Newborn Photo Session

Here are pictures from my latest newborn photo session. The baby girl was only four days old, very sleepy and very tiny. What a precious bundle of joy! The baby has a proud big sister, and that little sweetie - along with a gorgeous and happy mother - added another beautiful dimension to the photo session.

Top Seven Reasons to Hire a Professional Photographer

I'm thinking about the fall season, the busiest season for child and family photographs! For fun, I've put together the top seven reasons for a Mom (moms make up my largest client base) to hire J. Rae Photography to take her family's fall and holiday pictures this year.

1. Your mother complains that you're always behind the camera and not in front of it. This might make her happy!
2. It's an excuse to get your hair done... by a not-so-cheap stylist.
3. It's an excuse to shop for new clothes, and not just for the kids.
4. Your husband really needs a new picture of you and the family on his desk at work.
5. This is the year to make a great holiday photo card that shows off how adorable your kids are!
6. Your children will cherish having wonderful pictures of themselves with their mother for years to come.
7. You want to push the "easy" button for your pictures. J. Rae Photography will meet you at the location of your choice, provide top-quality photo editing (even minimize wrinkles, dark circles and blemishes), and send you beautiful results that you can easily print or use for holiday photo cards.

Going Away Photos: A Portrait Session for Dad

Here are the pictures from a recent photo session in Freedom Park, near the Myers Park area of Charlotte, NC. This session included four sweet children, ages four and under! I used some special props behind the camera to get all four kids interested in looking up at the same time. It was a fun challenge!

I loved the colors that the family wore. Great colors for summer pictures!

This family wanted pictures for a special reason: the father is being deployed to Afghanistan in the next few weeks. These pictures will nice for them to have as they remember each other across the miles. My best wishes go out to them! I know the kids will be so glad when their daddy comes home, and when they first see him again, those smiles will be priceless.

Another Freedom Park (Charlotte, NC) Session

I'm becoming more and more a fan of Freedom Park as a location for family photo sessions. Here are some sample pictures taken from one of my latest sessions. This family of five is beautiful, and the kids' seersucker clothes were a nice touch. The picture of the father and his two sweet daughters below has become one of my favorites.

Freedom Park offers a wonderful setting where kids and parents have plenty of space to explore and enjoy the scenery, all while the camera is quietly following, capturing candid moments of the family together.

I have another family session in Freedom Park tomorrow, and I look forward to posting pictures soon.

Golf Photography in Charlotte, NC

The 2010 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship is being held this week at the Charlotte Country Club. I have been lucky enough to be one of the photographers to shoot the tournament. Shooting the event gave me additional experience with my new 70-200 mm lens, and I had a ball!

Today I followed Danielle Kang and Jennifer Kirby, and enjoyed taking pictures of the action in addition to getting some crowd shots.

Danielle Kang advanced and will face Jessica Korda in the final tomorrow. Both girls are only 17; the age of the players in this year's tournament ranged from 12 to 58! The event is open to the public, and is a great way to spend some family time.

The Latest with J. Rae Photography

I haven't written in over a week! Here is the latest: The weekend of 7/31 I had three photography appointments. Then I went on a week-long vacation to Michigan to visit my dad and my grandparents where I grew up. What a nice, relaxing time! We are from farm country, and I have posted a few scenic pictures of the lake and of Amish farms in the area.

I have almost completed the editing of my photo sessions from last week and I'll post some soon.