Gina McLean Photography bio picture
  • Thank you for considering us! Martin and I are an award winning, eclectic blend of photographers. I studied fine art and photography in San Francisco, St. Louis, and Dallas before returning to Meredith College and earning my degree in Art with an emphasis in photography. Martin is a Swiss Architect by trade, with his own incredibly artistic eye. We are also married (to each other!) and work together to capture all of your moments as they unfold. Our approach is candid, designed to capture the moments as they happen, rather than posed. With that, I also bring my fine art background to produce a unique work of art for our clients. Since switching to digital photography in 2004, we have become skilled in Photoshop and thoroughly enjoy the artistic freedom it gives us in creating an image that far exceeds what can be done in a camera. We are constantly growing and learning as this profession evolves and changes over time. Our goal is to develop relationships with our clients that will take us from their wedding day to the birth of their first child to the grandchildren! Make Gina McLean Photography your lifelong photographer!

Kristy & Brent~ Martha’s Wedding Chapel

 

 

Kristy and Brent met with me a year and a half prior to their date.  I knew we were a great match the minute we started talking. They were so cute and down to earth, oh, and very, very excited!  The wedding took place at Martha’sWedding Chapel in Apex, North Carolina.  The officiant and owner is Bob Brinson.  Bob was very welcoming from the beginning, and performed a very sweet ceremony.   We had a lot of fun after the wedding taking pictures on the picture-perfect property.   It came prepared for us with an adorable, old fashioned church, a gazebo, and even a picket fence.  This place is  a dream!  After the wedding, we headed over to the Crabtree Valley Marriott.  I had worked with the coordinator, Julie, before, and as always, she had her act together.  The reception was perfect. Below are just a preview of a few of our favorites.   Oh, we can’t wait to show you the rest!

Kristy nervously making her walk to the altar
stopping to make adjustments with the girls
The adorable little flower girl doing her thing
Me trying a fancy filter and the bride making her first appearance.  Of course, we have a photo of the groom’s face, in tears, but we will show that later!
Bob Brinson in action
Hmmmmm….
She is beautiful!
Father of the groom giving the first toast

Marriott crabtree north carolina
mother and father of the groom dancing
the perfect cake.  We will show you the back of the cake topper later!

 

Leigh Anne & Kevin~~~May 5. 2012~ Pinterest-worthy Raleigh Backyard Wedding!

So this year has started off with a bang.  Three weddings in three weeks and I have hardly had time to catch my breath.  Typically, wedding photos can take up to six weeks to edit, but I can’t wait that long to show off a preview for the bride and her friends.  Leigh Anne and Kevin had an incredible wedding, with handmade details created by the bride herself.  Unfortunately, it rained cats and dogs, but held off long enough for the wedding to take place outside.  I think it still came out beautifully, and Leigh Anne was so upbeat and graceful and still seemed to have a great time with everyone who came out to celebrate with them.  Here is a preview of a few of my favorites so far.  So much more to come!

Check out our award winning images from the Wedding Photographic Society’s quarterly competition!

I think we all go through times when we think we just stink.  At everything.  No inspiration at all.  I was going through one of these spells in between wedding season 2011 and 2012.   I guess my husband and fellow photographer/business partner sensed this, because without me knowing, he entered a few of my photos from last year into the Wedding Photographic Society’s  quarterly image competition.   We won 3rd place in one category and 5th place in another.  Here are the images:

 

5th Place   Photojournalism category:   Giina Lumsden Kropf / GinaMcLean Photography

3rd Place Architectural category :  Gina Lumsden Kropf / GinaMcLean Photography

-” Wow. This image popped off the screen after viewing all the images in the category. Wonderful use of framing the subject and showing the beauty of the buildings outside.
- Creative image that really pops”

School Pictures from the backpack~ what our kids bring home from Picture Day.

First of all, let me just say that I am not disrespecting school photographers.    My mom would kill me if I didn’t buy a few when my daughter brings them home in her book bag every year.    I think that they have a tough job to line up children all day, back to back, pose their little behinds and come away with something cute.    They absolutely have their place and I would feel terribly guilty if I didn’t keep a few.    Okay, having said that,  I must say that the portrait session that I did with my daughter on Fayetteville Street around Christmas make me so much happier!    Her school pictures will go in an album to be cherished, but they will not be adorning our walls.  The ones I shot, yep, they are on display.    They are up because not only do they match our decor, but they are an absolute reflection of her adorable, playful, little squirty personality!    They make me smile when I walk by them.     The difference is that I have so much more time.    I give each session an hour or two, allow for changes of clothes. and I have the luxury of running around with a camera and playing with the children until I capture something that is a true reflection of who they are.     To me, this is the biggest challenge of portraiture, but I would not have it any other way.    I love my job, and I love that instead of putting plain old art on my walls, I can custom frame and put up lively pictures of the people that I love the most.    It makes my home feel warm and personal.  So, are you ready to book your session? ;O)

Which  one do you like best?

 

Mine……

Or the ones from school?

Eric’s Headshots at Lafayette Village

Several years ago I had the honor of photographing Josephine and Chris’s wedding at Haywood Hall in Raleigh, NC. Since then, I have done her maternity photos, and am eagerly waiting to photograph their new little bundle of joy! In the meantime, Josephine, who owns Specline Consulting, has had us do headshots for her employees. This is a few from the most recent session, taken at Lafayette Village in Raleigh.