Jere Dotten Photography » Portraits

The Lewis and Cromer family photoshoot in Emerald Isle, NC – Charlotte Portrait Photographer

Jere Dotten — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 16:45:50 +0000

Where did the month of July go??? But, I guess time does fly when you’re having fun! We had family in town for the 4th of July weekend. While everyone else headed home, my 13 year old sister, Taylor stayed with Jere and I for 10 days (some pictures of that coming up soon). I remember being that age, and after spending 10 days with a 13 year old…I wanted to apologize to my parents and grandmother immediately ! But, in all seriousness, it was nice having her here…we had a really good time.

Then, the fun continued when we headed to the beach to see some of our favorite people! I had never been to North Carolina coast, so I was really excited when Clay and Lynn contacted us about coming to Emerald Isle to do some family portraits. As you may remember, we did a session with the Lewis family last fall when baby Caroline was just a few months old (you can see that session by clicking here). And, she is just as precious now as she was then. If you don’t believe me, here’s the proof.

Lynn’s parents, Wilkes and Teresa, and brother, Will, were also there to join in on the action. It had been a while since they had had a portrait taken of them all together. It had been so long in fact, in the last portrait, there might have been suspenders involved, and (if I’m remembering what I heard correctly), Lynn’s dad was rocking a “Tom Skerritt” mustache! So, I would say they were definitely overdue for an current photo of all of them together.

Oh, and can you tell it was a bit windy??? Well, this was nothing compared to the evening before (when we were originally supposed to shoot). You would’ve thought a tropical storm was about to make landfall.

My perspective…

…and Jere’s perspective…

And, I have to say, Will, this was by far our favorite from the “man pictures” series!

Thank you all SO much for such a great weekend! And, it was so good to meet some of your family, Lynn. We seriously had a lot of fun with you all! THANK YOU again for EVERYTHING!!!

The Justus family photoshoot in Garner, NC – Charlotte Portrait Photographer

Jere Dotten — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:44:24 +0000

After the great buffalo chicken sandwich at Cameron Bar & Grill, the oh so yummy frozen custard at Goodberry’s Creamery, and a little antiquing at Cameron Village, we headed out to the second shoot of the day with Heather (who works with Kelly), Brad, and their adorable son, Ben. Well, when we arrived at their home, they told us that Ben was not feeling well and had a fever. I felt so bad for him! But, he did SO good throughout the entire session!

Meet the Justus family…

And, the rest of the family…Ben’s older sisters.

We decided to end the session with Ben in his pool. Since this was his first time in the pool..this reaction is to be expected!

We are so sorry that Ben wasn’t feeling well…we hope he is feeling MUCH BETTER now! You guys were great and we hope you enjoy your pictures!

The Sokolowski family photoshoot in Raleigh, NC – Charlotte Portrait Photographer

Jere Dotten — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 18:17:04 +0000

Jere and I headed out to Raleigh, NC recently to do two family shoots. The first of the day was Kelly, Kurt and their beautiful, brand new, baby boy, James..only 8 days old!

LOVE this one!

Jere broke out the Canon 1N for some grainy b&w.

Kelly and Kurt-thank you for allowing us to come into your home and document this wonderful new chapter in your lives.

Also, thank you for pointing us towards Cameron Village! I’m pretty sure I had the BEST buffalo chicken sandwich of my life at Cameron Bar & Grill. And, Goodberry’s Creamery was amazing as well…so thank you, again!

Anna’s for fun photoshoot in Charlotte, NC – Charlotte Portrait Photographer

Jere Dotten — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:53:34 +0000

Jere and I recently met up with the fabulous (and gorgeous!), Anna Kooiman, a co-host on FOX News Rising. And, if you didn’t know it already, she is quite the fitness and nutrition buff. Anna recently launched a new segment called ‘Fit Right Now’ to get folks moving and find healthier eating options. And, when she’s not on television, she can be found at the Harris and Dowd YMCA branches in Charlotte, where she teaches TURBO Kick and Cardio Dance Interval (class times can be found at the bottom of this post ). Anna also teaches exercise classes to intercity kids at a non-profit after-school program called A Better World at Christ Resurrection Church. She periodically holds boot camps that are tons of fun with plenty of modifications for all fitness levels. You can check out Anna’s website, Get Fit Charlotte, where she sells nutritional supplements, fitness gear, and at-home workout DVDs such as P90X, Yoga Booty Ballet, Turbo Jam, and Insanity. Oh, and she writes a blog for Uptown Magazine, too.

