Mallory | Newborn Session | Charlotte Photographer | Krista Gantt Photography

And then there were four—four girls, that is. Mallory is the newest addition to this crew of little ladies. I adore this family. It’s been a blessing to photograph all four of these girls and to capture each of their individual personalities. I know I am in for a fun time when they book a session, and I really appreciate how they trust my vision for each of their sessions. I must add—it is such a treat when I see that they’ve printed and displayed my images all around their home! Mallory’s youngest older sister did a Baby Plan with me, so I’ve been able to photograph each one of these girls in her milestone photos. There’s something so special about getting to know families through photographing them over time.

Look at how well these girls love their newest little sister!

Three Reasons to Book a Mini Session | Charlotte, North Carolina | Krista Gantt Photography

There are so many options when it comes to booking a photography session. Some things that factor into your choices are timing, finances, weather, utilization of the images. The list goes on. One great opportunity for both photographers and families is booking mini sessions. There are a number of reasons to choose to book a mini session, but below are three main reasons many families choose to book this particular type of session.

Mini sessions can be a great opportunity to try on your photographer for fit without a huge commitment. You want to ensure you and the photographer are comfortable with one another—if not, the discomfort can lead to images that aren’t of great quality photos that simply don’t feel genuine.

Once you’ve determined the relationship between yourself and your photographer, you will want to examine your budget. If finances are a little tight but you really want to prioritize photos, you can book a mini session, which is typically a less expensive option. Photographers tend to book back-to-back sessions in order to accomodate more families on a particular day. The session will be shorter (around 15 to 30 minutes) and usually does not allow for outfit changes. So they are quick and painless!

Finally, sometimes you’re just not looking for an abundance of images. You may even have a very specific image (e.g., special announcement, Christmas card, pregnancy announcement) that you are looking to capture and you don’t need a gallery of 100+ images. These special situations lend themselves perfectly to mini sessions because they usually yield fewer images in the final gallery.

This sweet girl definitely made the most of her mini session! What kinds of mini sessions would you like to see from me this year?! I have a few ideas in mind but I want to hear from you!

Scarlett | 22 Week Preemie | NICU Portraits | Charlotte, North Carolina | Krista Gantt Photography

Scarlett

22 weeks 2 days

13 pounds 12.8 ounces

Scarlett is quite the little fighter. She came into this world under one pound! Her story began as one of four quadruplets. She is the only one earth side, but her siblings—Oliver, Amelia, and Vivian—still remain a beautiful part of her family’s story. Recently, the peanut you see below has gained ‘big sister’ status to her little brother Christian, who has already had his newborn session as part of his Baby Plan membership.

Despite the hardships of a pregnancy with quadruplets that ended in preterm deliveries and spending quite some time in the NICU, Scarlett’s parents have a great sense of humor—I always enjoy my time with them. Below, Scarlett’s mother, a nurse, details her family’s journey through a pregnancy with multiples and their time in the NICU.

“We knew we would have trouble conceiving. I have PCOS as well as a bicornuate uterus. We did three rounds of IUI. Our last was successful and we were pregnant with quads. We found out we were pregnant in May. The pregnancy was moving along very easily. My husband and I were so excited, and our family and friends couldn’t even believe there were four. At my 21 week MFM appointment my water broke and the immediately sent me to the maternity unit where I stayed until the babies were delivered. It was a roller coaster from that point forward. I went into early labor and had to deliver one baby who we named Oliver. He passed away during the laboring process. We knew God had a bigger plan for him. We call him his sisters’ hero, he held on long enough to buy his sisters more time. The other three were able to hang on for another week. I ended up getting septic and had to have an emergency c-section to deliver the other three babies at 22 weeks and 2 days. One little girl we named Amelia passed away and his hanging out with her brother Oliver. The other two we named Scarlett and Vivian— sassy and feisty little girls keeping the nurses on their toes. This is not how we pictured this adventure in our lives going but we couldn’t have been in a better place. Everyone from the nurses, doctors, and support staff [were] the kindest most compassionate people we could have asked to have care for our family through this time.”

Below is a glimpse into Scarlett’s time in the NICU, on a ventilator. You also get to see a sweet moment of kangaroo care with her mother and some hand hugs with mom and dad.

Scarlett’s newborn session after NICU graduation—look how much she’s grown!

