The day we had picked to do this engagement session was beautiful. all day, just beautiful and then I kid you not, the VERY MINUTE the session was supposed to start, the clouds parted and buckets of rain poured down. We patiently waited in our cars for it to pass. Luckily it did! We ventured out into the muggy after rain weather and went about our business. I wasn't able to do a lot of the things i normally do because the ground was wet, but we just improvised. :) Here is a peek at some favorites...
When the busy season hits, i often neglect photos of my own kids. In fact, I have to make a point to schedule them on my calendar! How sad is that? Well, Ashton was turning 10months so I set a date to photograph him. I had hopes of having all 3 in them, but Alex passed out in the carseat, so we let him sleep!
One of my favorite clients is preggo with baby 3, and I was so looking forward to meeting him, but they have moved back "home" to Oklahoma. I did meet up with her recently and we had to throw in time for a few maternity pics. She looks amazing pregnant. I don't know how she does it! :)
Best of luck to you guys!
this session has been months in the making. Some of you that read my blog regularily might remember the contest from this past Christmas. Each year I choose a family to gift with photos. Each story is different, and this year's winner was an easy pick. Read their story here and here. Of course since December, I have been following the Barber family and their life as it was changed forever. Holly and I have exchanged emails for months trying to plan the perfect time to have a shoot working with their visits home between treatments and it never quite worked out. Now that Matheson is all finished with his treatments, we easily met up for our family session! What a better reason to celebrate with photos either? They have journeyed through something so trying and done it gracefully.
Meeting them was even better. They all beamed with love and excitement. You could see how happy they were to be together as a family again. I was excited to capture this time in their life on film forever. I am so thankful that Matheson is finished with treatments. I am thankful that their family can be together as one again. They are a loving, spirited family and I am honored to have played a small piece in their story. The day we met, we played and snapped photos and I took almost 900 photos. That isn't the norm for my family sessions. I usually hit around 300. Weeding through the files was fun! I just couldn't stop capturing them and their bond. Here are some of their session favorites.
while Matheson was having treatments, mom stayed with him and dad balanced the other two at home while working. Naturally I loved this picture because of that....
At the hospital, they strung a bead onto a string for each thing that happened to Matheson while he was there. We incorportated his beads into a few shots. This little guys has overcome so much!
I am so tickled to have been there with this family and I am glad that Matheson has many healthy days in his future! :)
Little miss Lia isn't too little anymore. I used to babysit her, and in fact she was in my wedding years ago! Now she is 15 and on the brink of adulthood. I am pretty certain that I didn't look like this at 15. She is gorgeous. :)
see what I mean..she is gorgeous...
she is a big reader, so I wanted to incorporate some books in the shoot for fun...
I had fun Lia..enjoy your pics!
I don't get too personal on here, because I like to stick to the pretty photos. but I have been asked this question a LOT lately, so I am sharing on here. today is my birthday and I am so thankful for this part of my life...what better day to share my story? I promise to get back to the pretty photos soon!
my story- I get asked all the time how I ended up where I am, in this career. did I go to school for it, etc, etc. Let me say right now, that this career is not something that I take lightly. It wasn't a quick decision. I wasn't stuck in a job i hated and chose this to get me out. No, if you know me, you know that I overthink EVERYTHING. so from the beginning...
All my life, I have been the girl with the camera. I loved taking pictures and in college I started scrapbooking. I had photoshoots with college friends and my hubby JUST to scrapbook. :) I thought that was enough for me. I got my degree in child psychology and then decided to go for my masters at NYU. then this wild thing happened. I got pregnant. I bought my first professional film camera and my love for photographing my KID began. I swear to you, I took 4 rolls a WEEK of my kid. seriously. He was the MOST photographed child EVER. I have about 12 scrapbooks of his first 3 years of life...I kid you not. I was the scrapbook diva. I gave up my education to be full-time mommy. From there, I got hired to do free-lance scrapbook design work. I had my photos and pages published all over the world in magazines, manufacturer samples, product packaging, and even on book covers. I was doing what I loved. Of course having one child limited my photos. so I began taking photos of others...to scrapbook for work. I photographed weddings, bridal portraits, other peoples kids, etc. and a funny thing happened. people kept asking me to photograph their kids. So I kept going.
