Kristen Gilbert Photography

Maggie!!

2011-11-25T23:33:00.001-05:00

I always have so much with little Maggie, and today was no exception. We played with Christmas lights and snow, and really got into the spirit of Christmas. Can't believe how grown up and beautiful she is getting!

As always, Lindsay, it was a blast!! Thanks for making it so fun!

Rachel | Class of 2012

2011-09-05T23:32:00.002-04:00

A sneak peek of Rachel's senior pics.

Katherine + Hayden = Baby

2011-07-11T12:27:00.002-04:00

I've been waiting anxiously for a while now for a new niece or nephew to spoil, and I finally have a sibling cooperating with me. Finally. We're in the home stretch of what seems to be the world's longest pregnancy --longer even to the parents-to-be, I'm sure! (My sister swears she's not ready, and that she needs more time to prepare, but I'm willing to bet that if you asked her in a month if she wants to prolong the wait, she'd kick you in the shin.)

While I was down in Charleston for her baby shower, we snuck out to the beach (a couple of different times, as the clouds were not very cooperative) for some fun maternity pictures.

Katherine and Hayden's first baby, Matilda:

I can't decide which one I like best: black and white, or the color version:

I can't wait to do newborn pictures in a few weeks. Stay tuned...

Catelyn | Class of 2012

2011-06-23T22:44:00.002-04:00

Vinleigh - 8 days new

2011-06-15T23:20:00.002-04:00

This precious little one is Vinleigh. 8 days old and oh-so-sweet.

Lauren and Robert, hope you like Vinleigh's pictures--you guys are the best. Thanks so much for having me out. :)

Slater

2011-06-12T22:19:00.002-04:00

Adorable Slater is 6 months old now! What a sweet, snuggly little bundle of drool. Love this little guy---and his sweet mama, too!

Katelyn | 12 Days New

2011-03-27T23:19:00.002-04:00

There has got to be no better job in the world, than one that involves loving and snuggling a new little baby. The beautiful Katelyn indulged me this weekend, and it made the part of me that is done with having kids sigh a little. She slept through nearly her entire session, which is quite a feat, considering that her audience included a rowdy 3 year old and her doting older sister.

It's not gas. I swear it's a real smile.

Thanks, Jennifer and Chris, for having me out! Enjoy your new little one!

Gracie

2011-02-14T21:19:00.002-05:00

I was so happy to go see an old friend this weekend, and get to take pictures of her beautiful new daughter. It made me so happy to see how loved this little one is, and how happy her family is to have her.

Gracie's daddy is so smitten with her, and it's beautiful to see.

I love how much in love her older sisters are with her.

Heather and Erik, thanks so much for having me out. I loved meeting Gracie and seeing your girls again!

Kate & Co.

2011-02-09T20:52:00.002-05:00

Baby K

2011-01-24T22:24:00.002-05:00

Saturday, I got to meet the most adorable little boy---he was so precious! I got to do pictures with him and his parents, while some insanely LARGE dogs peered through the window at me. I'm still kicking myself for not snapping a picture of these dogs--seriously, they were BIG. Anyway, back to the baby:

Snoozin' in a wagon that belonged to his dad when he little.

And, just because it's funny, christening Dad:

Kylen and Delia, thanks for having me out to meet your little one! You guys are so blessed--give that baby a squeeze for me!

Maggie!

2010-12-10T09:15:00.002-05:00

A quick peek at some pictures I did for my friend Lindsay's little Maggie. Sweetest little munchkin ever.

Lindsay---glad I got to see you all while I was in Charleston!!! Let's try it again on a WARMER day!!

Sweet Baby Goodness

2010-12-10T08:22:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, one of my favorite people gave birth to her 4th baby. He is so squishy and yummy, I could just die. Couldn't you just die?!!!

He slept like a...well, baby, the whole time I was there, with a only a couple of re-fueling stops along the way. He was a newborn photographer's dream.

Ally and Brad, congratulations on your sweet, sweet little boy!! He is perfection!

The Lurz Family

2010-11-27T14:39:00.004-05:00

I got together last week with my friend Lauren and her beautiful family. We had a ball truckin' around downtown, looking for places to shoot. They are the cutest family, and I'm so happy with the results of our session!

Her little girl is the absolute cutest, isn't she?!

