Everything you're wondering about

Couples, family, maternity and portrait sessions are usually an hour or two of slow, unscripted time. Elopements and weddings are planned around your day. Hiking to a view adds time, and I'll factor that in.

Clothes you feel like yourselves in, that move a little: flowing dresses, soft knits, linen, a good jacket. Muted, earthy colors and texture photograph beautifully. Skip big logos and neon. After you book, I send a short guide so you don't have to overthink it.

Not at all. Almost everyone is. I give you prompts, not poses: small things to do together, like walking, whispering or dancing badly. The camera becomes background noise pretty quickly.

Golden hour, the last hour or so before sunset, or right after sunrise. In the mountains the sun slips behind the ridges early, so I plan around the real light at our spot. In the city, I love staying into blue hour after sunset.

Light rain, fog and clouds are often the most cinematic conditions there are. If it's stormy or unsafe, we pick a new time together.

Yes. I'm based in Asheville, about 130 miles and a little over two hours from Uptown Charlotte. I travel there for weddings, engagements and sessions, and many Charlotte couples come up to the mountains for theirs. See my Charlotte page.

It depends on the place and on what we're doing. Ceremonies usually need a permit, and some places have rules or fees for professional photographers. Each location guide summarizes the official rules and links to the agency's page, and I check them again before your date.

Get a North Carolina marriage license from any county Register of Deeds. Buncombe County's site says it's valid for 60 days anywhere in the state. You'll need an officiant and two witnesses who are 18 or older, and the signed license goes back to the Register of Deeds afterward. Check the issuing county's current rules.

Yes, as long as the location allows pets. Some of the best frames have a dog or a toddler in them.

Both. My galleries mix warm, golden color with grainy black-and-white, depending on the light and the mood of each moment.

Send me a note through the form below: who you are, what you love doing together, the season you're in, and where you'd like to shoot. I'll write back with collections and next steps.