Hi luvs! Time for a personal post! I’m Courtney: the the photographer behind the camera, the painter behind the easel, and the soul behind Courtney Potter Studio. I’ve worked as a professional wedding photographer, filmmaker, and artist for the last decade. Here are some facts (both fun and serious!) about me that you may not know:

1. I’m obsessed with caterpillars and butterflies. Metamorphosis is a theme that I’ve explored quite a bit as an artist, and I love it so much I got a tat on my collarbone to remind myself of the beauty of transformation.

Here’s a poem I wrote after making this caterpillar’s portrait in 2011:

“I love my ceruleans and goldenrods,

my message of now, and I will

delight your pale forearm with my

gentle bourrees.

Your poets sing of butterflies–

of rebirth and freedom–

but I am no sinner in need of baptism,

and I laugh at your language of longing.

My back is a pillar of golden footprints,

a royal hieroglyph with an edict for simple

busybodies like yourself:  Consider

my perfect body, this holy symmetry.”

2. I took up photography + art when I was struggling with an eating disorder and depression in high school.

Recovery has been an ongoing process, and while I consider my ED in remission, I haven’t stopped creating and expressing myself through art therapy. Art is my medicine- it quite seriously saved my life on several occasions.

3. I’ve had the same nose-ring since I pierced my nose on a whim when I was 20. And yes, my grandma still hates it.

Here’s a portrait of Grandma Ann (left) and her sisters. My grandparents moved in with my family in 2006 after Grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I’m so grateful for all the  years I had with them at home, witnessing precious moments like this. We lost my grandpa in 2011, but Grandma is still goin’ strong at 93!

4. I love mentoring photography + art students! I’ve had more than a dozen interns since 2012, and they’re all enjoying successful careers as artists, photographers, teachers, and makers now.

Here are some of my favorite pictures with past interns and collaborators. I wouldn’t be where I am in my business today had it not been for the mentorship and encouragement of those who’d gone before me. Educating students and young professionals is close to my heart, and I’m committed to the next generation of creators and makers.

Are you a student or recent grad looking for internship or job opportunities? Apply to work with my Studio! Or let’s just grab a cup of coffee- I’d love to hear from you!

5. I grew up with 14 turtles + tortoises. I even took my senior portraits with Ani, my Russian Tortoise. The studio photographer was skeptical when I brought a reptile into his space…oops.

Meet Spike, my boyrfriend’s rad turtle. He’s the main little reptile in my life right now.

What about you? What are some fun facts you’d like me to know about you? Sound off in the comments!

The post 5 Fun Facts You May Not Know About Me… appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

I’ve shot some amazing weddings of my own as well as with other photographers like Jenny Tenney, Hunter McRae, Bridget McEnaney, Ashley Merritt, and Beth Ely. A huge thanks to them and all of my 2013 clients for giving me the opportunity to create some beautiful (and rather strange) photographs. I can’t wait to see what shenanigans 2014 brings.

I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

The post Best of 2013 appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

Take a look.

The post Folly Beach | Landscape Photography | Personal Work appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

haven’t shot personal work in awhile, and this seemed like a fun chance to explore my city, considering this took place just 2 miles from my house.  In the name of community, I brought my talented high school intern Layson to shoot this with me.  (Check out her version of the day’s event at her blog!)

haven’t had this much fun shooting for fun in awhile.  It was great to be back in the field, running free on the streets of downtown Durham with my camera.  Can’t wait until next year!

The post Marry Durham 2013 | North Carolina | Personal Work appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

The next third of the year was a rebirth of my business.  I quit my previous work with Cana Collective and decided to go solo, focusing solely on weddings and personal projects.  This decision preceded the Santa Fe Workshops with Chris Buck– which truly was a rebirth.  I shed a lot of tears at thisportrait & lighting workshop, and even some clothes. I put aside some of my photojournalistic habits and experimented with conceptual art photography.  Chris pushed me beyond my comfort zone, encouraging me to put more of my own self and psychology into my work–which meant facing some demons. My final project was designed by Chris to help me identify and face my fears related to photography in a studio-lit self portrait. This was the hardest assignment I have ever done–and also the most fulfilling.  These photos have become and Ebenezer of sorts for me.  Something inside me really changed with the final open and close of the shutter.

That workshop really set the stage for the last third of the year and the attitude I would have towards my work. One of the first big changes I made was to consciously surround myself with other creative photographers and artists.  One of the best things about Santa Fe was collaborating with other photographers and playing off of one another’s strengths.  So I started shooting more with UNC photo kids and really investing in developing a mentorship program for young photographers. My first intern ever, Maria Van Aalst, “graduated” from our little Durham home at the close of summer, but I continue to shoot with her.  When the leaves finally fell and I continued to miss Maria’s presence, I decided to start a new high school internship program for the talented Layson Peters.  I also set out on a new top-secret endeavor with a brilliant photographer, but since it’s top-secret right now you won’t hear about it until the start of 2013!  All of this collaboration has really infused me with the energy I need to bring something “fresh” to my work.

The main change that the workshop instilled in me, however, was to really focus on making pictures where my voice comes through, rather than a focus on technical elements.  I am still proud of my photos that have pretty light and beautiful compositions, but I’m trying to use those elements to really say something about how I see the world. Focusing more on portraiture has been a catalyst for achieving this.  I’ve cut out a lot of video and multimedia work from my life this year, and it’s freed me up really push the limits of my camera and vision.

The following photos are some of my favorite portraits from 2012 where my voice comes through a bit stronger than in previous years.

The post Goodbye, 2012! A look back on my best work from the year. appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.