22 Feb

North Carolina Child and Family Photographer | Favorite Fridays – Trendy Ties

North Carolina Child and Family Photographer | Favorite Fridays – Trendy Ties

As a North Carolina child and family photographer, I often find adorable, little online stores for clothing for children, as well as cute props and accessories!  My latest find is this adorable online store, Trendy Ties!

As you might imagine, they make adorable ties and bowties for our favorite little men! But now they also make cute little skirts for our favorite little ladies, as well as matching hair ties!  I just received my order today of a sweet tie for my son in the Spring Blue Gingham with a matching skirt and hair tie for my daughter for Easter.  I cannot wait to photograph my children in their coordinating set, and will definitely share photos when I do!

These sets will also be adorable for your children for your Spring Family Portrait Sessions, so I recommend checking out their site and placing your order soon, as these are custom made.

For today’s Favorite Friday, I wanted to introduce my clients, fans and friends to Trendy Ties, as well as let you know that I have a special coupon code that I can share with clients.  So, if you are a current or past Carolyn Ann Ryan Photography client, and would like to place an order with Trendy Ties, then please email me at carolyn@carolynannryan.com for your special coupon code.

Enjoy your weekend!

 

 

 

North Carolina Child and Family Photographer shares trendy ties web site

 

 

28 Jan

Marvin, NC Family Photographer | Best of 2012 Portraits: And the Winners Are . . .

Marvin, NC Family Photographer | Best of 2012 Portraits: And the Winners Are . . .

The Best of 2012 Portraits Contest has come to a close and I’m so excited to announce our client and voter winners!

Thanks so much to everyone that participated and voted during the contest!

Here are the adorable client winners:

 

  • First Place: Sweet Dreams wins a 20×30 canvas print Marvin, NC Family Photographer  Best of 2012 Portraits

 

  • Second Place: Falling Leaves wins an 11×14 wood print
    Family Portrait Marvin, NC Fall Portrait Session

 

  • Third Place: Happy Family wins a DVD Music Slideshow
    Marvin, North Carolina Family Photography Portrait Session with boys

 

  • Fourth Place: Future Rockstar wins a wood gallery cube decor
    Marvin, NC Child and Family Photography

 

  • Fifth Place: All Smiles wins a 12 month calendarCharlotte Child Photographer Mother and Son Portraits

 

 

And a special congratulations to our voter prize winners: Christina McCormack, Cecilia T. DeGennaro, and Frank Pernice!  They will each receive a gift certificate for a family portrait session!

Thanks again to everyone that participated!

19 Dec

Charlotte, North Carolina Maternity Photographer | PUBLISHED! {THE POPPY CAT}

Charlotte, North Carolina Maternity Photographer | PUBLISHED! {THE POPPY CAT}

In just one week, I was published twice on the The PoppyCat blog – once again for Twins Week!  This feature shows images from the gorgeous late Summer maternity session with Abby & Scott in Stamford and Old Greenwich, CT.   And once again, special thanks to Pamela Harayda for assisting with this session. We had a phenomenal time with Abby & Scott, and as you can see from the photos – there was lots of laughter during the session.

Check out Twin Week – Day Six on The Poppy Cat here and please don’t forget to show them some love and comment on the post!!

About The Poppy Cat:  The Poppy Cat features beautiful photography with infants, children and families.  “We hope the readers of our publication will see the beauty in the everyday life of being a mother”.

13 Dec

Fanwood, NJ Newborn Photographer | PUBLISHED! {THE POPPY CAT}

I’m so excited to be included in The PoppyCat blog’s Twin Week!  I had such an amazing time with this adorable little brother and sister, as well as their Mommy and Daddy.  And stay tuned for later this week, when their Mommy’s maternity session will be featured too!!!  Special thanks to Pamela Harayda for assisting with this session.

Check out Twin Week – Day Four on The Poppy Cat here and please don’t forget to show them some love and comment on the post!!

About The Poppy Cat:  The Poppy Cat features beautiful photography with infants, children and families.  “We hope the readers of our publication will see the beauty in the everyday life of being a mother”.