Whew! Did you get all that!? So, needless to say, Miss Kooiman is an amazing…and BUSY girl! If you’d like to follow her latest happenings, you can find her facebook page here!

Even though Anna mainly wanted head shots for her new website, she brought along her adorable fur-baby, Baxter for some shots as well!

Baxter was such a well-behaved boy! He was a little distracted by the soccer ball being kicked around nearby, but even with that little interruption (which was hilarious!), he was still SO good!

After Freedom Park, we headed over to Uptown to get some shots in front of the Charlotte skyline.

Anna, by sharing your passion for fitness, you are shaping so many people in more ways than one. You have inspired me in so many ways, so thank you! You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside. And, THANK YOU for coming out and spending the afternoon with us.

Tues 5pm Harris YMCA aerobics room Cardio Dance Interval

Wed 12:30pm Dowd YMCA gym Turbo Kick

Thurs 6pm Harris YMCA gym Turbo Kick

Saturdays rotates… Dowd YMCA 11:30am Turbo Kick

Alexis & Tim’s engagement session in Daytona Beach, FL – Charlotte Wedding Photographer

Jere Dotten — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:30:56 +0000

My mom has worked at Daytona State College for MANY years now. Back when I was a student there getting my AA degree (it was called Daytona Beach Community College), my mom and I rode in together most of the time. So, I spent a majority of my time in her office working on homework, getting help with algebra from all the different math instructors, and just hanging out with some really fun people. Some saw me grow up from the age of 8 through pictures on my mom’s desk and stories she told. Others I got to know later on when I was a student. One in particular was Dr. Walter Saviuk. He is such a nice man. He’s funny, a great story-teller, and he always had food for us…the Einstein bagels were my favorite!

So, last fall when my mom was showing our photography to different people at work, Walter was one of them. He told her his daughter, Alexis had just gotten engaged, and that he was going to have her take a look at our website…and, now, it’s already spring and here we are posting their engagement session! Time really does fly! Well, since we were in Florida for a Jacksonville wedding, we decided to head home to central FL and spend some time with family.

While we were there, we got together with Alexis and her fiance, Tim in Daytona Beach to do their session. We decided to meet at the Daytona Beach Pier and start there. And, not surprising, it was already H-O-T at 8 o’clock in the morning!

And, here they are…Alexis & Tim!

Then, we headed over to Bicentennial Park in Ormond Beach.

Then, we decided to have some fun on the playground!

Tim’s a big gator fan, so we had to get a shot of the hat all by itself!

Wow, what a fun day! Thanks so much for being open to all of our ideas. And, thank you for the lunch recommendation at the Flagler Beach Pier…such a great view! We can’t wait for August 7th…see you then!!

xoxo

Candis & Cameron’s wedding in Orange Park, FL (Part II) – Charlotte Wedding Photographer

Jere Dotten — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:00:29 +0000

As promised, here’s part II! Enjoy!!

Rose of Sharon did such beautiful work with all the florals! I LOVED the centerpieces…they were so fun and whimsical.

And, the gorgeous AND delicious cake was from Signature Cakes by Paul.

Candis’s friend, Jamal Hafza, the lead singer of Calling All Stars sang “Come Rain or Come Shine” while Candis and Cameron danced their first dance as husband and wife. Calling All Stars is based out of Atlanta and you can listen to some of their music here and “like” their Facebook page here. They’re amazing, so head on over and check them out!

Candis and Cameron decided to have a photobooth during their reception…and it was SO much fun! We decided to use that wall as the backdrop because it was the oldest wall in Club Continental.

We supply the props but we can’t take credit for the beer-holding belt buckle, that was all Cris…and I loved it!

Ok, let me just say DJ Paul from D’Land Entertainment did an incredible job! Then, to top it off, they end the evening by having a last dance. But, it’s not just any last dance, EVERYONE leaves the reception area (including the DJ) and lets the bride and groom have a private moment. I thought that was such a sweet idea! And, before we left the room as well, we made sure to get some shots!

