of Leslie Vega Design to help design the look of my brand starting with my logo. She knew my style instantly, and when we were finished, we had a logo that I have loved for the past couple of years.
But as I sat back this year, I felt it was time for a change. In the last two years, my focus has been family portraits and encouraging Moms and Dads to jump into the photos, and that hasn’t been reflected in my logo and branding. And so I reached out to Leslie and asked for her assistance again. I wanted the overall look and feel to remain consistent, but felt the logo need to grow up a little bit. Leslie knew exactly what I needed and I’m so thrilled to unveil my brand new logo for Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography . . .
Leslie and I will be working on a couple of additional projects to update the look and feel of my blog and web site, and I look forward to sharing those with you, along with more adorable images from recent family portrait sessions.
Marvin, NC Family Photographer | Happy Father’s Day
Just wanted to wish all of my wonderful clients and friends a very Happy Father’s Day! I’m so blessed to have met so many wonderful Dads and Grandfathers while photographing families, and I can’t thank each of you enough for jumping into the photos with your family and children. Here is just a sample of the amazing images I have been able to create thanks to all these great Dads and Grandpas that just love to have fun with their children and families!
And this wouldn’t be complete without sharing images of my absolute favorite Dads and the most important Dads in my life. Special thanks to George Buhl from Black Thumb Studio for photographing my husband’s entire family at a wedding last Christmas, and to Jessica Wernes from Dewdrop Photography for photographing my entire family this past Mother’s Day. I love family portraits and so grateful to the wonderful photographers that photographed my family so I can be in the portraits with them!
And thanks to my husband, my Dad, my father-in-law and my two brothers-in-law for being the best Dads that I know. You are all very loved and we are lucky to have you in our lives. These little munchkins are blessed to have amazing fathers and grandfathers!
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.
North Carolina Family Photographer | Walking in the Rain {The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia – Cranford, NJ}
About a month or so ago, I received a Facebook message from a friend letting me know that The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia was looking for a photographer to photograph their event. Now, I specialize in family portrait sessions, and not event photography, so I initially wasn’t inclined to reach out. Plus, I already had a session booked that weekend, and so this would mean more time away from my family. My promise to my children is that while I do work most weekends, I will only book one session per weekend, so the other day is for them.
But then I remembered the reason my friend was involved with the Preeclampsia Foundation. Sadly, she had Preeclampsia during her first pregnancy years ago, and she nearly lost her own life, and she did lose her little baby girl. Remembering her email that explained what happened to her that horrible day when she was about 8 months along in an uncomplicated pregnancy, broke my heart all over again. And while she now has 3 adorable boys, her heart will never forget her baby girl. And so I reached out to the Foundation, and I agreed to be their photographer for the day, because it was just something I had to do.
It turned out to be an incredibly inspiring day, and I met a ton of wonderful people, who smiled despite the torrential rain, and who cried together as we listened to the stories from the speakers. I learned more about the symptoms of Preeclampsia, which every pregnant woman should know, and I learned about the life of Lauren Bloomstein, a sweet woman who lost her life to Preeclampsia after delivering her beautiful baby girl. I now want to be more involved with this organization, and I hope to be available and invited back for future walks. And I continue to pray for the families that have been impacted by Preeclampsia, and I hope to help spread awareness to help save lives.
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, and also ask that you learn more about Preeclampsia and its symptoms from the Preeclampsia Foundation.
The Promise Walk for Preeclampsia – Cranford has raised nearly $50,000 for this cause and I know they were hoping to raised another $500 to reach that $50,000 goal. If this slideshow and the stories inspire you, and you would like to donate, you can do so by clicking here. Thank you for your time.
PS – One of my favorite parts of the day was meeting a mother who told her little girl that they weren’t just walking in the rain that day – they were going “puddle jumping” instead. She turned the rain into rainbows for her daughter and everyone else that got to chuckle while watching that sweet girl have a blast jumping in every puddle she found. And yes, you can find the adorable “puddle jumper” in the slideshow.
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.
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.
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.
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!
