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See image of bride taken during her bridal session in a Crossfit Gym in New Bern, NC

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Magical Ripley’s Aquarium Bridal Session in Myrtle Beach, SC

    It was torrentially down-pouring during Charlotte’s bridal session. We had to come up with a quick alternative somewhere in Myrtle Beach, SC that wouldn’t cost a bloody fortune so I took a shot in the dark and called Ripley’s Aquarium and told them of our woes. They totally stepped up, invited us in free of charge, and let us have full run of the joint! This is absolutely one of my favorite images. Charlotte was crouching on the other side of the seahorse tank. I had my assistant lighting her from the left with a Lumecube. The seahorses, of course, followed instructions so well and all gathered on the front left of the tank so I had almost...

Destination Wedding Details & Portraiture at Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, California

When Marissa and Huntington got married at Terranea Resort a few weeks ago, I knew how important the detail shot of her dress would be to her. I got to spend some time playing and shot the dress on multiple backgrounds but this double exposure is my absolute favorite. I shot 2 exposures, the first was a very small painting hanging in the kitchen that had wonderful colors and brush strokes. For the second shot, I hung the gown from a light fixture in the hallway. By setting the camera to the Light mode, the dress overwrote the colors in the painting. Then I brought the two original images as well as the double exposure into Adobe Photoshop, layered them...

Dramatic Afterglow Session of Celebrity WFMY TV Reporters | Winston-Salem

One of my favorite types of shoots is, quite honestly, a long one. I love taking time to get my friends (Clients? Subjects? Genie pigs?) to relax, sink into their experience and just have loads of fun while still creating magnificent artifacts of their time with me. We usually start out with a drink or lunch, chat and laugh a lot, then dive head first into our session together. This was absolutely true with Liz and Grant, both of whom are newscasters at WFMY News in Greensboro, NC. I worked with Liz and Grant first for their destination wedding in Cape May NJ at Congress Hall. (I seriously want to shoot there again so let’s make that happen, folks!) We...

bride and groom between wrought iron gate against an intense blue night sky. Revolution Mills wedding.

Chic Outdoor Wedding | Revolution Mills | Greensboro, NC

Traci: What’s your story? How did you two meet? Lauren: Brian and I grew up about 10 minutes down the road from one another in Kernersville/Walkertown, but did not meet until we attended college at UNC Charlotte. Brian’s whole life has revolved around baseball, playing for Brevard College, and playing and coaching club baseball at UNC Charlotte. One of my good friends played club baseball for UNC Charlotte, and Brian and I met through him at a baseball party. First, Lauren and Brian are totally gorgeous. I am talking cover model gorgeous. AND they love fine art photography. I’m so glad they stumbled across me on a web search because they were a dream. It’s hard not to talk about...

Classic Elegance With A Modern Twist | OHenry Hotel Bridal Session | Greensboro, NC

Allison is a classic beauty and she wanted very classic old world elegance in her bridal session. We chose the OHenry Hotel in Greensboro for it’s beautiful, dark wood lobby and the light was just amazing. We chose several locations throughout the hotel and Allison walked right up to the edge of her comfort level and stopped over that line. Her bravery allowed me to play a little and add a modern twist to some of her images. It was a wonderful collaboration. Congrats to Allison and Matt who married last night at the OHenry!

bride and groom in softly lit but graphic dark stairwell

A Summer Breakfast Wedding and Outdoor Wedding Reception | Burlington, NC

Remember my gorgeous waterfall bride? The one that braved rocks, mud and spectators to achieve some stunning, magically-lit bridal shots at Pisgah National Forest in Asheville? I could not WAIT to shoot her wedding. McCotta and I really bonded over our love for the outdoors during her bridal session and I knew she was intending to pull a lot of that into her wedding, especially at Amanda Point, the family land where the reception took place. Traci: What is the absolute best thing about your Beloved? What would he say about you? McCotta: His warmth as a person. I have never been around someone who smiles as much and gives as much as Todd. He is almost always happy and...

black and white of bride with eyes closed and stream of sunlight on her face

Beautifully Lit Forest Bridal Session | Greensboro, NC

For Emily’s bridal session, I wanted dramatic enchantment. We chose Hagan-Stone Park just outside of Greensboro and shot in the early afternoon hours. Her gorgeous custom Martina Liana gown was a perfect contrast and balance to the deep woods that we trekked through. The images are exactly what I imagined and Emily looked beyond beautiful. We even found a little chapel on the park’s grounds to play in. It was a perfect afternoon. Many people ask how we shoot in location like forests and mountain sides, and waterfalls and manage to keep the dress clean. The last image in the slideshow is a perfect visual explanation. The bride stands on a clear plastic shower curtain topped with a white sheet near the...

black and white double reflection bridal image in sunlight

Dramatically Lit Bridal Session | Grandover Resort | Greensboro, NC

For Lauren’s bridal session, it was important to her to have her photographs made in the resort her uncle built. We were blessed with incredible light flooding into the lobby which played off of her beautiful figure in her couture dress by designer Olia Zavozina. My favorite image of so many favorites is the first in the gallery where Lauren is sitting in the chair and reflected in a piece of marble. She looks so regal and absolutely gorgeous.

Bride in wedding dressing standing near Pisgah National Forest waterfall during bridal session

Pisgah National Forest Bridal Session | Asheville, NC

When McCotta suggested we shoot her sunrise bridal session at Pisgah National Forest near Asheville, NC, I must admit, I got a little weak in the knees. I knew the light would be magical but what I didn’t realize was how much she would be willing to do for me and for the shots. We hiked into spectacular locations and shocked hikers along the way as she marched past them in her full wedding gown regalia. It was a site to behold. When we got to the last waterfall of the morning, I wasn’t sure how we were going to get her into the cave behind the falls, but she just soldiered on and the results were astounding. McCotta, thank...

Best of 2014 | My Personal Favorites

+To me, memorable art is art that makes you stop dead in your tracks.  Art that sticks with you long after you have walked away. Every time I pull my camera out of that bag, I strive for that kind of art.  I love creating images that are gorgeous, but challenging.  Images that are playful, yet refined.  And most importantly, images that are beautifully crafted. 2014 granted me so many opportunities to create the art that I love while also awarding me with a year of firsts:  my first Indian wedding and my first international wedding (in a Scottish castle, no less!).  I won Fearless Awards and received the honor of inclusion among the top 50 wedding photographers in the...

Bride and groom in creek backlit during romance session in Winston-Salem, NC

Victoria and AJ | Greek Wedding | Winston-Salem, NC

Victoria has quickly become one of my fearless poster brides. She’s the one on the windmill. When she pointed out the spot that she used to climb as a child during her bridal session, I asked her if she would climb it in her bridal gown. Without hesitation, she did so. Her windmill portrait portrayed her grace, beauty and bravery against a magical sky and a perfect wind. It instantly became one of my favorite bridal portraits and has won a Fearless Award. I was pretty darn excited about her wedding. It did not disappoint. It was at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, one of my favorite places to photograph weddings. It’s colorful, it’s exuberant and they embrace photographers coming...