I love this wall--makes for a beautiful backdrop ('cause I'm sure that's what they intended it for, right?!).

Seriously, how cute is this little punkin'?!

Lauren, I hope you guys had as much fun as I did! Hope you like them!

Baby C

2010-05-23T13:24:00.002-04:00

Some of my favorite models to shoot are newborns. This little guy isn't technically a newborn, since he was a month old in these shots, but close enough. I couldn't get enough of him-he was so cuddly and sweet. He was awake for the first part of our shoot, and so alert.

And once he fell asleep, he was really out. I love bendy little newborn cuteness.

Cuddling with mama.

Miss Braelyn

2010-05-23T13:13:00.002-04:00

Check out this little cutie! Man, she made me work for it--she was NOT loving my camera! I was able to get the occasional smile, though.

Check out this dancing--kid's got better moves than me.

I got ignored, like this, a lot.

But, that's OK, 'cause sometimes she'd give me these kinds of grins. Isn't she adorable?

Clair | Class of 2010

2010-05-12T21:47:00.006-04:00

Meet Clair. Clair is graduating this year, and is headed to UNCC this fall. We spent Saturday morning wandering around NoDa getting some pictures. I couldn't wait to get home and look at these on my computer--she is SO beautiful!

Clair plays bass in a band---so, beautiful AND talented.

I could have taken her picture all day. She might have killed me, though, since she had just had a crazy week of exams, and was in a play later that night.

I might have risked it.

I mean, seriously, wouldn't it have been worth it for shots like this?!

Clair, thanks for being such a sport for your mom and me. I hope you had as much fun as I did! Congratulations on graduation, and good luck at UNCC!

Guess who's back?!

2010-04-19T22:44:00.003-04:00

ME!! Yay!! After an...um...let's say extended maternity leave, I'm finally backing and holding sessions! I'm pretty booked through the middle of May, so if you're looking to book a session, let me know!!

Check out my first post baby client--the adorable Wyatt, who has just turned 2! Luckily, no one informed him he was supposed to be terrible, so we had a great time, yukkin' it up and taking some pictures.
See? Not terrible. Isn't he sweet?

What good are balloons if you can't have any fun with them?

Look at this angel.

When all else fails, get a hug from Mommy

And one more for the sneak peek:

So glad to back and be busy!

Caty + David | I Do

2009-10-29T05:11:00.004-04:00

I recently had the wonderful privilege of shooting Caty & David's wedding. They were married in a beautiful vineyard near Albemarle. It was wet and cold, but that didn't put a damper on the day in the least. Their love for each other was so evident, in every aspect of the day. I'm so happy that I was able to be a part of it.
Caty makes a simply stunning bride.

Caty and her attendants getting ready:

Pink and navy blue may be my new favorite color combo! Everything was so beautiful.

Some last photos before the vows.

A couple of Caty's bridal portraits, which we shot a month or so before the wedding. Absolutely beautiful!

If you'd like to see some more photos of Caty & David's big day, please head on over to my friend and fellow photog Melissa Smith's blog. Melissa helped me shoot Caty and David's wedding, and we had a wonderful time doing it. Leave her some love while you're there! Melissa, thanks again so much for joining me! You're a lifesaver!

Caty & David, I wish you every happiness in the world as you begin your new life together. Thanks again for choosing me to help you capture your big day. Congratulations!!

Baby O

2009-10-20T21:30:00.002-04:00

I've heard new babies are supposed to sleep a lot. Could somebody please get that message to this sweet little munchkin?! She was wide awake for nearly our whole session!

We decided to make lemonade, so we got plenty of wide awake shots. Here she is with Mom's toe shoes.

And finally, a little sleeping action. Although it does look kind of like she might be faking. She wasn't, but she was mad at me!

Congratulations, Leah and Thomas, on your beautiful baby girl!

The Seighman's

2009-10-14T15:12:00.002-04:00

Occasionally, I get together with a family that I just feel so at home with. That was definitely the case with these guys---I love a session where I can laugh and goof off and just be myself. These girls were so funny, too---I love how little girls just LOVE to pose for the camera. If somebody could get my boys to do the same thing, I'd be in heaven.
Most of the time, the girls would hear the shutter click and would start posing automatically, so I loved being able to catch them naturally (before the posing would inevitably begin!).

