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Lucy in the Sky (and on the ground)

When Matt, Oliver, and I moved to Chapel Hill almost four years ago (!!!), we really didn’t know anyone at all. Everyone assured us that we would quickly be inundated with friends for the simple fact that we had a child. The trouble was that our “child” was really still just a baby, and wasn’t exactly on a soccer team or going to school or doing anything else that encouraged the formation of parent friends. Add to that the fact that Matt was working from home, and after a couple of months, we were absolutely itching to get out and make some pals.

Rewind to one evening in Brooklyn a week or two before we moved: my friend Carolyn – knowing well that I needed to get out of our tiny apartment packed full of boxes – called me to invite me for drinks with some friends. That night, I ended up chatting with an acquaintance named Anita who, upon hearing that we were moving to CH, mentioned that her sister-in-law Laura lived in the area and happened to have a daughter almost exactly Oliver’s age. (Did anyone follow that?) The next day she made email introductions. A lovely gesture, I thought, as I filed her email deep in the “yeah, right” file.

Good thing gmail is so easily searchable! I emailed Laura in early March and invited her for coffee, and the rest, my friends, is history. Soon after, we got together with husbands in tow, and a lasting friendship was born.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving this week, I am so thankful for Chris, Laura, & Lucy: their friendship, their (on-going) support of my photography, and their photogenicity! (Whatever: if it’s not a word, it should be!)

Raleigh Family Photographer

Raleigh Family Photographer

Raleigh Family Photographer

Raleigh Family Photographer

Raleigh Family Photographer

Raleigh Family Photographer

Raleigh Family Photographer

Raleigh Family Photographer

Chris & Laura, thank you again for inviting me to document your gorgeous family… it is always such a pleasure!

Raleigh Family Photographer

xox,

annemie

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Laura - Awww….now you’re going to go and make me cry! We are so incredibly thankful for the Tonkens, and to Anita for making such a wonderfully fruitful introduction. Best coffee date ever! And for those of you who don’t know what we *really* look like, believe me when I say that Annemie makes us look much better than the real thing. A gifted photographer is worth her weight in gold.
XOXO L

Molly - You have ruined me for all other family portraits. Friends recently sent the shots of their session with a professional photographer. I was all: booooor-iiiiinnngg. I mean, my friends and their kid are adorable, but there was no life in the photos. Yours, on the other had, are so animated. Love these!

Angela - Annemie and Laura
These pictures are absolutely spectacular. I love the one with LR looking over her shoulder. Seriously, you guys are catalogue-worthy, although don’t do it, Laura. Have you seen what’s happened to child stars? Think Danny Bonaducci. Tatum O’Neil.

Mary Elizabeth - Damn these are good shots!

Friday Favorites: Monday Edition

Surprise! Happy Monday! I was totally swamped at the end of the week last week and managed to miss my regular Friday post, so here it is… only on Monday:)(Thank you in advance for your forgiveness!)

Two weeks ago, Emily and her sweet daughter Addison came over for a holiday mini-session. Mini-sessions can be challenging, in that they are, obviously, mini – there’s not a lot of room for leeway if a child decides to be uncooperative or just takes a few minutes to get comfortable in this new, strange place with this new, strange woman shoving a new, strange, GIGANTIC camera in his or her face. For the most part, everything works out beautifully, and generally, I can capture great expressions on just about any little one. The morning of our session, though, Addison just wasn’t feeling it. We spent about twenty minutes shooting, during which we got some really cute photos, but I felt – and Emily agreed – that there wasn’t that one perfect shot for her holiday cards. So what did we do? We shot again. If at first you don’t succeed, you know…:)

Anyway, here are a couple of the sweet photos we got in last week’s re-shoot, when twenty minutes gave us more than enough to choose from. Emily: enjoy these… there are more to come later this week!

Raleigh Child Photographer

Seriously: how stinkin’ cute is this little girl?!?

Raleigh Child Photographer

And finally, a classic shot perfect for the holiday cards:

Raleigh Child Photographer

xox,

annemie

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Molly - LOVE!!!!!

kate - And succeed you did!!! Your patience, persistence, understanding and re-do is rewarded in these wonderful shots. Great going!

amanda - seriously, if you don’t use the one with the hat for the holiday card you should be arrested. that’s seriously one of the most beautiful baby photos EVER.

All Wrapped Up

It’s that time of year again… though next week’s big holiday is Thanksgiving, a close runner-up is the day after, when the holiday shopping madness gets officially underway. Personally, I absolutely despise that particular madness, though I do love the look on someone’s face when they open a gift that they absolutely love… especially if that gift came from me! Assuming that you, too, want to find gifts your friends and family will love, without trudging two miles from the nearest parking space to the mall, I thought I’d toss out some ideas for that special someone on your list who happens to love photography… whether they’re a pro or a novice or just someone who appreciates beautiful pictures. Frames and prints are nice, of course, but here are some ideas they’ll be surprised and wowed by!

First, a look at some fun gear that makes a nice addition to any photographer’s arsenal!

Raleigh Photographer Holiday Ideas
A: Two magnetic mini-lenses from Photojojo snap onto your camera phone to create macro, fisheye, and wide-angle photos once only possible with big, bulky cameras… $40 for the set. (You should sign up for Photojojo’s newsletter, too… great ideas and fun products in your inbox every week!)

B: The Lightscoop is a simple, ingenious way to transform harsh, on-camera flash into soft, pretty bounced flash without any expensive, bulky equipment… $30 each or a pair (standard and warming) for $50.

C: The Lola bag (and really any of the bags) from Epiphanie is a fantastic gift for the female photog on your list… yours truly included! $165

Raleigh Photographer Holiday Ideas
D: Etsy has hundreds of options for handmade camera strap covers… every kind of print and pattern to make that generic black camera a one-of-a-kind original (the one pictured above is from here). For the photographer who uses a smaller point and shoot camera, search “camera case” for loads of great ideas… $12 – $30-ish.

E: OMG I love these SO MUCH!!! Near-perfect replicas of the Nikon 24-70mm and the Canon 24-105 that you drink out of! Tops? Lens caps, of course:)The Nikon version even zooms… $24 Canon/$30 Nikon.

F: And for the photographer who has everything… pick out a few of their best photos and order a case of Jones Soda with personalized labels. You can choose your flavor(s), give photo credits, and even write a custom message on the back. Could make a pretty nice presentation on the dinner table… $16.99 for 12/$29.99 for 24.

Finally, (shameless plug warning!) there’s always the gift of custom photography! Do you know someone who’s having a baby in the next year? Graduating from high school? So busy they don’t have time to think about family portraits while their twins are still toddlers? I’ve got some beautiful gift cards that look amazing wrapped in a bow… and come in any size you’d like. Call or email me for details on giving your loved ones a gift they’ll (literally) treasure forever.

Raleigh Photographer Holiday Ideas

xox,

annemie

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Crystal - Great post! Neat ideas!

Erin - Great post! Loved these ideas (especially the lightscoop, that definitely piqued my interest).
And what an absolutely fantastic family photo! They look so happy, you can’t help but smile.

Did Santa bring you a new camera? | megapixie photography || raleigh, durham, chapel hill || weddings, children, families - [...] rather than flattening light. (I wrote more about the Lightscoop in the holiday gift guide here.) Consider, too, that most photographers look for good lighting – whether natural or [...]