September 14, 2023

Hillsborough Family Photographer

I had so much fun reuniting with Kaela and Isiah! Back when Geoff was shooting with me, we photographed their engagement session in 2016 with their impossibly small/impossibly cute pup Archie. The Knot published their engagement shoot and has apparently been using their pictures ever since – in magazine advertising, social media, etc. The Knot loves Kaela and Isiah and I do too. And now they have a beautiful baby girl who is ADORABLE. The eyelashes! The little bow! The outfits! Her favorite pastime is being held up a la The Lion King by her dad, and tugging on her mom’s hair. She’s not sure what to make of Archie. Archie, now 14, is not quite sure what to make of her. But together they’re the cutest little duo and I definitely would watch a tv show about them if it was streaming anywhere. Love these folks and so happy to do another photo session with them in their beautiful home!

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September 7, 2023

Olivia+Greg+Aurora+Dinky // Hillsborough Family Photographer

This session was so fun for me! Olivia and Aurora were celebrating two major milestones in their lives – Olivia graduating law school and Aurora graduating 5th grade – and I was there to commemorate this time in their family with Yahtzee, oil painting, roller skating around the living room, and hanging out with their dog Dinky. We also talked about Stephen King a lot (one of my favorite pastimes), as well as this family’s time spent living in Pittsburgh, which is my hometown. I realized later that I forgot to talk to them about Fern Gully, which they had mentioned on their contact form and is, by far, my favorite childhood movie and still my favorite animated movie – next time! I have a lot in common with these folks and it was a ton of fun hanging out with them. Olivia and Greg have been together since they were 16, so 21 years in October, which is exactly how long Geoff and I have been together (I was also 16 when we met)! They are great parents to Aurora, who is an artistic, creative, lively spirit who loves painting with her mom, talking about Stephen King with her dad, and doing flips on her aerial hammock in the living room when she’s not roller skating around it. And they’re also great parents to Dinky, a beloved 14 year-old angel of a lab mix who could not be sweeter or gentler. It was a ton of fun spending the morning with these guys out in their own little slice of Fern Gully in the woods.

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August 31, 2023

Amanda+Joe+Michael+Lucien+Fiona // Wake Forest Family Photographer

Yesssss! What an honor to work once again with the amazingly talented Amanda of Raleigh Birth Photography. If you’re pregnant and looking for someone to document the day you give birth, Amanda is it. She’s not only an amazing talent, but an extremely calming presence – even when she’s shooting Nerf guns the size of a bazooka at her own children. AND SHOOT NERF GUNS WE DID! I have quite literally never seen so many Nerf guns in my life. When I arrived, they were laid out in an impressive arsenal on their couch. According to local lore, Amanda has refused to participate in any family Nerf Wars – until now. Yes, this was Amanda’s very first Nerf Wars, which she valiantly fought alongside (or against?) her husband Joe and three children, Michael, Lucien, and Fiona. That’s right – I’m not really sure who was on who’s team, or if there were any teams at all. It was just kind of a free-for-all of styrofoam ammo flying and me ducking for cover between shots. A good time was had by all, and afterward there was costumed dancing (Lucien [skeleton tutu] dances with the Carolina Ballet, and I actually saw him in last year’s Halloween program when he performed in Dracula!), Lego building (Michael is a skilled and esteemed Lego builder, and he has the multi-level McCallister’s house from Home Alone to prove it), and sorting through a Caboodle full of miniatures (Fiona has an entire Caboodle [yes, a Caboodle!] full of miniatures, and it’s my DREAM. Mini Reese’s Cups. Mini boxes of chicken tenders. Mini sodas. Mini cats. Mini bottles of Red Hot. I had to drag myself away). We ended the day with a good old fashioned “Draw on the Garage Door with Chalk” session, and it could not have been better. Love this vibrant and always fun family.

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