Looks like a sweet moment between Mom and Dad, here, right? Um, ok...I'll just let you keep thinking that...

Thanks, Seighman's for letting me hang out with you! And for not freaking out too hard about missing football...:)

Cayley | Class of 2010

2009-09-13T15:53:00.003-04:00

Cayley is a senior this year at Piedmont High School. We got together in downtown Matthews for a fun senior session. Isn't she beautiful? My 5 year old son even has a little crush on her--while I've been editing the pictures, he came in and asked "who is she?! She looks really pretty!" Love it.

Poor girl got all worn out, 'cause I kept making her bend down so I could be even with her---dang, she's tall!

I love all the shots I got of Cayley--I can't decide which one is my favorite. These are both definitely contenders, though.

Cayley, hope you like these! It was great meeting you, and good luck with your senior year!

Little Miss M

2009-08-25T00:08:00.002-04:00

Little Miss M has grown up so much since last fall! She was a much better model this time around, despite what you might think from looking at this:

We bribed her with some balloons.

Balloons make everybody happy!

This was where she was determined to convince me and her parents that it's not natural to go barefoot in a field. Look at that pose. It just screams "you people are crazy".

Lindsay, hope you guys like!!

Sweet Baby J

2009-08-05T21:56:00.001-04:00

Miss E Revisited

2009-07-17T16:33:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that Little Miss E is almost a year old now. She was one of my first babies to shoot, as well as being one of my first sessions!

She is such a sweetie, and so so so cute. She loved this chair.

Chasing bubbles (or, chasing Mama, who was blowing the bubbles...).

Tiffany, thanks for having me back out---I just can't get enough of that cute little girl!

Miss D

2009-07-14T16:51:00.001-04:00

The Humphreys

2009-07-01T21:04:00.002-04:00

OK, so I've decided 7:30 in the morning may be the best time possible for sessions with young kids. This one was my third, and I'm telling you, these kids were unbelievably well-behaved. No, I wasn't fully awake, but more importantly, I don't think they were fully awake, either. Whatever it was, I was so impressed!
How precious is this one?

I'm holding out hope that one day I'll get a shot this sweet of my boys. You know, with both of them. Together. I'm holding out hope, but I'm NOT holding my breath.

I could eat this one up.

And all together now:

The Blooms

2009-07-01T20:21:00.002-04:00

Occasionally, I meet a family that I feel incredibly at home with, and the Blooms were one of those families. We had a blast, although it may have been heat-stroke induced. :) It was, um, slightly warm the night we got together.
Mom and Dad are celebrating 20 years of marriage this year, and I swear, you can tell they are still very much in love.

Handsome men, no?

One day, I'll get sick of silhouette shots. Maybe.

David and Deana, it was so nice meeting you!!

Muffy & Brian are Expecting!

2009-06-24T19:40:00.002-04:00

My closest friend in all the world is about to have a baby, and I couldn't be more excited for her! She is beyond thrilled, and it shows all over her face. After her baby shower this weekend, we went out and had a fun shoot to commemorate the arrival of little Jackson.
This wall is the coolest. I think I'm gonna have to take my train-obsessed boys for a session at this wall.

Workin' it.

OK, so seriously, this little boy is going to have the best nursery ever. And when he gets a little bit older, he's going to love this spot in his room for hiding out.

Muffy, if you ever come home and this chair is missing, you know where to find it.

Love you, Muff. Oh, and I guess you, too, Brian. I can't wait to meet Jackson!

Little D

2009-06-04T22:22:00.002-04:00

I had a great time shooting little D last weekend (sounds kind of morbid, doesn't it?). He was such a great kid! We got together early, so he was a bit sleepy to start with, but still really cooperative.
Here's a still-sleepy grin:

After he woke up a bit, though, I got some like this one. Is it bad that I love pictures like this so much? I mean, really, really love them!

Squishy little scrunched up kiddy toes:

Yep, D's got parents. This is them. His mama's gonna have a baby girl soon. Yay for baby girls!

Jacob and Kelly, good luck with baby O! Thanks for letting me snap some shots of D!

Bethany - Bridal

2009-05-17T20:18:00.002-04:00

Remember Bethany? We got together last week to take her bridal portraits. Doesn't she look beautiful?

