Crystal + Dylan, thanks so much for being adventurous and willing to cavort in a random field at magic hour! I always love shooting in new places and am grateful for your enthusiasm over finding a unique location for your session. This shoot was a memorable one for me, and I hope you had as much fun making new memories as I did! I’m pumped about photographing your celebration this fall.

To view all of the photos from Crystal + Dylan’s session and order prints, please visit their gallery on my online print shop!

The post Crystal + Dylan | Rustic Engagement Session | Pittsboro Engagement Photographer appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

This shoot was a lot of fun, even if the pups were a bit traumatized by falling in the water. Kennedy + Jenn, thanks for being up for a new adventure in a beautiful spot! You picked one of the most beautiful days of the entire month for our shoot, and I had a blast frolicking in nature with you and your fur babies!

To view all of the photos from their session and order prints, please visit their gallery on my online print shop!

The post Kennedy + Jenn | Ayr Mount Engagement Shoot | Hillsborough Engagement Photographer appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

I spent a cool spring evening photographing Rhea + Craig at one of my favorite spots in Hillsborough: Down Yonder Farm. No engagement session is complete without mean-mugging donkeys, stray chickens, or affectionate cats. Rhea and Craig are an adventurous, easy-going couple who gladly embraced the farmy environment, which made for a fun shoot.

A few words about Down Yonder Farm: this spot is truly special. Susan Gladin and Peter Kramer graciously invite artists (musicians, writers, photographers) to use their farm for events or quiet inspiration. When I first used the farm last year, Peter sat with me (and my client!) for quite some time, cracking us up with his jokes and sharing stories of his own wedding and musical endeavors. He welcomed us with open arms, and at the end of the session he emphasized how much he wanted me and Justin to continue to use the farm for shoots. Peter sadly passed away in December after a hard battle against esophageal cancer, but his legacy lives on in Down Yonder Farm for The Arts. If you would like to read more about Peter, his wife Susan, and DYFA, check out the family’s blog! I didn’t know Peter for very long, but the moments I spent with him were deeply meaningful. I am so grateful for him, Susan, and their wonderful farm.

Rhea and Craig, I am so glad you experienced the joy that is Down Yonder Farm! I couldn’t think of a better couple to share this spot with. I hope you love your photos, and I can’t wait to photograph your wedding this May!

To view all the photos from Rhea + Craig’s session and order prints, please visit their full gallery on my online print shop!

The post Rhea + Craig | Rustic Hillsborough Engagement Session | Hillsborough Portrait Photographer appeared first on Courtney Potter Studio.

Wedding season 2015 started off with a bang with Sara + Daniel’s wintry downtown Raleigh engagement session. Icy roads, overcast skies, and drizzly weather might have deterred another couple, but Sara and Daniel embraced the crazy February weather, and together we found inspiration in unexpected places.

So often I find myself shooting engagement sessions in the same places: picturesque spring gardens, sunny fields, local parks. I appreciated Sara and Daniel’s offbeat vision for their photos, which included (in their own words): “cracked sidewalks, tall grass in empty lots, flaking murals, and rusty warehouses.” At one point during the shoot they even told me we could get grittier, so we moved to a muddy lot near train tracks and found an abandoned couch in the middle of a field. They embraced their adventurous side: traipsing through fields and climbing slippery mounds to get the perfect shot.

One of my goals for 2015 is to really challenge myself to step outside my comfort zone, so I decided to use lights for majority of this shoot. As much as I enjoy utilizing “magical” available light at sunset, some days (like this gross winter day!) you just can’t rely on that. My assistant Kasha Mammone did a wonderful job maneuvering the soft box and positioning herself in precarious spots to create the perfect light.

I love making pictures that honor my clients’ unique stories. Daniel proposed to Sara in a field of monarch butterflies in Mexico (I know, I know. Way to trump every other couple’s engagement story, guys!) The last spot we hit in Raleigh showcased a beautiful butterfly mural, which is so fitting for Sara and Daniel. These last photos are graphic and simple, but I think they are my favorites from the shoot. While any other couple would look cool in front of this mural, it contains a deeper meaning for Sara and Daniel.

Sara and Daniel, thanks for being so adventurous during our shoot! I loved collaborating with you to make these pictures and can’t wait to see how you creatively use them for your wedding!

To view all of the photos from Sara + Daniel’s session and order prints, please visit their online gallery on my print shop!

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