A Christmas Card Session Filled With Personality, Tradition, and a Little Nostalgia

Every year, I look forward to this Christmas card session with a mix of excitement, nostalgia, and the feeling that time is moving entirely too fast. I’ve been photographing this crew since the youngest members—twins Gabby and Charlotte—were brand-new babies. Watching kiddos grow up through my lens has always been one of the most meaningful parts of my work. Each year brings new personalities, new milestones, and new reasons I absolutely love photographing them. This session is always about capturing who they really are: siblings who all have their own personalities, yet somehow fit together perfectly.

We started with Jay, who has grown from the kid I first photographed into a confident young man finishing his degree at UNC Charlotte. He’s set to graduate next year with a major in computer security, and his calm, grounded presence always brings balance to the group. He also runs collegiate track—something he’s incredibly disciplined and talented in. Jay is always easy to photograph because he’s so easy going!

Next up: Christina, who somehow gets more photogenic every single year. She’s currently a student at Cannon Schooland a total force on the track—fast, focused, and already decorated with national titles. She slips effortlessly between fierce athlete and effortlessly chic in front of the camera. Christina has this natural elegance that makes shooting her a breeze. She gives me THE LOOK perfect. Every time.

And then there are the twins—Gabby and Charlotte—the babies and, dare I say, the funniest of the whole group. They are identical in age but completely unique in personality. It’s always so fascinating to meet them where they are at every year and try to get the smiles that mom wants the most. This year we got great smiles out of everyone and it didn’t even require bribes!

We kept the Christmas card theme fresh this year with a more casual vibe and earth tones in the background to set off the bright pink the girls chose. I did a custom design with a burgundy background to bring a crossover of tones from the trees to the sweatshirts and mom loved it! Each of these kids has grown and changed so much, but the magic of photographing them together like this every year has created a visual time capsule, capturing not just what they look like, but who they are becoming. I adore this family, and getting to create their Christmas card images each season is truly a highlight of my year.