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Dawn A. | Kingsley Fort Mill Session

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Dawn A. | Kingsley Fort Mill Session

 

Whenever you’re a photographer located in a specific area you tend to shoot in places you’re comfortable and familiar with.  I will say that I’ve come along way from shooting in the one and only park that I knew of in my beginning stages.  Each session looked exactly the same as the last and there was zero variety.  But even now, with plenty of locations near and far under my belt it’s nice to visit somewhere new that’s also in close proximity of home.

 

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I’ve had the pleasure of shooting with my friend Dawn twice now within a 6 month time frame.  Our first session took place in scenic uptown Charlotte so for this session Dawn suggested the newly built area of Kingsley, located in Fort Mill, SC.  It’s an area of town I’d only visited once while helping my sister go bridal gown shopping so I was excited to return with fresh eyes and a new mission.

 

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As always, Dawn and I had fun catching up during her session.  And even though it took place in January for my $100 Headshot Event, it was a nice, and not overly-cold evening just before the sun began to set.  What we photographers like to refer to as golden hour.  The perfect time for capturing a headshot session.  If you’re in need of updated images then I’d love the opportunity to chat with you.  Contact me today so I can see how I can help you bring your vision to life.

Marcie T. | Brown Girl Collective

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Marcie T. | Brown Girl Collective

 

Marcie and I met, of all places, via a tag on Instagram.  Yep, you read that right.  If there was ever a story behind why using tags can be powerful for your business this would be it!  Whenever posting images to my IG account I use a plethora of hashtags.  And along with those I will sometimes tag prominent, and pertinent, accounts in my photos as well.  As I was promoting my $100 Headshot Event towards the end of 2018 I decided to tag one of my favorite accounts, Brown Girl Collective in hopes that maybe they’d see it and like it or reshare the image.  Well I got something even better than that.  The creator of BGC herself, Marcie Thomas reached out to me about doing a headshot/branding session for herself!  I can honestly say I was super surprised.  Being that she was based in Georgia and I’m sure had a ton of amazing photographers right at her fingertips I couldn’t believe that she’d be willing to travel all the way to the Carolinas to work with me.  But she did…and here we are!

 

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Her session took place in scenic uptown Charlotte on what was a chilly, but beautiful morning.  She told me about her passion for art and painting and I’m so glad we were able to work her pieces into her session.

 

brown girl collective

 

Marcie is a creative force who uses her talents to educate, motivate, and inspire through the Brown Girl Collective.  She’s also the voice behind The Brown Girl Diaries blog and an upcoming podcast and event series, Love and Soul Creative.  Her first series of paintings is set to launch this spring so make sure to stay tuned for that.  You can find Marcie on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.  It was such a pleasure meeting and working with her and I hope we get the opportunity to create more #blackgirlmagic together!

Myrelo K. | Old Town Rock Hill Session

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Myrelo K. | Old Town Rock Hill Session
Myrelo and I met in downtown Rock Hill, SC aka Old Town for her $100 Headshot Session all the way back in January of this year.  We connected via social media and I was super excited to meet her and get to know a little more about what she was using these headshots for.  Myrelo is a preacher, conference speaker, Bible teacher, mentor and author.  She has a passion for reaching those that have a “hungy soul looking for nourishment to make it through life.”  We immediately hit it off and I could tell she was really excited about her session which always makes me happy.  I love when clients look forward to their session as much, or even more, as I do.  It just starts things off on the right note and let’s me know the session is going to go well.
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Over the course of her session we chatted about who she is and what dove into a little more depth of what she does.  Her ministry is in the business of teaching God’s Word and helping others find encouraging and insightful devotion in their Christian faith.  She stresses that we must eat God’s Word and drink from the spirit to satisfy the hungry and thirsty places in our lives.  It was truly a pleasure to learn so much about her and what she’s passionate about during our short time together.  And if you’d like to learn more about Myrelo and her ministry you can find her on the following platforms:
And if you’re in need of updated branding images then I’d love to chat with you about your vision and how I can help.  Contact me today so we can begin the planning process!
$100 headshot event