02 Oct

Marvin, NC Child Photographer | Tiny Tuesday – Life’s Most Beautiful Season

Marvin, NC Child Photographer | Tiny Tuesday – Life’s Most Beautiful Season

“Childhood is life’s most beautiful season.”  – Author Unknown

When I first read this quote, I fell in love with it. It inspires me.  When I photograph children, I want to capture those amazing moments of childhood. The awe and wonder that can be found in something as simple as leaves falling from the trees on a crisp, Autumn day.  Today’s Tiny Tuesday photograph was created last November and is one of my favorites still, because I just LOVE the expressions and happiness on the faces of these children.  I can feel their giggles and the warmth of the sun.

They each grabbed a pile of leaves and stood together.  And then the leaves went up into the air and the fun began.  It was that easy, and yet it feels that magical.

Do you remember the fun of jumping and rolling in the leaves?  Last week, when I picked my daughter up from school, we each counted how many leaves we could “crunch” as we walked back to the car.  It was easy and simple, but she giggled with delight with each leaf that really crunched and crackled under her shoes.

Don’t forget to take a few moments this season and enjoy the simple moments that Fall can provide and bring warmth and smiles to the faces of our little ones!

What do you think of when you see this photograph?  I’d love to hear your thoughts and memories of your favorite things about Fall.

Happy Tiny Tuesday!

 

Marvin, NC Family and Child Photographer photographs children throwing leaves

18 Sep

Fanwood, NJ Child Photographer | Tiny Tuesday – Inspiration from Art to Childhood

Today’s Tiny Tuesday image is a photograph that was inspired by an artist whose work I saw many years ago.

In 2001, just a few weeks after September 11, my company’s offices were relocated to a building on the corner of Hudson and Spring Street. Thankfully, we had a mild Fall and early Winter, and I spent many mornings simply taking the 6 train straight down to Spring Street from 96th St, and I would walk across town to the West Side.  I often chose this version of my commute instead of the alternative – a three subway (two transfer) version.

On those mornings, I would leisurely stroll with my Sony discman listening to my favorite mix CD. On the way, I would pass Gallery Revel, an art gallery on Spring Street, and in the window for many months was the work of an artist – Tony Magner.

Tony had a nostalgic style with paintings of couples reminiscent of the 1940s and I noticed that in the background of most of the images was The Empire State Building. Maybe it was the timing of the events occurring that year, but something about these images moved me. The images reminded me of old movies, perfect love stories, good romantic novels and everything I loved about living in Manhattan.  And I found I had a new affection and place in my heart for the Empire State Building, looming tall above our city.  I wanted one of those paintings, although it was definitely out of my budget.

About six months later, my boyfriend (now husband) and I signed a lease for our first apartment together located on the corner of 23rd Street and 6th Avenue.  While looking at apartments in that building for rent, we were shown one that had a perfect view of the Empire State Building from the living room. It was gorgeous. But, as is often the story in NYC apartments, this particular apartment did not have a single closet and had less than 450 square feet of space.  It was a very difficult decision, but we chose to be practical, and selected a slightly larger layout in the same building that included three closets for the same rent, but did not have a view of the Empire State Building.

While I was unable to see The Empire State Building from my apartment window, it still became a large part of my life that year.  Every evening, when I would exit the subway station at 23rd Street and 5th Avenue, I would walk up the stairs and turn to see the beautiful lights on The Empire State Building.  Her place in my heart grew larger. Now that I am living in New Jersey, and no longer commuting to Manhattan, I miss seeing that beautiful view on a regular basis.

And then one day, this image happened.  We had spent a rainy morning visiting the Liberty Science Center with our children.  But when we left that afternoon, the skies had mostly cleared and the sun was shining.  We took a short drive to visit the historic Central Railroad of NJ station located in Liberty State Park.  And there she was, the view of the NYC skyline and my favorite building.  And I was thrilled to have my camera with me to not just capture the view, but capture my children enjoying the view.  As I sat on my computer later that evening processing images, I had a moment of inspiration.  I remembered Tony Magner’s artwork from Gallery Revel, and now I had an image of my daughter with the NYC skyline and the Empire State Building looming in the background. I spent a little more time processing this image to capture that nostalgic feeling that I saw in Tony’s paintings.  I absolutely love this image of my daughter enjoying the view of the skyline. And seeing The Empire State Building standing tall in the background just warms my heart.

While you can find some images of Tony Magner’s more recent work online at MDH Fine Arts, the only image I could find of his works that I saw that year was from this link.

I hope you enjoyed this story of inspiration.

