Durham Family Photographer

Carolyn Scott is a Durham family photographer. She specializes in candid and documentary at-home family photography in the Triangle area (Durham, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary, etc). Carolyn’s work has been published in several popular books and magazines, including Apartment Therapy, BuzzFeed, and Fangoria. Locally, she’s been voted Best Photographer in Durham Magazine’s Best Of Durham and INDY Week’s Best of the Triangle. She lives in South Durham with her husband Geoff and three cats.

January 9, 2026

Alex + Danielle // At-Home Family Photos

Alex and Danielle welcomed a new baby girl to their family in December, so I was overjoyed to update their family photos with her, their son, and their 16 year-old dachshund Honeybee. Their baby girl is so sweet and looks so much like her brother did at that age! Big brother is enamored with her, and talks nonstop about his sister and also Honeybee, both of which he loves hugging and kissing on the forehead. He also loves cameras (!) and was a great assistant during the shoot, taking additional pictures and making sure my bag was properly packed. This family of kind creatives warms my heart and it was a great way to start off my family photos of 2026!

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December 18, 2025

Allison + Nathaniel // At Home Portraits

This family never ceases to amaze me and entertain me. Allison and Nathaniel are wonderful people and parents, and their kids are full of love and joy and really specific technological knowledge. I’m always greeted in the driveway by now at least 3 boys grabbing my hands to pull me in various directions to show me various new things. This year they have a new brother (!), a Christmas tree, chickens, and soccer tricks – all of which they wanted to show me immediately. They asked which ornament was my favorite and were disappointed when I picked the teddy bear wearing a sweater but they got over it. Then they launched into asking me riddles that I had a very difficult time solving. Despite me not being able to answer the riddles, I was indeed still permitted to photograph on the premises. And while it was a cold and dreary late afternoon, we still managed some outside time and some silly family portraits, which has become the boys’ unspoken tradition (I do not pose them – they’re just amazing and consistently stellar at generating award-winning silly poses). These folks are near and dear to my heart. The relationships I build in this line of work mean so much to me and these boys always light up my day, no matter how cloudy the weather!

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December 12, 2025

Tyler + Madison // Durham Home Portraits

Mah frieeendssss! Love this little group of 5! They were a little group of 4 (yes, I am 100% including Margie the dog), but this year they added a new member and I just ADORE her. Tyler’s on the Durham Dirtbags baseball team with Geoff so I get to hang out a lot with his family at games, and this little lady has fit immediately right in – smiling at everyone, having the time of her life bundled up in a little carrier and being a little ham. She’s still a baby, but I am pretty confident that she’s an extrovert. She smiles at me constantly, unless I’m taking her picture, and then it’s 50/50, obviously. Her brother, also an adorable ham, has been perfecting his baseball skills at the games and at home, but also his mad skateboarding skills. He literally goes to skateparks. He was Tony Hawk for Halloween. I saw him do an ollie in his living room but also jump off his couch onto the skateboard. And yes, he wears the checkered Vans. I’m obsessed. I also love their parents and their dog and their house and everything about all of them. So glad to have these magical people in our lives!

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