Personalized videos of your photo session

My services include a personalized video of your photo session. This is perfect for sharing with friends and family, and remembering your special day of pictures!

One Year-Old Portraits in Freedom Park, Charlotte, NC

I was so fortunate to take pictures of this darling one year-old boy and his proud parents. Taking pictures of this family reminded me that one of the best parts of my job is the wonderful people that I get to meet.

The boy was just learning to walk and I just love the pictures of the family walking on the bridge together!

I met the family at the popular Freedom Park in the Myers Park area of Charlotte, NC. This is becoming a highly requested location for many of my photo shoots.

DVD Slide Shows in Charlotte, NC

Today I'm creating a DVD slide show that will be played at a special event honoring a customer's special someone. (Sounds mysterious? The event is a surprise!)

The pictures in the slide show span many years, from babyhood to adulthood. I added songs to the show per the customer's request, and included some subtle special effects. The result is a touching video slide show that can played at the special event and presented as a wonderful gift, treasured for years to come.

You don't have to be in the Charlotte, NC area to have a personal slide show created. Contact me at 704.287.9628 or julie@jraephoto.com for more information about my DVD slide show service.

Portrait Studio in Matthews, NC

I went to a meeting last night to explore the possibility of offering studio work in Matthews, NC. I've taken classes in studio work, and it is a different ball game than my outdoor photography. I look forward to embracing the challenge.

A portrait studio has its advantages. I can do work during cold weather, hot weather, rain, snow - you get the picture. It offers the opportunity to expand my portfolio and get creative in a much different setting.

Child and infant pictures taken in a studio with lots of big props are not my thing. My style will probably not include many artificial studio props (if any), but will be more fun and creative when it comes to expressions and dress.

I'd like to offer my studio services after the holidays this year, and offer new mini sessions during the wintertime. But one step at a time. I look forward to doing my outdoor work for the 2010 holiday card season first!

Evening in Ballantyne

These pictures were taken on a July evening in Ballantyne in South Charlotte. The family had just arrived in town from a long trip to the beach, but they were still on time, coordinated and up for pictures!

We were all glad to have the pictures taken. We had scheduled the appointment twice before, but bad weather and work schedules altered our plans. The family were open to some creative poses, as you can see from their pictures below. The family was so fun and they all looked great!

They Grow So Fast

I've been lucky enough to photograph this (almost) two year-old a few times a year since she was a newborn. She gets cuter every time I see her, if that is even possible.

I met the family at the popular Freedom Park in Charlotte's Myers Park neighborhood. What a nice setting for pictures of a small child!

It has been a lot of fun to see the children of my customers grow and change. Kids really do grow so fast! I'm thankful that I get to take the photographs that will one day bring back beautiful memories of when the kids were small.

Pretty in Pink

This little cutie is 13 months old and looked so adorable in her pink dress. Mom and Dad also wore pink to coordinate. Mom brought some nice props, including a baby blanket, the baby's favorite book, and some bubbles.

The star of the show that morning was the sweet little girl enjoying some of her favorite things: walking with her family, sharing a moment with Dad and Mom, "reading" her book, swinging in the park, and watching those bubbles! The bubble pictures turned out to be my favorite.

The little girl was so good-natured through all of the activities, and she even wanted me to hold her a few times! :-) It was a very fun morning.

Happy Busy

Today I'm finishing up a busy weekend with three photo sessions at three different parks: Freedom Park in the Myers Park neighborhood of Charlotte, Colonel Francis Beatty Park in Matthews, and Cullman Park in Ballantyne (South Charlotte).

I have noticed a new trend for me: more people are requesting a park location rather than their home. Parks often offer a more of a carefree, picturesque setting, so I'm happy to meet the families at the park of their choice.

I am also on the verge of opening a new e-commerce store through a third party solution that specifically supports photographers. Customers are not obliged to buy prints through my store (they still get the CD of images for their own use). However, some customers have requested a more convenient way to purchase high-quality images (complete with color correction) or an easier way to share prints with out-of-town relatives. I chose the provider based on ease-of-use for customers, so I hope they find it helpful.

Finally, in addition to editing my customers' pictures from the weekend sessions, I'm creating a slide show for a customer that wants to have a presentation at a surprise birthday part at the end of the month.

I happily live and breathe pictures, pictures, pictures!

An American Family

This beautiful group was another family with out-of-town grandparents visiting for the weekend. I was excited when they arrived at their appointment wearing coordinated red, white and blue in the spirit of the 4th of July.

We were fortunate to have low humidity that morning, and it was definitely a beautiful day for portraits. I could tell that the grandparents were thrilled to be spending time with their grandchildren, and it was truly special to be a part of their visit. This group was a lot of fun to photograph!

Pictures at Grandmother's House

Here are the pictures from a session this past weekend. The setting was a beautiful garden in the South Park area of Charlotte. The subject was a family - mom, dad, two sweet boys and a grandmother. (It seems like I've been taking pictures of families with all boys lately!)

The private garden location was a wonderful place to take pictures, and the boys were so well-behaved. It was obvious that their grandmother's house is a special place for them. They enjoyed showing me around the garden in addition to treasures inside the house: an antique carousel horse and a toy train set.