06 Sep

Weddington, North Carolina Family Photographer | PUBLISHED! {THE INDIE TOT}

Weddington, North Carolina Family Photographer | PUBLISHED! {THE INDIE TOT}

I’m so excited to be featured again on The Indie Tot blog!  Last October, I photographed this adorable family in Metuchen and Edison, NJ.  I love Autumn days and looking forward to this year’s sessions.

Check out The G Family on The Indie Tot here and please don’t forget to show them some love and comment on the post!!

About The Indie Tot:  The Indie Tot features the best of the best for kids! We love the people who excel at creating great products for children – whether they’re handmade, eco-friendly or simply of awesome quality.

 

Weddington, North Carolina Family Photographer | PUBLISHED! {THE INDIE TOT}

 

 

09 Aug

Charlotte Family Photographer | Family and Fashion

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Family and Fashion

Earlier this year I was contacted by a Mom for a family portrait session.  She described her vision of what she wanted for a family portrait that included her own mother, her brother, her daughter and her.   They didn’t have a good family photo, and they were so excited about the opportunity to do this with me.  She helped find the ideal spot for her session which was the Waterfront Park in Laurence Harbor, NJ, and she even brought her very own couch to include as a prop.  When your clients want to bring their own couch to the session, you know you are going to have some fun. And the ladies all had their make-up done in advance by the very talented Angelica DiGuglielmo.

My client had a vision in her head of the ideal family portrait, and I really wanted to help make that vision a reality.

And I just absolutely loved their style.  Based on her response to seeing her gallery, I believe I delivered the vision she was hoping to achieve.   There were so many images that I loved from this session, and here are just a few of my favorites.

Charlotte Family Photographer showcases Family and Fashion

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer Carolyn Ann Ryan loves sessions highlighting Family and Fashion

 

Make-up: Angelica DiGuglielmo

 

06 Jun

Marvin, NC Child Photographer | My little girl . . .

Marvin, NC Child Photographer | My little girl . . . 

It’s hard to imagine that first grade is almost over.  It’s even harder to believe that my little girl is not so little anymore.

During a school vacation day around Memorial Day weekend, I took my daughter out for her own fashion portrait session.  We did a couple of different outfits, sparkly headbands, and more.  It was our own mini-styled shoot.

Here are the many faces of my sweet, sometimes serious, but mostly giggly, goofy, and curious little munchkin. (And feel free to add your own descriptive words like stunning and beautiful, too!)

30 May

New Jersey Child Photographer | Pretty Women . . . also NJ NAPCP Photographers

I’m so proud to be a member of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers, and over the last few months have enjoyed getting to know my fellow members from NJ.  Back in March, I coordinated a lunch meeting to get us all together for the first time.  It was an honor to meet these talented ladies in my industry and learn more about each of them and what makes our businesses unique.

Just two weeks ago, another member coordinated a dinner meeting and shoot-out. It was a chance for us to photograph each other – for fun and headshots! My latest profile image on my Facebook and Twitter pages is courtesy of  Mallika Malhotra from Mikifoto, and I have a few other wonderful images from Jessica Wernes of Dewdrop Photography and Jennifer Lavelle of Jennifer Lavelle Photography.

We had a great time and I just wanted to share some of the images of these wonderful and pretty women.

 

29 May

Waxhaw, NC Children’s Photographer | Tiny Tuesday – Happy Memorial Day Weekend

Waxhaw, NC Children’s Photographer | Tiny Tuesday – Happy Memorial Day Weekend

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I took a little time this weekend to update photos of my own munchkin and pumpkin.

I just love kids dressed in red, white and blue and always try to have special outfits that my kids can wear for Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day weekends.  Yes, it often is the same outfit for all 3, and that typically works (as long as they don’t get destroyed by ice cream or bbq sauce during the first two holiday weekends).

I just can’t believe how fast they grow and how much they change, even at this age.  We really enjoyed our holiday weekend with the kids, and I’m looking forward to a fun summer!

So, this Tiny Tuesday, I chose my favorite images from this weekend of my own little ones.  They won’t be tiny for long.

 

Waxhaw, NC Children's Photographer shares Tiny Tuesday - Happy Memorial Day Weekend

03 May

North Carolina Family Photographer | Published! {The Indie Tot}

North Carolina Family Photographer | Published! {The Indie Tot}

Earlier this year, on one of those rare snowy mornings, I was heading a little further south in New Jersey for an adorable baby and family portrait session.  It was a chilly morning, but these little munchkins brought all the sunshine we needed.  And I’m so excited to have this session published on The Indie Tot!!!

