Did you know as a family photographer, I’m often one of the first people who know about a special announcement, such as a pregnancy? It truly is an honor to be given this type of personal and exciting news, and I’m always humbled by how much families open up to me!

I recently had the honor of photographing pregnancy announcement photos for the Cassell family. Elaina made a cute chalkboard sign that said, “I’m leveling up to Big Brother, April 2019,” which I thought was SO fun and creative! I learned her husband is a professional gamer, so it was fitting for the sign to say, “leveling up,” right? We captured announcement photos of their family together as well as photos of her son holding the chalkboard, and it was seriously the cutest thing EVER! Baby R was such happy and smiley boy, and was incredibly adorable in front of the camera.

We also captured a lot of lifestyle and candid portraits of them as a family of three! They live on a beautiful farm and we had so much fun playing in the open field during golden hour. Baby R is a HUGE lover of the outdoors and nature (just like his parents!), and they are a family who loves to rescue animals! It was such a treat being able to capture some photos with their dog, horses (Gunner and Sunny), and their miniature horse. In addition, Elaina is a horse trainer and had Gunner since she was 14! Gunner was such a sweet horse and also LOVES the camera. During our shoot, he walked up to the pregnancy announcement sign and posed for me (seriously, see below!).

Lastly, another memorable part of the session was the 130 year old oak tree in their front yard! It was incredible and HUGE, and I wanted to incorporate it somehow into the shoot. So, I had them next to it and interacted with one another because I wanted to play on the idea of a family tree! :)

Enjoy scrolling through these sweet photos!

Are you in need of Durham Family Photographer, Maternity Photographer, or Newborn Photographer? I'd love to work with you and capture this special season of life! You can get in touch with me by sending me an inquiry here. I'm proud to serve the greater Triangle area including Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and beyond.

I recently had the honor of working with the Pelissero family again, and this time it was for a maternity session at Duke University for their fourth baby! This was photo shoot was so special in so many ways. It was their first time getting maternity portraits, and Duke was a special place for their family. Craig recently finished his divinity studies at Duke and we thought it would the perfect backdrop to tell their story!

The Pelissero family is truly a sweet, loving, and affectionate family. Any time I asked them to give a hug or kiss, they eagerly did so! You can tell they absolutely love being together and have such a beautiful bond with each other. The three children were also delightful! They absolutely LOVED giving hugs and kisses to their baby sister, and snuggling with mom and dad! Their son (and only boy!) was also SO funny during the session, and would playfully jump in the shot when mom and dad were getting photos together! He also jumped in when his mom was getting solo portraits to give her a flower, and it was seriously the CUTEST thing ever (see below!!!). It’s truly these real, honest moments that makes these sessions so beautiful and memorable. Even though I pose my clients during the session for some nice portraits, I also LOVE to let things naturally unfold to really capture the essence of my families!

The last fun fact is that TWO DAYS AFTER we took these photos, Jennifer went into labor!! Talk about timing!! She gave birth about two weeks early, and gave birth to a healthy baby girl! We are all so thrilled for their newest addition to the family! Enjoy scrolling through these gorgeous maternity and family photos, and stay tuned for their stunning newborn session!!

Location: Duke Campus, Durham, NC

Are you in need of Durham Newborn Photographer or Maternity Photographer? I'd love to work with you and capture this special season of life! You can get in touch with me by sending me an inquiry here. I'm proud to serve the greater Triangle area including Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and beyond.

Y'all, if you're going to be having baby #2 (or 3, or 4), definitely consider capturing family photos before the newest member of your family arrives. Your family dynamic will change with every new life you add to your family, and documenting the different seasons of your life is something you will never regret.

A few weeks ago I had the honor to capture maternity photos and family portraits in Raleigh for the Smith family. When we took the photos, Lindsay was around 34 weeks and she looked absolutely stunning in her green floral maternity dress (it was so light and flowy!). In addition, we captured some mommy and me portraits of her and her son, Bennett. She wanted to document a few photos of her and her first born, before the baby arrives. Bennett had the most ADORABLE smile and was so excited to be a big brother!!

When we got to the family portraits, my heart was so full watching them all play and interact with one another. Capturing photos of their entire family--as a family of three--was so moving. This season, this moment, is so precious to remember. At the same time, there's so much excitement for baby #2 to arrive! I can't wait for the Smith family to create new memories together as a family of four :) Enjoy the photos!

Location: NC Museum of Art

Looking for a Durham family photographer or Raleigh maternity photographer in North Carolina? Contact me for a complimentary portrait consultation! I serve the greater Triangle area including Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, and beyond.