Clare+Dan+Harper+Lyla

The first time I met Lyla she was a very sleepy and chill baby and now she has the energy of one thousand highly-caffeinated hummingbirds. Harper, her older sister, is also extremely energetic but concentrates most of her energy in two areas: jumping and changing outfits. She would just…disappear and change her outfit. She changed her outfit no less than 7 times during the session and I told Clare I’d need to go home and apologize to my mother, because I did the same thing when I was Harper’s age, except that I would put the clothes I just wore for 5 minutes into the dirty laundry basket instead of hanging it back up because it really hadn’t been worn, causing my mom to do excessive laundry until she realized what was happening. I’m sorry, Mom. I am glad I’m not alone though; I’m glad some other kid out there is rapidly changing outfits throughout the day as the mood strikes them. I think Harper has a future career in fashion of some sort, and Lyla has a future career as a high-powered CEO for some very cute company like Sanrio or some other business involving sparkles and animals, OR she’ll fulfill her dream job, which is to become Taylor Swift. Both girls are on the path to success and how can they not be when they have Clare and Dan? I love this family and I love their color and pattern-filled home and I love their British accents and for introducing me to a British marshmallow called a Flump. Thank you for letting me be a little part of your life.

Girl hugging her mom at home
Girl running up the stairs in her home
At home editorial documentary photographers
At home editorial documentary photographers
Girl jumping on bed
Best at home editorial documentary photographers
Best family photographers in Durham
Sisters jumping on the bed
Mom hugging little girl
Black and white image of little girl running
Girl jumping off her bunk bed
Girl jumping off her bunk bed
Picture of girl climbing on her window sill
Picture of girl climbing on her window sill
Little girl wearing fairy wings
Mom reads a book to her daughter
Mom reads a book to her daughter
Mom reads a book to her daughter
Mom reads a book to her daughter
Lifestyle and editorial family photographers in Durham NC
Lifestyle and editorial family photographers in Durham NC
Lifestyle and editorial family photographers in Durham NC
Girl holding her mom's hand in black and white photograph
Girl hugging her mom
Mom sitting on bed with daughters
Girl in a Frozen princess gown twirling
Girl in a ballerina outfit twirling
Dad dancing with daughter
Girl in a ballerina outfit twirling
Little kids jumping on the bed
Little kids jumping on the bed
Mom holding daughter
Kids jumping on the bed
Family photographer in Durham, NC
Family photographer in Durham, NC
Family photographer in Durham, NC
Mom playing with toys with daughter
Mom playing with toys with daughter
Girl brushing her hair in mirror
Girl brushing her hair in mirror
Girl brushing her hair in mirror
Girl twirling in the kitchen
Durham NC family photographers
Siblings sitting in the living room
Little girl crying
Girl playing with toy kitchen and girl reading book
Girl reading chapter book
Parents in living room with kids
Girl offering a marshmallow
Mom getting a glass of water for daughter
Family sitting around living room
Family sitting around living room
Dad holding daughter
Daughter smiling at her dad in living room
Daughter smiling at her dad in living room
Daughter smiling at her dad in living room
Little girl dancing in living room
Little girl dancing in living room
Little girl dancing in living room
Little girl dancing in living room
Family cuddling on couch in living room
Family cuddling on couch in living room
Girl upset that her sister's foot is touching her
Girl reading a book at kitchen counter
Girl reading a book at kitchen counter
Mom and daughter do crafts in kitchen
Daughter painting a holiday house with her mom
Daughter painting a holiday house with her mom
Daughter painting a holiday house with her mom
Daughter painting a holiday house with her mom
Girl standing on bar stool chair
Sisters doing arts and crafts
Sisters doing arts and crafts
Sisters doing arts and crafts
Little girl painting toy house
Little girl smiling outside at family
Handwritten note on fridge to mom and dad
Girl working on marker board
Documentary photography
Documentary photography
Documentary photography
Documentary photography
Girl putting on play shoes
Family playing school outside
Little girl in play shoes
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Kid yelling on a patio
Mom laughing on a patio with daughters
Kids playing on a patio
Girl running around patio with play shoes
Girl running around patio with play shoes
Mom sitting with daughters
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers
Durham and Raleigh family photographers

Crystal+Jason+Co

It is wonderful photographing people you haven’t seen in a while, especially when those people have had two children since the last time you saw them, and those two children really love your branding even though they’ve never met you or used your services, and they’ve placed your stickers all over their house. I’ve come equipped to recent sessions with two stickers: my current branding with the two fruit bats, and my old “vintage” branding that depicts two classic Halloween bats in front of a moon. Eloise and Thomas, the children of Crystal and Jason, had already placed their parents’ vintage stickers around the house. So when I tried to give another one of these to Eloise, she seemed disappointed and said, “Oh…. yeah… we already have that one,” but she was excited about the new fruit bats. But by the end of the session, Eloise had changed her tune and was suddenly requesting “four more stickers – two for me, and two for my little brother” – one of each branding design. I diligently obliged and then went back to talking to Crystal about something. When I turned around a few seconds later, I discovered both to my delight and horror that Eloise had placed all four stickers in prominent positions on her parents’ vehicles. I think I ran around stammering “I’m so sorry” repeatedly while photographing my new moving billboards with my phone. Thankfully Crystal and Jason are good sports and are okay with accidentally advertising for me for the remainder of the lifespan of their cars (or until they get some Goo Gone, whichever comes first) because they are delightful. Their children are delightful – intelligent, thoughtful, smiley little creatures. And their dog Atlas is DELIGHTFUL. All caps. Love this good old boy. Sorry about the stickers everyone, but I do smile when I go to bed at night knowing that the bats are driving around town.

Abby+Rachel+Ansel

One of the perils of photographing a small child that you see often and are friends with is that they tend to want to sit next to you during the shoot and you keep having to move away from them in order to take pictures of them, which hurts their feelings. They also know your husband Geoff and demand to know where he is, and are upset that you didn’t bring him. We’ve been friends with Abby and Rachel for a very long time, and were so excited when they moved back to NC with their kiddo Ansel. Ansel is our buddy. We’ve shared dinners and bedtime story routines and long discussions about Geoff’s shoes. He is extremely intelligent and also hilarious, and I don’t think I’ve ever really seen him truly upset except for maybe 5 seconds when he couldn’t get the “Prog” button his keyboard to work. He is funny and very adored and he seems to like us.

When I showed up without his buddy Geoff for this shoot, he was initially confused. Why would I be there… without Geoff? Where are Geoff’s shoes? He then made a swift recovery by deciding to sit directly next to me during most of the session where I couldn’t photograph him and giggling profusely. Slowly he was bribed away from me with various things: sticks, a blanket that looks like a tortilla which I use whenever over their house as much as possible, howling with his dog Ozlo, more sticks, a scooter, some pinecones, and finally cookies. We had a wonderful time. I love this family with all of my heart and am lucky to know them and extremely lucky and thankful that they have a blanket that looks like a tortilla that they allow me to use when I’m at their house.