(credit: Becca Bond Photography)
Becca Bond Photography
Charlotte/Fort Mill area
Charlotte, NC
(704) 302-3952
www.beccabondphotography.com
Price: from $600
Don’t be surprised if Becca Bond blends a little of her family therapy background into the photo shoots. Asking questions is one real way to connect with kids. Here’s one: Want to tell me something funny that happened on a family vacation? Storytelling is another method she uses to break the ice with a shy child. A pre-consultation session lasts around 20 minutes. Photo shoots take place on location, with a priority of fitting the family personality. Viewing the images takes place back in the studio, offering snacks and tea to avoid rushed decisions. Images are projected on a large screen, and if clients send in snap shots of a living room wall, special software will show what the final product looks like in that space. Products include albums, art image boxes and DVDs. She even collaborates with a jeweler for some finished pieces.
(credit: Mary Ebert Photography)
Mary Ebert Photography
Charlotte, NC
(704) 807-2247
www.maryebert.com
Price: from $300
Most of Ebert’s clients enjoy outdoor photo shoots. Keeping it hip and fun for tweens and teens is a must, so she chooses places like downtown Waxhaw for its rustic, old-country charm. Freedom Park in Charlotte is a popular location for its backdrop of nature and flora as well. Ebert specializes in capturing the personality of a child in natural lighting. She gives the time it takes to get on kids’ levels and make a connection. She offers wardrobe recommendations during the pre-consultation meeting as well. Making it affordable for families is a priority. Final products include wall collections, albums, charms, jewelry, totes and keychains.
(credit: Kate Weaver Photography)
Kate Weaver Photography
South Park area
Charlotte, NC
(704) 643-2244
www.kateweaver.com
Price: from $500
Asking lots of questions, Weaver takes plenty of time to get to know the family and kids during the pre-consultation meeting. Just out the backdoor of her studio is a greenway, a convenient and popular photo location for her clients. The outdoor setting includes a waterfall, making it fun for kids to run around and be themselves. Her props barn includes an antique sofa, creating relaxed, comfortable outdoor seating for all ages. For final products, the canvas gallery-wrapped pictures are a hit with families, as well as portrait boxes, Christmas cards and graduation announcements. Calling it a boutique studio, Weaver says she maintains fewer clients so as to work with them more closely.
Related: Best Places to Take Pictures of your Kids in Charlotte
(credit: Dimples and Curls Photography)
Dimples and Curls Photography
2413 Bonterra Blvd.
Indian Trail, NC 28079
(704) 628-6585
www.dimplesandcurlsphotography.com
Price: from $400
Christine Bryk and her mom are the creative brains behind this business catering to newborns through toddlers. For newborns, most moms call before they give birth. Bryk says she likes to get them in less than 14 days to capture the unique characteristics before they fade. The props, such as diaper covers and caps, are handmade by her mom. They customize work to hobbies, occupations and themes. For instance, a molar cap was made for a dentist’s newborn. The pre-consultation session includes a questionnaire, getting a better understanding of the client’s desires. A cake-smash photo shoot for first birthdays are a must with Dimples and Curls.
Pastel Photography
Charlotte, NC
(440) 228-6503
www.pastelphotography.com
Price: from $150 sitting fee
Candid, relaxed images are not easily captured, and they take a little planning. Mindy Harris captures the essence of childhood at its most spontaneous. A chair sitting in the middle of a wildflower-speckled field provides a quaint backdrop or a child on its back, lying in a blanket of fresh, green grass makes for a bright, spring photo. Simplicity, surrounded only by the hues of mother nature, elicits a wholesome goodness. Shoots take anywhere from one to two hours. Choose from your home, a nearby park or a cute local destination where your family is comfortable.
Related: Is Camping the Right Vacation for you and your Family