Scarlett’s spring session with the peach blossoms at Springs Farm — Scarlett is a big sister!

Scarlett turns ONE!

Baby brother Christian snoozes through his newborn session.

Wade and Waylon | 26 Week Preemie Twins | NICU Portraits | Charlotte, North Carolina | Krista Gantt Photography

Wade and Waylon

26 Weeks 2 Days

1 pound 10 ounces & 1 pound 14 ounces

“We had been trying to get pregnant for 3 years and were about to start the IVF process, and then found out we were pregnant with identical twins! The pregnancy was going well with doctor appointments every two weeks to keep an eye on the babies. We decided to have the boys' baby shower at 26 weeks, so we would have time to get the nursery ready. Well, the boys decided they wanted to come see what they got at their shower...I went into labor 2 days later!

I really had no clue I was in labor but knew something was wrong. I went to the hospital and they confirmed I was in labor and immediately started meds to try to stop it. Well my water broke and I was taken in for c-section. My sweet redheaded baby boys were born at 2:01pm & 2:03pm. This was by far the scariest day of my life. Looking at them now at 11 weeks old (37 weeks gestation), they are perfect.

Still in the NICU but doing great!! I could not be more thankful or impressed with the nurses and doctors. I thank god every day and I'm looking forward to being able to take my boys home.”

Valentine's Day Portraits | Charlotte, North Carolina Family Photographer | Krista Gantt Photography

What a fun start to 2019! Since I am slowing down a bit this year to spend time with Evan, I decided to offer Valentine’s Day mini sessions this year. I thought about offering various mini sessions throughout the year because I can choose the dates, which gives me a little more flexibility in my schedule. I have never offered mini sessions, but these were a complete success!

The reason these turned out so cute is thanks to Evelyn Henson! I don’t even remember where I saw her Confetti Hearts Wall for the first time, but I knew at that moment that I had to chose it as the backdrop for Valentine’s sessions. It is a 40ft wall with beautiful colorful hearts and phrases, and it was finished just in time for this event! I would love to see more public art like this around Charlotte, so make sure you follow Evelyn, visit the mural, and tag #confettiheartswall. The more excited we get about these, the more likely they are to start popping up around our communities.

I have so many favorites from each session that I wanted to share, so it was very hard to narrow it down. These sessions made for some fun family photos, mother-daughter photos, and sibling photos! Take a look at my favorites from each session below, and comment with your favorite!

Valentine’s Day Mini Sessions

Confetti Hearts Wall

“I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you.” - Ben Folds

“I may not say much when I am with you, but all of me loves you all the time.” - Richard Nixon

“To love another person is to see the face of God.” - Les Miserables

“A hundred hearts would be too few. To carry all my love for you.”

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." - Maya Angelou 

"I love you more than yesterday, but less than tomorrow."

“There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved.” - George Sand

“Your flaws are perfect for the heart that’s meant to love you.” - Trent Shelton

Quinn | Newborn Session | Charlotte, North Carolina Newborn Photographer | Krista Gantt Photography

Introducing... Quinn Berkeley!  She's a sweetie and Teagan is a very proud big sister!  I was so glad to have the opportunity to capture these images of my work friend's baby.  Kelley is a NICU nurse and I am glad to call her a friend.  She's sweet and fun, and a little silly too!  We met on night shift but we're both happy to be working in the sunlight hours now.  Enjoy these photos - and this pretty nursery!

Queen City Quints | 27 Week Quintuplets | NICU Portraits | Charlotte, North Carolina NICU Photographer | Krista Gantt Photography

Coming soon to a blog near you!  I can't wait to share with you the Queen City Quints!

Abbie and "Chris" | Charlotte, North Carolina | Family Photographer | Krista Gantt Photography

Meet Abbie, Chris, Hunter, and Caroline. Ok, so his name isn't Chris.  It's Jason.  But in my mind, those two are the same.  For almost the entire session, I wanted Jason to be Chris.  He eventually answered to it, but I'm sure deep down he really wishes I would have called him by his real name. 

I met Abbie through her sister-in-law, Ashley.  I was so glad to meet this beautiful family and capture a small moment of their lives.  Let me just say - Caroline and Hunter are so beautiful and so polite!  They were such good sports about the cold and windy weather, too.  We knocked out their family session on the same day as Ashley's, and in the same park - Glen Cairn Garden in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  Favorites are below...