Cat+Mitchell+Co.

I believe this is my 7th time photographing Cat and Mitchell and that calls for a toast… of gluten-free pizza… which we did immediately after the session. Cat might be my first gluten-free friend in NC, and I am incredibly grateful for her wisdom and guidance in my first months of diagnosis, and her resolute assurance that Italy was the absolute best vacation destination for the gluten-free (she was right). It’s been nice having a partner in rice-based recommendations. We don’t live super close to each other but we always try to base our get-togethers around food (which is the right choice), and we’re always trying new gluten-free restaurants. This session ended in us splitting multiple gf pizza flavors which resulted in two leftover boxes in the fridge (one for mine and one for Geoff), which their son Cameron labeled for us with a crayon, and it was very helpful.

I love these guys and I’m not sure what more there is to say. Cameron’s our bud and Sarah was a baby but now she’s our bud too. Sarah, I think, is just me somehow. Like my having photographed her parents enough somehow embedded my DNA into Cat and Mitchell and now Sarah is like, 25% Carolyn. She’s obsessed with Halloween and her favorite song is the Ghostbusters theme and Halloween and spooky things are really all she wants to talk about. I relate to that on a deep level. I need to work on getting her interested in cats (I tried to show her the pictures of our cats, but all she really wanted to see was a video of our 12ft skeleton at Halloween… I’ll work on it). I also have a lot in common with Cameron, who likes animals (especially their dog Biscuit) and basically any food that’s sweet. They are truly good, sweet, polite, funny, fantastic kids. But of course they are because Cat and Mitchell are their parents and they are wonderful people.

Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
Raleigh Durham family photographer
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
At home lifestyle family photos Raleigh Durham
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC
Documentary family photographer Durham NC

Jen+Jon+Declan

If I ever tell you that I watched some weird horror movie recently but mostly talked about the themed food that accompanied it, chances are these were the other people involved. The best of those situations, in my opinion, was when we made assorted deviled eggs for the Easter horror movie about a giant killer bunny, and the worst was when we tried to put spaghetti in a plastic brain mold for Halloween Ends. They can’t all be winners. Jon makes amazing fried pickles, and Jen makes the best charcuterie boards. And there to pick up all the pieces that we drop on the floor, is SamSam, their… black… golden retriever? Long haired black lab? Fuzzy doggo butt? I don’t know what breed SamSam is but she is extremely cute and extremely fuzzy and likes to boop you on the leg with her nose when she doesn’t feel like she’s getting her fair share of snacks. SamSam LOVES it when Declan is around because Declan is a primary floor-snack source. I love it when Declan is around because he’s just plain funny and adorable. Usually he makes me food in his play kitchen, but during this photoshoot I was introduced to candle-sniffing Declan, which is apparently his favorite Target shopping activity. He takes a candle, opens it, sniffs it extremely dramatically with a scrunched-up nose face, and then runs over to you so that you can do the same thing. He’s precious. Then he smartly puts the candle in his Target shopping cart and off he goes. These folks are truly incredible people and friends, and I’m happy to photograph them again. Oh, and if you’re looking for a dose of Dad humor, Jon runs the best Dadstagram there is.

Kid sized Target shopping cart
Kid shopping with mini Target shopping cart toy
At home Target store setup for kids
At home Target store setup for kids
At home Target store setup for kids
In-home documentary lifestyle family photography in Raleigh
In-home documentary lifestyle family photography in Raleigh
Kid serving parents food at Target store in-home
Long haired black labrador dog
At home Target store setup for kids
In-home documentary lifestyle family photography in Raleigh
Kid smelling a candle
Kid smelling a candle
Kid holding a candle out for you to smell
Lifestyle photographers in Raleigh
Kid holding out a candle for a dog to smell
Child offering you a candle
Kid putting on his socks
Parents helping child put on his shoes
Family Christmas card on porch
Family Christmas card on porch
Family Christmas card on porch outtake
Family Christmas card on porch
Kid running through the grass
Parents throwing leaves with a child in the yard
Parents throwing leaves with a child in the yard
Parents throwing leaves with a child in the yard
Dad tossing son up in the air during family photos in Raleigh
Dad tossing son up in the air during family photos in Raleigh
Kid holding a stick during Raleigh family photographs
Dog chewing on a stick in the yard
Mother and son portraits
Mom spinning toddler son around
Mom kissing toddler on the cheek
Toddler with electricity hair
Toddler holding stick
Toddler walking with his dad holding his hand
Toddler holding his dad's hand and walking
Family neighborhood walk in Raleigh
Family neighborhood walk in Raleigh
Kid sitting on Dad's shoulders
Kid sitting on Dad's shoulders
Kid sitting on Dad's shoulders
Toddler going on walk with parents
Toddler going on walk with parents
Family portraits outside in autumn
Family portraits outside in autumn
Family portraits outside in autumn
Raleigh family photographer
Raleigh family photographer
Artsy family photographers in Raleigh
Artsy family photographers in Raleigh
Kid running through his yard during family portraits
Kid running through his yard during family portraits
Toddler hugging his dad
Toddler hugging his dad
Dad carrying toddler
Raleigh family portraits in the fall
Black long haired dog with tennis ball
Black long haired dog with tennis ball
Black long haired dog with tennis ball catches ball
Black long haired dog with tennis ball
Family portrait in Raleigh with dog
Woman kisses dog in portrait
Toddler laughing on the grass
Mom carrying her son across the yard
Couple laughing with fall leaves
Black and white couple laughing
Couple laughing with the fall leaves
Kid carrying pumpkin at family photos
Kid carrying pumpkin at family photos
Kid carrying pumpkin at family photos
Kid carrying pumpkin at family photos

Katherine+Jon+Alex

What an utterly delightful small child Alex is! I already knew that Katherine and Jon were delightful so it didn’t surprise me. Alex, much like his father, loves cars and transportation devices of any type. His vehicle of choice is a sweet blue and orange number by Little Tikes and he’ll beat you in a street race any day of the week. He’s fast. He’s mean. He’ll casually rest his elbow on his permanently rolled down window and look like one cool dude, and you better get out of the way. When he’s not racing people in the streets, he’s offering Cheerios to his parents and then swiftly rescinding the offer and putting them back in his own mouth. When he’s not doing that, you can also find him reading, building towers of blocks and then knocking them over, or hanging out at the local playground where he’ll also race you on the slides, all while being one cool dude still. I am excited for the breadth of knowledge about Rush he’ll have when he’s older. He’s very charming. His parents are very charming. I’m very happy to reunite with them and meet their little street racer.