The Mowreys

2009-05-11T10:39:00.003-04:00

The Mowreys are moving to Florida in couple of months, and wanted some pictures to remember their NC home by. They worked hard for these shots---they braved power outages, power trucks, and impending thunder storms to be sure we got this shoot done. It was well worth it, I think. The afternoon was gorgeous, and both kids behaved--yes, both!
For somebody who has major baby-girl fever (*cough, cough* me *cough*), this little dumplin' did nothing to alleviate it. Is she not just perfect?! She was SO good, too.

Her older brother is all boy---I loved it. He was swinging, climbing, or sliding nearly the whole session. I have more shots of him upside down than right side up, I think, but I managed to catch this one.

The Mowreys have a beautiful yard, with lots of cool stuff for the kids, including this awesome playset. We just had to find a way to use it in the their pictures.

Baby J getting some tickles from Daddy.

Aw, sweet big brother.

David and Jennifer, it was nice meeting you all! Thanks for a fun afternoon. Best of luck in Florida!

The Neinabers

2009-04-27T19:04:00.002-04:00

This family was so much fun! We had a great time at their session. These two girls are so beautiful, and so, so sweet.

This one stuck with me even though she may have been wondering what in the heck these pictures would look like with these crazy poses!

And Chelsea may be one of the smiling-est (smiliest? most smiley?!) people I've ever met. Every time I looked at her, she had a big old grin.

And yes, I got some of the whole family together, too.

Neinabers, I hope it was as much fun for you guys as it was for me! Proofs coming soon!

Ginger

2009-04-17T21:59:00.003-04:00

I got together this morning with my friend Ginger and her two little sweeties. It was so cold, but these two were such troopers. It's amazing how good a kid will be for a little ol' Pez. :)

Somewhere my oldest sons heart is going pitty-pat. He loves him some of this girl.

I got some good smiles out this little guy, but mostly I got this look. Loosely translated, I'd have to guess it means: "Alright, lady. I'm standing here. I'm being still. Now give me a Pez!".

And because, let's face it, outtakes are always funny, check these out.
Brothers are fun, aren't they?!

If you had to guess, would you think this was a happy grimace, or a sad one?

When bubbles attack:

Ginger, hope you like these! We had fun with you guys this morning--let's do it again when it's not so COLD!!

Caty & David

2009-04-15T22:50:00.004-04:00

Caty and David are engaged! I'm thrilled to be shooting their wedding this fall, and I had a blast with their engagement session. We met down (way down) in the country where David lives, and had several beautiful locations to choose from.

Aren't these yellow fields beautiful? The flowers (weeds?) made for a great backdrop. I even got a lovely shot of David channeling Julie Andrews (you know--the hills are alive, with the sound of music?) I took pity on him and decided not to show that one here.

Caty and David, I can't wait until the wedding! I had fun with you guys and hope you enjoyed it!

Erica and Co.

2009-04-15T16:26:00.002-04:00

I had so much fun meeting with Erica and her family! Her daughter is a mess--in the best way possible. She's so excited that she's going to be "modeling" on my blog. If she'd had her way, the whole session would have been about her, forget about her mom and Craig!
Everybody together:

And the little model herself:

And one just for fun:

Erica and Craig, we'll be talking soon!

The Cummings

2009-04-15T16:20:00.002-04:00

Bright and early one morning, I met with Karrie and her beautiful daughters. We thought everything was going to go so well---her daughters are morning people, the light would be beautiful, yada, yada. Yeah, we totally didn't take into account the fact that it would be SO COLD!! We froze! Her poor daughters have goosebumps in nearly every picture, but they were troopers.

See? You can hardly tell their teeth are chattering!

Karrie, it was nice to meet you and the girls! Hopefully next time we won't freeze to death!

Garret & Bethany {I Do}

2009-04-15T13:06:00.002-04:00

Remember Garret & Bethany? They got married! I was so happy when Bethany called and asked me to take pictures of their wedding. They are a beautiful couple, inside and out, and I was thrilled to be a part of their big day.
Before the ceremony, Bethany and Garret stole a couple of moments together. Look at the expressions on their faces as they each get a look at each other all dressed up.

Bethany was such a beautiful bride, and her dress was just gorgeous!

Bethany and Garret, I wish you all the love and happiness in the world. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your happy event!

