erinmayphotography.com

Capturing moments | Cary, NC Family Photographer

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:07:42 +0000

Every moment is worth capturing, including those times where we just don’t feel like smiling. My little buddy John was having one of those days, but you know, we just went with it. Mom and dad were pretty relaxed about it and we just went along and tried to have a little bit of fun in the process. I enjoyed spending the morning with this family – they were so much fun! Again, another morning session to beat the NC heat – I’m loving these morning sessions!

Look, a caterpillar!

Ok, I almost got a half smile. You’re not going to believe what it took to get this…. ok, ok, I talked like Yoda. Yup, I really did.

I let John take the reins for a few minutes and pose himself and his sister. Not too shabby! I think we almost got a smile here!

Probably one of my favorite moments from the day. Turns out Dad was my secret weapon – all I had to do was ask him to act as silly as he possibly could right behind me and look at what happened! I have a feeling he’s had a little practice!

These two are really the best of friends – so cute.

Justin – Class of 2011 | Cary, NC Senior Photographer

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:11:42 +0000

Meet Justin – he’s one of the most laid back seniors I’ve ever met. Not many kids would get up bright and early during their summer vacation for a photoshoot, but Justin was way cool with it. We got started around 730 in the morning…. and I’m sure you can imagine what he told me he was doing that afternoon: taking a nap! Morning sessions are turning out to be a great way to take advantage of some beautiful light and cooler temperatures. We’ve had a pretty hot summer here in NC, so what better way to beat the heat than setting the alarm clock!

Justin is like most guys his age – totally obsessed with sports. If he’s not playing one, he’s watching ESPN. He’s played baseball since he was little and his parents saved every hat from every team he’s ever played on! Of course we had to find a creative way to incorporate his hat collection!

Good luck with your senior year, Justin!!!

Charm City Mama – Baltimore, MD Maternity Photographer

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:47:25 +0000

What’s better than having one best friend who’s pregnant? Having 2!!! Yes, another best friend from college is expecting her first baby on the same day as Heidi and I was psyched to spend an evening with Larissa and her husband Dave in Baltimore! Side note: Larissa and Dave actually met at Heidi and Scott’s wedding – crazy, huh?! Crazy awesome because they’re such great couple! Anyway, they lived right in downtown Baltimore within walking distance to Federal Hill and this beautiful park overlooking the inner harbor. Can I just tell you how GORGEOUS it was in Baltimore that day? Seriously, it was an absolutely perfect day – perfect light, perfect temperature, and a perfect day to walk around Baltimore and take pictures of my friends!

Dave and Larissa – I miss you guys terribly and can not wait to meet your new baby!!! Home stretch – you’re almost there!!! Love you guys!!!

Seriously, one of my favorite pictures ever!

Yup – my favorite shot from the weekend.

And just one more of my best pregnant friends ever – how awesome do they look!??! I can not WAIT to meet these babies!!!!

Field of Dreams – Maternity Photographer, Millersburg, PA

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:33:10 +0000

When I was pregnant with my son, people always told me you you’ll never realize how much you love you have for someone until you have a baby. And it was true. After having my son, I couldn’t wait for my friends to share the experience – the excitement of feeling that first kick, picking out names, wondering what he or she will look like, and dreaming about what your life has in store for you. Let me introduce you to my BFF – my best friend in the whole wide world – Heidi and her husband Scott who are expecting a little boy in a few weeks. Heidi and I have been friends since our freshman year in college at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA as we embraced the challenge that was Electrical Engineering. We were roommates our senior year and BFFs ever since. We have been through so much together over the years and I am SO excited for this new journey she is about to begin as a mommy.

A few weeks ago, I went to PA for Heidi’s baby shower and we managed to squeeze in some time for several shoots around central PA. They own a piece of land just north of Harrisburg and I’m so glad we had a chance to take some family shots with their dog Chloe.

