Creative Clicks Photography - Apex Raleigh Cary NC maternity, newborn & child photographer

Rest in Peace Shayla - Raleigh Pet Photographer

2012-01-21T17:33:00.000-05:00

I spent last night with a very good friend Kelly and her sweet doggie Shayla. Shayla had had some unexplained illness for a couple weeks and then two days ago the vet found a large tumor on her spleen. Her prognosis was days. Kelly asked me to come over to take some photos of her as she didn't feel like she would make it through the night. We spent a lot of time laying with her, petting her, and remembering her silly spirit. I feel blessed to have been able to capture the special bond between Kelly and Shayla. In her last hours as she laid with her mama she was so peaceful and accepting of the love that surrounded her.
Only those that have lost pets know the depth of pain an owner experiences. Cherish each day with your best friend!

A Parting Prayer

Dear Lord, please open your gates

and call St. Francis

to come escort this beloved companion

across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign her to a place of honor,

for she has been a faithful servant

and has always done her best to please me.

Bless the hands that send her to you,

for they are doing so in love and compassion,

freeing her from pain and suffering.

Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.

Help me remember the details of her life

with the love she has shown me.

And grant me the courage to honor her

by sharing those memories with others.

Let her remember me as well

and let her know that I will always love her.

And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,

please allow her to accompany those

who will bring me home.

Thank you, Lord,

for the gift of her companionship

and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord,

for granting me the strength

to give her to you now.

Amen.

Raleigh First Birthday Photographer - Evan vs. the Cake

2012-01-07T18:07:00.000-05:00

Another fun cake smashing session with a sweet little guy, Evan. He was a bit shy at first not wanting to show off his smile too much, but once he got sight of the cake and a little sugar in him he perked right up. Oh and the crazy singing, dancing show his grandparents and I put on for him might have helped a little too. Love his big eyes and cheeks and his understanding of Portuguese conversation. Every child should be bi-lingual! His mother & grandparents are from Brazil. Unfortunately I was only able to pick up one Portuguese word throughout the whole session, "lindo" only because it's meaning is the same in Spanish.

such a beautiful pair! love this photo.

Chocolate toes anyone?

Raleigh-Newborn-Photographer-Baby Emery

2012-01-05T12:45:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Baby Emery and her family came to the studio for her newborn session. She was 15 days young and just a few days too old in newborn photography standards. I don't know what it is but once the babies hit about day 10 they are wide eyed and ready to party. I used all my baby whispering tactics to settle her and was able to get some of her sleeping but boy she gave me a run for my money :) Of course anyone who knows me knows I don't mind these tricky newborns. I could hold a newborn and fuss with them all day! They are my favorite, favorite things. Mom and Dad on the other hand have things to do and in this case another daughter to attend to, who luckily was so extremely well behaved and patient, just playing in my playroom with her own baby dolls most of the session. Needless to say after 2 hours and 45 minutes we got some pretty sweet photos.

This one melts my heart two adorable little girls

She was not crazy about being unswaddled and put down but she did it just long enough

to capture a few

One beautiful, patient Mama

Maternity Photographer Raleigh - Hurry Dad!

2012-01-03T13:35:00.001-05:00

One of the best parts of my jobs is meeting new people. Its especially great when the people I work with are fun, relaxed, and super excited about their photo session. Jen came over to the studio the other day to capture her maternity portraits. During her consultation call she mentioned that she was getting the photos taken as a surprise for her husband who is currently working in Iraq. She wanted to be able to email him the photos while he is away. Her due date is Feb 8 and Dad is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. on the 2nd, lets say our prayers this little girl doesn't come early.
I advised Jen during our talk to look online for poses that appealed to her. Maternity photography can vary greatly as you can imagine. Its important to get to know your clients and their likes/expectations.
Jen not only came over with ideas she came with props and her iPad with a bunch of photos she wanted to mimic.
Instantly I could tell her style and and best of all she was so relaxed and casual that I knew I could try out a few new poses on her too.
The session was a lot of fun we cranked up the music, and just played around.

i'm not sure i have ever seen such a perfect round prego belly.

Year in review - Photographer-Raleigh-Cary-NC

2012-01-03T13:14:00.001-05:00

2011 was an amazing year for me all around. My blessings were great I couldn't have asked for anything more. My photography business grew by leaps and bounds. I am so thankful for all the beautiful clients I was able to work with last year. Getting to know each and every one was as much fun as photographing them. As I've said many times before I have the best job in the world. Many thanks to all my clients who make it possible. Happy New Year! And hope to see you all again soon.

I put together a slideshow of some of my favorite photos from last year. Its also a great way to get a feel for my photography style.

Click here to see video

Holiday Photo Gift Ideas - Raleigh Family Photographer

2011-12-23T19:09:00.001-05:00

Dec 23rd and I'm just finishing up my last two orders of the season. Was so happy to hand this one over this afternoon. The albums came out beautiful. And knowing that one lucky Grandma will be receiving it all is very exciting. Thought I'd snap some photos of these great new products and gift ideas.

Mini Accordion Album - 3x3 album with 12 photos front and back. Magnetic closure, a great affordable gift for mom & grandma's purse or dad's desk.

DVD - high resolution files and DVD musical slideshow. Personalized label and premium leather case with photo cover, packaged in gift box.

Premium Leather Album - 20 5x7 images mounted and beautifully presented, custom photo cover and packaged in gift box. Comes in black, brown, blue and pink. Perfect for any occasion

P Family Photography - Raleigh Photographer Cary

2011-12-14T18:14:00.001-05:00

This session went as smooth as they go. The girls were in a great mood, excited for their photos, the weather was perfect and everything and everyone was beautiful. After all these great sessions this fall I'm really loving family photography more and more.

Declan First Birthday Photos - Cary, Ralegh, Photographer, Child, Baby

2011-12-14T13:30:00.001-05:00

Declan's First Birthday Party was a blast. His family invited me over to his house to photograph the event. Declan was the star of his show. A super cute little boy with a huge smile and lots of adorable friends.

Elijah turns one - Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Baby, Child Photographer

2011-12-13T17:16:00.001-05:00

Elijah came over for his one year photo session last week. I can't believe how much he has changed since I saw him last at 7 months. He has progressed from baby to big boy thats for sure. Though he's not walking yet, he's definitely a busy little guy. He was much more interested in all the electronics and gadgets in my studio, then having his photo taken.Of course when I pulled out the ladder we were able to get him to freeze for a bit. Then since it was a beautiful day in December we took him out in the grass and let him go!

Raleigh,Cary,NC Photographer -First Birthday Photography

2011-11-19T14:18:00.001-05:00

It was such a beautiful November Raleigh day for this little guy's first birthday photo shoot that we were able to do it outside. We got off to a bad start though. Mom got his cake at Whole Foods and they messed up the colors. Then the weeds/grass kept popping his balloons, and when we pulled out his yummy cake he didn't like it nor did he want to smash it. So we bagged the whole cake smash idea and put his clothes back on to capture just him and his expressions. He is such a happy kid! And so cute in his little red chair and outfit

Raleigh,Cary,Photographer - Holiday Family Portraits

2011-11-19T10:30:00.001-05:00

This was such an fun-filled work week for me. All the smiley, happy, babies came back to visit. Dustin, who will be turning one on Thanksgiving came over for a first birthday cake smashing session and family portraits. I am fortunate in my neighborhood to have a beautiful greenway trail and a few empty lots with evergreens and weeds(suprisingly a great photo backdrop).

Raleigh, Cary, Family Photographer - Make time for me

2011-10-26T21:33:00.003-04:00

I am willing to bet working moms are all faced with a similar guilt. The challenge of putting in hours, making money and hopefully spending time doing what we love, is a balancing act between being their for our families and their needs.
I feel extremely fortunate not to have to clock into a 9-5 job. I love being my own boss and having freedom and flexibility. However sometimes working from home, scraping together work minutes here and there in between pouring cups of juice, breaking up fights, and bandaging boo boos is not always easy. Having to make business phone calls when my girls are home, locked in the bathroom is not always ideal either.
I guess if I really wanted to I could throw in the towel on my business. The thought has crossed my mind here and there over the last few years. However photography is my passion and one of the few things that excites me and brings me joy. My favorite time of day is when I sit down to review a clients session for the first time and I see all the adorable expressions and emotions my camera has recorded. Capturing people, and life as we live it is my calling. I am blessed beyond words, so throwing in the towel is not the right answer.

