It's been a little crazy over here at McGraw Photography and I have a ton of great stuff to catch up on! I'll start out with a shoot from a couple months ago... This is Phoenix - a new club in Uptown Charlotte with a state-of-the-art sound and light system. Definitely a cool place to check out if you are ever roaming the streets of Uptown. The woodworking, fabrics, and details were amazing to photograph.
Introducing the newest Coffee Table Album...
This flush-mount album is sized at 10x10 and will make the perfect centerpiece for your coffee table. Complete with 20 pages/10 spreads, there is plenty of room to feature your favorite images from your session. This is the perfect way to brag about your photogenic fur-kid. Coffee Table Albums are available in money-saving Collections or A la Carte.
Flush-mount pages are press-printed on Lustre paper and adhered to heavy black cardstock for a thick look and feel.
Pages are printed as full spreads and not cut so imagery and design elements are not lost in the center of the book. Lay-flat pages showcase your images across each spread.
The custom covers are made with masonite to give the books a smooth, substantial feel.
An optional Memory Box is available that is custom-designed to fit your Coffee Table Album.
The 10x10 Memory Box is large enough to hold other memorabilia and is finished with an elastic closure and ribbon detail. This great item is available as a discounted Collection Add-On or A la Carte.
For any questions about these or any of my other products, feel free to contact me!
Saturday evening, I met with Rio and her new mom! Rio is an adorable Boxer-mix puppy that was recently rescued from the pound in Greenville, SC. Because, up until now, Rio has only seen the worst of Greenville (from behind cage bars), we decided to head out and show her what this awesome city is about! Greenville, SC has the quintessential Southern downtown but with a modern twist. Its a cool, hip area centered around Reedy River Park and is filled with restaurants, bars, shops, and condos almost all converted from old buildings. This downtown is seriously alive! Actually, there were so many people on the streets Saturday night that we had to abandon our original idea of shooting along Main Street. However, we stuck to the outskirts of downtown and still got some great shots that spoke to us about the session's theme...old, new and rebirth.
Theme, you ask? Absolutely! I usually always try to have a theme in the back of my head during a shoot. I just took this one a little further and made it a little more literal. Old - the life at the pound that Rio once had (represented by the old buildings and brick). New - the new life in front of her with her new mom (the new buildings). Rebirth - the actual mental and emotional shift Rio went through after being adopted (the bridge and greenery). Is it cheesy? Maybe. Does it work? Heck yeah! I don't know about you, but I can definitely see the newfound hope and happiness in little Rio's eyes!
Rio thoroughly enjoyed rolling around in the nice, cool grass. She looks super uncomfortable in this frame but I think she's in heaven!
I seriously can't take this much cuteness!
The rain clouds cleared for a couple minutes this morning so I used that opportunity to snap a quick image of Sadie. She is growing so fast and I love her dearly!
Happy Easter weekend!
From the outtakes: Attempting the impossible when a photographer works alone with props and dogs...
My Canon 24-105mm f/4 L IS lens is now officially for sale! The lens has been a true joy and has captured many of the photos on my website. It is in excellent condition with no signs of wear or scratches. Comes complete with lens pouch, lens hood, and instructions. This lens is a USA model...not grey model. If you want more details about this lens, check out B&H's website HERE. This lens retails for $1150 and I am asking $950. I am willing to take credit cards and/or Paypal but a service fee will be added. If you are interested or have any questions, please email me at sarah@mcgrawphotography.com. Thanks so much!
When Sky's mom called me to book a session, I got super excited. I'm always happy to meet a new doggy client but this one was a little different. She had a small dog...a Wire-Haired Dachshund to be exact. I don't get the opportunity to photograph many small dogs as most of my clients have had larger pups. Plus, how often do you see a Wired-Haired Dachshund? Sky's mom warned me that she is pretty shy around new people and was worried we wouldn't get too many pictures. When I saw how nervous she really was, I had to come up with a new game plan. Fortunately, at just 1 year of age, Sky already has some show experience. We used that to our advantage and took the photo shoot to a location unfamiliar to Sky. Once she had on her show lead and was out of her home turf, she turned it on! It's like she had been modeling her whole life.
I had to sneak one in with her mom...
This is Sky's preferred method of travel. She is just adorable!
Once we got back home, Sky was much more relaxed and exhausted. Those eyes make me want to smother her in kisses!
Thank you, Sky, for turning out to be a great model. You rocked it and will do awesome in the ring!
Last week, my friend Nicole (from Blue Ruby Photography) and I got together and had an impromptu photo day. Our photo days are great because we get to practice new techniques and talk shop about the photography business. We talk about our goals, our equipment wish list (see next paragraph), our wonderful pets and more. This particular day, I spent the morning photographing her Boxer, Ruby. We started the morning at the Waxhaw skate park - a cool little park right in the heart of downtown Waxhaw. The ramps, ledges and bumps (can't you tell I'm not a skater) made for a cool background. I definitely want to go back here when I get my 24mm f/1.4! Ruby was a trooper and modeled like a pro.
After the skate park, we wondered around Waxhaw looking for some good lighting opportunities. It was a little later in the morning than I like to shoot but I think we made it work.
I loved these red doors in front of an old fire department...
Back at home, Ruby was ready for a nap. Thanks, Ruby and Nicole, for a fun photo day!
