Where the Wild Things Are – a special 2nd birthday passion photo project: {Nags Head NC Family Photographer}

Posted on April 6, 2016 by nassetta

As a photographer in the Outer Banks, I love capturing the love between families. But I especially love photographing children and the spontaneity of emotion that they bring to the table. Sometimes it’s a bit terrifying..but it’s exhilarating too. Genuine. Honest. Free spirited. Raw. Little ones are nothing if not that. So when I saw a pic of a friend’s son (a local boy from Kill Devil Hills NC) in his amazing Halloween costume late last year, I was inspired to take images of him in a little fantasy dress up photo shoot. It was fun to have complete creative control and set up – with this fun “Where the Wild Things Are” styled shoot for Turner near his 2nd birthday! This first photo below was recently entered on a whim to a photo contest for Shoot and Share. This particular image came in better than the TOP 1% of children and toddler photos – and as a personal project is a favorite of mine as well.

Maurice Sendak is a favorite illustrator of mine and I’ve always had a special fondness for the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are. In fact, back when I went back to school for graphic design, one of my award winning 3D art projects was called Max meets Magritte. It combines a surrealist painting of Margritte and incorporates it with the illustrations of the children’s story. Must be a lucky book for me.

“that very night in max’s room a forest grew.

…and grew… and grew until his ceiling hung with vines… and the walls became the world all around”

Turner’s big sister Lily also got in a little of the action too.This giant number balloon (above, right), was provided by The Flower Field in Kitty Hawk. It was his 2nd birthday after all…so we wanted to get one shot to celebrate that fact. Turner’s mom works with the Flower Field..and it happens to be a great place to pick up an amazing arrangement or a flower crown for a special photo shoot (hint hint!).All of these images are back in the Nags Head Woods Nature preserve. This little bridge seemed like a fun backdrop for the kids to play..and dance! Hugs from brother “Max.”

“And Max the king of all wild things was lonely and wanted to be where

someone loved him best of all.“

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!

boy-dying-easter-eggs-nagshead-nc

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