Tonight I asked my 8 yr old daughter to get me something, she responded with "ok but for that I get you & me snuggling for 2 whole TV shows"
she should know by now that Mommy does not watch TV!
so I said to her
"i will gladly snuggle with you but i don't want to do it while watching TV (especially the Disney channel) I have a lot of work to do Sophia. How about I come up after you watch your shows and then I'll snuggle with you for a little bit."
"aww Mom you never snuggle with me, you always have to work!"
ouch that one hurt! but then she added fuel to the fire with this,
"see Mom this is why I wrote that letter to the President about making a law that will let parents spend more time with kids, we need to spend more time together"
her class wrote letters last month to the President about enacting a new law, anything they wished for. Mr. President must think I'm a deadbeat parent after that letter : )
So I said to her okay so if parents get to spend more time with their kids thanks to your new law how do they make money to pay for all these things. This is why we work Sophia.
Her solution without hesitation... "Well if you snuggle with me tonight Mommy I will set up a lemonade stand tomorrow so that you don't have to work so much"
How could I deny her after that sweet and innocent solution.
She was right though what was I doing that couldn't wait one hour? My clients are understanding and family is probably their top priority too. If they had to wait an extra hour for their photo gallery I think they would be ok.
Whats more important then spending time with your family?
Tip of the day when your child is begging to be snuggled, you snuggle! Even if you have to suffer through The Wizards of Waverly place while doing it. Life is too short. We all need to press the pause button every once and awhile whether its to snuggle or to run through the rain.

Family Holiday Raleigh Photographer - What should we wear?

2011-10-25T14:52:00.000-04:00

Every year the number one question when clients book their holiday session is "What should we wear?" That's always a hard question to answer because there are so many options depending on your family's style and personality. Here is my short list of tips to get you thinking while you are planning outfits for your upcoming session.

#1Comfort
Pick something you are comfortable in. Dress like you normally would just add a little punch. In your session you won't photograph well all stiff and unnatural so don't show up in high heels and fancy dresses or suit and tie. Pick something you can move in. There won't be too much posing when we shoot. To get those real emotions out we'll be playing around, laying on the ground, getting on each others back, having fun. So with that said I always recommend casual! Especially for kids. Believe me I've seen kids come alive and happy once they've taken their formal attire off!

#2Color
Add color! I find photos with colorful outfits stand out much more. So don't hesitate to add some color to your wardrobe. You don't have to match everyone, simply coordinate colors. I suggest first picking out the kid's outfits and then pulling colors from theirs to dress the adults.

#3Layers/Textures
Layers and textures add dimension and appeal to photos. Mix and match jackets, sweaters, and scarves. Its also a great idea to plan for layers as we never know in the Fall what kind of weather we're going to run into. One thing's for certain a cold child is never a happy child.

# 4
Accessories
Fun accessories like hats, jewelry, tights, tutus, funky shoes, boots etc. liven up the photo and add character to your family's photos.

Here is the core of my family's wardrobe. I have two days before the shoot to finish up the accessories, find boots for us, tights and one more scarf for my girls, jewelry for me,maybe a hat for my husband? Guys are always the hardest to accessorize : ) At least I got him wearing purple this year, love it! Oh and we all still need haircuts and some discussion about whether or not to include our crazy dogs. I'm really not use to being on the other side of the camera can you tell?

Newborn Maternity Photographer Raleigh Cary - Best prop for the newborn photo session

2011-10-24T21:18:00.000-04:00

New parents are anxious to show off their newborn baby; display the happiness they share about their new gain with friends and family. The most prevalent way of sharing this special time is through newborn photography. While candid photos are always an option for sharing through social media sites there’s a special touch when done by a professional; one that creates a product with far more value and an at times even stronger emotion.

Of course, there’s a certain standard that comes with such professional newborn photography. The price you pay includes more advanced equipment (most professional cameras cost about $5K), up to date technology (processing software can be another $1K+), as well as pricey props and backgrounds. In a field such as this, any photographer knows that without that certain prop for an infant, you may never get the especially unique photo that you and the parents are looking for. Most every client asks "what kind of props can we use". Props give an atmosphere to the photo and can help to convey the emotion that you as a new or upcoming mother are feeling especially when the prop is YOU.

A Prop You Can’t Buy
Though it seems uncanny, the best prop that any photographer could ever hope for in their newborn photography is the parent.
A baby feels most content when in the arms of their mother or father, so it makes sense that with a parent in the picture, the baby would display its most content and relaxed face. Say you’d rather not be included in the photo, something and simple as your hands holding the baby produces a loving and gentle atmosphere and exemplifies the affection within the relationship that you have inherently established with your child.

Apex,Raleigh, Family, Child Photographer - Downtown Apex Fall Session

2011-10-19T18:02:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning I met the A family for their Fall, urban, halloween photos. I was at first a little hesitant to show them my gem of a spot in Apex (back alley with lots of brick, funky doors, junk and walls falling down!) However when Avery stepped out in her urban chick attire I knew we were on the same page. The session couldn't have been more perfect. Avery warmed right up to my camera and got a kick out of all my new toys and tricks and her daddy too. Then we decided to hit the main street for an ice cream cone but happened upon a cotton candy machine and a joggling board instead perfect for a flying fairy.

how cute are they? three of my favorite people! one sweet family. so glad i talked them into this shot : )

I asked her to stand on my rock to get her where I wanted her. I love this one where she is looking down, maybe my favorite but I have different taste in photos.

Then we had a little tea party with the random things floating around our junkyard location.

It might be hard to tell here but she has the cutest pouty lips! Angelina Jolie watch out.

the street side view of our alleyway. the hardest part was overcoming the smell from the garbage cans. it was definitely worth it though to get the great backdrops. these urban-ish spots are hard to come by around here.

Cotton candy....strangely we couldn't get her to eat it. But it made a cute prop and we didn't have a sticky mess afterward.

My Girl - Raleigh Durham Cary Child Photographer

2011-10-16T19:54:00.000-04:00

my girly girl wanted to climb a tree today! it was a beautiful afternoon so we went hunting through the woods but couldn't find one around here big enough. this was the silliness before the tears. now she wants a new neighborhood with big kids AND big trees!

okay so yes this is somewhat of a forced/fake smile, cute but not my favorite of her. i am posting it because i love the bright green/yellow backlighting here and the creamy bokeh of my big fat lens. though i must say it can be a pain having to stand in the next county to take the photo. it stays in my camera bag too much for that reason alone. so here i was wearing a white shirt which created small catchlights in her eyes. the white in her eyes is my shirt. if i could do it over i would have had a big white reflector in front of me, I love catchlights, the bigger the better.

Raleigh Family Child Photographer - Grayson & Baylor

2011-10-02T20:22:00.000-04:00

My playdate at Marla Dorrel Kids Together Park in Cary (100 Thurston Ave) I have been photographing this Raleigh family for the last few years. Sometimes luck is with you and the perfect people just fall into your lap. There couldn't be a sweeter family than these guys! I so love working with them. Mom is always a trooper, up for anything during our sessions. She puts her trust in me and never hesitates at any of my ideas or bribery tactics.Though I must say I almost screwed up this time by only bringing one giant lollipop to the session. (those hysterical photos will be coming soon!) Her boys are so well behaved and loads of fun. Come January they will be welcoming their third son yay! Looking forward to meeting him and working with these guys again soon.

I asked him if he would trade eyes with me : ) Gorgeous!

The smartest 15mth old ever! He amazed me. Harvard bound.

Raleigh Baby Photographer | Jackson Six Month Old

2011-10-01T09:47:00.001-04:00

Little,big man, Jackson came to see me the other day. I had so much fun as always with this family capturing his six month baby milestone. I first photographed Jackson as a newborn, then again at three months, boy is he growing fast!
Here are a few of my favorite things about Jackson:
his blue eyes.
his long eyelashes.
his beaming smile.
his two adorable dimples.
He'll be melting hearts with these in no time.

Raleigh Event Photographer | Duke Hospital Comfort Project

2011-09-25T22:05:00.000-04:00

Saturday evening I had the privilege of attending and photographing the Comfort Project's Celebration of Life. The Comfort Project is a non-profit organization founded by Noel Tucker in 2008 as a program to help children in local hospitals. Through her organization Tucker currently helps sick children at Duke and Wake Med by donating stuffed animals and children's books. During the celebration Saturday over $4000 was raised to contribute to Duke hospital's PICU wish list as well as to fund a program for the parents of patients during the Christmas season. 150 books and 600 stuffed animals were collected as well. A huge success!The Comfort Project needs 500 stuffed animals a month to keep up with their donation/delivery goals. Surely you, like myself have bags and bags of gently used stuffed animals that could use a new home and make a child happy. If you'd like to donate please email me at christa@mycreativeclicks.com Thanks!

