Stories by Esi
Black-and-white portrait with fern shadows across her face

Portraits · Asheville & Charlotte

Portraits of who you are right now

Just you. After everything, and before everything that's coming.

Tell me your story

Sometimes you want a photo of yourself that has nothing to do with anyone else. A birthday, a new chapter, a hard year behind you, a creative project, or simply wanting to see yourself the way the people who love you do.

My portraits lean cinematic: grainy black-and-white, shadows across your face, a field at dusk, light that looks like memory. It's less about looking perfect and more about looking like you.

Black-and-white portrait, looking over her shoulder in a field

Portraits for A

One of my favorite portrait sessions is still Portraits for A. Black-and-white, the shadows of ferns falling across her face, her arms stretched to the sky in a field, and a last frame of her walking away through tall grass at dusk.

Good light, an open field and a person willing to feel something in front of the camera. That's all a portrait needs.

How a portrait session feels

We start slow. Coffee, a walk, a song you love playing on my phone. I'll guide you with small prompts, look up, breathe out, walk toward the light and forget about me, and I'll tell you when something is working so you can relax into it.

Being nervous is normal. My job is to make the hour feel easy enough that you stop thinking about how you look and start feeling something.

Woman stretching her arms to the sky in a field, black-and-white

Who it's for

  • Milestones: a birthday, graduation, a new job, a recovery, a fresh start.
  • Creatives, musicians, writers and small business owners who want images with a mood.
  • Anyone who has spent years behind the camera for everyone else.
  • Friends, sisters, a mother and daughter: portraits don't have to be solo.

Places with character

Fields, ferns and forest edges near Asheville. Brick walls and alleys in downtown Asheville and the River Arts District. In Charlotte, the murals and mill buildings of NoDa, or the glass and stone of Uptown at blue hour. Somewhere that feels like you is always the best choice.

Esther leaning on a vintage Mercedes, black-and-white

Questions

Asked and answered

Do you only shoot black-and-white portraits?

No. My galleries mix warm, golden color with grainy black-and-white, depending on the light and the mood of the moment.

What should I wear?

Something you feel like yourself in. Simple textures and solid, muted colors photograph best. Bring a second outfit if you'd like a change of mood.

Keep exploring

Couples & Engagements Couples & engagements Family Family Asheville Downtown Asheville and the River Arts District Charlotte NoDa Questions, answered FAQ
She smiles back at him outside a storefront, hands clasped

Contact

Your story starts here.

Tell me who you are, what you love, and the season you're in. I read every word.

Based in Asheville. Coming from Charlotte or further? Tell me where you are, and travel details come with your collections.

Prefer Instagram? Message me at @storiesbyesi.