capturing the innocence of childhood

Children

I remember everyone told me, once I had children, time would start to fast forward. And they were so right. One day you're holding your baby in your arms and the next they are starting kindergarten.

If you're like me, it's important to document every season of their lives. If you'd love a timeless portrait of your child, I'd love to have the honor of photographing this precious time of their lives.

Raleigh children's and Milestone Photographer

Cousins at the Christmas tree farm »

Sunflower session »

1st birthday cake smash»

REAL STORIES OF REAL families

Featured Galleries

birthday photos in the rose garden

1st Birthday photos

I always love when I am able to take a client's maternity photos and then watch their baby grow and change! And a baby's first birthday is a huge celebration that should be documented!
I love taking cake smash photos outdoors and have tons of props to help fit the theme of your little one!

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Adorable sister session

Sisters in sunflowers

Every girl deserves to feel like a princess and I was lucky to get to photograph 3 at once!

The summer sunflower field was a perfect evening for these sisters to laugh, share secrets, twirl and stop and smell the flowers!

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Bringing holiday cheer

Cousins at the Christmas Tree Farm

There is nothing better than seeing children's faces around Christmas time and the excitement in their eyes! And what better place to bring in the holiday cheer than a beautiful Christmas tree farm!

This session was adorable and at the end of the session their cousins showed up for a couple of special holiday photos!

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extraordinary • moments • captured

The Experience

One thing I commonly hear from clients is that they feel awkward or stiff in front of the camera. Don't worry....we ALL do! That's why I am here to help guide you through posing and make you feel beautiful and comfortable during our session. And I'm always running around, acting silly, or balancing a toy on my head to get the "real smiles" out of your children (and sometimes Dad's too haha).

Not sure what to wear? I have a HUGE client closet, inclusive of adult women's as well as children's couture dresses. Make your session a once in a lifetime couture experience!

let's have fun creating cherished moments of your kids!

Once your session is booked, we will set up a consultation, either by email or phone, to discuss the details of the session. This will include the session location, wardrobe consultation (if using a gown from my client closet), color palette guidance for outfit planning, and a "must have" shot list to ensure your portraits include the poses that are most important to you!

1. Pre-Session consultation

2. the day of the photoshoot

YAY! Today's the day! Time to relax and have fun as we make beautiful memories that will be created into timeless portraits.

If using a gown from my client closet, we will plan on meeting 10 minutes prior to your session time to allow you time to change into the gown.

Within one week after your session is complete, a soft-proofed (lightly edited) gallery link will be sent to your email. From there, you will choose your favorite images for me to put all the final editing touches on!

Your final photos will be delivered as high resolution downloadable images for you to use. I also offer heirloom professional quality prints and products that can be ordered directly from your gallery and delivered straight to your home!

3. Your photographs

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The Process

heirloom artwork • priceless

Collections begin at $600

Investing in portraits is something you will treasure and show your children for years to come. I know that my photographs are my most prized possessions. As your family grows and changes, these portraits will be a reminder of a memory that will be frozen in time forever.

The Investment Details

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"We booked Susan for her sunflower mini sessions and I was totally blown away with the results! Not only did she manage to get each one of our girls’ personality to shine through but also group shots that we will cherish. Susan was wonderful from booking through delivery of our photos and you can tell that she truly loves what she does and treats each client as a VIP. Thank you again Susan!"

children's Session

Jen & Family

"Susan is amazingly talented, and has a heart of gold. Our family photos turned out amazing, and I’ll treasure them forever. Thank you, Susan- I hope you realize how magical you are 💗💗💗"

Mommy&ME session

Linz & family

"Susan did such an amazing job with our family photos. Our 3 year olds were all over the place but she was able to keep their attention and get some great pics. We are so happy with how they turned out and will definitely ask her to take pictures for us again in the future."

Family Session

Robyn & family

"From family photos to maternity photos, Susan is the person you need to book with!!! She provides excellent quality, is extremely professional, and gives her clients nothing but her absolute best each and every time!! These will be photos you will cherish for years to come! I can’t say enough good things!."

Maternity Session

Julie and Ricky

"I am truly blown away with how incredible our family photos came out! Susan was beyond amazing to work with and even more amazing working with my kids (ages 2&5) to get the perfect shots. I cannot stop looking at them and I cannot wait to hire her for more family photos. If you are looking for a photographer who knows what they are doing and want breath taking photos that will last a lifetime Susan is the one you want!"

Family Session

Heather & Family

"Susan VanNess is incredibly talented with such a keen eye for photography. She knows how to use her environments, capture beautiful lighting, and how to advise the client on how to move/pose to flatter your body. The shoots are always low stress and easy to relax during because you know she has it under control and you will get high quality shots of your family. Lifelong client (as long as she'll have me!)"

Maternity Session

Gretchen & Brandon