Charlotte Branding Photographer

Chianti In The Carolinas

June 20, 2016

raffaldini vineyards

Chianti In The Carolinas

If you know anything about me you know that I love a good glass of red wine. And one of my favorite things to do is to go wine tasting with great company. It’s always fun to visit new vineyards and try several of their best wines. And even though I’ve visited several wineries over the years I always come back to my favorite in the Carolinas, Raffaldini Vineyards + Winery. It’s located roughly about an hour outside of Charlotte in the small town of Ronda, NC. I’ve shared this experience with my boyfriend, family, friends and this adventure was with the lovely ladies of QPSC. We had such a great time communing in Charleston a few months earlier that I was excited to get back together with these ladies and share one of my favorite (and most picturesque) places with them.

raffaldini vineyards

QPSC co-founder, Latoya, along with members Renee, Cindy, myself and Cindy’s friend Karyn started the day out with a tasting in the tasting room. Due to it being Memorial Weekend it was a bit busier than usual but we arrived at the perfect time and our sommelier, Cynthia, was wonderful! Explaining to us the differences in each wine and the history of the vineyard. Just a small wine fact: Raffaldini is known for their chianti which is why their slogan is Chianti of The Carolinas!

After our tasting (and purchasing a couple of bottles along with some snacks) we headed to the picnic area where we shared lots of laughs as well as our latest photography projects. We concluded our afternoon at Raffaldini by strolling along the property, into the vines and beyond, and capturing memories that will surely last us a lifetime. I had so many wonderful laughs that day and I’m already looking forward to our next outing! Which I’m sure will include wine…

Olivia B. Maternity Session | Rock Hill, SC

June 13, 2016

Olivia B. Maternity Session | Glencairn Garden

I am so, so, so, so, so excited to be an auntie again! There’s nothing quite like loving a child like your own, spending time with them, spoiling them rotten and then at the end of the day being able to send them back home with mom and dad. Those are the perks of being an aunt and I enjoy it tremendously. While I’m only halfway joking, I am seriously excited to welcome baby Landon into our family. I fell in love with my niece Alycia immediately and I know it’ll be love at first sight as soon as he arrives as well.

It was definitely a privilege for me to capture such a special moment in my sister’s life. Being a mom is a new adventure for her and her fiancee Brandon and I’m so thankful that I get to play even a small role during this exciting time shooting her maternity photos.

Olivia’s session took place towards the end of April while Glencairn Garden was filled with lots of gorgeous blooms and greenery. She opted to do two outfits (the first being a cute off-white dress that played beautifully against all of the pastel flowers), but her second outfit, this retro denim-like jumpsuit with a red bandanna, sneakers and the pop of red on her lips was absolute perfection! Which is why I opted to focus on this look for my blog post.

We made our way through the park stopping to recreate cute retro-style poses and of course focusing on her adorable baby bump. When Landon is old enough to understand and fully grasp all of this I hope he looks back at these photos (his first official gig as my model and trust me he’s got many years ahead of him whether he likes it or not) with fond memories and sees the love his mother already has in her eyes for him.

The Prioleau Family | Rock Hill, SC

June 6, 2016

The Prioleau Family | Rock Hill, SC

Some people are still surprised to hear that I get nervous before each session. Sometimes it even surprises me, but I’ve come to the conclusion that a little bit of nerves are a good thing. I never want to go into a session thinking I know it all only to have something unexpected happens and not know how to deal with. Saying all that to say jitters set in before every session, but especially on sessions that I don’t have too often.

I’m primarily a family portrait photographer so you would think I’d be used to working with a variety of families. And I am. But when you get a request to shoot a 13 person family…well that’s not so ordinary. I was excited to work with the Prioleau family so it was a challenge I looked forward to. I’ve known daughter, Shalonda, for a while now. She and my sister both attended Francis Marion University together. So when she reached out to me to get some updated photos of her entire family I was excited to meet them all, but definitely nervous at the undertaking.

Things honestly couldn’t have gone any smoother. Although they were a large group, they arrived to Glencairn Garden their session early, came dressed to the nines and were ready to start shooting! For someone like me, with a type A personality, I’m a stickler for preparedness and the Prioleau family could not have been more put together. We got their session knocked out with excellent precision and managed to have a lot of fun along the way. They are family that loves hard. You can tell that they enjoy spending time with one another and that family is important to them. It was such an honor for me to be able to be a part of this moment in their lives and I hope to have the chance to work with them again in the future!

Talathia + Jessica | Prom 2016

May 30, 2016

Talathia + Jessica | Prom 2016 | Glencairn Garden

Prom in Rock Hill, SC can be a little crazy. Prom at Glencairn Garden can be a lot of crazy! A couple of years ago I did my first ever prom sessions and thankfully they all took place at Glencairn Garden which made it easy for me and my clients. I recall the park being swarmed roughly around 5 – 6 pm with teenagers , parents and photographers, but I don’t think 2014 had anything on prom 2016!

I’ve had the pleasure of working with Talathia previously on a family session, and have known his mom Yulonda for a few years now. Their family has become almost like my family so when Yulonda indicated that she wanted photos of Talathia for prom I was eager to get back into the prom scene and capture this special time in their lives. Little did I know the chaos that awaited us…

We managed to make things work, even with hundreds upon hundreds of other prom goers milling about. It was difficult to find an area of the park that wasn’t occupied by someone else, but somehow we managed to make it work. Talathia, the ever ready model, was dapper in his gray tux and his date, Jessica glowed in a gorgeous, fitted peach gown.

They both seemed very excited to be attending prom. Running into classmates during our session I could see the excitement in their eyes, ready to see what the evening had in store. We finished their session as their car (a sleek Cadillac) and driver pulled up and was ready to whisk them away for an evening full of dancing, camraderie and a wonderful time. I hope their first prom experience was one to remember and that they look forward to making it even more of a success for their senior year!

Jessica + Jade + Shaniqwa | Glencairn Garden

May 23, 2016

Jessica + Jade + Shaniqwa | Glencairn Garden, Rock Hill, SC

I had such a blast working with sisters Jessica and Jade and their god-sister, Shaniqwa at gorgeous Glencairn Garden. Jade, one of my Theta Gamma little sisters contacted me in the fall of 2015 stating that her and her sisters wanted to do a session as a surprise gift for their mothers. I had worked with Jade previously for her Crowning Lupus organization and I was excited to work with her again (and obviously catch up with her!) and to meet her sisters. So I added them to my work-flow and began to prep for my busy season…

And then the rain came. And came. And came. And it never seemed to stop. So due to Mother Nature not working in our favor their session kept getting pushed further and further back. But FINALLY 7 months after the initial session was to take place we managed to make it work on a beautiful Saturday morning in April. And honestly everything couldn’t have come together more beautifully. And it just so happened that Mother’s Day was right around the corner so this would be a perfect gift for their moms.

I had a great time getting to know Jessica and Shaniqwa and capturing the three of them together as well as individually.

During each of my sessions I will attempt to get some genuine laughs and smiles out of my clients and Shaniqwa told the perfect Super Mario Brothers themed joke that had us all cracking up. I’m certainly no comedian, but I will definitely be sharing this joke with clients in the future. It has just the right amount of cheesiness and nostalgia to get some great client reactions.

Mother’s Day has come and gone so I hope that this surprise session was a hit for them and that it didn’t cause the moms to cry too many happy tears.

Chianti In The Carolinas

Olivia B. Maternity Session | Rock Hill, SC

The Prioleau Family | Rock Hill, SC

Talathia + Jessica | Prom 2016

Jessica + Jade + Shaniqwa | Glencairn Garden

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