Charlotte, NC wedding photographer, senior portraits photographer » Charlotte NC photography- weddings, senior portraits, headshots, family photography in NC

I think everyone reaches a point in their career where they question if they have chosen the right field. I reached that point last year. It’s not that I don’t love what I do- it’s that I don’t feel that my work as a photographer really makes a difference. This is very hard for me to admit on my photography blog~! Last year, I started looking into graduate programs in the human services field. My GRE scores expire soon, so for me it’s now or never because I am not retaking that monster of a test! =) I have had to ask myself some pretty serious questions over the past year. Do I really want to continue a career in photography? Or is it time for a career change? I know who I want to be. I want to be a person who inspires, encourages, and lifts others up. Does photography allow me to be that person? I don’t think so.

After months of introspection, I finally came up with a solution. Why not continue a career in photography and volunteer a few hours a month to a good cause? Last summer when I was looking into local nonprofits, I stumbled upon the Guardian Ad Litem program. What in the world is a Guardian Ad Litem (GAL)?! Never heard of it. The more I read about the program, the more excited I became.

A GAL is a trained volunteer who investigates and determines the needs of abused and neglected children. They advocate for a permanent and safe home for every child. They visit the children at least once a month and prepare court reports that give the children a voice. There are over 400 children a month in the Mecklenburg court system for abuse and neglect cases. Hundreds are still unrepresented.

So what did I do after reading about this program? I submitted an application! My three references were contacted by the GAL program. Then, I was contacted for an interview. Shortly after the interview, I received a letter welcoming me into the program. I signed up for the Feb/March training sessions. The last session took place yesterday. I’ll finish up my court observation hours on Monday and be sworn in on Tuesday. I have already been contacted about taking a case! I know this work will be challenging, but at the same time it will be so rewarding! I can’t wait to get started.

I volunteered for one other local organization in January. I met Kerry O’Leary at the NC Conference for Women. Kerry is the Director of Dress for Success in Charlotte. Dress for Success is an organization that provides professional attire for disadvantaged women. Their goal is to give women the tools they need to gain employment and to become successful. Last year, the Charlotte division suited 400 women. Monetary donations and clothing donations are always appreciated! More information on how you can help here: http://dressforsuccess.org

If you are interested in becoming a GAL and can commit about 10 hours a month, you can find the application here: http://www.galcharlotte.com

I began work early this morning so I could spend most of the day with Jillian. I promised her that I would be finished in the amount of time it would take her to watch a movie. About thirty minutes later our electricity went out. So much for work and a movie! We had already been without hot water for three days and now no electricity?? What’s a girl to do?! I gulped down a second cup of coffee while it was hot, grabbed my snowboots, bundled Jillian up, and headed outside. We had so much fun in the snow! It made me wish that our electricity would go out more often, because then I would be forced to stop working and to enjoy life a little!

I realized today that I have got to stop obsessing over work so much. I have such a strong work ethic that I cannot relax when I have projects to complete. Instead, I just work. And work. And work. And guess what? I never get caught up because the work just keeps coming. Every week, there are new galleries to build, albums to design, emails and calls to return, accounting, taxes, print orders, photoshoots, marketing, blog entries…it’s never-ending! I fall asleep thinking about work that has to be done as soon as I wake up. This cannot be healthy! =) I am going to force myself to step away from the computer for at least 6 hours a week to do something that I enjoy. Zumba? Taking the dogs to the dog park? Riding my bike? Practicing acoustic guitar? Oh the possibilities!! A few pictures from my time off today ;-):

Our snow-covered house (disclaimer: that is not my gas-guzzler in the driveway!):



Luna really wants to come out and join us!


Neighborhood snowpeople:

With all of this talk of saving the environment, many have asked why I’m not living among the tree-hugging hippies in the West. Trust me, my plan is to live in a houseboat in Sausalito at some point - Marin County is gorgeous! I don’t need a big house or a fancy car, just give me good people and sunshine and I’m happy! Since studying Russian in Monterey, I can’t get enough of northern California. Unfortunately for me, the cost of living there is a bit beyond what a starving artist can afford! =) It may not be until I retire, but some day I will move west! Until then, I will continue to visit frequently.

For the past 3 years, Chad and I have planned trips to California once or twice a year. Last September, we went to Yosemite, San Francisco, and Napa. A few years ago, friends suggested that we try the $25 crab sandwich at a restaurant called Fish in Sausalito. You might say….$25! for a sandwich? But I promise you this sandwich is not just any ol’ sandwich! Piled high with fresh dungeness crab and dripping with hot butter, it is the best sandwich a seafood lover could have! You can view the entire menu here. Try it once and you will be hooked! Thanks to locals Tammy and Steve for turning us on to it!

Here are a few pictures from our last trip:

Sausalito Houseboats:

San Francisco Bay- I can’t believe how much this resembles the coast of Italy:

Yosemite National Park:


Lake Tenaya…my favorite Yosemite hike…the view was breathtaking!



Yosemite Moonrise…a huge crowd gathered to view the moonrise:

I applied for a membership at Greener Photography recently. The four core values are preservation, reduction, local production, and cruelty-free products. I was pretty stoked when I found out that I was accepted! There are about a zillion photography groups out there that accept any members who pay the required fee. I avoid those groups like the plague, but I thought it would be wonderful to belong to a group of green photographers who are trying to make a difference!