Heidi, you will never know how much love you’ll have for someone so tiny, until you see you son’s face for the first time. You guys have waited for this for so long and I promise you, he will be worth the wait! I love you guys so much – can’t wait to meet baby Jack!!

How cute are you two? Hands down my favorite shot from the weekend!

Family Picnic | Cary, NC Family Photographer

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 13:05:39 +0000

When my friends Amanda and Steve asked if we could do a family session at Walnut Street Park in Cary, I couldn’t have been more thrilled! We planned for some playtime on the playground and a picnic in the park. The girls were an absolute dream and had such a great time playing in the park with their mommy and daddy. Who knew an orange could be so much fun!!!

Sweet baby girl | Kernersville, NC Newborn Photographer

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:26:35 +0000

I honestly can’t believe it’s been about two months since I’ve posted!!! Believe me, it’s not because I haven’t been shooting or because I didn’t want to. I’ve actually been keeping busy shooting and enjoying my summer with my little people. It hard to believe it’s the end of July already – this summer has completely flown! I promise to not be so much of a stranger!!!!

About three months ago, I had the pleasure of shooting this adorable baby girl when she was 9 days old. She was as sweet as can be and slept almost the entire time. I enjoyed the afternoon with this brand new little family – and you can tell that this little girl already has her daddy wrapped around her finger! Congratulations, Jill and Mike!

Kevin and Courtney | Engagement Photographer – Cary, NC

Wed, 19 May 2010 18:44:35 +0000

I’d like you all to meet my little brother Kevin. Yes, he’s 25 and not so little anymore, but he’s always going to be my little brother to me. He recently got engaged to his long-time girl friend, Courtney, and I couldn’t be happier for him! A few weeks ago, they came to visit me, so we scheduled a fun little photo shoot in downtown Apex, NC. As always, I had a fabulous time shooting with my good friend Julia!

Sorry ladies, he's taken!

Sneak Peek | Cary, NC Family Photographer

Sun, 16 May 2010 16:50:26 +0000

A few weeks ago, I had a great time shooting our friends at a park here in Cary. We planned for a picnic and the kids had a blast – could they get any cuter?! More to come very very soon!!!

2010 Best Ranger Competition – Team 40 | Ft. Benning, GA

Thu, 13 May 2010 19:59:18 +0000

While I was at the 2010 BRC rooting on our boys from Team 41, I also tried to capture some images of Team 40, our other National Guard team from Rhode Island.

Meet CPT Chris Ahlemeyer and SSG Bob Tobin. They are members of the 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne) which is a battalion of the 36th Infantry Combat Team based in Texas. CPT Ahlemeyer and SSG Tobin finished 1st and 3rd respectfully in the ARNG Best Ranger Competition Tryout in JAN 2010.

They are extremely strong physically and mentally and were steep competition to the rest of the field, particularly on the initial Buddy Run, the Night Road March, and the Darby Queen Obstacle Course. These two did an outstanding job during the competition and came in 14th out of 25 finishing teams. WTG guys!! While I was sitting in the media area waiting for teams to finish their final buddy run to the finish, I couldn’t believe it when I saw these two hauling in as the 4th team to cross the finish. A-maz-ing.

I didn’t get a chance to meet their families until the very last day of the competition, but I know they are all extremely proud of them! They all came down from Massachusetts and Rhode Island to watch them compete. Congrats again to Team 40!

Day2 - Getting ready to start Mystery Event 3 - Entering and clearing a building

Day 2: Mystery Event 3 - Entering and clearing a building

Day 3: Taking a small break after a long night of land nav. Getting ready for the Darby Queen.

Day 3: stretching out before the Darby Queen

Day 3: Next up - the Darby Queen

Day 3: The Darby Queen

Day 3: Clearing Obstacle 1

Day 3: on the way to Obstacle 2

Day 3: Obstacle 2 - "The Dirty Name"

Day 3: Crossing the finish! WTG Team 40!!!

