Capturing everyday moments – Easter egg decorating {children’s lifestyle photographer, Nags Head, NC}

Posted on March 24, 2016 by nassetta

Sometimes I get so busy as mom (also Princess Leia or Rey around these Star Wars obsessed parts) that I forget to take out the camera for everyday moments. Truly, those are the memories I want to keep. Elias jumping on our bed in the morning…and writing me notes and drawing pictures that say “for mom” several times a day. My 7 year old Noah in his imaginary world – shooting missiles at the bad guys (and not listening to mom). Snuggling in their pjs reading stories (with me and to each other). But we are busy living life (as it should be) and miss capturing some of these moments. Whether you capture a simple video on your iphone or grab your point and shoot for few images…don’t forget to take a few photos so that you can look back and remember when they were this little. My goal is to capture more of these everyday moments that are not posed but just real life. I want to start getting in the photo more myself as well..but that is another post for another time about self timers and shutter release cables and getting in the photo even when you are having a bad hair day. One step at a time.

Yesterday I lived in the moment but still managed to grab my camera and 50mm lens for a few shots of decorating Easter eggs…and even got a chance to dye 3 of them myself. Final touches to be done at Grandma’s house in Northern VA this weekend – so the Easter bunny can use them to hide for the boys. Happy Easter Blessings to you and your family..and be sure to enjoy those everyday messy moments!

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colored-easter-eggs-boy-artist-nags-head-nc dying-easter-eggs-obx-life Elias was very patient this year (one day away from 5 years old!) and waited until the eggs got super dark! easter-fun-nagshead-nc waiting-for-easter-eggs-to-dry-outer-banks-nc waiting… kids-life-decorating-easter-eggs-obx kids-colorful-egg-dyes-outer-banks-nc Oh…and Elias’ birthday is today…so super close to Easter this year. I made these cute Easter peep cupcakes for his preschool class! easter-peep-birthday-cupcakes-obxlife

Yoga to You OBX {Outer Banks photographer headshots}

Posted on March 15, 2016 by nassetta

The community of locals on the Outer Banks of NC has truly a small town feel with amazing folks. I moved down to Nags Head NC ten years ago and one of the first true friendships I developed was this amazing gorgeous woman, Patty McKenna. We met for the first time at a small book club group that met one evening at the Outer Banks Brewing Station in Kill Devil Hills. Sometimes when you meet someone for the first time you just click without even having had much of a conversation at all..and that is the way it was for me and Patty (at least on my end!). Without even knowing each other well, she was courageous enough to join me on an all girls surf camp trip tin Mal Pais, Costa Rica. We went on what was a big birthday trip for me to a surf camp called Pura Vida Adventures ~ Costa Rica Surf & Yoga Retreats. www.PuraVidaAdventures.com It was an amazing experience to say the least. Back then Patty wasn’t a yoga instructor and I didn’t have kids. A lot has changed since that trip. I now have two crazy and adorable boys (who I prayed for on that trip) and have started my own photography business, and Patty, among other things, is now an amazing kite-boarder and is now a certified yoga instructor. While she teaches classes at other local Yoga studios in the Outer Banks, she is starting her new venture Yoga To You OBX. Whether on the beach, by the pool, in the great room, at the park. Any size group.

So, to help get her get up and running yogatoyouobx.com (site coming soon), we took advantage of the unseasonably warm evening in March and got some photos to put up on her website. Here are a few of the images that we took up in Southern Shores the other evening at sunset. Thanks to friends and family who came out to support! If you are looking for an amazing instructor with plenty of laid back fun…check out Patty and book her for a session. You won’t regret it! obx-yoga-beach-duck yoga-instructor-southern-shores-outer-banks-nc group-yoga-duck-nc Patty_McKenna_yoga_instructor-yogatoyouobx beach-yoga-class-obx-to-you yoga-class-having-fun-beaches-of-outer-banks-nc mother-dauther-yoga-pose-obx-nc personal-yoga-instruction-on-beach-outer-banks-nc yoga-class-on-beach-duck-nc beach-yoga-class-outer-banks-nc woman-yoga-pose-on-log-at-beach-obx girl-by-the-ocean-yoga-on-log-outer-banks-nc beautiful-woman-yoga-on-the-beach-duck-nc

Telling a story: Special connections with family groups {Nags Head NC Family Photography}

Posted on March 9, 2016 by nassetta

Although the Outer Banks has the perfect back drop for large family photos… I admit it, big family groups used to make me a little nervous. The thought of coordinating everyone at the same time including the littlest of the bunch into one photo where no one is closing there eyes, sneezing, hitting their brother..etc… was an overwhelming task. But the reality is, while it take s a bit longer to set up the big extended family shot, it really usually comes together fairly seamlessly and then there is the good old fashion head-swap in Photoshop if we are really desperate. And the reality is family groups are really just a few smaller families bunched up together…and showing the intimate relationship between family members is my favorite thing to take photos of.

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This family was referred to me by a local friend from Kitty Hawk and it could not have been a nicer group of people. Sometimes you come across a family who’s story resonates with you even before you meet in person..and this was such a group. When you connect with with a family and share intimate details during emails before the photo session it can make the photo shoot all the more meaningful. Sometimes it’s a family member with a terminal illness, or a mother’s birthday, or an anniversary of sorts. Often it’s just a rare family reunion where everyone can get together for one big shot. When I connect with a family I am better able to tell their story through photographs. All I know is that I connected with this family in a special way and I wish we could hang out as friends. I think if a few of them lived closer perhaps we would. I like to think so anyways.

These images were taken this past September at Coquina Beach in Nags Head, NC. They are special to me and I hope the family cherishes them for years to come.

Nags Head NC beach photo of Dad chasing daughter Family photography on beach of Outer Banks NC uncle-niece-hug-outer-banks-nc Photo of Uncle with tattoos hugging niece in Nags Head NC older_siblings_hugging_mom_nagshead_nc Newborn photographer - Nags Head NC mom and daughter photograph by ocean Outer banks NC newborn-family-intimate-moment-nagshead-nc brothers_silly_oceanside_obx young_brothers_family_obx young-boys-run-on-the-beach-obx daddy-newborn-son-beach-nagshead-nc Newborn baby in a bucket by the water in the Outer Banks of NC Outer Banks NC family photograph - black and white image in front of ocean