Soon enough I decided to let the scrapbook career go for a while and refocus my life. I invested in professional digital photo equipment. I was SCARED TO DEATH. lol. I had a huge learning curve with going from film to digital and photographed my kid, plants, trees, anything I could to learn. I wanted to make a jump into a photo career forever it felt like and I wanted to make sure I was ready. I debated for probably a year. I learned everything i could about photography, photoshop, and business. I kept getting calls about doing pictures for others, and so I began my business. I attended a workshop and found out that I was ready. I was good enough. So I launched. and never looked back. NEVER will. I am in this full-time for the long haul. this isn't a phase in my life...it is my life. so thank you for being a part of it!
and what is a story without a photo...here is an OLD one. of Austin age 2...5 years ago. one of my first digital pics...
i think he is happy mommy finally has other people to photograph! :)
I walked into hobby lobby a few weeks ago and saw the fall isle near the entrance. I stated to my mom "is this clearance from last fall or new stuff?" to which she informed me it was new in JUNE. well, then I rounded the corner and saw isles of Christmas stuff. IN JUNE. again. crazy. BUT...crazy as that is, I am begning to think about Christmas here too. :) Fall is INCREDIBLY busy for me. Everyone wants to fit in sessions for cards, family gifts, etc. So I am going to post this now...to get you on the ball. if you want a family photo session for cards, etc, BOOK NOW. As you may notice August and September are almost full. October is QUICKLY catching up. So, here is what you need to know:
all prints wanted for presents, etc must be ordered and paid in full by no later than Dec. 5th. my last fall session will be held on Nov. 29. Cards need to be discussed prior to the Dec. 5th deadline so they can be designed before the order is placed. :)
REGULAR FALL SESSIONS- regular session fees apply. You can use a one time session or a mini session. :) Sessions take place in the early morning or evening Fri, Sat, or Sun. If you want a date, email me with your top 3 choices in the line. I also can do Tuesday evenings if needed.
NEW FOR THIS FALL:
MINI CARD SESSIONS. To help move people through quicker, I am offering a day of mini sessions. sold in 30 min increments on Sat. Nov. 7th in Greensboro NC. and Sun. Nov. 8th in Asheboro NC. Location will be announced. I will start them at 9am through 6pm and have 6-8 openings. Fee for this session is $125 and it includes the session, 25 custom designed 4x5 flat photo cards and an 8x10 print. You have the option to upgrade your cards if wanted and order more prints as needed. :) Email NOW if interested and let me know if you want morning, mid day or evening spot. :) I anticipate this to go quickly, so sign up now!! :)
and....
SALE!!
And as a christmas present in July, I am offering 10% off all orders this week (ends July7th). Complete your order and I will invoice you with the adjusted total for paypal or check payment! doesn't apply to custom cards, coffee table books, or canvases! check back for more specials soon! happy shopping!
my little guy is growing so quickly. I am amazed each day at how much he is learning and changing and becoming a kid, not a baby. He is standing, starting to take steps, has 2 teeth and more on the way, loves eating, laughs so hard at his big brothers, is spoiled rotten, pulls up on anything in sight, puts everything in his mouth, and STILL stays up most of the night. Most days he is a complete mess, but we love him anyway. here are a few backyard snaps of him recently!
this face cracks me up...you can tell he is gonna be trouble!
yum, leaves!
anyone interested in a fall beach session? got the weekend of Oct. 23-25 open for booking in the Wilmington NC area. Sessions are first come first serve. email now if interested!!
This little guy is the SAME SIZE as my 9month old and he is 3 months. Big Boy!! But oh so cute. He suffered through the heat long enough to capture a few shots. :) Can't wait to see him again at 6months...until then, here are a few favorites...
can't forget big brother....
and what else is a little brother for, than to be a drum??
I am taking a little time off for the fourth, but I will be back soon with more sessions!!
I was a little giddy the first time I talked to Tricia on the phone. She told me her plan to take her portrait on her horse. Anyone who is willing to climb on a horsebareback in a wedding gown is a brave woman in my opinion! Of course, I was excited to be a part of this plan! The day of her portraits, the weather was sketchy. It was POURING buckets when I left my house. The sky didn't look promising the whole trip there. But suddenly, right before my exit, it all cleared. THe rain held off until we were finished and I must admit, I liked the look of the stormy skies in the background!! :)
Here are a few pics....
I had the pleasure of meeting Maggie on her 7th day in this world! She was tiny and precious. She was awake most of the time I was there and so alert!
She is lucky that she has two parents that are patient and loving! They are totally smitten with her!
The last few minutes I was there, she slept for a few quick minutes and we snapped some fun shots.
Isn't she a doll? back with another baby soon!
First off, let me say that I feel so incredibly lucky everyday of my life. :) I am so blessed to have a career that allows me to do what i love and meet amazingly cool people. Even cooler than that, I get to meet their friends. :) I have made quite a few circles of friends in the last few years and that is awesome! :) This couple come to me by way of her friend that i worked with last spring (HI Faith!!). I am so tickled to be involved with their wedding this fall...it sounds fabulous! So, here are their engagement pics...or a few. :) We started casual at piscah...
and then headed downtown for some fun...
i found out that Kevin had never had pics made before besides the lifetouch ones at school! i was happy to break the cycle for him. he laughed through our first few shots, but by the end of the session he was a pro...see below!
be back with more soon...up next an adorable newborn!