Stuffed Animals Needed!

The Tuckers hosted the event at their backyard oasis, huge playsets, playhouses and bubble machines for the kids.

The band None of the Above rocked the night away.

Many artists and businesses donated to the Silent Auction. I am bummed that I forgot to go back and put my bid in for the Duke basketball tickets!

An 11 yr old photographer's work was being auctioned off, so cute!

Noel and her three children and below her artwork.

Friends

Making get well cards and arts and crafts for the kids in the hospital.

Beautiful kids and families

Cary Family Photographer | Fall Family Fashion

2011-09-03T17:44:00.002-04:00

Loving the rich purple color for Fall family photos this year.

Mommy's Free | Cary Raleigh family photographer

2011-09-02T21:42:00.002-04:00

The first time I met these handsome dudes the little one was being carried around by mom in a sling. Fast forward 5 years, the little one is now starting Kindergarten. Where did the time go?Thankfully Mom and I were able to coordinate a shoot to document this exciting milestone. I'm pretty sure mom is looking forward to some extra alone time to concentrate on herself and her thriving small business, YES Career Services(Personal Branding, Executive Coaching, Resume Writing, etc).
During the shoot I made certain to capture some " well-behaved,ideal" looking shots for the wall and then of course we got a little silly singing the diarrhea song which led to some cute and true to life photos of Nolan and Jonah. The best ones were captured when I made mom sing the song. I think that may have been a first for her though she did know all the words, hmmm, surprising!
Tip of the day: Parents should never hesitate to get a little crazy during the shoot. Your kids will get a kick out of it and its 100% guaranteed to eliminate those god awful "cheese" faces.

Look at their faces as mom starts singing : ) much better!

Nolan just loves his dog Shayla. Wanted to make sure we got a few with the two of them snuggling. Love this one!!

Raleigh Durham Cary NC family photographer

Holiday Mini-Sessions 2011 | Raleigh Cary NC family photographer

2011-09-02T16:29:00.001-04:00

'Tis the season to start planning those holiday sessions! I've included this year's color palette to help you coordinate your outfits. Looking forward to seeing some new and familiar faces this year.

Raleigh Newborn Photographer | Albums,Wall Portraits

2011-09-02T15:26:00.002-04:00

somebody's gonna love their goodies. Maternity/newborn album, Mounted Wall Portrait and mini accordion albums.

Facebook Fresh Faces Winners - Raleigh Cary Baby Newborn Photographer

2011-08-27T13:36:00.000-04:00

These sisters won our facebook fresh faces contest recently for our baby and toddler categories. They braved the hurricane this morning to come over for their FREE shoot. With daughters the same age difference myself I have a soft spot for this family.
In May I took Nora's newborn photos. You can see that she was born with those adorable curls
Today was the first time I had met her older sister Frankie. She was so well behaved for a toddler, she didn't tear down my backdrops or knock over my lights : ) She didn't even attempt to try to leave the studio. As long as we let her have her lollipop she was game for anything.
At twenty months & five months old they sure gave us a run for our money. Normally I would prefer to chase a toddler around outside to capture their true personality but with a sister that couldn't yet sit up and of course a hurricane outside we made the best of it inside with these two little sweeties : )

"hey you no more photos!"

i have a bunch of props in studio for the toddlers but they always seem to prefer my ladder which i normally use to stand on when i shoot. I'm a firm believer in keep them happy, let them do what they want. It actually works pretty well!

I love this one...hello world!

My Weimaraners - Raleigh Cary NC Pet Photographer

2011-08-26T23:29:00.000-04:00

Two peas in a pod, love them

Ryan's First Birthday - Raleigh, Cary, Baby Photographer

2011-08-26T22:52:00.000-04:00

I love the first birthday photo sessions. This adorable baby boy belongs to one of my good friends who lives in New York, too far from Raleigh. I've only been able to photograph him twice this year, so sad. He is one of the happiest little guys I know. Unfortunately by the time we got to the cake he was getting ready for his nap. I thought he might actually fall asleep in his cake. He sure did like how it tasted though!

Project Life - Raleigh Family Photographer

2011-08-23T10:50:00.001-04:00

So when my kids were babies I had a very talented, creative neighbor that taught me how to scrapbook. I quickly became addicted and pretty soon had invested lots of money into paper, embellishments, tools,etc. My investments paid off because I now have over 20 albums of my daughters' early years.
About 3 years ago as my business began taking off and life became more hectic, I stopped scrapping. I often look at my albums with the girls and wonder where I found the time to create so many pages! I could never do it now.
I still have a closet full of paper, embellishments, tools,etc., and a lot of guilt that I now do nothing with my girl's photos nor do I do a very good job of documenting their life.
So flash forward....I have another very talented, creative neighbor that introduced me to Project Life. Its still scrapbooking but in a much easier, less time consuming, and cheaper way.
Project Life comes in kits such as this but the kits are currently sold out until Oct. So last night I ordered a Project Life binder through her amazon store and the page protectors so that I can use her method with my old scrapbooking materials that are currently collecting dust.
I'm looking forward to getting back into my old hobby very soon. If you've ever contemplated getting your photos organized or were ever an avid scrapbooker you should look into this.
Here are a few examples from her blog. You can do so much more than just scrapbook with this stuff. Very cool!

M Brothers - Cary, Raleigh, Apex, North Carolina NC Family Photography

2011-08-20T23:17:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of visiting a good friend of mine in Saratoga Springs, NY. We arranged a quick photo shoot one afternoon of her two adorable sons at the state park. The boys thought they were going to a "real kid park" with playground etc. When they arrived I think they were at first disappointed but by the end of the shoot they were asking to stay and wanting me to "take a million more photos." I think they'd agree that running through the arches, wrestling in the grass and listening to a random guy playing the guitar (all while being photographed) was a fun way to spend an afternoon.

this may be my favorite photo from the shoot.

I have to admit that photographing little boys is very different than photographing little girls! Most boys are very disinterested in the camera. When I have the camera up to my face I can carry on a conversation with a girl and get some great photos while she is interacting with me, the boy on the other hand usually tends to bolt the minute I aim the camera towards him. Girl sessions usually are much faster, and easier, however boy sessions are typically more fun. As was the case with these little guys I had to spend some time watching them play, enticing them to climb trees, silly things like showing me their muscles. Once they have warmed up and become my friend, they give me the opportunity to capture the good shots.
Its work but its rewarding.
Here are some early shots where they were being silly and not interested in our shoot.

In half of the first 20 photos of Ethan he was making this duck face, it was hysterical. Luckily Mom just laughed along with me and pretty soon it got old to him, the duck then turned into more of a smile. Its important for parents to let the kids get away with being silly and play along with their ideas. It keeps the kids in a good mood and lets their real personalities and smiles eventually come out. Telling your kids to pose and act unnatural really makes for boring and fake photos.

how adorable is he?

Mini lesson:
Things not to do... don't tell your kids to go over there and stand next to each other. This is next to each other to them, lol.

Don't tell boys to pretend they love each other. This is how boys show their love by squeezing the crap out of each other. Girls would have hugged/kissed something sweet.

Let them do what they want, In this photo the boys started wrestling I encouraged them and this is what I got.
Love this one!

Photography Lesson: Shooting at Mid-day - Raleigh, Cary, Family Photographer

2011-08-03T13:42:00.000-04:00

Read any textbook on photography and you are bound to come across the theory that says you should only shoot early in the morning and 2 hours before sunset. Those are considered the golden hours for photography. Yes its much easier to obtain a better exposed photo at these times of the day because you are not competing with the powerful sun and the shadows it creates. However it is possible to get a great photo at any time of day if you know how to work around the sun.
Here is an example of what I did yesterday to get great photos while on a picnic at 1pm.

This photo shows you what you shouldn't do. Notice the sun is over my(the photographer's) right shoulder. You can tell this because of the sun on the subjects left side of her face. Also notice how she is squinting because she is staring right into the sun. Also look at the background grass how dull and dark it is compared to the other photos below. I always try to brighten up my backgrounds when I shoot.