How can you make a difference? The Sierra Club has 10 great tips for those who would like to plan environmentally-friendly weddings. Here are the first 3 tips….you can read more on the Sierra Club Blog

1. With this ring…
A green wedding begins where any engagement does: with a ring. Don’t start off on a sour note. The beautiful alternatives to “blood diamonds” (those that are mined in war zones and fund conflicts) include:
* vintage rings, whether a family heirloom or an antique find (you can even have old gold melted down and refashioned)
* lab-created diamonds (greenKarat’s are set in recycled gold too)
* diamonds mined in peaceful Canada or Australia, like those from Brilliant Earth, Cred Jewellery, or Leber Jewelry’s Earthwise line
* diamonds certified as “conflict-free” under the Kimberley Process, an ongoing effort to reform diamond mining in Africa (ask your jeweler the questions in Amnesty International’s buyer’s guide)
* one-of-a-kind wooden bands

2. Location, location, location
Your choice of venue sets the tone for your wedding day–and accounts for a big chunk of the money you’ll be laying out. Spend it wisely! Consider:
* choosing a setting that’s convenient to the most guests to minimize travel impacts
* having the ceremony and the reception at the same place, or providing ecofriendly transportation between them
* picking a unique local spot–like an art gallery, nonprofit space, organic restaurant or farm, green hotel, botanical garden, or green-roofed building–that supports a cause you believe in
* an outdoor setting that will infuse the whole event with a natural sensibility (and require less decorating too!)
* arriving at the ceremony in a horse-drawn carriage, cycle rickshaw, or hybrid car
* offsetting your guests’ travel (or asking them to do it as your wedding gift)

3. Your invitation is the first impression guests will get of your green wedding. Look for:
* recycled, handmade, or plantable papers processed chlorine-free and printed with vegetable- or soy-based inks
* tree-free paper made out of hemp, banana stalks, bamboo, kenaf, or organic cotton
* a printer who will use paper with a high percentage of post-consumer recycled content
* papers that aren’t metallic or plastic-coated, characteristics that make them hard to recycle
* opportunities to reduce paper use, like sending a postcard (instead of multi-enveloped notes) for your save-the-date, or using online invitations and a wedding blog to let people know about the bachelor/ette parties, rehearsal dinner, and gift registry

I finally backed up all of my old blog files and made the switch to the new format. The update to the fantabulous new space was long overdue! Check back for more updates in the coming weeks. I will be tweaking the colors and I may add a background design. The FAQ page will answer your questions about retouching, pricing, and more! Seasoned professionals will definitely be able to appreciate the FAQ page! Leave some love and/or feedback in the comment section so I can work on the comment colors! Mucho gracias and bolshoi spasibo! ;-)

Hope you all have a sweet, chocolate-filled weekend! I thought I would share a few pictures of the Valentine I put together for Chad. It was a big hit! I used glitter glue and cardstock paper to make a pocket that would hold 20 cards. I divided an 8.5×11 page into 8 equal parts in Photoshop. Then, I filled each part with a picture and converted each page to a pdf file before printing.

I usually splurge on gifts for Chad, but I have little or no photography income during the winter months, so I have to get a little crafty when it comes to Valentine’s day gifts. He was so excited as he flipped through all the cards! I’m glad that he appreciated the effort because it seriously took me hours to put this together!

For Jillian, I put together a basket filled with goodies every year. It’s like Easter in February! Chad, Jillian, and I are going to see the movie Coraline later. Then, we’re having dinner with our favorite neighbors, Clay and Jen. It’s going to be a great weekend! Chad’s brother makes fun of us because he says that we are always celebrating something at our house!

This year, I’m going to post one picture at the end of each month that sums up my month.

January was the month of organization for me. When I was getting all of my receipts together for taxes, I realized that I desperately needed a home for expense receipts, bank statements, travel logs, etc. I am the type of person that can clutter up a room in 5 minutes. I have stacks of mail here and there, piles of notes all over my desk, and random odds and ends EVERYWHERE! Needless to say, I could never find anything with my haphazard system.

I am so proud to have my first filling cabinet. Now that I have a filing system, I don’t know how I ever lived without one! This $30 investment is definitely going to make my life easier and more productive.  Now, the only thing I need is a special place for my keys!  =)

I woke up to this email in my inbox today. 9 puppies were abandoned on someone’s doorstep. If you can foster or adopt, please get in touch with Angie at angi0822@yahoo.com or call 336-996-0447.

So Chad always has to outdo me when it comes to the little things! I baked him a 1-layer cake for his birthday, so of course he had to attempt a 2-layer cake for mine! It didn’t work out too well, but it was his first attempt so I’ll cut him some slack! A long time ago, he taught me the trick to making a moist cake- just add a cup of applesauce to the mix. It makes a world of difference!

It’s sad that I have more pictures of the dogs than I do of my daughter! She avoids the camera at all costs. I guess that’s what happens when you grow up in a family of photographers! I picked up Luna’s sweater for family Christmas portraits. I had planned to have Luna wear a sweater and hat and to wrap Kaya in porcelain Christmas lights. We were so swamped over the holidays, we just couldn’t find the time to schedule portraits. I’ll have to schedule early next year. Here are a few birthday pics- I have the sweetest family!

Here are a few recent pictures of the newest addition to our family! When we adopted Luna, we were sure she was going to grow into a 50-60 lb chocolate lab, but now we are having our doubts! Her lil’ legs are just not getting any longer! At 3 months old, she weighed 15 lbs. Now, at 5 months she is only 25 lbs! Her foster mom thought that she might be a lab-dachshund mix. We totally rejected that idea at first….we really couldn’t see ourselves as wiener dog parents! Now, we have to admit that maybe she was right!

We have come to terms with her size, but there is one thing we are still working on- her breath! We have tried brushing her teeth, giving her mints, changing her diet- nothing is working! Her mouth still reeks of tuna fish! Bleck! Her yawns are the worst! Lately, she thinks she needs to sleep between us with her head on one of our pillows. Her yawns will seriously wake you from REM, they are so rancid!! LOL…..If any of you have pointers, please leave a comment or email me. Here are a few recent pics. I’ll update as she grows.