Martha and Justin are dear friends of ours whose wedding we photographed way back in 2011 (!!) and whom we’ve played many games of Killer Bunnies with ever since. Martha’s from Chicago and Justin’s from Minnesota, but they met in Chicago. Martha left to attend Duke, and Justin joined shortly thereafter… and they both became Durhamites through and through. Here they adopted a cat and later had a real human child named Emilia, who is the friendliest and most adorable kid on earth. She is a fantastic hugger and excited ALL THE TIME! and also loves pizza. She is also incredibly patient, especially for a 2.5 year old. I’ve seen her look lovingly at pizza that wasn’t hers (while clapping) yet remaining seated (!) and just politely sitting there until her pizza arrived. I’ve seen grown adults who can’t do that and have zero chill when it comes to waiting for pizza (namely my husband).

Now they are sadly (to us!) moving to Minnesota, and taking their knowledge of amazing food with them (Martha helped us discover the joy that is pupusas, and, of course, El Cuscatleco). We will miss them greatly. They wanted a family session that documented a little bit of their time spent in Durham at the playground in Central Park and The Parlour, where Emilia makes the best ice cream eating face. It’s like the face you would make to imitate a tiger, only instead you’re just eating ice cream. I love her. And them. When we visit you in Minnesota you have to promise you’ll take us to see Prince stuff. xoxo.

When Kristen first wrote me, she told me that she runs a consulting business for dog business owners. And I wrote back, “Wait, what?” First of all, I did not really know that there was an industrial complex known as a dog business. Second of all, I did not know AT ALL that there were indeed coaches! conferences! consulting! branding businesses! ALL built for and around people who own the dog businesses! What! My head exploded and my world got a little bigger. Kristen Lee is, in fact, a dog biz consultant. She helps dog business owners, especially women, find their voice in the industry. She helps them brand themselves and their businesses to take them to the next level. I find it completely fascinating. Kristen came from the corporate world and has been putting her skills to use for the doggo businesses for years, and now she’s developed a following, speaking at conferences and consulting near and far. Part of that following is based on her badass, wild child personality. She’s confident, determined, and likes to give the finger a lot (part of her message of disrupting the norms in the dog business industry). I’m thankful to have been able to update her headshots to reflect her confidence and personality. And of course, if you or someone you know has a dog walking business and are interested in branding, visit Kristen Lee Consulting to learn more!

Jane and Alex are engageeeed(!) and getting married in MEXICO (jealousss) and hired me to photograph their engagement portraits (yaaaaay!) under the stipulation that we try our best to avoid ticks (ewwwwww). Jane has gorgeous hair and incredibly fit upper arms, and Alex has very impressive eyelashes in an almost-Richard-from-Lost type of fashion. They are very cute. They have also lived in every state beginning with the letter C, visited 46/50 states, and have both lived abroad, which is so impressive! We had fun discussing their travels, work, and hobbies. They met while they were both attending Wake Forest and now live happily in Durham with their two dogs. They spend a good deal of their time now browsing PetFinder, and trying to convince one another that they don’t need a third dog. When not contemplating the pitfalls of life with three dogs, Jane spends her time lifting heavy things, and Alex spends his watching baseball or playing video games. Together they’re rock-solid, and they can thankfully both lift each other in a pinch should the occasion arise where the floor would suddenly become lava and they’d need to take turns carrying one another to safety. I enjoyed working with them very much, and thankfully all ticks were avoided during this shoot.