Duke Gardens Portraits

Few places in North Carolina feel as timeless as Duke Gardens in early spring. Blooming pathways and iconic backdrops create a setting that has become a favorite for generations. This exclusive portrait event offers families the opportunity to be photographed at Duke Gardens without the additional location fees. Sessions are intentionally brief and thoughtfully guided, allowing for natural, refined portraits while honoring the setting. These sessions are ideal for heirloom images of children, updated family artwork, or fine art senior portraits preserving this fleeting season in an iconic location.

MARCH 11th

Bunnies & Blooms

Experience spring through a child’s eyes with colorful florals, vintage details, and of course, kisses from Goldie and Daisy. The set is designed to feel like a page from a storybook brought to life. This children-only event is thoughtfully styled and guided to create joyful, expressive portraits, celebrating early spring in a memorable and playful manner.

MARCH 14 & 15

The Peach Orchard

Peach blossoms arrive briefly and beautifully, filling the orchard with brilliant shades of pink. This exclusive experience includes private access to the entire orchard for my clients, a hayride through the property, and a famous Millstone Creek mini apple cider slushy for every guest. This event is scheduled for peak bloom, offering portraits during a short seasonal window. Dates will be finalized closer to bloom time and flexibility is essential. This event is ideal for families, children, and seniors seeking rich and colorful portraits rooted in the rhythm of the season.

MARCH 20 & 21
(estimated dates)

Wild Wisteria

Cascading wisteria transforms the landscape into a fragrant and paradise. Hues of purple and green fill the frame as a stunning backdrop for painterly portraits. This event is offered during the sometimes unpredictable wisteria bloom period, with dates remaining tentative based on nature’s timing. Booking with flexibility is essential. These sessions are ideal for families, children, and seniors seeking whimsical, colorful portraits rooted in the rhythm of the season.

MARCH 29 & APRIL 3

April Showers

Spring rain brings movement, laughter, and an unmistakable sense of childhood. Colorful rain boots and jackets encouraged! A selection of umbrellas will be provided. This children-only event is scheduled around rainy days, embracing puddles, drizzle and spontaneous moments. These sessions are designed for timeless, playful portraits of children, focusing on personality, motion, and authentic expression. Book with flexibility to allow for rainy conditions.

APRIL 1
(estimated date)

Azalea Sunrise

Early mornings during peak azalea bloom offer the softest spring light, layered with the vibrant pink hues of the season. A colorful, magical backdrop sets the scene for seasonal heirloom portraits. This children-only event is carefully timed around peak bloom, with dates remaining tentative to ensure the best conditions. Reserve with flexibility to accommodate best bloom.

APRIL 4

The Secret Garden

Azaleas in bloom take on a different presence as the day winds down. Rich colors and golden light wrap around like a fairytale blanket along the quiet paths of a picturesque garden. These golden hour sessions are ideal for families, children, and seniors seeking spring artwork rooted in seasonal beauty and vibrant color. Reserve with flexibility to accommodate best blooms.

APRIL 12

Golden Hour Meadow

Enjoy an evening at my favorite local farm with long grasses, open land, and expansive skies, making room for portraits that feel natural and unrestrained. Golden hour light settles across the field in a way that is unmatched, allowing families space to move, interact, and simply be together. The setting encourages lifestyle-driven portraits with depth, warmth, and an effortless sense of connection. These sessions are ideal for families, children, and seniors who want artwork shaped by movement, light, and environment rather than a structured backdrop.

APRIL 18

Paws in Time

For many families, pets are woven into the fabric of everyday life. They share the same spaces, seasons, and stories as the people who love them. This event is designed with additional space and extended time to allow pets to settle naturally and families to connect without rushing. The environment supports interaction, movement, and genuine moments as they unfold. These sessions are ideal for families and children who want portraits that reflect real love and deep bonds.

APRIL 19

Strawberry Season

Spring in North Carolina would not feel complete without sprawling fields of ripe strawberries. Delight in full baskets, red-stained smiles and belly laughs guaranteed. This event blends both guided, posed portraits and candid, connected moments, allowing families to interact naturally while preserving a polished final gallery. The experience is designed to feel joyful and unforced, honoring the tradition rather than staging it. These sessions are ideal for families and who want artwork that reflects seasonal rituals, legacy and shared experiences.

APRIL 25

The Poppy Blooms

Bright red blooms stretch in every direction, inviting families to slow down, explore, and enjoy being together. Add in a warm spring breeze, and it’s pure magic. The poppy fields work beautifully for both posed portraits and candid moments, allowing a unique rhythm for each family. These sessions are ideal for families, children, and seniors who want spring artwork that feels vibrant, expressive, and rooted in one of the season’s most loved sights. Bloom times vary. Reserving with flexibility is essential.

MAY 2 & 3

Seaside Sunsets

As the sun sinks into the horizon, Atlantic Beach comes alive with color. Painted skies, rolling waves, and salt air create an unforgettable portrait experience. These sessions are guided to capture both gently posed portraits and candid interactions shaped by the movement of the landscape and changing light. This event is ideal for families, children, and seniors who want artwork inspired by color and connection to the coast.

