As a North Carolina lifestyle photographer, I’m always chasing more than a pretty backdrop. I’m looking for places where stories unfold. Whether it’s a toddler splashing in a stream at the park near your home, a quiet moment between siblings outside your family’s favorite coffee shop, or the joyful chaos of running across open fields with your partner, the Triangle is full of outdoor spaces that invite real connection.

Here are some of my favorite outdoor locations in Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill for photography sessions that feel as meaningful as they look.

RALEIGH, NC

North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA): Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park

This space is a dream for families who want variety: bold modern sculptures, soft grassy hills, peaceful wooded trails, and quiet reflecting pools. It's perfect for sessions that blend playful movement with moments of stillness, a place where you can dance, cuddle, or just take in the sky together. What’s more, the park’s open shade areas make it a great choice for any sessions that don’t happen during golden hour (gasp)!

Historic Yates Mill County Park

If you’re drawn to textures, history, and a sense of place, Yates Mill delivers. The old stone mill and wooden footbridge whisper stories of the past, the wooded trails create space for wandering and running, and the iconic rock formation is a great place for layering family photos to tell a story of curiosity and togetherness. It's ideal for families who feel most like themselves in nature but still want a variety of backdrops.

Horseshoe Farm Nature Preserve

A quiet, wide-open gem that feels untouched. The beautiful golden fields invite freedom, barefoot joy, and honest connection. This is where I love capturing wild and free-spirited families being their most authentic selves.

DURHAM, NC

Duke Chapel

Majestic, historic, and surprisingly tender in photos, Duke Chapel isn’t just for formal portraits, it’s a place where your family’s story can unfold with depth and meaning. Maybe you met here as working professionals (looking at you, doctors) or maybe it’s a landmark you’ve always admired. Either way, what was once a backdrop can become part of your legacy.

There’s a quiet beauty in capturing small, fleeting moments against something so grand. I love using light and perspective here to create images that feel both timeless and grounded, where the majesty of the setting only highlights the sacredness of everyday connection.

American Tobacco Campus

For families who love a more urban, textural setting, American Tobacco Campus offers rich storytelling potential with an industrial twist. Brick walls, vintage-style signs, old railroad tracks, water features, and string lights give the space a nostalgic, city-meets-history feel. It’s perfect for families who want something a little different from nature trails and grassy fields.

CHAPEL HILL, NC

Coker Arboretum

Tucked into the heart of UNC’s campus, this spot is an oasis of green. It’s ideal for slow, thoughtful sessions, where kids can collect leaves, parents can pause under the arbor, and we can document the in-between memories that often matter most.

Merritt’s Pasture & Blackwood Farm Park

Wide open spaces, tall grass, and the kind of light that just glows. These are spots where kids can run wild and we can lean into the unscripted moments that are at the true heart of family storytelling.

Let the Setting Support Your Story

Choosing the right location isn’t just about what looks pretty, it’s about finding a space that reflects your family’s energy.

Do you love quiet mornings in the woods? Let’s head to Yates Mill or Coker Arboretum. Is your family full of bold personalities and movement? We’ll run wild at Horseshoe Farm or Downtown Raleigh. Want to honor the place where your love began? Duke Chapel or American Tobacco Campus might be the perfect choice.

Ready to tell your family’s story in a place that means something to you? Contact me to start planning a session that’s more than just photos, it’s your story, told authentically.