Charlotte Family & Newborn Photographer Margo Ustymenko PHOTOGRAPHY
Newborn sessions at half price — first three families My newborn gallery is just starting, so the first three sessions are $325 instead of $650 Reserve a date
Charlotte Family & Newborn Photographer

The days are long,
the years are short.

I photograph families, children, expecting mothers and newborns across Charlotte — honest, light-filled portraits of the season of life you're in right now, so you can hold onto it forever.

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A note from Margo

“The way your daughter reaches for your hand. Your mother's laugh next to yours. These moments pass in a blink — my job is to make sure they never fade.”

Sessions

What I photograph

Every session is unhurried and thoughtfully guided — you show up, I take care of the rest.

Mother kneeling beside her daughter under a willow

Family & children

Outdoor golden hour · in-home

 Expecting mother leaning in a doorway at home

Maternity

Second & third trimester

 First three sessions $325 portfolio rate Newborn sessions are open. My first three babies are photographed at half price while I build this gallery. from $650  ·  $325 Reserve a date

Newborn

In-home & lifestyle · days 5–14

 Baby sitting up on a picnic blanket

Baby milestones

Sitting, standing, first steps · 4–11 months

 One-year-old sharing his birthday cake with the family dog

Cake smash

The first birthday · outdoors

 Now booking $250 an hour Birthdays, showers, corporate evenings. Two-hour minimum, private gallery within ten days. Weddings and elopements quoted separately Check availability

Events & weddings

Celebrations · elopements
Portfolio

Recent sessions

Each session has its own gallery — open a cover to see the story from start to finish.

More sessions are added as they're delivered. Full galleries are shared on request.

Investment

Session collections

Transparent pricing, no hidden fees. Every collection is for the photography itself — props and rentals stay with you. A signed agreement and retainer reserve your date.

What the session fee covers

Every price below is for the photography only — my time on the day, the editing afterwards and your finished images.

Cake, balloons, outfits, flowers, furniture and any other props are chosen, brought and paid for by you. If a session needs a rented studio or a venue with an entry fee, that is booked and paid separately by you as well. I’m glad to send suggestions, sizes and shopping links well before the day.

Family & children

from $395

  • Up to 90 minutes, outdoor or in-home
  • Location & wardrobe guidance
  • 40+ professionally edited images
  • Private online gallery with print rights

Photography only. Outfits and any props you’d like in the photographs are yours to bring.

Bump to Baby

from $850 $750

Includes the newborn portfolio rate
  • Maternity session + newborn session
  • Includes one of the three portfolio-rate newborn sessions, held for you from the day you book
  • Saves $225 once both sessions are at their usual price
  • Parents & siblings always included
  • Wardrobe and styling guidance for both sessions
  • 80+ edited images across both galleries

Photography only. Gown, outfits, wraps and props are provided by you for both sessions.

Maternity

from $425

  • Up to 90 minutes, outdoor or studio
  • Dress and wardrobe guidance before the day
  • Partner & older children welcome
  • 40+ edited images in a private gallery

Photography only. Gown and outfits are yours to bring; studio rental, if you want one, is booked and paid by you.

Newborn

from $650 $325

Portfolio rate — first three sessions
  • Relaxed 2–3 hour in-home session, days 5–14
  • Calm, baby-led pace — feeding breaks included
  • Calm styling guidance sent before the session
  • Portfolio rate while I build my newborn gallery — three sessions at this price
  • 50+ edited images in a private gallery

Photography only. Wraps, outfits, baskets and any props are provided by you.

Baby milestones

from $375

  • 45–60 minutes, outdoors or at home
  • Sitting at 6–7 months, standing at 9, walking at 12
  • Simple setups that keep the focus on your baby
  • Parents and siblings welcome in a few frames
  • 35+ edited images in a private gallery

Photography only. Blankets, baskets, balloons and props are provided by you.

Cake smash

from $425

  • Up to 60 minutes, outdoors at a park or lakeshore
  • Portraits first, then the cake — and the mess
  • Unhurried — portraits first, then the cake
  • Pets welcome — the dog usually steals the show
  • 40+ edited images in a private gallery

Photography only. The cake, the outfit, the balloons and the backdrop are yours to bring — which also keeps allergies in your hands.

Weddings, elopements & events

Elopement & small ceremony

from $1,200

  • Up to 3 hours — ceremony and portraits
  • Timeline planned together beforehand
  • 150+ edited images in a private gallery

Photography only. Venue, florals, décor and any rentals are arranged and paid by you.

Events & celebrations

$250 / hour

  • Birthdays, showers, corporate evenings
  • Two-hour minimum
  • Gallery within 10 days

Photography only. Venue, décor, catering and entertainment are arranged and paid by you.

Wedding day

from $2,400

  • 8 hours of coverage, from getting ready to the party
  • Engagement session included
  • 400+ edited images — sneak peeks within a week

Photography only. Venue, florals, décor and all vendors are arranged and paid by you.

Second photographer +$450 · additional hours $350 · travel beyond 25 miles of Charlotte agreed in advance.

My newborn gallery is still being built, so the first three newborn sessions are booked at the portfolio rate of $325; the rate is locked in once the retainer is paid, whenever your baby arrives. Every collection includes a pre-session consultation and a beautifully curated online gallery. Session fees cover photography only; cake, balloons, outfits, flowers, props and any studio or venue rental are arranged and paid for by the client. A 50% retainer and the agreement reserve your date; the balance is due on the day of the session. Sessions within 25 miles of Charlotte; travel beyond is happily arranged. NC sales tax applies.

Portrait of Margo Ustymenko
About

Hi, I'm Margo

I'm a Charlotte-based photographer who believes the best photos happen when you completely forget the camera is even there.

I'm all about real laughter, gentle guidance, and capturing the unscripted, chaotic magic of your actual life. My goal is simple: to trade awkward posing for a session that feels less like work and more like a cherished memory.

— Margo

Let's freeze this exact chapter before it turns into yesterday.

Let's chat
The experience

How a session works

01

We plan it together

Before your date we talk through location, time of day and what to wear. I'll send guidance so nobody is guessing the morning of.

02

We simply spend time

No stiff posing. We walk, talk and play — I guide you into good light and catch the real moments in between.

03

Your gallery arrives

A private online gallery within two weeks, hand-edited and ready to download, print and share with family.

Book a session

Let's make something beautiful

Newborn sessions are $325 for the first three families while I build that gallery. Choose your session, a date and a start time — you'll see your confirmation right away, and I reply personally within 24 hours with location ideas, wardrobe guidance and everything else.

(646) 779-7979 margo.ustymenko@gmail.com @margoustymenko

01  Choose a session

02  Choose a date

Eastern Time · Charlotte, NC

03  Choose a start time

Pick a date and the open times will appear here.

04  Your details

Sending this holds the date while I confirm — nothing is charged here. The retainer link comes in my reply. The fee covers photography only — cake, balloons, outfits, props and any studio rental are yours to arrange. See the Photography Agreement and Privacy Policy.