MAY 8 & 9

Vintage Laundry

Families have always gathered around the rhythms of home, sharing connection in everyday moments. This vintage set draws on that nostalgic sense of togetherness, where linens, light, and simple tasks create space for time spent side by side. This session features a thoughtfully styled set, and will feature both gently guided portraits and candid moments, giving space for interaction and natural expression within the spring landscape. These sessions are ideal for families and children who are drawn to imagery rooted in tradition and everyday beauty.

MAY 16

Raleigh Modern

Clean lines, colorful reflections and architectural contrast offer a bold departure from traditional spring settings. One of my favorite locations for refined family portraits or impressive professional headshots. This event highlights contemporary styling and intentional composition in the heart of downtown Raleigh. These portraits are perfect for families, professionals, seniors and graduates seeking a modern, elevated aesthetic.

MAY 17

Our First Flock

This special event celebrates the beginning of something meaningful for my family and business — the first generation of our family’s homestead chickens! Photographed at my home, featuring a thoughtfully designed, custom-built and beautifully decorated chicken coop, this setting blends charm with intention. Every detail has been considered with a timeless aesthetic for painterly portraits. This children-only event will focus on curiosity, personality and connection.

MAY 30

The Warehouse District

Historic brick, visual contrast and character galore set the scene for charming portraits with an urban flair. This location features depth and texture with an editorial feel, perfect for families, children, seniors and graduates wanting elevated edgy portraiture.

MAY 31

A Very Vintage Picnic

Picnics have long been a way families slow down and spend time together. Antique details, vintage lace, and open space create a setting that feels relaxed but refined. This event features a thoughtfully curated picnic scene with heirloom-inspired props, layered textiles, and special treats prepared for the children to enjoy. Sessions balance gently guided portraits with candid moments, allowing interaction, curiosity, and connection to unfold naturally within the setting. These sessions are ideal for children and families who value imagery inspired by tradition, storytelling, and shared experience.

JUNE 6

Lakeside Sunsets

Summer evenings by the water unfold from bright and crisp to soft and colorful. Warm air, open skies, and shifting light set the scene across the beaches of Jordan Lake. This event centers on lakeside portraits created during the final moments of daylight, focusing on both the perfectly posed and genuinely candid moments. The light changes quickly at golden hour, leading to different experiences from one session to the next. Earlier appointments can expect bolder, brighter images, and later appointments can expect softer, moodier images. These sessions are ideal for families, children, and seniors seeking light-filled summer portraits with an effortless appeal.

JUNE 12 & JULY 24

Heirloom Studio Portraits

A studio setting removes distraction, allowing details to shine and expressions to lead. This event focuses on simplicity and connection to the camera, creating portraits that highlight individuality and presence. These sessions are perfect for children’s heirlooms, personality portraits, updated headshots or clean and bright family photos.

JUNE 13

Old-Fashion Splashin’

Bubbles, breezes and babies… a perfect combination. Join me on my vintage laundry line set with your littles to celebrate the nostalgia of a warm bath in the summer sunset glow. This antique inspired set will include tub and basin options for babies and toddlers up to age 3. Older siblings and parents are invited to join in as we splash, explore, and interact to create portraits that balance gentle posing with carefree summer memories. These dreamlike sessions are designed for families with young children, focusing on connection and ethereal storytelling rooted in tradition.

JUNE 20

Lakeside Sailors

Whimsy and imagination shape this unforgettable experience on the banks of Jordan Lake. Set sail, keeping your eye out for mermaids and buried treasure, as the sun creates a masterpiece of color and light over the water. This children-only event is inspired by classic adventure stories, encouraging play and genuine excitement. Sailor and pirate props are all provided, and I'm happy to help with wardrobe selection. These sessions are perfect for celebrating the creativity, curiosity and freedom of childhood.

JUNE 27

Midsummer Blooms

The summer flowers fields are full and vibrant, layered with the colors and textures of sunflower, zinnia, larkspur and more. This event features a variety of vivid seasonal blooms, offering ever-changing beauty to showcase the finest of a southern summer garden, where Mother Nature is in charge. These sessions are ideal for families, children, and seniors who want colorful, light filled, timeless portraits. Reserving with flexibility is essential to accommodate best blooms.

JULY 11, 18 & 26

Creekside Fishin’

Even the hottest summer evenings are refreshing in the cool creek water. Hidden in a deep and shady forest, children are invited to let their imaginations take the lead. This event features a vintage, childhood inspired fishing set at a private creek location, designed to focus on whimsy and storytelling. These sessions are best for children ages 7 and younger, for clients drawn to painterly images rooted in wonder and whimsy. The creek location requires a short walk with a very large hill.

AUGUST 1

Butterfly Kisses

Join me at the Museum of Life and Science, surrounded by hundreds of tropical butterflies, in an atmosphere of movement and wonder unlike any other setting. This exclusive greenhouse rental offers a rare opportunity for portraits in one of Durham’s most loved and iconic locations. These sessions are ideal for families and children seeking a memorable and immersive portrait experience.

AUGUST 9

Old Train Yard

All aboard! Train enthusiasts of all ages have joined me for more than a decade, making this my longest running annual event. Brightly colored trains and glowing summer golden hour set the scene as we capture memorable moments. This children-only event returns to a long-time favorite setting, focusing on thoughtful composition and genuine joy in the experience. These sessions are perfect for families and children who want to highlight character, confidence, and imagination.

AUGUST 29