The Meehans

2009-03-09T23:25:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I met with this fun family at the park for some family pictures. With the beautiful weather, the park was super crowded and we had to dodge lots of other people, but it was worth it. We got some beautiful shots, and got to enjoy a nice taste of spring while we were at it!

Little L is taking guitar lessons, so she brought her out and played for us a bit. She was so cute with her little pink guitar! Hannah Montana better watch out!

I love these shots---anybody who has ever been a little girl with a new Easter dress has spun in circles just like this:

And a little hug for mom and dad.

Mike and Lisa, I had fun with you guys! I'll get the rest of your session proofed for you as fast as I can!

Garret & Bethany

2009-01-01T23:19:00.002-05:00

Garret and Bethany are getting married! Before they do, Garret will be deployed for a while, so we got together to do some engagement photos before he left. Despite the very chilly, windy conditions, and a somewhat reluctant model (ahem, Garret), we had a great time and got some wonderful shots to commemorate their engagement. Aren't they a gorgeous couple?

Garret, we'll be praying for your safety as you serve our country. I had a wonderful time with you guys! Hope you enjoy the pictures!

More Presleys...

2008-12-08T14:25:00.004-05:00

You've already met one of my beautiful nieces. Here are two more (I think the cute-factor in our genes must wear out later on in life):

And their beautiful Mama:

Here's a little camera hog:

And I had to include at least one of the ones where my brother isn't making a goofy face (he's not smiling, either, but that's my fault, since I told him not to and all):

Thanks Josh and Lori! Josh, hope you're not too traumatized from this little project. :)

The Hinsons

2008-11-19T10:23:00.002-05:00

Well, if anybody ever said taking a 2 year old's picture was easy, they couldn't have been more wrong. This little guy seriously made me work for it. Hard. I have a bunch of really great shots of him looking at the ground, though. Such as this one:

Or this one:

But sometimes, if I was really sneaky, I was able to get one of these:

And I got some great shots of the whole family:

Lisa, hope you enjoy!! I had fun with you guys!

Jennifer & Co.

2008-11-17T17:26:00.002-05:00

Some real quick ones from Saturday's session. Jennifer is a coworker of my husband's, and she and her sister brought their kids out in the wind and cold and sopping wet ground to get some shots of them all together. 5 kids, between the ages of 2 and 9---you would think anyone with half a brain would run for the hills, but seriously, these kids were SO good. I kept thinking, hmm, let me try this shot before they all run out of patience, and before I knew it I'd filled up two memory cards. I was ready to pack it in long before they were. Especially this one--she'd still be out there posing if we'd let her!

This is Jennifer, with her boys:

Jennifer, if I were you, I'd go ahead and find yourself a really big stick, 'cause you'll be needing it to beat the girls off pretty soon. Check out this cutie:

And this little guy right here is the only who really could have cared less about the pictures. That's OK, joke's on him---I still got some awesome shots of him!

Jennifer and Stephanie--hope you like what you see so far! Thanks for a fun afternoon!

The Browns

2008-11-13T14:56:00.002-05:00

Ah, another day, another beautiful family. I think every family that I've shot so far have all been gorgeous, and these guys are no exception.

These girls have the most beautiful eyes, and it's also fun that they, well, look so darn much alike. Twice as much cute to capture.

Future heartbreaker:

This would be right before I encouraged the kids to throw the leaves AT their parents. Chris still might not be speaking to me.

Angie, are you still picking leaves out of their hair? Sorry about that. Well, that's a lie--this pictures are too cute for me to care. Much. :)

The Zelakowski's

2008-11-10T23:41:00.002-05:00

Poor sick babies. We tried so hard to make you smile, but you were having none of it. Well, maybe a tiny bit of it.

That counts as a smile, right? This definitely does:

And poor Mommy and Daddy. Such is life with 3 young kids:

And I think this little guy is probably busy plotting his escape:

Mandy, hope your babies are feeling better! Next time, I won't forget to bust out the bubbles!

Miss A

2008-11-10T20:47:00.002-05:00

All I've got to say about this one is DANG, if she's that cute, her AUNT must be gorgeous!!!! :) I kind of love her:

The thing about always having your camera out, is that all the kiddos in your life learn to completely ignore you after a while. This one is no exception. You have to just catch them off guard sometimes.

Too bad nobody loves this kid:

Pre-engagement session? Oops--did I just say that out loud? My bad.

