Kinchen Martial Arts - Black Belt JD

Kinchen Martial Arts recently promoted 6 new Black Belts.

For Jeremy (better know to some as JD) this was actually his 2nd degree blackbelt.
For his Black Belt picture that will soon be displayed in the Dojo he requested a special location to reflect another of his recent accomplishments... getting my Nuclear Reactor License this year! Congratulations JD on both of these huge accomplishments!

Cornelius Photographer - Little Cheerleader

If this cute little cheerleader looks familiar it may because I posted a peek from her family session just recently.  Love this little cutie pie!  :)

Lake Norman Sports and School Photographer - Little Cheerleader

I had the pleasure of photographing a few of the cheerleaders from my daughters squad recently including my own little rascal.  Since we were there early and stayed late I have quite a few to share.  :)

Lake Norman Action Photography - Kinchen Martial Arts in Cornelius

A 2026 Update: Some Stories Really Do Come Full Circle!

Wow. It's hard to believe this post below is from 2013!

The little girl you see in these photos? That's Payton — and she isn't so little anymore!

I've had the absolute joy of photographing the Kinchen family for years, and they are truly one of those families who have become so much more than clients to me. Their family owns Kinchen Martial Arts, and I've had the privilege of watching their children grow up in front of my camera over the years. (and NOW grandchildren too!  Gasp!)

And this year, I got to photograph Payton's senior graduation portraits!

Talk about a full-circle moment. ❤️

One of my favorite things about being a photographer is getting to work with the same families again and again — from childhood adventures and family sessions to senior portraits and all of the chapters in between. There is something pretty special about getting to watch these kids grow up and then photograph who they become.

I've added Payton's 2026 senior session to my newer blog, and you can see that story here:

[LINK TO PAYTON'S 2026 SENIOR BLOG POST]

And if you're looking for a photographer who will be there for more than just one chapter, I hope you will consider me!

Thank you, Kinchen family, for trusting me with so many of your memories over the years!

Here's to all the chapters still to come!

Original 2013 Post: 

About a month ago I began a kickboxing class at Kinchen Martial Arts.  I knew that many of my neighbors had been taking classes there for some time now and each and every one of them absolutely sang their praises.   I LOVED my class!  It was hard, and it kicked my butt, but I LOVED it.  Most of all I really loved working with the family that owned the dojo, so much so that I brought my husband and oldest daughter in to meet them.  They have both begun Taekwondo, and my littlest will do so also as soon as she is old enough.  I would highly recommend Kinchen Martial Arts to anyone interested in learning self-defense or simply interested in a great program to get in shape.  Their programs for both children and adults are top-notch.  This morning I had the pleasure of taking three of the Kinchen family members to "my secret garden location" to capture some action shots in the Asian Garden.  We had lots of fun and captured TONS of great images that I can not wait to share with them.  Below are just a few of my favorites.  

They are in Cornelius on Old Statesville Rd. Right next to The Funco
www.kinchenmartialarts.com https://www.facebook.com/KinchenMartialArts 704.237.0015 

Sports Photography- Football!

One of my closest friends asked me recently  to photograph some shots of her son's football game.  I of course was beyond thrilled to do so!  I absolutely love them both and love getting to try something new.   I admit I am not normally very into sports (to my husband's dismay LOL) but has a blast photographing Kade in action.  Here are just a few of MANY from last night.  I am hoping to possibly capture more next week also.  Thanks for looking!   ~ Melody