Check out The G Family on The Indie Tot here and please don’t forget to show them some love and comment on the post!!

About The Indie Tot:  The Indie Tot features the best of the best for kids! We love the people who excel at creating great products for children – whether they’re handmade, eco-friendly or simply of awesome quality.

North Carolina Family Photographer | Published! {The Indie Tot}

 

17 Apr

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Published! {The Indie Tot}

Charlotte, NC Family Photographer | Published! {The Indie Tot}

Isn’t it just fitting that my first published family portrait session is with one of my absolutely wonderful clients that I have been working with for the last two years!

Today I have been published on The Indie Tot blog featuring an adorable Fall family portrait session in Historic Richmondtown. Everything about the session was just wonderful – the weather, the location, the family, and the giggly smile of their adorable little man.

Check out The B Family on the The Indie Tot here and please don’t forget to show them some love and comment on the post!!

About The Indie Tot: The Indie Tot features the best of the best for kids! We love the people who excel at creating great products for children – whether they’re handmade, eco-friendly or simply of awesome quality.

03 Apr

Charlotte, NC Senior Portrait Photographer | Published! {Senior Style Guide}

Charlotte, NC Senior Portrait Photographer | Published! {Senior Style Guide}

Just as I’m expanding to include High School Senior Lifestyle Sessions, one of my sessions has been published and featured on the Senior Style Guide!  I’m so excited about this feature and very happy to share this with everyone.

Details on the Class of 2013 Senior Model Program will be available very soon.  In the meantime, check out Kate’s classic and elegant senior style on the Senior Style Guide here and please don’t forget to show them some love and comment on the post!!

About Senior Style Guide: It is a community of photographers showcasing the latest trends in Senior Portraits. A place that seniors can go to in order to find the best senior photographers in their area.

Thanks so much!  Enjoy!

Charlotte, NC Senior Portrait Photographer | Published! {Senior Style Guide}

26 Jan

Charlotte, NC Photographer | You Can’t Win, If You Don’t Try

Charlotte, NC Photographer | You Can’t Win, If You Don’t Try

Last year, while I was attending WPPI in Las Vegas, Animoto was sponsoring the “Animoto Pro Success Story Contest”. All you had to do was swing by the booth and answer a few questions on video about how you use and why you love Animoto, and one person would be chosen to be featured in an Animoto ad.  I had been using Animoto to create slideshows for my clients for about one year, and they always did such an outstanding job helping to convey the emotions and story behind every session. In fact, it wasn’t uncommon for a Mom to tell me that it brought her to tears (or her parents, her husband, her neighbors, or her friends).

The contest itself sounded very cool, and although I figured a bunch of awesome and amazing photographers would be lining up for this opportunity, I decided to take a chance.  Who knows, right?  You definitely can’t win if you don’t at least try, and the opportunity sounded so exciting.

A few months later, I received a phone call from Animoto that I had been chosen to be featured in an ad that would run in Rangefinder and Professional Photograph magazines!  Are you kidding me?  Their ads so far have featured Kevin Kubota, Vicki Taufer, Scott Bourne, Jeff & Allison Rodgers and so many other wonderful people in the photography industry. And now I could count myself among them? Really?

It took time for me to believe it was really true.  We spent some time discussing the plan for the shoot and Animoto’s own Justin Camerer (photographer & software developer) agreed to do the session right in Animoto’s offices.  The tech geek in me (that spent 11 years doing software design) was really excited to visit Animoto’s offices and get to know their amazing team. In all honesty, if I still worked in Technology, I would want to work with these guys.

One of the things I love about Animoto isn’t just their awesome slideshows, but I love working with vendors that support photographers and provide education for our industry. And everyone I’ve met from Animoto has been incredible. Their slideshows have amazed my clients, and I still get so excited each time I click the button to produce a new slideshow.

I’m so excited to share a few images from the photo shoot and announce that the ad was published in Rangefinder and Professional Photographer magazine this January.  I’m so grateful to Animoto for this opportunity and can’t believe my name is listed in the drop-down on their site along with a ton of top photographers that I admire. Thank you!

Special thanks to Justin Camerer for the portraits and Lindsey Jones for hair/make-up. I loved working with both of you!

Charlotte, NC Photographer shares that you Can't Win, If You Don't Try