Second photo, we both spun 180 degrees. I had subject block the sun by holding the umbrella behind her. It created a neat effect with the sun behind it. Of course I edited this one in Photoshop. Photos do not come out of the camera looking like this not even with a $2300 lens! You must know what to do in post processing to fine tune a photo. This is the only photo I edited the rest are straight out of camera so you can see the difference.

The next set of photos I placed her under a tree. There was a large space of shade around the tree. And you can see by the colors in the grass where the shade ended. I shot this one quick standing up just to see it first in my camera.

Next photo I got on my stomach like her and shot straight on, zoomed in to fill the frame with her. Eliminated all clutter of blanket and umbrella. Now she becomes the focus of the photo.

Then I pulled out my really bad jokes to try to get some more natural looking photos. She got pretty silly fast though. She was more interested with playing with her cousins then doing a photo shoot with her crazy aunt

I really wanted a photo of the 3 of them. Knew there was no way they were going to sit for me so we started a contest of hanging on the tree and I got all three of them, no they aren't all looking at me and smiling. But thats not what I wanted I wanted them being the crazy kids they were that day. You just have to figure out ways to make photos fun for kids.

Baby Jenna's One Year Outfit - Apex, Cary, Raleigh, Durham, NC photographer

2011-07-22T20:09:00.000-04:00

Mom asked me to photograph adorable little Jenna in these 60 yr old outfits that were preserved & passed down through the family. One was crotched by someone in the family & the other purchased by a great great grandfather in the Philippines while on military duty.
Both outfits were beautiful and fit Jenna just perfect. Mom is going to create a shadowbox with the dresses and Jenna's photos.
A great idea!
In a few weeks Jenna will come to the studio so we can capture the other half of her first year session, a modern day outfit & a little cake smashing.
Looking forward to seeing you and your smiling face again soon.

Lars 8 mth old - Apex, Cary, Raleigh, Durham NC photographer

2011-07-21T10:03:00.000-04:00

So so behind on my blogging. Facebook is such an faster way to post previews but I much prefer the blog. Luckily I am headed to NY for a 3 week vacation and no sessions so I can play blog catch up.

One of my favorite families came over for their 3rd baby plan session. Baby Lars is now 8 months old and more adorable than ever. I could shoot this little guy all day! We lucked out with the weather and were able to take some photos outdoors on the greenway trail in my n'hood. So happy we decided to do it as I love family outdoor shoots.
We also dressed Lars up in a traditional Norwegian outfit for a few photos. Mom is from Norway and they had just returned from a 2 week trip there. Thankfully the outfit just barely still fit!

Baby Aiden - Raleigh Cary Apex Newborn Infant Photographer

2011-06-20T15:24:00.000-04:00

This morning 9 day old Aiden & family came in for photos. At just over 6lbs he was precious. Being so small and young normally guarantees a comatose baby for most of the session. However Mama said Aiden had slept yesterday away and today he let us all know he had other things besides sleeping to take care of. Lets just say he holds the newborn record for getting messy!
I wanted to post these soon for Mom & Dad because they probably feel like we spent more time cleaning up then taking photos.
Fortunately throughout it all, even with very little sleeping going on, we were able to capture some super sweet photos of Aiden. Oh and plenty of good laughs too.
Hope he sleeps like a bear tonight for you Mom & Dad !

love how he is curled up here...

Hello World, he has such big beautiful eyes...

In one of my lessons on this blog I mentioned trying to capture catchlights in your subjects eye. When I was going through the photos this one in particular stood out. I love the big catchlights and how his eye seems to shine in this photo. You can also tell a lot about the location of the photo from catchlights. This photo was taken in my studio. You can see I have windows to the left of the room and windows to the right & behind him. Also shown is the main source of light I was using my softbox. Sometimes the photographer is even present in the catchlights. Here you can see half of me taking the photo in the edge of the softbox.

Waverly - Durham Newborn Photography

2011-06-18T18:35:00.000-04:00

I had the chance to spend a few hours with the beautiful Williams family yesterday at their home in Durham. Little Waverly was absolutely perfect, perfect size, perfect skin, perfect little baby rolls, ....she was even the perfect host, she didn't want to fall asleep on me! Eventually she tired out and we rolled through the rest of the session. Mom and Dad were complete naturals with their first baby so sweet to watch them cuddling with her. One happy family. Thanks for having me over.

Summer 2011 Fresh Faces Contest - Raleigh Child Photographer

2011-06-10T13:59:00.000-04:00

The details & rules...
Contest Start Date: June 9, 2011
Contest Deadline: Friday July 1, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST

Categories:
Itty Bitty (newborn-3mths)
Bebes (3mths - one year)
Tots (13mths - 2 years)
Kiddos (3-5 years)
Canines (0-125 dog years)
The Prizes:
Each category will have a first place winner (most votes) and in addition there will be one Creative Clicks favorite chosen out of the 5 categories for a total of 6 winners!
Each winner will receive:
One hour portrait session at one location selected by Creative Clicks
Seven day online ordering gallery with 15 edited images
$100 print credit to use towards a la carte prints
Prize valued at $225.00

How to Enter:
1. Become a fan of Creative Clicks Photography (http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeClicks)
2. Send email to christa@mycreativeclicks.com, attach a picture of your child or dog. One subject per image. (no images taken by professional photographers please! )
3. Subject line to read: Fresh Faces Contest
4. Body of Email: Your name, child/dog's name & category entering
5. Invite your family and friends to LIKE Creative Clicks Photography (http://www.facebook.com/MyCreativeClicks)
5. Have your family & friends comment/vote under your picture once its posted on the Creative Clicks Photography Facebook page . They must comment for the vote to count, not just like photo (one vote per person). Only comments from fans of Creative Clicks will count towards vote totals.

Contest is open from June 9 - July 1. There will be a winner in each category determined by votes/comments and also one chosen as a Creative Clicks favorite!

* Winners will be notified by email no later than July 15, 2011
* Winners must reside in the Raleigh/Durham North Carolina area
* No cash value, non-transferrable. No purchase necessary to win.
* Sessions must be scheduled and completed by September 30, 2011

Jonah's 5th Birthday Party - Raleigh Children Photographer

2011-06-05T22:57:00.000-04:00

Jonah celebrated his 5th birthday with a gymnastics party at Kenney's Gym in Raleigh. The birthday boy was all smiles throughout the whole afternoon. Over twenty kids came to party & get crazy with him. Balance beams, foam pits, obstacle courses...there was lots of young energy released. Hope you had an extra special day Jonah!

My big babies - Raleigh Newborn Portraits

2011-06-05T12:02:00.000-04:00

My Weimaraners are definitely my most photographed subjects. I'm still haven't figured out how William Wegman got them to do so many crazy things, but they are sweet just laying around, what they do best.

Baby Olivia - Cary Newborn Photographer

2011-06-05T11:01:00.000-04:00

Another itty bitty one came over yesterday just 10 days young. She has a reputation for being a champion sleeper though my studio must have excited her because she was eyes wide open for the first hour and a half. Once we settled her she did well, and of course as they all do she finished the session by getting mom and grandma dirty : )
Thank you Olivia's Grandma for taking this photo of me working with her. Its always nice to share behind the scene photos on my blog.

Model Photography - Raleigh Photographer

2011-05-26T15:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to do something totally different. I was approached by a personal trainer, Andre, to take some photos of him for his modeling portfolio. We met yesterday on the campus of Meredith College. This was the first time I have ever been to Meredith and I was surprised by how beautiful the grounds were. So many interesting places to shoot. I will definitely be doing more photography sessions there in the fall.
Anyway it was a fun 3 hours working together. It seemed strange to be taking photos of such a big person, and not having to sing and dance for smiles was a nice break.
So because adult modeling photography is not my specialty, and because I am really out of shape these days, Andre & I worked out a deal photos for personal training. Seems like a win/win, however I must admit I'm a little nervous about the payback! Training to start next week. Watch his videos on facebook, I am dead!

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Anneke Six Months - Raleigh Baby Photographer

2011-05-26T14:47:00.000-04:00

Little Ms.Anneke came over for her second shoot of the baby plan. You can see how much she has changed since her newborn photos were taken. We started her session outdoors, however she wasnt too crazy about the grass. Inside she seemed much happier. We shot her in natural light and placed her close to the window to pick up these great catchlights in her eyes.