The Phipps

2008-11-10T20:36:00.003-05:00

Last week I had the privilege of getting together with this family. Arnold is being deployed next month, so I was honored to be asked to make some family pictures before he leaves. You can tell how much he's going to be missed.

Little Miss E, who is just so sweet:

Ahh, siblings.

Look how beautiful the leaves are! I love fall.

Arnold and Tracy, it was so nice meeting you guys! I can see why Tiff loves her job--your kids are a joy. Thanks to both of you for your sacrifice!

The Finleys

2008-11-03T15:55:00.003-05:00

I had the pleasure of hanging out with this fun family last night. These girls are too precious.

Check out this little cutie.

Playing in the leaves. Fun for all ages.

And just for you, Stephanie and David. The family that Works It together...

Hey Finleys, I had a blast with you guys. Thanks for being up for anything!

Little Miss A

2008-11-02T00:42:00.002-04:00

I got together tonight with one of my closest friends in the whole world and we basically played dress up with her niece all night. Little A was SUCH a good sport while we dragged her all over town, changing her clothes and styling her hair. Here she is in the new skirt her Nonny made her for the occasion:

Don't you wonder what she's thinking right here?

Rockin' that outdoorsy look:

And one of my favorites from the session:

Muffy, Posey, Judy: I hope you guys had as much fun as I did tonight! Hope you like them!

Katie & Tim

2008-11-02T00:31:00.002-04:00

Katie & Tim are expecting their first baby in a few months, and I was honored to be asked to shoot their maternity portraits. Trust me when I say that this baby is gonna hit the jackpot, no matter which end of the gene pool he decides to jump in. These guys are beautiful!

Doesn't Katie kind of make you sick? You can't even tell she's pregnant in the close up! Where's the puffy face? The big pregnant nose? (Was I the only one who got that big pregnant honker?!) If that doesn't make you sick enough, check this out:

And the requisite belly shot:

Tim, thanks for being such a good sport so early on a Saturday! I had fun with you guys. Good luck, and I can't wait to meet the baby!

Ashley & Trevor

2008-10-31T17:18:00.002-04:00

I got the privilege of shooting Trevor and Ashley's engagement pictures this week, as well as Ashley's bridal portraits (which I can't show yet, for obvious reasons. Darn it.). They live in Lenoir, so I headed up there to take advantage of the gorgeous fall colors. It was so worth the trip---the scenery was absolutely beautiful, and I'm pretty pleased with how the pictures turned out, as well!
Check out these leaves (oh, and the couple, too):

Ashley and Trevor are both EMT's and volunteer firefighters, so we had to work in a picture of the truck:

This pose was all Ashley's idea:

Ashley and Trevor, you guys made every minute that I was lost in Wilkesboro worth it! I can't wait until the wedding!

The Ponders

2008-10-31T13:50:00.002-04:00

So, I picked the coldest, windiest day of the year so far to get together with the Ponders. Bad idea. It's a bit hard to get 4 young kids to be cooperative when they're freezing and about to blow away. We squeezed in some pretty good ones, though, before we finally had to pack it in. This little one was not a happy camper, but look at how sweet. She's literally smiling through the tears. That's my kind of girl!

One with everybody:

I must be doing something wrong if children are running away from me!

And the gorgeous couple who spawned all these beautiful young'uns:

Little Miss M

2008-10-30T23:24:00.003-04:00

I got to shoot this little cutie last weekend, too. She was so much fun! We started out here at the house with some studio-type shots, and I thought "man, this is gonna be a breeze". She was cute, sweet, funny, and most importantly: she sat still. Imagine my surprise when we got to this field, and she studiously ignored me! Seriously. She just ran up and down, back and forth, and no matter what tricks I tried, she would. not. look at me. Oh well, when she did grant me with eye contact, it was worth it. Exhibit A:

Stunning, right? And when all else fails, try playing hay-bale-hide-and-seek. Gets 'em every time.

And this one just makes me want to say "Girl, I know. I've had those days, too!"

**Special thanks to M's daddy, who endured numerous fire ant bites during our session. :) What a guy.

The Littles

2008-10-30T21:48:00.002-04:00

Despite some pretty persistent rain, I got together last weekend with Miranda and her little ones. She was a trooper--her kids got muddy and wet, and she never complained. I'm not sure I would have been that calm about muddy pants.