8 Years And Counting…

8 years and counting8 Years And Counting…

 

What’s this?  A midweek blog post?!  Why, yes it is!  You may be seeing these a bit more frequently since I have so many wonderful sessions to share with you all and I would hate to have to share March sessions all the way in November.  So definitely be on the lookout for the random midweek blog post every now and then.  But that’s not what we’re here for today.  Today I celebrate my 8 year photography anniversary!  I seriously cannot believe that I have been on this creative journey for almost a decade.  It’s been filled with amazing highs and even a few lows, but every single moment taught me something valuable that I still carry with me to this day.

 

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And to celebrate  this milestone I’m also sharing some AMAZING news!  If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook then you’ve already heard the announcement, but if you haven’t then you’re in luck.  Starting in June I will be opening up weekdays as available shoot options!  I currently work a full time job at an insurance agency with my dad and it’s been something I’ve loved doing for nearly 17 years now.  But then along came this amazing photography journey which has created some wonderful opportunities for me.  Over the last year business has seriously picked up and it’s had me booked out months in advance which meant I was unfortunately having to turn away some business because I couldn’t fit anyone else into my already packed schedule.  I decided it might be time to open up a couple of weekdays to be able to accommodate more clients so after having a heart to heart with my dad we agreed that two Fridays a month would be a good start.  Well he must’ve done something brainstorming because after that conversation he came to me and recommended that I open up ALL of my weekdays to allow for more sessions.  I have to admit I was a bit blown away by his suggestion.  Could he really manage things at the office without me on the days I was gone?  Is this really something that I wanted?  When all these years I’d never even CONSIDERED taking this photography thing full time?  The answer is yes.  So much yes!  I don’t see myself being out of the office more than 2-3 days per week and could still come in on some of dates I have sessions if need be and yes, more time to pursue this passion of mine is exactly what I need.

 

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So having said all of that, I am now available to book sessions on weekdays and weekends!  If you’re used to me sharing my available weekend dates on social media I will continue to do so since I know those are coveted and go quickly, but now I will have more flexibility to shoot and meet and work with even more amazing people!  So if you’re in the market for a branding, family, engagement/couple, bridal, birthday or senior session please contact me today so we can begin planning your next shoot!

Bianca C. | Romare Bearden Park Session

uptown charlotte photoshoot

Bianca C. | Romare Bearden Park Session

 

Romare Bearden Park is one of my favorite places to shoot in uptown Charlotte.  It gives you both park and city vibes all at once.  Located in the heart of uptown Charlotte it’s a beautiful backdrop for any type of session as well as a great place to spend some time with your family or take your dog on a leisurely stroll.  While I love shooting in this unique location, the morning of Bianca’s branding session wasn’t the most ideal.  It was freezing cold and super windy.  And since we were located in uptown the wind seemed to be amplified by 100 which made getting Bianca changed in the portable changing tent somewhat tricky.  If you’ve ever wondered how many women it takes to hold down a pop-up tent to keep it from flying away I’ve got the answer for you.  Three.  It takes three women.

 

romare bearden park

But even though this session was slightly more challenging than our others, it was still a ton of fun.  With the help of Naida of Styled By Naida we managed to make it work and look effortless in the process.  And that’s the whole goal, right?  When sharing images of a session the viewer should never know the struggles we went through to get the shots.

 

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Multiple wardrobe changes, moving locations within the park and bringing out a lot of Bianca’s personality made this shoot one for the books!  By the end of it we were all ready to hop into our warm vehicles and head back home, but it was a fun adventure that I’m sure we will all talk about for a long time to come.  And if you’re someone that loves a good adventure and are in need of updated branding images then I’d love to connect with you!  Contact me today so we can create a session you’ll rave about.

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