Family poses with 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter with Down Syndrome for spring family photos at the North Carolina Museum of Art Park in Raleigh.

Every spring, I’m reminded how deeply I love photographing families in this season of becoming. The layers come off. The air deepens. Kids suddenly feel older than they did just a few months before.

In 2025, I offered just one date for my Raleigh spring mini sessions, and I held them at one of my favorite locations in the Triangle, the North Carolina Museum of Art Park.

Why the North Carolina Museum of Art Is One of My Favorite Spots for Raleigh Spring Mini Sessions

If you’ve ever visited the NCMA, you know it isn’t just a museum. It’s a true community space, operated by the state with the intention of being accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds.

Husband and wife play with baby and dog during a spring mini session at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, NC.

Husband and wife hold baby and kiss while their 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son run in circles around them during spring mini sessions in Raleigh, NC.

Family walks hand-in-hand at the North Carolina Museum of Art during a spring mini photosession.

Husband and wife lay on ground and play with baby during a professional spring mini photo session at the NCMA park in Raleigh.

The Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park spans 164 acres and feels more like a storybook landscape than a traditional park. Rolling hills, wide walking trails, and commissioned sculptures are tucked into pockets of tall grass and groves of trees. There’s even a musical swing set that kids naturally gravitate toward.

For family photos, it offers endless backdrops filled with the lush, vibrant greens North Carolina is known for in the spring.

Parking is easy, with well-lit lots and sidewalks that lead right into the heart of the park. That accessibility is a big reason I recommend it for families with strollers, wheelchairs, or mobility aids who still want a natural outdoor setting.

The Light, the Clouds, and Letting the Day Be What It Was

Husband and wife pose with baby and dog on grassy hill with a sculpture behind them at the Ann and Jim Goodnight Park in Raleigh, NC.

My 2025 Raleigh spring mini sessions were held in mid-April during the two hours before sunset. I went into the day expecting golden sunshine. What we got instead was full cloud cover and dramatic, moody skies.

And honestly, it worked.

With the sun completely hidden, I wasn’t tied to specific angles or fighting harsh shadows. I could place families wherever felt right, along the sloping grassy hill near the welcome center where vibrant spring grass rolls down toward the historic brick smoke tower, or farther into the park beyond the musical swings where tall grass layers beautifully against commissioned sculptures.

I love sunshine, but I’ve learned not to turn down whatever light a day offers. That flexibility is part of what makes these Raleigh spring mini sessions feel organic instead of overproduced.

Watching Families Grow Year After Year

Spring minis are often when I reconnect with families I’ve been photographing for years, and that continuity means everything to me.

The Burnette family is one of those families. I’ve been photographing them every spring since 2023, watching their household grow from two kids to three, from babies to elementary schoolers. They don’t perform for the camera. They simply show up as they are, joyful, affectionate, a little chaotic, and somehow their love translates through every single frame.

Family with three young kids rough houses and smiles at the camera during a spring mini session at the NCMA in Raleigh.

This is one of the quiet gifts of spring mini sessions in Raleigh. They become markers in a family’s timeline.

A Full Circle Moment With Devyn

Another family this year brought me right back to my own early parenting years.

Their daughter Devyn was my oldest daughter’s first real friend in preschool at a small developmental daycare in Cary. Devyn has Down Syndrome, and our decision to enroll our daughters at the same daycare came from a desire to be in a truly inclusive environment. That choice became even more meaningful when my own daughter was later diagnosed with ADHD and childhood apraxia of speech.

Those girls grew up together between the ages of one and five during the height of the COVID 19 pandemic. Their friendship was light in a dark season.

Mom poses with daughter, who has down syndrome, and 9-year-old son during a spring mini photo session at the North Carolina Museum of Art Park.

Seeing Devyn again at last year’s spring mini sessions was a gift. I don’t see her often anymore, but watching how her parents support her, encourage her, and make space for who she is reminded me why inclusive photography matters so much to me. It isn’t about perfection. It’s about honoring people as they are.

Who Raleigh Spring Mini Sessions Are Really For

Most of the families who book with me have kids under ten. Toddlers, preschoolers, kids still figuring out how to be humans. That’s who I love working with.

Mini sessions are often a family’s first introduction to my professional photography outside of the fall holiday rush. They’re a way to slow down in the middle of the year and create something meaningful without the pressure of perfection.

Looking Ahead to Spring and Summer 2026

This year I’ll be offering a handful of mini sessions in both spring and summer. My Raleigh spring mini sessions will take place at the North Carolina Museum of Art Park again, as well as the WRAL Azalea Gardens. I’m also introducing in-studio Mother’s Day and Father’s Day minis. These are minimal, playful sessions designed to let families fill the space with their own energy. Bonus, no rain dates required.

Before You Book

When parents read this, I hope they pause for a moment and think about what they truly want from their photos this spring.

Do you want everyone standing still, smiling politely at the camera? Or do you want to see your energy, your joy, and your love reflected back at you?

The latter are the images I would print for future generations.

If you’re not quite ready for minis, you can always explore my family photography portfolio or reach out when it feels right. The door is always open.