We hopped on the train tracks really fast. Being that we were right in downtown Matthews, I was worried we'd get yelled at, but alas: no one paid us any attention. We must not be the only people doing that!

I hate to show the same wall twice in one post, but c'mon, isn't this so cute?

Miranda, I had a bunch of fun with you guys! Thanks for sticking it out in the rain!

Crystal

2008-10-20T22:50:00.003-04:00

Just a couple of quick ones from my session last night with Crystal and her boys.

Crystal, I never want to hear you make a comment about not being photogenic again. You're beautiful, girl! Look at you and your sweeties!

You'll have this picture as proof that they love you when they're teenagers and you're wanting to pull your hair out. Or theirs. Whatever. :)

The Rouses

2008-10-18T23:18:00.002-04:00

Wanna see a couple of adorable little boys? Who doesn't, right? Well, here ya go:

And another one:

And their adorable parents, who have recently returned from a mission trip to Uganda:

Lara, does this count as a good sun flare shot?! ;)

Spanky and Lara, I had a great time with you guys tonight. Your boys are so sweet and so cute, and I'm glad I got to do this! :)

The Burchards

2008-10-15T11:20:00.002-04:00

Here's a few shots from my session with the Burchards, who I got to meet for the first time this week. What a fun family! They were a great lesson for me in what the 'tween years will be like with my boys! But we had a great time (I did, anyway! :)), and got some great photos.
Tina, here's a little twist on the walking-through-the-grass you requested:

And here's one with a little urban edge to it:

In the woods:

Tina and Rusty, it was great meeting you!

The Hendersons

2008-10-13T22:44:00.004-04:00

I went out Saturday with my friend Ashley and her family for a session. Man, are her kids cute. And BLOND. All three just as towheaded as can be, with big blue eyes. I love black and white photos, but I can't bring myself to convert any shots of their gorgeous coloring! Check 'em out:
The baby (who has got to have the sweetest personality on earth):

I smell t-r-o-u-b-l-e! Don't you love this expression?

This little guy about wore me out chasing him around:

And a shot of everybody all together:

Enjoy!

The Boggs

2008-10-12T17:19:00.003-04:00

Here's a few from a fun session I had with my friend Suzanne and her sweet family. Suzanne and her husband, Chris:

And their precious daughters:

Suzanne, hope you like! More soon!

Blog Slacker (Slack Blogger?!)

2008-10-11T12:16:00.002-04:00

After a crazy busy week, I'm finally re-joining the world of responsible bloggers. I have two sessions to share today, but we'll start with these guys.
This is a disgustingly adorable family, no?

They were so much fun to be around, but they definitely kept me on my toes. Especially the little guy who took this:

(I think he may have a future career going, here. He took this himself, even though it may gotten a tiny bit of Photoshop help.).
And look here, a tiny miracle: 4 young kids, all looking at the camera AND smiling. At the same time. Does not happen often. Believe me.

And a special shout out (yeah, I said shout out) to little S, who underwent another surgery this week. I hope everything went well, and that he's feeling better, poor little guy.

Jeff and Melanie, stay tuned. More to come soon!

Eye Candy

2008-09-23T20:48:00.003-04:00

Out of the goodness of my heart, I thought I'd share this shot of Kelly. Sssshhh, don't tell him, he'll be mortified! But, ain't I lucky?! :)

Greg & Jackie

2008-09-22T19:34:00.003-04:00

Jackie and I have played softball together (kind of) for the past couple years, and I've gotten to know her so much better in the recent months. I was thrilled to be able to do her maternity session. These guys were so much fun to be around, and their love for each other and their soon-to-be little girl were just so evident. Our time together just flew by, and I can't wait to meet their baby.
Who doesn't love pink baby booties?

And some park shots:

Jackie and Greg, I hope you like these! :)

Trent & Ashley

2008-09-20T20:30:00.002-04:00

Last night I met with Trent and Ashley. They are expecting their first baby in the next few weeks, so we got together to get some maternity shots before the little guy makes his big debut. This was my first time meeting Trent and Ashley, and they were so much fun. Ashley and I would get to talking so much I'd almost forget to take pictures.

And a belly shot:

Trent has a "Man Room" that would do any guy proud, so of course we had to get a few shots in there. Here's one of them:

And one last one of the Mama-to-be:

Trent and Ashley, I had fun with you guys last night! Can't wait to meet the baby!

