Luster Studios » North Carolina Photographers Craig Carpenter

Monthly Archives: March 2009

Couples and Family Maternity Photos (Lindsay & Stephan)

03.28.09 posted in: Special Events

Lindsay and Stephan are a sweethearted and loving couple from Clayton that have been married for 3 years and hold tight bonds with their friends and family as well as their extended family at C3 Church just down the street. Last year they decided to take a big step and extend their own family!

Soon after when they found out that they were pregnant, they contacted me to check my availability for a fun photography session. Normally I don’t promote my maternity photography, but in the case when someone asks me (or if it is a past client) I am more than happy to oblige. I especially enjoy fun sessions where the focus is still on the couple. As they waited for Lindsay to start “showing” they kept in touch with me on how things were going.

I even had a chance to see their 3D ultrasound which was pretty cool! I joked with them that maybe there were a few “sleeper” babies just waiting to surprise them. For those of you that may be wondering what the heck I’m talking about, I was referencing a term in bowling where the “sleeper pin” is a rear pin that is not easily seen because of a pin directly in front of it. I don’t know that they were thrilled about that idea and decided that one baby was going to be enough for now!

As time went by Lindsay’s belly got bigger (as one would expect in a circumstance such as this) but they also got busier and busier with baby classes and preparing the nursery. It became difficult to lock in the perfect time to schedule the shoot. 9 months snuck up on us pretty quick and before we knew it Lindsay was going to be due in a week so we decided to photograph the next day.

We had fun scoping out Clayton for some fun locations and later went back to there house for some cozy shots that included their weimaraner, Bray. I must say that they could not have cut it any closer! Just a day and half after our pregnancy couple photos Lindsay and Stephan announced the birth of Wyatt James Caldwell. I teased them that all of the moving about during the shoot must have caused Wyatt to want come out ASAP!

I noticed that if Stephen covered up a few letters on one of the signs that we could make a new sign up to make Lindsay laugh!
couple playground swings

What are the chances that we would find a swing seat that said “Miracle?”
married couple swinging

Don’t worry Bray! They won’t love you any less. :)
couple photography dog

A perfect nursery to welcome their new baby home to!
monogrammed baby cloth

posted in: Special Events

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Anonymous - August 3, 2010 - 4:45 pm

Quality of the pictures are fantastic. Was it the couples idea to be completely bare bellied in the outside shots?

Cory Thorson - May 5, 2010 - 12:03 pm

These are great photos and would look amazing printed on wood! Please check out my website at http://www.whoatos.com and let me know if you have any questions or are interested in printing any of your photos on wood. Thanks!

The Rialto Theater Five Points In Raleigh (Carrie + Dave)

03.16.09 posted in: Couples

Even though Carrie and Dave are still working out their wedding details, they knew without a doubt that they wanted me to photograph their engagement session. Sometimes it works out perfect because a couple can get a real sense of how I interact with them and the quality of my work even before sitting down and discussing wedding photography plans.

I’m so glad we did this because they are such a fun and easy going couple. I made a suggestion that we photograph in front of The Rialto Theater in Downtown Raleigh by Five Points since the movie “Two Lovers” was playing with Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow. The Rialto is part of a theatre chain that are the only locally owned theaters in Raleigh, NC. They screen movies that you typically don’t find anywhere else in wonderful vintage spaces.

I loved how this tied in with the idea that once this movie is not in rotation Dave and Carrie will be the only couple that a unique engagement photograph that is truly “one-of-a-kind” and can never be replicated.

We all agreed it would be the perfect backdrop for a sweet romance. It took a few photos (and Carrie’s infectious laughter) to get Dave warmed up in front of the camera but he was a real champ through the rest of the shoot! He also made an awesome alien as you’ll see in the photos below.

I like the horizontal streaks of light in the bottom of this photo.
couple wooden chair

This was by far my favorite picture for our theater backdrop. It was exactly what I had in my mind that I wanted to capture.
young couple fence

We hopped a fence to take photographs by these old carnival cutouts we found in back of the theater. We all patted ourselves on the back as to how athletic and graceful we must have looked… :)
fair head cutouts

Ewwww… Alien germs! See… You don’t ALWAYS have to smile Dave.
couple piggy back ride

As the day progressed we found some beautiful light by a tree with some photogenic tufts of grass.

posted in: Couples

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Sarah P Duke Gardens Engagement Photos (Swati + Desai)

03.02.09 posted in: Couples

Ok… I have a lot of photos for this knockout couple. They’ve known each other for 5-6 years since college. It was one of those “like at first site” type moments when Desai saw Swati for the first time from the school’s library window when he was with one of my friends. He was smitten and asked her out to lunch. They began having lunch almost every day as they got to know each other more. They had been dating for the past 3 years until Desai proposed and the rest is history!

We had an amazing time at the Sarah P Duke Gardens in Durham. This beautiful locations was ripe with beautiful backdrops and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day weather wise. The diffused light and soft breeze really showed off this wonderful couple. Swati’s choice of dresses floored me when I met her. Congratulations Desai on a real catch! To top it off they were adventurous and up for any ideas we came up with together.