Newborn sessions are always special for us, but when the baby Chima’s grandma flew in from NY and the grandfather flew in from Nigeria, you know this baby is surely loved. Making this photo session even more special were Chima’s affectionate older sisters. For the time being Chima is just their baby brother, soon enough he’ll make the transition to their personal, life-size, dress up doll. When that time comes, we’ll be standing by, camera at the ready. Until then, enjoy these images.

We’ve been blessed to meet some amazing people in our line of work and Erin Hunter is no exception. We first met Erin at a networking luncheon for the Ballantyne Hotel and Resort where she is Catering Director. Little did we know, less than 24 hours after we met, Erin would be on a flight to Houston to adopt baby Jameson. When she arrived back in the Queen City a few weeks later, a Love Shutter photo shoot at Freedom Park was one of the first things on Jameson’s calendar. Not only was the weather ideal for an outdoor photo shoot, but Jameson slept like a pro and made it easy for us to capture some amazing shots. Of course it doesn’t hurt that he is about as adorable as they come.

When you get a call from another photographer who asks you to take family photos for them, you’d better bring your A-Game. (Not like we don’t do that on every shoot, but you get the drift.) Randi and her new baby brother Logan were delightful and made for a wonderful evening at beautiful Freedom Park. Enjoy some of our favorite pictures!

You may have noticed that Love Shutter spends a lot of time shooting on location. In fact, 99% of our work is on location, which we like. A lot. Unless you have a shoot scheduled and it rains.  I’m talking the torrential downpour kind of rain that doesn’t look like it’ll ever stop. Yech.

So, we did what any self-respecting photographer would do. We punted and rescheduled our shoot for the following morning and are so glad we did. Not only did we find a sweet new place to shoot, but we had some fantastic morning light to work with and were able to enjoy a fabulous session with the Syer family. Two gorgeous girls with personalities as different from each other as you can possibly imagine plus their little brother was there to help provide our cardio workout for the day. (I think we need to add a ‘Chasing children’ fee to our shoots

You may have seen her big sister, Maria, on our Facebook page or on this blog. If you haven’t, she’s the girl with the Polaroid camera. Now we present Maria V2.0 and her name is Anna.  Arriving a few weeks earlier than expected, Anna was preciously nick-named “Popcorn” by her big sister, and during Anna’s first photoshoot it was clear that Maria has coached ‘Popcorn’ well. The results speak for themselves. Move over Mary Kate and Ashley, you have some competition with Maria and Anna.

What do you get when you add 3 kids, 2 cousins, subtract the parents, and multiply by one of Lake Norman’s most amazing photographers? We call it Kid Couture! Here are just a few of our favorite shots with these fun, energetic kids!

Snug as a bug in a rug, this cutie pie had us wrapped around her little finger as soon as we saw her button nose and her beautiful head of hair! Seriously, how often do you see hair like that on a five-day old?! Today we welcome this wonderful gift into our world. We hope that love and joy will fill her life as she warms our hearts as well as her home.

Earlier this year, we posted maternity pictures of two proud parents to be and one very round belly. Now let us be the first to introduce you to Maddie. Born at 8lbs. 6 oz. at 21.5 inches with beautiful red hair  like her mommy and a face that is unmistakeably like her daddy’s! Welcome Maddie!

So, we aren’t going to spin a story about our mad math skeelz because frankly, our brains are all tied up in f-stops and shutter speeds. (What’s left, is good for figuring out 10% at Kohl’s.) But we can say, whenever you have twins to shoot, which seems to be fairly often for Loved Shutter, you can count on exponential fun and cuteness. These two mini-men, with their parents in tow, helped turn an otherwise dreary afternoon into sunshine, smiles and little boy giggles. And who can resist little boys who rock some awesome faux-hawks, seriously!

The meaning of the name Julianne means “youthful” and “gracious” and you can’t get much more youthful than when you’re just one-week old. Julianne was born into a loving, smart, and amazing family with a mom and dad who put the Lord and His grace first. As for Julianne, we’re pretty sure that “gracious” will continue to be the words that describe her kind and gentle personality in the future.

Before the newest member of their family arrives, The Pratt’s wanted a family portrait plus a baby bump! With lots of love, laughter, and energy these three were loads of fun to hang around and help capture this very special moment in their lives. We can’t wait to meet Keaton…number four to the Pratt family!

There is no greater honor than to be asked to be a part of someones very special day; their wedding day…except for maybe this: to be asked to be a part of EVERY special day in a couples life. From an engagement session, to their bridal session. From the moment they said “I do” to the moment they will say “This is my daughter, Maddie” Love Shutter has been there every step of the way. No greater honor indeed!

I don’t think the producers of the 1950’s hit sitcom “I love Lucy” realized they were prophetically speaking about people’s reactions when they met this baby girl. At six days old, who could resist her mesmerizing eyes, sweet baby noises and, oh yes, did we mention her ability to stay awake regardless of the situation? No doubt this adorable little girl will be the center of attention for years to come. Kind of like her namesake.

Nothing says Christmas quite like matching sweaters! These Three Musketeers are true Southern gentleman, who were on their best behaviors in hopes that The Elf on the Shelf was listening nearby. (My guess is E.O.S put in a good word for these and a few extra Star Wars Legos wound up under the Christmas tree.) We have been blessed to photograph these dashing young men for a few years now and we look forward to not only because it’s so refreshing to see their genuine love for each other, but Tony happens to be a fantastic chef and we always schedule our shoots around the best appetizers, I mean, the best light.

What more could you ask for from a 2 week old baby girl? Cuteness? Check. Sleeps like a baby? Check. Smiles while she dreams? Check, and double–check. Seriously, as far as newborns go, couldn’t you just eat her up? Layne was one of our last newborn sessions of 2011 and was a fantastic way to end the year. WE have known Layne’s mom for several years and she gave us free reign with props and fun stuff, and we went to town. Not that Layne needed any props, I mean, just look at the gorgeous face.

What says Christmastime more than family portrait time? With everyone looking their best, these picture reflect the true love and personality of the McNeilis family. From our hearts to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Double the trouble, double the blessings, double the love. This is all true with the Rexrode family. Celebrating their second Christmas as a family, these four spelled out the word “fun” with “L-O-V-E”. May Christmas blessings reach over the miles to you and God’s blessings be yours this Christmas!

Good friends on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, what could be better? It may have been a little chilly but Sloane and her adorable red dress, hand-sewn by her Grandma, warmed us up with her charm.

Blonde hair, brown eyes, approximately 2.5 feet tall… and what a hunk! And that’s without mentioning his athletic capabilities or his love for football. But really, Corey is a laid back kind of boy with tons of energy and a killer smile. I mean really, what’s not to love?

Abercrombie ain’t got nothing on Jake! When it comes to posing in front of a camera, Jake took about two and a half seconds to come out of his shell and he gave it his all! With lakeside beauty and a sunset as creamy as butter, how could you not feel like a model?