Raleigh Rose Garden - Raleigh Baby Photography

2011-05-24T12:46:00.000-04:00

Some photos of the Raleigh Rose Garden I took while waiting for a family to arrive for their session.
There were many prom goers in the garden so I wasn't able to get the whole garden but it is quite impressive.

Becoming a Mom - Raleigh Newborn Photographer

2011-05-23T22:21:00.000-04:00

Just read this full article and had to share some with all you moms. So true!
Dont Lose Yourself When You Become Mom

The First Time Mom

While you're thrilled to have a baby of your own, you'll be shocked by how this tiny being will consume every moment of your life. The realization will make you kick yourself for never having fully appreciated the freedom you once had. Other changes: Your childless friends won't understand why you don't return their calls and emails. Your home will become less tidy. You'll neglect the beloved pet you once doted upon. You'll continue to wear maternity clothes for a while -- since your real clothes don't fit and, besides, you're getting spit-up on so often.
Some advice: Try, as best you can, to live in and enjoy the moment. Your first child's first year is a fascinating journey. Take pictures on his or her monthly birthdays and you'll be awed by the changes occurring so quickly before your eyes. Try not to agonize too much about your career, your body, your social life, your "To Do List." At least once in a while, nap when the baby naps, and enjoy cuddling your sleeping son or daughter in your quiet home.

JJ and Family - Durham Baby Photographer

2011-05-22T22:11:00.000-04:00

Was so happy the weekend rain finally stopped so we could get this session in. Introducing JJ the most mellow baby in the world. We tried everything from singing Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, to bubbles, to peek a boo, nothing worked except mom tickling her behind the legs. But even that didn't last long. So she doesn't smile much but she doesn't cry either so I'd say her parents have lucked out. I personally just had fun photographing her and those chubby cheeks and dancing around like a crazy person trying to get a rise out of her. I'm sure everyone at the Raleigh Rose Garden thought I was nuts.
Speaking of which what a beautiful time for photos in the Garden. If you've never been you should go. The place is gorgeous. Lots of great places to shoot, benches, stone arches, fish pond, & rows and rows of roses in bloom.

the cheeks! the lips!

I love this one, Mom was super photogenic. I don't think she ever blinked or made a funny face in any of the many photos I took of her. Wish I had a little of that.

ok so i got really desperate for a smiley shot and I picked a rose for her. Hopefully there are no fines coming my way. I was feeling guilty about it for awhile however after seeing this shot I soon got over it.

Waiting on a girl - Durham Maternity Photography

2011-05-21T10:35:00.000-04:00

This super cool couple came over the other day for the first session of their Baby Plan Package (Maternity,Newborn,6mths,1yr). They are expecting a baby girl in June and Mama had lots of great ideas/props for the maternity session. Dad won brownie points with me from the get go as he showed me the Canon camera he bought for his wife, her "push present." Unfortunately I was not up on such term when I delivered my little girls, no exciting gifts from my hubby.

Lets hope the baby gets dad's eyes/eyelashes!

She was still small at 37 weeks

I feel privileged as I'm the only one who knows what those initials stand for : ) We did another pose with blocks and the baby's full first name, but my lips are sealed. I will say though I love the name.

the girl already has a bunch of shoes! cute ones.

playing around with my new wall templates.

Photography Lesson - Raleigh Photography Class

2011-05-20T17:01:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I spent the afternoon teaching Tim G how to improve his photography. Tim was the first winner in our photography question/answer contest. He submitted a great question here
and was randomly selected in the drawing for a one on one lesson.

We had such a good time. Our first lesson was on how to work his camera (first I had to teach myself as he shoots with a Nikon and I'm a Canon girl). Once we mastered all the buttons on his camera we went over some basic photography tips and his biggest feat of the day getting out of Program mode (automatic mode). We got him away from using his in-camera flash and by the end of the two hours he was taking GREAT photos.
Here's a few I snapped with my camera during the session.

Tim practicing on baby Jackson. I set Jackson up 45 degrees to the windows in their sunroom to explain how to get away from using the flash

We went over shooting from different angles

Shooting by the rule of thirds (positioning your subject)

Catchlights! How to make the eyes sparkle

And filling the frame, zooming in.

Baby Nora - Raleigh's Newborn Photographer

2011-05-15T15:52:00.000-04:00

Oh how I love newborns. Baby Nora was such a doll. Her thick lock of curls was absolutely adorable. She was a good sleeper and easy to pose. Just perfect.

Bailey - Cary,Raleigh, NC Infant Photographer

2011-05-15T15:45:00.000-04:00

The most easy going baby ever. Can't believe how many different shots we got of her. Such a sweetie

Avery & Wilson - Child Photography Raleigh NC

2011-05-15T14:58:00.000-04:00

These two little cuties were full of spunk & personality! Boy did they wear us out but we got some great shots of them in action.

Little Man Walker - Raleigh, Cary, NC baby photographer

2011-05-15T14:43:00.000-04:00

This little guy had the prettiest blue eyes, soft, silky hair and an easy going personality. He came over to the studio with his mom & Grandma and boy did we have a lot of fun playing around with him.

Wall Displays - Infant Photos Raleigh NC

2011-05-15T14:22:00.000-04:00

So excited to feature my new Wall Display templates. A variety of different sizes displayed in various rooms is sure to make ordering easier. This is the nursery wall with 3 portraits or canvases.

And the modern living room with pink couch!

Flash is not always your friend - Raleigh,NC Infant photography

2011-05-07T16:48:00.000-04:00

As part of our recent photo question contest Jen H submitted this excellent question with attached photo.

How do you keep from getting "Shadow Head and Body" in photos. See the attached baptism photo for an example. All of our photos had this shadow which I assume is from the flash on the wall. But if lighting is not good enough, and we are indoors, what are the options to avoid this? Someone suggested holding a notecard above the flash to angle the light down.

Yes Jen the shadows are a result of the flash directed straight on at your family. There are a few different things you can do to try to get around these shadows.

1st - see if you can get away with shooting without a flash. Disable your flash and up your ISO setting on your camera. Your ISO setting is probably currently set between 100-400. See how high your camera allows you to up it. With my DSLR I can up the ISO as high as 6400. See if your camera can be set to 1600. Usually at this setting you can shoot in low light with minimal noise.
Noise or grain gives your photos that look somewhat similar to the "snowy" appearance of a bad TV signal. Digital images shot in low light or with a high ISO setting often exhibit this undesirable noise. Much of today's photo editing software offers tools for reducing noise in digital photos so many photographers choose to shoot at high ISOs in lowlight and then run noiseware to filter out the noise.

2nd - when an in-camera flash is necessary, make sure to position your subjects away from walls,fences,etc. For instance instead of shooting this shot against the wall you can have positioned yourselves in the aisle so that the flash won't have anything to bounce off of. This will eliminate the shadows behind you and really improve your photo.

3rd- you could tape a piece of parchment paper over the flash to diffuse the flash power or as suggested find a way to bounce the flash up towards the ceiling, preferably if the ceiling is white. however if you are fumbling around trying to hold note cards etc, it may be hard to capture the shot with a steady hand.

Hope these tips help! And remember if you have a photography related question of any sort email it to me at christa@mycreativeclicks.com and be eligible to win a one on one photography lesson with me.

Private Photography Lesson Winner - Cary Infant Photography

2011-04-27T16:36:00.000-04:00

With Easter & a week of family visiting I am now finally getting around to announcing the winner of the one on one photography lesson...Tim Griffith congratulations your question was chosen from the drawing. I will be contacting you to schedule your session and go over all the details. We will be using your children as teaching tools so be prepared for some beautiful shots of your little ones.

This was Tim's winning question, a very good question I might add.

"If you have two subjects, one in the background and one in the foreground of your photo, how do you choose which one to focus on?"

Step One:
First you must decide whats important in your photo.
What do you want your photo to look like? Where do you want to direct the viewer's eyes?
Maybe the person in the foreground is your precious child so you want them to stand out while the person in the background is lets say your dreaded mother in law (of course not your MIL Tim,just an example), in that case you might want to blur her out if she'll ruin your photo : ) By focusing on your child in the foreground and blurring your mother in law out you are making your child the focal point and drawing attention to him/her.
Or maybe its the reverse maybe your child is in the background and your mother in law is in the foreground. In that case now the subject you want sharp is in the back and the foreground subject now becomes the one you throw out of focus.
The third option would be if both subjects were equally important.Here you would want to have both foreground and background subjects in focus.

Step Two:
Making it happen
Once you know what you are trying to achieve, you must then grasp the concept of aperture and depth of field.