2010 Best Ranger Competition – Day 3 | Ft. Benning, GA

Mon, 10 May 2010 20:22:08 +0000

Finally getting online (while everyone in my room takes a nap) to post about Day 3 – the FINAL day of the Best Ranger Challenge of 2010. Wow, what a weekend it has been, folks! I could not be more proud of these guys – they did an amazing job pushing through one of the toughest competitions they will ever experience. I say that because there’s no way in H-E-double-hockey-sticks that I’m going to be able to handle the single-mom gig again and plus, Bob says he’s getting to old for this stuff! HA!

History was made this weekend and I could not be more proud to be associated with the National Guard. Not only did they have their first team ever complete the event, they had TWO!!! 40 teams started the competition and Bob and Kevin came in 10th place out of 25 teams who finished. CPT Chris Ahlemeyer and SSG Bob Tobin, from the Rhode Island National Guard also competed and placed 14th overall. It was exciting to see these guys do so well and represent the Guard the way they did. They were up against Army Rangers and Special Forces teams who’s daily work activities include many of the tasks featured in this weekend’s competition, so I was happy to see our guys not only keep up, but surpass many of them.

Here is some information regarding Day 3: Day 3 started at Camp Darby with the Darby Queen obstacle course – 26 obstacles/2 km long. Once the competitors completed the course, they prepared poncho rafts in preparation for a HELOCAST (jump from helicopter into Victory Pond). After entering the water, teams swam the rafts to the shore. The next event was a water confidence course which consisted of a confidence plank walk, commando rope traverse, 40ft drop into water, and 75ft zip line into water. Teams were shuttled by UH60s to Uchee Creek for the 1 mile run to the 3 mile upstream canoe along the Chattahoochee River. The last event was a 2 mile buddy run to the finish.

I should note that the ranger training brigade and race promoters designed the competition to be very spectator friendly, so many of the “cool” events that you’ve seen in my pictures over the past few days were conducted during daylight hours at featured Ft. Benning training locations that were easily accessible to people like me wielding a camera and a double stroller. When the sun goes down, that’s when things really heat up, such as last night when teams went on a 12 hour night land navigation adventure with 80 lbs of gear on their backs. If you’re not familiar with land nav, basically, you’re given a map, compass, protractor, and about 30 grid coordinates to plot on a map. Try to imagine yourself in the woods, at 3am, after an entire day of physical activity in the sun, having already traveled 20-25 km. Heavy ruck sack wrenching your back. Mental fatigue. Dogs barking. This is what those in the know call “seeing the pink elephant”.

It may appear that this competition is about a team of two guys testing both their physical and mental strength over the course of 3 days, but it goes far beyond that – something that took me driving 9 hours down to Georgia with 2 little people in tow to find out. The Best Ranger Competition showcases what this highly trained military community is all about and that it takes more than just two guys, a team, or a platoon of soldiers – it takes support from families and friends for these guys to do what they do best. There were big groups supporting each of their teams and I wish I had thought of having creative shirts made for our guard support crew, like many of the other teams had. I’d say there’s always next year, but we already covered that, right?!

Before I continue my post with pictures, I just wanted to take a second to thank some very special people who I just met while I was in GA. Carol and Dionne are good friends of both Kevin and Laura Dylus and came down to support our team during the events. I literally handed my kids over to these ladies MANY times during the course of days 2 and 3 and they willingly helped me out and treated my children as their own. Due to unforeseen circumstances, I didn’t have an extra set of hands to come down with me, so their help was incredibly appreciated. Thank you ladies! I hope to see you again in the future!!! And also – thank you to our buddy, Major Mike Gilligan who also stepped in to watch my kids as I ran off to catch my “money” HELOCAST shots! Thanks Mike!!!!

Without further ado – here are my pics from day 3!! Thanks for reading my novel!

NC and RI Guard teams

Kevin's wife, Laura, drove down from Ashville, NC with her two boys (one of whom is 2 weeks old), and her parents to surprise Kevin at the finish. It was great to meet her and her family!

Our whole crew minus nate who was running on the stairs.