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.

Laurie+Dwight+June+Davis

I photographed Laurie and Dwight’s wedding back in 2014 (!) and now it’s an absolute delight to photograph them as a family of four with their two kids. Davis is a smiley little guy who enjoys Cheez-its, swings, and asking a lot of questions via adorable little baby noises. June is me, except she’s 4. She likes cats so much that sometimes she prefers to be called by the name of one of their cats, and she’ll let you know which name she’s going by today (human or cat). She had a cat dress on. Almost all of the art on the walls that she’s made is of cats. She has many cat toys, some of which were so adorable that I’ll probably buy them myself. She looked at pictures of my cats and then repeated their names and qualities with total delight to her dad. She knows exactly where the Temptations are kept in the kitchen. She’s my kind of girl.

Laurie and Dwight are great people and Laurie’s also an amazing dentist in Raleigh! She became my dentist during the pandemic and I was delighted to find that she has televisions mounted on the ceiling of her office, which is, in my opinion, the most ingenious thing to ever happen in the field of dentistry. I’m so happy for her to have a thriving business and for their family to have two wonderful kids. It was so much fun to photograph them all together at home.

Kathy+Andrew+Alden+Eben

Such a joy reuniting with some of my all-time favorite people! Geoff and I photographed Kathy and Andrew’s wedding back in the day, and then I’ve also had the joy of photographing them with Alden a couple of times. Now it’s been a few years and they have a new 2 year-old addition named Eben, who is just as delightful as Alden. Their children are adorable and sweet kids who enjoy making forts in the living room, having tea, and playing with lots of trains. The trains, for some reason, are carrying large tanks full of what appears to be full-grown great white sharks. I’m not sure if the trains are transporting these sharks to an aquarium or a rehabilitation center or if it’s a Snowpiercer situation, but regardless, I just want to let you know the type of cargo the trains in this household are transporting because it seems important.

And there, watching the trains transport the sharks and observing the tea parties and the cookie making, is Brewer the Tabby Cat. Brewer is an extremely friendly cat who has always been a part of our shoots. I think he thinks that the camera is there for him, and he acts accordingly. Their calico Addie, however, wants nothing to do with me but I love her from afar.

It was quite a gloomy and rainy morning when we shot this, but the kids made the absolute most of their day inside by doing a ton of fun things with Mom and Dad, which included making cookies, which is maybe the absolute best activity you can do when it’s raining. I had so much fun catching up with all of them and continuing to be a little part of their family story!

Aleigh+Joe+Isaac

It was great to reunite with Aleigh and Joe! Geoff and I photographed their engagement session in New York City several years ago. Now they’re married and parents to an adorable baby named Isaac and have a beautiful home with the best longest hallway. Why do I like long hallways? I don’t know. I think they remind me of shotgun houses in New Orleans. I think I also like to run and slide down them in socks a la Tom Cruise in Risky Business. Anyway, their home and baby are beautiful. Isaac is also the proud baby owner of several incredible blankets. If I’ve photographed your baby, you know I really love looking through baby blankets and finding fun patterns and colors. Isaac had so many good ones made by people who love him, which is the most important part. I’m so happy for Aleigh and Joe and am thrilled that the city has gained another resident who’s a future Bruce Springsteen fan.

Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac
Family Photographer - Aleigh+Joe+Isaac