It's Christmas card season, y'all. 

This mom planned ahead and asked her husband for a family photo session for her birthday this month. He made all the arrangements (even wrangling the kids) and she just had to show up! (And checked off getting the Christmas card photo in the process.) Sounds like the perfect type of gift to me! 

I think a lot of people get stressed at the thought of having photos taken - especially photos with kids! Will everyone look nice? Face the camera? Smile? Will I feel awkward? Will there be tears or tantrums? Will I end up with any photos that I'm proud to put up in my home (or give to other people to put up in THEIR homes)?

Stop - it's not that deep! Consider this: it's your photographer's job to make your family look great and to deliver photos you'll be excited to show off, not yours. That means I'll handle getting the kids to smile for the camera, but also I'll catch fun moments that aren't posed or planned. You might even enjoy the experience - simply hanging with your (unusually well-dressed) family in a picturesque spot!

This family shoot was a great example. The parents had a couple things in mind they wanted to capture, but the kids enjoyed suggesting poses and things they wanted to do, too! Awesome! We went with it and got such a variety of sweet family moments. And definitely no tears or tantrums ;)

Meet my newest nephew, Ryan! He's such a little sweetie and does a great old-man impression when he wrinkles up his tee tiny forehead. <3! I went to visit him when he was just five days old, but he wasn't so excited about "posing" for "newborn photos." Mostly it seemed like he wanted to put his clothes back on and leave the soft blanket on the floor to doggie brother Charlie (who loved it). So that was understandable. We just went with the flow, and I was able to capture some genuine moments with the new family at home. Even better.

Create holiday cards you're excited about with photos from one of my mini photo sessions, available through the beginning of December! You'll receive 10 edited photos from your 30 minute mini session on a DVD, which you may share online or print. If you want holiday cards but are too busy to make your own, I can design and deliver professional cards (at 20% off!) with your photo DVD. I'm also offering 20% all professional prints, albums, gallery canvases and more. (Photo prints or albums can be inspired gifts, especially for grandparent-types who may not have a lot else on their lists!)
Contact me at lyraphotography@gmail.com to reserve your time!

I was so excited to take these maternity photos for my brother- and sister-in-law last Saturday that I willingly missed watching the Gator game. That's love.

Kevin and Kristy only live a couple of hours away in Lexington, Virginia, so I was able to go to them. They picked out two locations that had meaning to them for their photos. They're an active couple and Kristy, especially, loves hiking. I'm envious that they live just a few minutes from the Blue Ridge Parkway, and we hit a spot nearby where they'd hiked before. I was a little worried that the pregnant lady might slip on a boulder or something, but Kristy was a pro. (I took my own babymoon a couple years ago on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so know a little about the challenges of pregnant hiking.) The weather even turned out gorgeous after a sketchy, rainy start. Fall in the mountains is just THE BEST and my subjects could not have been more adorable.
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​​This little one is so wanted and will be born into the most loving home. See you in December, Baby Nephew! I'm excited to meet you!
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Fellow photographer Derek Palmer had the idea to get together several models, photographers, a hairstylist, and a makeup artist for a big, collaborative photo shoot in downtown Greensboro. Derek scouted out a couple cool locations around the Downtown Greenway, where I'd never been before. The public art and the models' wildest styles made for some excellent photos! Cassie Taylor Weinick, Brittany Mack, and Shuante McGrath had great suggestions for their photos and were a lot of fun to work with, too! 

Hair stylist: Danielle Walker
Makeup artist: CyEra Taylor-Bibbs, Sparkle Divas

Last month, I got to know fellow photographer Derek Palmer. The first time we met in person, he let me tag along on a photo shoot with model Cristal Rouse. It was my first time shooting with a real model, and Cristal and Derek made it easy, entertaining, and often super funny. I love Cristal's photos, too! We shot in a few spots around downtown Durham and, since it was also my first time visiting the city, I feel like I got a little tour! I was able to hit Scratch Bakery (pies to go!) and the original Dame's Chicken and Waffles before I left town, too, so I think the day was a success!

My sister lives in Jersey City, where her neighbor and friend is fashion designer Joseph Singh. When he was showing in my neck of the woods at the end of September, at Charlotte Style Week, he invited me to see the show! I'd never seen a fashion show in real life (although I have watched A LOT of Project Runway...) and I was SO excited to go! I got approved as an official photographer, too, so was able to try my hand at fashion show photography. Nice!

Charlotte Fashion Guild hosts Style Week twice a year. They feature lots of different designers over the course of just a few days, so each day's show has several designers showing one after the other. On the day I went to see Joseph Singh's collection, there were five other designers showing. These included TWO Project Runway alums (yes!! bonus!) both from Season 12: Sandro Masmanidi and Justin LeBlanc, who is soon to be seen on Project Runway All Stars! I got to see a SERIOUS variety of fashions. Seriously. Some I personally liked more than others (I'll let you check out the photos below and make up your own mind… feel free to comment!) but I loved photographing it all! I don't know that I'm going to break out and do fashion show photography instead of portraits now, though -  it was very fast-paced and a little stressful. It was a truly unique experience for me, and I learned a lot from my research/preparation as well as jumping in and trying it out. And getting to meet my sister's friend in person and seeing his clothes was excellent, too! 

Hello, Greensboro!

A great opportunity came up for my sweet husband here in North Carolina, so this spring we picked up and moved from Central Florida. We're further from our family and are missing them already (try finding a babysitter in a new town when you've always used Grandma), but are settling in here and loving it so far!

Along with unpacking and trying not to get lost every time I drive to the store, I've been getting Lyra Photography set up and legal in our new state. My business license even came in the mail yesterday, so I am feeling extra excited to meet some new clients in our new home! 

Lyra Photography is open for business in NC!