Put most simply – Aperture is the size of the opening in the lens when a picture is taken. Aperture is measured in F stops so you will see F22, F16 etc.

Depth of Field (DOF) is the amount of your shot that will be in focus. Large depth of field means that most of your image will be in focus whether it’s close to your camera or far away
Small (or shallow) depth of field means that only part of the image will be in focus and the rest will be fuzzy

DOF is a concept that confuses many. Its a lot of math and technical jargon...So if you're at all like me and you just want to know how to do it rather than how it happens here's a tip

TRY IT OUT

Grab your DSLR
Go outside to guarantee enough light
Set your camera dial to AV mode
Pull out your manual so you can figure out to adjust the aperture(F-stop) while in AV mode (hopefully you haven't thrown it out)
Isolate your subject(anything) set up far from your background. (Don't position your subject right up against a tree or fence)
Set your aperture to F16, Focus on your subject, take the photo, assuming you have enough light you should notice that the photo is sharp from front to back. If you don't have enough light your photo will appear very dark.

Now set your aperture(F) as low as it will go. This all depends on the lens you are using. Most likely your low will be between F3.5-5
Set your subject up the same way focus on your subject and take the photo.
Notice how your subject is in focus while the background is more blurred than the first photo.

My tip for remembering Aperture/DOF is to compare it to an IQ, the higher your IQ the sharper you are. Just like Aperture, the higher your F setting (ex.F22) the shaper your photo should be from front to back. Whereas the lower your F setting (F1.4) the blurrier your background becomes.
So think when setting aperture do I want everything in the photo sharp, then aim to shoot at a higher F stop (f8 and up) or so. If you want to isolate the subject and make them the only thing sharp in the photo then set the F stop as low as you can. (F1.4-F3.5)

Since both my children and dogs are not home I introduce to you the American Girl Bitty Baby - Kate. We seem to have a few too many of these expensive dolls floating around the house. She makes a great subject for my demo today though.

Have a Photography Question? - Raleigh Photography FREE online class

2011-03-31T19:44:00.000-04:00

I am being asked all the time if I'd consider hosting a beginner's photography class. Though I would love to, lately I can't seem to find the time to pull it together so I have come up with another idea. I would like to start a monthly question and answer blog post. Learning from other people's questions is a great way to gain knowledge. Most of what I've learned in photography I've learned online from various forums.

If you have a question related to photography email it to me at Christa@mycreativeclicks.com. To get this going and entice you all....drumroll * I will be selecting one person at random from the question submissions for a FREE private one on one lesson.*
So many of my clients have really nice DSLRs but are intimidated by them. Others think that because they have the nice camera that the camera will do all the work, they'll push the shutter and a perfect picture will appear. This doesn't happen, well not 99% of the time. You need to know the basics of photography to begin capturing really good photos. And just as important you need to know how your camera works inside and out.

Details....

email me a question, any question related to photography. Maybe you are wondering what camera I use, what lenses are best for babies, etc? Maybe you know a little bit about photography and want to talk about finding the light or exposure. Or it could be a photoshop question. Basic, advanced...

All questions must be emailed to christa@mycreativeclicks.com by April 15,2011 please include your name and phone number as well in case you win and I need to contact you : )

I will answer each and every question (hopefully!) on my blog by the end of the month, so that everyone can learn from each other.

Looking forward to helping you get those cameras a clickin'

Baby Jackson - Holly Springs Newborn Photography

2011-03-13T21:13:00.000-04:00

Was so thankful that we were able to get this little guy's session in before I left for vacation. We had scheduled him for photos on day 4 but he had such bad jaundice that he had to stay under a UV blanket 24 hours a day for his first week. Each day his parents had to take him to the hospital to get his bilirubin levels checked, as you can see below his poor little heels were a mess from all the needle pokes.

My knitting friend Angie made me this super cute hat in my business colors, love her!

This photo just makes me smile. I did not notice it when I took it but look how the baby is puckered for a kiss from his big sister. Too precious!

Another beautiful knit creation from Angie, love his little toes peeking out.

And a close up of this handsome guy, long eyelashes & plump little lips, perfect!

Lars 3mths - Raleigh Baby Photographer

2011-03-12T08:20:00.000-05:00

One very adorable, super happy baby came to visit yesterday. I will be photographing him every 3mths through his first birthday. Look how much he has grown in the last 3 mths. Such a cutie...if only I could keep him : )
Great seeing you guys, more photos to come soon!

Lars @ Three Months

Lars Newborn Session

Happy Valentine's Day - Raleigh Durham Kid Photography

2011-02-16T16:15:00.000-05:00

Happy belated VDay. My oldest Sophia thought to create a card for her teacher the night before. We hurried and threw together this cute card.

Storyboard Collages - Raleigh Maternity Newborn Photography

2011-02-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

A couple of 16X20 storyboard collages awaiting pick up. Love the way these two came out. Such a beautiful family. I've been selling a lot of these storyboards. They are a fun and affordable way to display many images from your session. Also available mounted on standout: a ready to hang, modern option to framing.

Rylan - Raleigh Durham Baby Photographer

2011-02-10T16:52:00.000-05:00

Rylan came into the studio at six months. She wasn't sitting up yet but mom really wanted to capture her before she got her first tooth. She was so much fun to work with, loved watching her grab her little feet and pull up on her belly.
Her eyelashes and beautiful big eyes are to die for. I just love how this one came out. Can't wait to see her soon when she is sitting up.

Baby Fionna - Raleigh Durham Newborn Photographer

2011-02-10T16:44:00.000-05:00

This little cutie gave me a run for the money. At six weeks she was quite a bit older than the typical baby. Once the newborns hit about 3 weeks they are much more alert and not as keen on being positioned & repositioned. Fionna really loved sleeping when held but as soon as we put her down she was wide awake, and not happy. Luckily we kept on trying and were able to get her to cooperate. I just loved the color of her hair, and her big blue eyes.

Baby Anneke - Cary Baby Photography

2011-02-10T16:37:00.000-05:00

Anneke came in for her 3 month photos. I can not believe how big she has gotten. Love all her rolls, chubby cheeks, and hair.
3 months is a tough age to photograph, as the babies aren't sitting up and really prefer just to be held. She did great though, we were able to get both awake & sleeping photos.
Looking forward to seeing you in a few months guys.

Isabella 12 Days Old - Raleigh Newborn Photography

2011-02-05T13:38:00.000-05:00

Its been girls, girls, girls lately around here. Anyone wishing for a girl might want to conceive this year something's going on : ) This little one was good to me lots of sleeping. In return I got peed on a few times though.

Beatrice - Durham,NC Newborn Photography

2011-02-04T15:02:00.001-05:00

After a long night up partying with mama this little newborn almost didn't make it over for her session. Sleepless nights always work in my favor though : ) As long as she didn't smell mom she slept like a rock and we rolled right through the poses.
I loved all her faces and smiles too. Such a sweetie. Oh and best of all she didn't even pee on me!

Second Birthday - Cary Child Photographer

2011-01-20T16:22:00.001-05:00

Avery is turning 2! Can't believe how fast she has grown up. I remember like yesterday photographing her when she just started sitting up. Usually toddlers and my small studio space don't mix so well. But bring out the balloons, cupcake, music, and my girls making silly faces and presto....she's too cute!

January is Newborn Month - Raleigh Newborn Photography

2011-01-02T11:15:00.000-05:00

January is Newborn Month. FREE Sessions for all babes due between Jan 3 - 31, 2011.
If you are expecting contact Christa@mycreativeclicks.com to schedule your newborn photography session. Know someone who is expecting pass on this information.

Holiday Session - Raleigh Family Photography

2010-12-28T13:58:00.000-05:00

A great holiday session with a super sweet family. This fall I was given permission to use some property I've been eyeing for awhile. Love all the antique cars and weathered barns here.

Baby Avi - Raleigh/Cary Newborn Photography

2010-12-07T06:19:00.000-05:00

Bailey - Holly Springs Newborn Photography

2010-12-07T06:15:00.000-05:00

Baby Lars - Raleigh Newborn Photography

2010-12-02T16:10:00.000-05:00

Newborns are so unpredictable. This little guy, all of 8 days, was a big sleeper, well until he came into the studio. For awhile he much preferred to stare at my studio lights. Luckily after a lot of heat, shushing, and butt patting we got him relaxed. He was such a beautiful baby, milky skin and gorgeous dirty blond hair. Not to mention a very cool name!
Looking forward to watching you grow this year.