Cameron’s dad (Tom) and Jere’s dad (Jere), Tom and Jere (yeah, like the cartoon ) are both members of the same Triumph car club. So, it was only fitting that their getaway car was Tom’s TR3. After C & C drove it around the block, we were able to do some fun shots with them and the car.

We had so so so much fun during all of the wedding festivities! Jere and I were honored to be able to document this special time in your lives…thank you for allowing us to do so!!

Love you guys, and CONGRATULATIONS, we wish you a lifetime of happiness!!!

Candis & Cameron’s wedding in Orange Park, FL (Part I) – Charlotte Wedding Photographer

Jere Dotten — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:27:09 +0000

Ashley and I headed to Jacksonville, Florida area for the wedding of some old friends of mine. I’ve known Candis and Cameron both since high school (11 years ago). It’s funny to think back about how they were only friends during that time and just a few years ago they became more than just friends. I couldn’t be more happy for them…they are perfect for each other! And, speaking of perfect, the weather could not have been more perfect. The dropping sun and the cool breeze made for a wonderful ceremony and reception at The Club Continental on the St. Johns River.

Candis, her daughter, Calea, and other members of the family had their makeup done by Sunshine of Makeup by Sunshine. They looked beautiful!

The little cutie-pie, Calea.

Cameron, the studly groom.

Watching the guests arrive out on the courtyard.

You may remember this beautiful couple from their Jekyll Island engagement session which can be seen here. Also, stay tuned for the second half of their gorgeous wedding!

Morgan & Jeremy’s just for fun photoshoot in Fort Mill, SC – Charlotte Photographer

Jere Dotten — Tue, 18 May 2010 20:42:37 +0000

We recently did a really fun photoshoot with the FOX News Edge co-host Morgan Fogarty, her husband, Jeremy, and the rest of their adorable family! We met up at the Anne Springs Close Greenway park to find the conditions were wonderful to capture the Fogartys! Perfect temps and sunshine to fill up the images with just the right amount of light.

This session was particularly important to them because, as we discovered during the shoot, they never had the joy of an engagement session before they married. So, Morgan and Jeremy, this your official engagement shoot! They are such a sweet couple and an absolute pleasure to be around, and can’t wait till next time! Thanks you guys!

And, here are their adorable little ones: Maddox ( the Doberman Pinscher), and Winston, and Etta James (French Bulldogs)!

We had such a great time hanging out with you all…THANK YOU SO MUCH for a wonderful afternoon!! Let us know what you think, we love comments below!!!

Caroline & Josh’s engagement session in Mooresville, NC – Charlotte Wedding Photographer

Jere Dotten — Tue, 18 May 2010 19:32:30 +0000

Caroline and Josh met back in 2001 when they were in high school. He was a senior and she was a sophomore. Josh was on the soccer team when Caroline ran cross-country and her team did a warm-up run around the soccer field. Josh of course noticed this beautiful girl and talked to a teammate/mutual friend about her. And, the next thing Caroline knew, they were in love…passing notes between classes, going to football games and proms, then in Greenville at East Carolina University together.

Now, fast-forward almost 10 years later and these two lovebirds are getting married in June! We are so excited to be a part of such a special time in their lives. And, since they will be having their reception at The Point in Mooresville, we decided to head there for the session.

These two are so easy-going and quick to laugh (which you’ll see )…always makes for a good time!

We can’t wait to see you two on June 19th!

Kelly & Brandon’s engagement session fusion video – Charlotte Wedding Photographer

Jere Dotten — Tue, 04 May 2010 23:18:13 +0000

Let me just say that Jere has been researching this project for MONTHS! It sometimes felt like that’s all we talked about for days at a time. Even though our cameras come with 1080p video capabilities, I was still a bit skeptical at first…”you want to do what?” ”We’re not videographers!” But, when he showed me some examples and what he had in mind, I loved the idea! So, with it came A LOT of research on equipment (which, for the most part, he made himself), and the program Final Cut Pro.

It’s still a work in progress, but we are thrilled with how our first attempt turned out! It might need a second to load…enjoy!