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I met Amber and Caleb at a Tree Farm when they were weeks away from welcoming their two little boys into the world. What a treat it was to be invited into their home and meet the boys when they turned six months old! They are identical but sported their own little individual personalities. They cuddled on the bed, showed me their precious nursery, and showed off their squishy rolls for the camera. I could hang out with these guys all day!
In March 2017, we strolled through the streets of Old Salem. He would point to the buildings that interested him, and I happily photographed them. He had a vision to create a calendar of Old Salem buildings. Fascinated by the history, array of colors, and mostly the challenge, 98 year old artist Bill Edwards had dreamed of putting together a calendar of his watercolor art. He explained to me that every true to life detail of the buildings needed to be represented in his paintings, with the only added liberty being to remove vehicles out of the background. This is to ensure that Old Salem is authentically represented in his work.
Born in Alabama in August 1919, Bill Edwards has story after story to share of his colorful life. With a special knack to grow anything, his picturesque art studio is nestled in his back yard garden, currently boasting blooms of a camellia named after him - The Japonica 'Bill Edwards' Camellia. Bill Edwards traveled the world aboard the USS Memphis Flagship of the Atlantic Fleet in World War II. Some of the many places that he visited surround him in beautiful paintings in this studio. Bill Edwards moved to Winston - Salem in 1957, and opened his art studio in Clemmons, NC in 1982. After chatting it up with my mother in the produce section of the grocery store, he has been welcomed into my family for Easter and Thanksgiving celebrations for many years.
I put together a gallery of photographs for Bill Edwards to choose from our day at Old Salem. He narrowed them down, and then had them transferred to slides. He then projected the images onto a screen, and began to sketch. Over one hundred hours went into the watercolor paintings for his calendar, and a countless number of foot taps as Bill Edwards loves to listen to jazz while he works. He even sang while I photographed him in his studio.
I'm proud to have played a small part in this beautiful masterpiece.
This family = family goals! I was so impressed with how Aundrea and Michael manage parenthood with such ease. They welcomed the cutest little guy, Eli, to their family. Eli's siblings, Samuel and Hazel, were an absolute joy to spend time with! They built a fantastic pillow fort while I was there, and I enjoyed a private concert from Hazel. She's quite the performer!
Photographing a family in their home is such an intimate experience. I love how the images will always bring the family back to not only the day the photography session took place, but remind them of other memories that happened within the walls of their home.
Eli is lucky to be part of this special family! I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to photograph him during his first week.
A smile filled my face so far my cheeks hurt, and my heart filled with joy. That's how I felt when I received a text from Teigan after sending her the gallery of images from their family session -
"Jenni, these are incredible. I cannot thank you enough! This is ten million times more beautiful than I ever could have imagined!"
We spent a rainy evening together running through empty halls, peeking through oversized windows, dancing with bubbles, story time, and puddle jumping. The girls are free spirits and their awesome parents invited me to capture this fleeting stage of their lives.
"Some people feel the rain - others just get wet." The Foley family embraced our rainy evening and weren't the least bit worried about getting wet. Letting go and embracing the elements makes for the best memories.
Christine greeted me with a hug and arms that felt like ice! She had blasted the AC in her car ride to the field to prepare for the heat! With temperature predictions of close to 100°, I thought for sure Christine would prefer to postpone our session together. Not only did she eagerly agree to continue as planned, she showed up with ice packs, bottled water for days, and a cooling towel! A smile never left her face - even when fire ants decided to join in our session.
Christine and Zach cuddled and danced effortlessly in front of the camera. I have no doubt their new addition will have a fun and joyful life with these two for parents!
Christine has an amazing eye for vintage must-haves. Check out her collection available for rent at Carolina Charm!
A morning with this fun, extended family at The Westin in Uptown Charlotte! Filled with beautiful light, giggles, and snack time.
Thank you for spending the morning with me!
Charlotte, North Carolina holds a special place in the love story these two share. We made a point to photograph their engagement in meaningful places in Charlotte to capture this special time, and to reflect on the ten years of memories they've made together. They are engaged to be married this month, and they couldn't be more in love!
"Home is wherever I'm with you."
- Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
Spending time with Sweet Lacey is like hanging out with a real-life-gerber-baby doll. She is beautiful! We spent a lovely evening sampling Amelie's delectable pastries and testing out their eclectic variety of furniture. Lacey just turned one!
So many choices!
Lacey's brothers adore her!
We made our way to the park just in time to catch the sunset.
Quick snack break!
Happy Birthday, Lacey!
Freedom Park is one of Caroline's favorites spots! She is full of life and energy- she gleefully ran all around the park and showed us the best spots. We were lucky to have pops of colors on this beautiful fall evening.