Baby Rylan - Newborn Photography Raleigh Durham

2010-11-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

Couldn't get over how much this little girl looked like her big brother! The boys did so well with her and hammed it up for the camera. Loved her chubby little cheeks and mom loved the feet photo so much she is blowing it up to put over her bed. One big, happy, family. Enjoy your little girl!

Cammie & Family - Raleigh/Durham Family Photography

2010-11-04T16:46:00.000-04:00

After sickness & bad weather we were finally able to get this session in. Such a beautiful little girl with amazing blue eyes! A sweet family who I'm looking forward to seeing again for holiday photos.

Twins - Raleigh Baby Photography

2010-11-04T16:27:00.000-04:00

While I was uploading these photos I started thinking about how many twins I have photographed this year, quite a few.
These two were so cute! And so much fun to work with. Mom introduced me to a new location in Chapel Hill that I'll forever be grateful for. I don't get to CH too much so tips are always appreciated.

All Dressed Up - Apex Child Photography

2010-10-31T09:35:00.001-04:00

Check out all the little cuties that stopped by our hay bale for the Salem Street Trick or Treat last night. Hope you guys had lots of fun and went home with lots of treats and some for Mom and Dad too!

Halloween Mini Sessions - Apex Kid Photography

2010-10-20T15:08:00.000-04:00

Displaying your photos - Raleigh Photography

2010-09-27T23:05:00.000-04:00

Love seeing how clients display their photos. This super cute frame set is from Pottery Barn, makes me want to go out and buy one!

Great Outdoor Location - Raleigh Family Photographer

2010-09-27T21:58:00.000-04:00

Yates Mill Pond, a Wake County Park, is a location you may want to consider for your upcoming Holiday Family photo session. Yates has all of the things I look for when choosing locations. Lots of trees which means plenty of Fall color, a large pond with dock, and a beautiful mill surrounded by big rocks would all make great backdrops.

I would recommend this location for families with older kids. The walk from the parking lot to the photo sites is about 5 mins. a little far for little ones although there is a path that would allow strollers. The best area around the mill would be dangerous for toddlers and those that are not able to sit and stay : )

Email christa@mycreativeclicks.com to reserve your Yates Mill session this Fall!

Sisterly Love - Raleigh Family & Child Photography

2010-09-11T11:47:00.000-04:00

Playing catch up today, these are way overdue! Had a great time spending one hot, sticky morning at the Raleigh Rose Garden with 3 beautiful sisters.

They were so photogenic to say the least, and even posed sometimes on their own. Of course we had to get a little silly and capture some of their true personalities.

My 5 year old takes great head shots - Cary Children's Photographer

2010-09-03T10:10:00.000-04:00

I belong to an online forum and each week we have assignments. Last week's assignment was updating our headshots. I gladly took part in this challenge as I really don't have a headshot! And my website photo desperately needs updating. Part of the challenge was capturing these shots personally, using a tri-pod and timer/remote.
One afternoon last week I pulled out my stuff and attempted to capture my own headshots. With my camera remote not working I was forced to use the camera's 10 sec timer. Needless to say it didn't work very well! In fact it was very frustrating!
As I was finishing up my kids arrived home from school. Logann my 5 yr.old and future assistant, was anxious to help me. I kept the camera on the tripod, and gave her a quick lesson in focusing, zooming and composition (think that part might have gone over her head).
Anyway she had so much fun with my little project. She is really an amazing kid, listening to her as she plugged along taking shots of me, I realized she had absorbed a lot sessions from the sessions she had seen me do. Occassionally she is home when I have clients come over and she loves to watch.
Everytime she took a picture she would inspect its exposure, whether it was blurry, head chopped etc. She was so precise and determined. And only scared me half to death once by knocking over the tripod with camera attached.
Phew! Luckily no damage.
I think she did an excellent job. Of course there was a tiny bit of photoshop magic applied on my end. Most likely I won't look this polished when I show up to take your photos, I may have a few more wrinkles, and even some grey hair here and there. But why not use Photoshop when you can, it definitely takes the years off!

Sophia her older sister helped pose me...

she said she wanted a silly one of me, so she pulled out her jokes, toilet talk!

the team, Sophia, Logann, and me

Dylan - Six Months - Raleigh Baby Photography

2010-09-02T12:21:00.000-04:00

in my next life I will have these eyes!

so cute how he started kissing himself

my toilet paper shot didn't exactly go as planned, he was more focused on ripping it off and eating it!

love the shirt!

Flower Headband Baby - Raleigh Newborn Photography

2010-08-24T09:32:00.000-04:00

boy I wish I could have gotten my hands on these when my girls were babies & toddlers. bald for their first two years, I can not tell you how many times I had to tell people, even though they'd be wearing pink, he's a she!
how adorable are these? a big thank you to Angie for making them on the fly for me last week. interested in purchasing one for your baby or to give as a gift, visit http://www.littlepurpledragonfly.com/
many more styles to choose from

Sweet Baby Sara

don't you wish the double chin was in for us adults?

Waiting on a Man - Raleigh Maternity Photography

2010-08-24T00:55:00.000-04:00

A fun, super silly, studio session Saturday with the G. Family. Mom gets a major shoutout for her coordinating outfits & matching accessories, the girls looked beautiful! Check out similar accessories here http://www.littlepurpledragonfly.com/ , adorable stuff for your little girls!
Baby #3, a boy, will be making his debut on Sept 1st. Mom was a trouper for making it down for the photos so soon before his arrival. The girls, future models,were easy peesy to photograph, total naturals in front of the camera.
Thanks guys for making my Saturday and for all the laughs. Can't wait to meet the little guy in just a few!

cuties

my favorite photo from the session. such a sweet couple. love when i can capture their true, natural expressions. this one just emanates such LOVE

these girls are very close in age to my own daughters. in an effort to lose the cheese smiles I pulled out my bag of questions. "So O do you have a boyfriend?" I should have included the look I got, this was not it, it was more like a blank stare. So Dad helping me out says "You know isn't Ryan your boyfriend(not sure if that was actually the name but lets go with it). Well this was the look we got next. I think this photo needs to be saved for the record books. I'm pretty sure this is the beginning of many more of these looks Dad : ) Too funny O.
note: look how smiley the little one is, she was all excited to talk about her BF, watch out!

Griffin's the name, but I did not have 2 F's in my bag o blocks. Luckily Mom mentioned that they will be calling him Finn, phew! and how perfect is that tattoo?

"show me your silly face!"

Baby Sara - Raleigh,Cary Newborn Photography

2010-08-21T22:45:00.000-04:00

Friday I spent the afternoon with Baby Sara on her front porch. The light was perfect, the weather was cooler and breezy, so I decided to do the whole session there.

Baby S was 17 days old, suprisingly that is on the older side for a newborn session. She was exhausted the whole time I was there but I soon discovered she was a very light sleeper, (poor Mommy!)
She fought her sleep at first which was ok with me because then I got to hold and soothe her longer. Who cares about the time when you're dealing with such a sweet, soft, little angel? A few hundred tush pats, shushes and laps around the porch and she was out,cold!

beautiful rosy lips, and loved the way she slept with her feet together

A big smile while dad was holding her...

another smile for big sis(only 17 mths old herself!). Mom has her hands full but I reassured her as my girls are only 14mths apart that its the best way to do it!

precious...

What to Wear Wednesday

2010-08-18T13:35:00.000-04:00

August came and we went on vacation. The blog went on vacation too so I missed a couple weeks of "what to wears".
Will try better to keep you full of clothing ideas this fall

Late Summer/Early Fall Clothing

Beautiful Siblings - Raleigh, N.Y. Family Photography

2010-08-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

The day before we left for our 12 day vacation back home to Upstate NY, an old grade school friend contacted me about photographing her kids if I ever came her way. Ironically we were leaving the next day and the camera was already packed.
I was so glad we found the time to make the session work while I was visiting. It had been almost 4 years since I'd last seen her and her family. I had never met her youngest, and her middle child was just a couple months old when I moved. Unfortunately it was a grey, gloomy, and rainy day. We postponed our morning shoot til late afternoon and managed to squeeze the session in before a downpour.
Despite the rotten weather we had a lot of fun playing frisbee, blowing bubbles, kicking around the soccer ball and finding snakes in the tall grass, all while capturing some amazing shots. Christy, your son is absolutely adorable and sweet, your middle is so photogenic and free spirited, and your youngest is completely your mini-me and by far the calmest 18 mth old I've ever met. Thanks for getting in touch it was great catching up. Hopefully on the next visit we'll have more time.