Mom and I have been scheduling and rescheduling this shoot for over a month and we finally got a beautiful afternoon! :) These two girls are so lucky. They have a wonderful family and home! I am so happy to have captured a small piece of it for them!
isnt this the cutest piano??
this is their playhouse....it was a little girl's dream come true!!
be back with more soon! :)
we I met with Aleah and Brian to chat about their wedding plans, she mentioned wanting to "trash her dress" the day after the wedding. They even postponed leaving for their honeymoon to allow time for it. :) I was tickled cause I love bride and groom portraits and the day after is so much easier than fitting it all in on the wedding day! Here is peek at their pics from the day after!
the best push-ups he has ever done...hehe.
a quick dip in the water...
i love this series
and a peek at her dress when we were done. :)
for the record, when we trash the dress, it really isn't trashed, nothing a hose down and dry cleaning can't fix! :) Thanks Aleah and Brian for an awesome weekend! We enjoyed being a part of your wedding!
Almost a year ago exactly, Aleah contacted me about shooting her Beach wedding. We didn't officially meet in person to chat about their day until December, but for the last year, I have anticipated their wedding day. Beach weddings are so much fun! I think they are my favorites! :) Aleah's mom went all out and did most of the wedding preparations herself. She did fabulous! It was a beautiful ceremony! here are a few peeks at their day!
Aleah said Brian tried so hard not to smile most of the time, so we caught some smiles for her...
right after the ceremony, the storm clouds rolled in and we had to RUSH through the portraits....
but, we did some FUN day after pics that I will share soon!
Little Annie had her 9 months session at the beach! Mom and Dad drove all the way down and back in one day, just for these photos...how awesome is that? It was her first time on the beach and I think she loves it! :) Here are a few favorites from her session...
and we couldn't leave out big sister who was perfectly content playing in the ocean while we were shooting!
up next...the beach wedding!!
Day 2 of our fabulous weekend, I woke up to storm clouds. But it was the good kind, the ones in the distance surrounded by fluffy white skies blocking all the harsh light that i feared meeting that day. I scheduled my sessions at the pier because i wanted to have *some* shade if needed to use. But, once again, I didn't need it because the weather was perfect for me. :) So, we had plenty of good weather to shoot in and that we did....here are some favs of this family!
still more to come!
number two beach session. Such a cute family of boys! They had fun on the beach despite the gloomy weather! Here are some favorites!
rub a dub dub- two in the tub!!
back to work!
When I arrived at the beach Friday around lunchtime, the skies and forecast didn't seem too promising. I feared that rain would come. There was a bit of sprinkling off and on and grey skies when I met up with them, but we decided to go for it. I am so glad we did. The weather held off perfectly! here are some favorites from the first session....
back with the next one soon!!
In case you are looking for an older gallery...I have had to clear up space on my server and have taken older galleries down. I still have all the photos backed up on my hard drives, just not online. So if your gallery is past the ordering timeline and you find yourself in need of more prints, email me and I will reload it for a week. :)
Also as of July 1, 2009...there will be a SLIGHT increase of prices in prints. SO, if you have been waiting to put in an order, please do so now! :) I hate increasing prices, but my lab has increased my cost...so there you go. :) All orders must be placed and paid in full by June 30, 2009 to get the current pricing. After that, new pricing will go into effect. :) I just wanted to give everyone a heads up!
I am working like crazy to get everything edited from this past weekend- 6 sessions and a wedding! It was fun times!! I will be sharing my first session from the beach tomorrow! stay tuned!!
did you guys miss me? I took a 2 week break from my shooting to catch up on back end stuff (like designing coffee table books, announcements, processing orders, and updating my sites). and we had a ton of family stuff going on here...birthdays, kindergarten graduations, parites, etc. WHEW. While having time off to catch up was nice, I missed shooting! But it is ok, my weekend back is witha bang as I will be at the coast working my fingers to the bone shooting!! I am excited to get back and share many photos from my sessions!!
Until then, I will leave you with a bridal shoot...Today is the big day for Aleah and Brian! They are tying the knot oceanfront! I can finally share Aleah's bridals, which I adore!! We lucked up! we had ONE day to make them happen since she is in Alabama for school. The weather forecast was looking yucky, but that day it was great light, good clouds, and just perfect!!
we had some fun too!
congrats to Aleah and Brian! I will be sharing their wedding soon!
did you guys notice? there on the left sidebar is the official Candi Leonard Photography fan page for facebook. Join me there! :) Just another tool to use to show off your pics. I plan to add fresh work and tag people so you can have your pretty pictures on your facebook pages too! :) So join me! :)
And if you are wondering, more fun photos coming on Saturday to this blog! I have been holding on to some for a while! :)
my oldest turned seven TODAY. WOW. Seven. SEVEN. I don't feel old enough to have a seven year old, but I do! I can see our future changing so fast, from trains and cars to legos and transformers. He is growing up fast. I took him out on Mother's day with his new skateboard for a fun shoot downtown. We used the pics for his invites....
every year of his life I have made some sort of photo invite for his party. I love looking back at them all. It is something we will cherish forever! :)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BIG BOY!! We will be celebrating with lots of cake and icecream all weekend long!!
