Mccarrel Photography

09/03/2026

Women really just make these from scratch, it's amazing

09/02/2026

THIS!! Everything that Lindsay said on her post!! It makes me so angry, but this is why I stopped sharing kids faces publicly and started thinking differently about how I post as a photographer in the time of unregulated/unresticted ai.

There are some things I never expected to have to think about as a photographer. The possibility that a photograph of a child could be taken from a gallery, fed into a machine, manipulated into something sexually explicit, and used to exploit that child is one of them.

And yet here we are.

I've been sitting with the recent news surrounding AI-generated child sexual abuse material, and if I'm being honest, I don't really know how to talk about it without sounding angry. Because I am angry. I'm angry that this is something we have to discuss at all, and I'm angry that technology has advanced so quickly that we can create disturbingly realistic sexual imagery of people who never consented to it, especially children.

As a photographer, this hits differently. People hand me photographs of their children, their families, their bodies, their lives. They trust me with moments that cannot be recreated. That responsibility doesn't end when I take the photograph. It extends to what happens to those images afterward.

I'm paying much closer attention to the technology and companies I allow into my workflow. I'm asking harder questions about how images are stored, processed, retained, and used. If I can't get a straight answer about what happens to your photographs, I'm not comfortable handing them over. I don't think that's being paranoid. I think it's the bare minimum.

And yes, I'm going to say the political part OUT LOUD. I know some people believe businesses should stay out of politics, but my business is built around people, their bodies, their families, their autonomy, and their trust. So when I see our government failing to keep pace with technology that can be used to exploit children, I'm not interested in pretending I don't have an opinion.

We hear so much about being “pro-child” and protecting children. I want us to actually mean it. Protecting children doesn't stop at conception. It means protecting them from abuse, exploitation, hunger, illness, and the very real dangers we've created in the digital world. And if that doesn't express why I am pro-choice, I don't know what will.

I can't control what lawmakers do. I can't control what someone on the internet chooses to do. But I can control what I do with the photographs you trust me with. I can choose the technology I use. I can question the companies I work with. I can be intentional about photographs of children. And I can refuse to treat your images like disposable content.
Because they're not.

They're your lives, your babies, your bodies, your memories. And you trusted me with them. I take that seriously.

08/30/2026

A few snippets of the fun we had at DOG DAZE! Thank you to Animal Humane Advocacy for organizing such a fabulous event and inviting me to be a small part of it! My heart has been thoroughly WARMED!! 🥰

If anyone was a vendor, volunteer, or attendee and would like to access the full gallery of photos, here is the link! https://mccarrelphotography.shootproof.com/gallery/f3192593-4694-40d7-a5f8-d403a8b6a0c6

08/26/2026

My lil buddy rocking his cool new leg armor during all his favorite activities! My dear friend Nichole (some of you might know her from Mindful Minis Photography) is writing a book for children about AFOs (leg braces) and we did a special photoshoot for it! The book will explain AFOs & how they help, how to ask questions respectfully, and normalize everyday activities in AFOs. I'm so excited for the book to be finished, and you KNOWW I will keep a copy at the studio so all my visiting families can see that leg braces are normal and needing assistive devices is totally okay 💖

08/21/2026

My turnaround time is a bit longer than some other people but it's because I'm hand-editing every portrait, not using ai. My retouching is something I'm proud of and something I enjoy. I really hope families won't mind a couple weeks of waiting for their galleries when they see the love, care, and attention I put into each one. (Also summer into autumn is crazy busy season so turnaround times are longer this time of year anyway!)

08/19/2026

08/15/2026

✨Friendly reminder for expecting parents✨ If you are having a baby this fall or winter, please schedule your maternity session asap! Don't wait til the last minute! End of summer into autumn and then the holidays are The Photography Insanity Season and our calendars fill up fast!

https://www.mccarrelphoto.com

08/15/2026

I know I always say it but I really do have the lovliest clients

07/23/2026

B+C you have email! I hope you love our beach day photos as much as I do!