The Culbreths

2008-09-13T08:44:00.002-04:00

Here's a few quick ones of my session with Jonathan, Carrie, and Mr. J. last night. Check this one out, I didn't direct them to look at each other like this, this is just their natural interaction. Isn't it sweet?

And a good one of Jonathan and Carrie:

And who could resist this little grin? I would spoil this kid so bad if he ever gave me this look in the toy aisle.

And this one may be my favorite.photo.ever. I love everything about this shot.

Carrie, hope you like!!

Miss E

2008-09-10T19:05:00.003-04:00

Pure bliss. What could be better than spending the morning with a sweet baby girl? Especially a sweet baby girl that won't be waking me up in the middle of the night tonight when she gets hungry?! This is Miss E, and I'm SO in love with her. She is so precious, and so laid back. If the crazy lady with the camera upset her during the picture-taking process, she'd just fuss a bit, and then calm down as soon as Mommy picked her up. I could've spent the whole day taking her picture, but I had to leave, for fear her Mommy would call the police. But can you blame me? Just look at her!

Isn't she just precious?! And check out her big brother, J. Such a cutie.

He's just as sweet as his baby sister, and he liked me plenty as long as me and Mommy didn't try to make him put down the mulch and pose for pictures.
Speaking of Mommy:

Don't they look so sweet together?

The Spurriers

2008-09-02T15:51:00.004-04:00

This weekend I got together with Crystal and Bryan and their two little men. It was hot, it was humid, it was fun. Despite all of us sweating our tails off, we still got some great shots of this adorable family. These two little guys didn't think much of me at first, but I think I won their hearts when I pointed out deer poop in the field. It's kinda hard to ignore someone who will talk poop with ya.

Here are a few of my favorites from this session

Crystal, can't wait to get up with you guys again soon. And just in case your boys *might* have forgotten about them, I still have those M&M's I promised them. ;)

Meet Ashton

2008-08-27T13:18:00.005-04:00

Meet Ashton, KGP's first official Senior Model. Ashton is a senior this year at Porter Ridge High School. She has a scholarship to attend SPCC next year, and wants to study fashion design. As a Senior Model, Ashton will earn free print credits when she refers other seniors to Kristen Gilbert Photography for their Senior Portraits. I am still on the lookout for Senior Models, so if you're interested (and of course, if you're a Senior this year), contact me.
OK, now to the good part, the pictures! I met with Ashton and her mom in downtown Matthews, and we had the most fun. Ashton told me she was nervous, but you never would have guessed it! My girl is a natural model---and could she be any more gorgeous?!

Here's a black and white for Ashton's mom, Machelle:

Ashton, I had a wonderful time with you, and I hope you enjoy these! Oh, and we'll call you if we need a sitter! :)

Oh, to have this much energy...

2008-08-27T13:00:00.004-04:00

One recent Friday evening, I met with my friend Ally to shoot her kids D, C, & K. Kids are often tricky to photograph anyway, but try shooting 3 energetic kids all under the age of 5. It's a challenge, to say the least. Fortunately, Ally and her mom made for some GREAT assistants, so we got some really beautiful shots. Check out Miss D:

Is she not absolutely beautiful? And her brothers ain't too shabby, either. Here's little K:

Can you guess how old C is turning?

Here's one of some bed-jumping fun:

And one last shot of D,

Ally, as always, I had a blast with you and the kids! Hope you enjoy these.

Big News!

2008-08-26T13:29:00.001-04:00

Guess what? Kristen Gilbert Photography is now open for business! After months of preparation, I'm excited to finally be booking clients. Plus, I've got news for YOU to be very excited about---the awesome deals I'm throwing your way. For the next few months, I'm going to be building my portfolio. What does this mean to you, you ask? Well, I'll tell ya. During my portfolio building process, as a new customer of KGP, you get the following: NO session fee---that's right, I'll be waiving my $50 session fee, just for you. But wait! That's not all! I am also offering 50% off of print prices. Yep, 50% off of ALL products. But this offer is good for a limited time only, so what are you waiting for?!! Call or e-mail me today, and let's get your session booked. For the time being, I'm only booking 2 sessions per week, so don't procrastinate---or else you'll miss out!