Christmas in July Special - Raleigh Family Photographer

2010-07-22T11:37:00.000-04:00

to reserve your Christmas in July Special send email to Christa@mycreativeclicks.com by July 31st.

What to Wear Wednesdays - Raleigh/Durham Family Photography

2010-07-14T18:07:00.000-04:00

Love this combination of brown and green for a family session.

The perfect session - Raleigh newborn photographer

2010-07-14T13:34:00.000-04:00

I am so happy that this family chose me to do their newborn photos. I know Mom did her research and spoke with many other photographers about photos, but once we got on the phone I knew we were a match. What she wanted from her session was my totally in-line with my style. The session couldnt have gone any more perfect, well except for the poop/pee incidents on dad but thats always a given with newborns. The baby slept like an angel, she was gorgeous, mom and dad were gorgeous and up for anything! Mom brought lots of neat girlie accessories, and I got to pull out many of my new props. We had so much fun with baby H and captured so many adorable shots. Thanks guys for coming over. Can't wait for you to see them all on Friday.

Little Boys - Raleigh, Cary's Child Photographer

2010-07-13T21:37:00.000-04:00

I love little boys. Don't have one, bummer. But fortunately I get to meet many through my work in photography. This little man G is definitely one of my favorites.

I know its not nice playing favorites but seriously does he not melt your heart?!

Not only is he adorable, he is sweeter than anything, always smiling, and so so smart.

I just love him.

Oh yeah and now he is a big brother and a great one I might add

(to this little guy),

more photos of B to come Nicole. Thanks for having me over it was lots of fun. Your family is beautiful.

It doesn't always go as planned - Cary Baby Photography

2010-07-12T18:22:00.000-04:00

This poor family met me bright and early Sunday morning in hopes of beating the heat. We started at 7:30am and it was actually quite cloudy so I was hopeful, but the humidity had to be 100%! Humidity and babies don't mix at all. Everyone was sweaty, the grass was wet, the babies were tired, basically a good idea gone bad. We called it quits after this photo(how cute is he throwing his hands up) but I was plesantly suprised when I downloaded the photos and found a few sweet ones after all. Looking forward to a reshoot indoors this week guys. Sorry the weather did not cooperate with us.

What to Wear Wednesdays- Raleigh Family Photography

2010-07-08T15:45:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a crazy busy day, so i'm a day behind on my traditional Wednesday post...

with summer in full force and being a very popular time for family photography, this week's clothing suggestion is for summer family sessions.

What should we wear is a frequent question i hear before many family sessions. Its a great question! My advice is always:

1. Avoid white. Its just glaringly bright in black and white...and in color it tends to reflect the landscape color (green, blue, brown,etc.)

2. Avoid bold logos that will "date" the images.

3. Avoid really bold patterns for family shots - for individuals of kids? GREAT! Show off their personality and style for sure - but keep things cohesive for family shots.

4. Consider what everyone is wearing as one big outfit. You want to coordinate, but you don't want to match exactly. Everyone wearing the same thing equals a *really* boring portrait.

Photo Necklaces - Raleigh Family Photography

2010-07-08T15:12:00.000-04:00

The first of my photo necklaces were delivered yesterday. So excited about partnering with Little Purple Dragonfly. I think her accessories are amazing, and these scrabble tile necklaces so unique. Love how the colors of the girls outfits make the necklaces pop.
Make sure to order a necklace from your upcoming or past session. They make great gifts for relatives or better yet just keep them for yourself!

Last Day of School - Cary Child Photography

2010-06-30T09:47:00.000-04:00

What to Wear Wednesday - Toddler Photography Cary, NC

2010-06-30T07:01:00.000-04:00

With a few months of this North Carolina heat left I thought I would feature some more summer clothes for those of you planning a mid-late summer session. Toddlers are the feature this week...

For little boys – comfort is KEY! Toddler boys are usually so active, they need clothes that are comfortable to wear and reflect their boisterous personalities. I love layers – the hoodie layered on the yellow polo and check out those slip on Converse, super cool.

Little girls look so adorable in bright happy colors and the lovely flowing tops. Cute sandals are a must unless of course you just go with bare feet which can't be beat

3 Week Old - Cary Newborn Photography

2010-06-29T13:16:00.000-04:00

This little angel came over Sunday for her newborn session. She and her family were so much fun to work with. She arrived sleepy and pretty much stayed asleep, well until she got hungry, took her bottle, and was given to dad for photos. Oops we forgot to put her diaper back on and dad got a little, (no really) messy! He was a great sport though and hopefully he'll agree once seeing the photos that it was worth the mess.Thanks for coming over guys your little girl is a sweetie!

Animal Friends

2010-06-28T12:46:00.001-04:00

we keep getting animal visitors to our porch. last week it was an adorable kitten that our neighbors luckily took and found a home for as our dog was trying to attack it.

today we found a little teeny tiny lizard or gecko, not sure what this is but its cute.

it wasn't even as big as logann's finger

Little Purple Dragonfly Model Call - Raleigh Child Photography/ Raleigh Rose Garden

2010-06-27T14:17:00.000-04:00

A huge thanks to all the beautiful girls and their families that came out to the Raleigh Rose Garden for our Little Purple Dragonfly model call yesterday. We captured some amazing shots of the girls in their bright outfits and super cool accessories.
Moms you did a wonderful job picking out outfits!Loved them!
Sorry the weather did not cooperate for us. I was praying for some clouds and low humidity, but on the bright side I think I lost 5lbs from all the sweating. On a crazy note my fingers are all blistered from holding the camera so long, maybe i need to see if they make gloves for photographers?

Musical Slideshow

FEELC - Raleigh Durham Photographer

2010-06-27T09:41:00.000-04:00

Friday night I was fortunate to have been invited to participate as a vendor at the FEELC annual Silent Auction & Carnival. The FEELC is a one of a kind childcare center in RTP. I wish my children had had the opportunity to grow and develop there, truly an amazing place, with a wonderful staff. While involved in the event, I met lots of great families & adorable babies & children.
Thanks for having me at the event. It was a fun night out.

During the event we raffled off a FREE session. As always I had my daughter picked the winner.

Here is the winner! Congratulations. Please contact me at Christa@mycreativeclicks.com so that we can discuss your FREE session.

Digital CDs

2010-06-25T13:20:00.000-04:00

Creative Clicks Photography now offers high resolution digital files! If you've had a session in the last year contact me about purchasing all your session files on a customized disc, yours to keep, forever.

Stay tuned for upcoming mini-sessions which will include digital files at deep discounts.

If Only I Lived in Iceland

2010-06-24T22:11:00.000-04:00

its about 10pm and i just finished biking the dog. we no longer go for walks, i bike and he runs. it works out well, we started it because

a. its been too hot to walk even at 10pm

& mainly

b. i'm not a fan of all those creepy crawly things(frogs,slugs, snakes) that i can't see in the night. we have no street lights here : (

anyway tonight it actually felt cool on our outing. the first thing i thought of was wow its finally the perfect temp. for a photo shoot. the kiddos wouldn't be sweating today, i wouldn't be sweating, we wouldn't be battling the sun, how nice!

well then it rained on my parade as i realized...but its dark out!

do you know this time of year in Iceland it stays light all day long? today the high was 60F, imagine a whole day of light, how cool....well for photography that is...sleep not so sure?

a move to Iceland not in my future, so NC heat please go away!

School Clothes - Cary, NC Child Photography

2010-06-23T15:10:00.000-04:00

Logann is starting K in just a couple weeks! With these crazy hot days what better place to be than the mall? We picked a great day, Gymboree & GapKids were having big sales. This is just a small fraction of what we left with : 0
Love the bright colors and patterns she picked out. Of course the photographer in her, couldn't wait to go home and try them all on and do a model shoot. How could I say no?

Calling all little girls....

2010-06-15T10:44:00.000-04:00

Baby Cooper - Cary Newborn Photography

2010-06-09T15:07:00.000-04:00

this little dream came into the studio at just over a week old. he was the most mellow awake baby i've ever met. never fussed a bit about anything. however he wasn't too crazy about me messing with him when he was trying to sleep. it took awhile to get him out cold but once we did we were golden. he's precious!

love those curled up baby toes!