Serving Corolla, Duck, Carova, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, the entire New Jersey New York metropolitan area, and everywhere in between!
Yesterday I photographed a session at a really cool place, the Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville, NJ. It has this old water tower built in 1905
And some amazing gardens
Here’s one from the session that was inspired by my friend and photographer Rob Wilson
——————————————–
Got in a nice 10 miler this morning, 3 of them with Kim. This is from the other days run in the same area
Of course, I had Spotify going.
See ya
(and be sure to click follow, thanks!)
Lots of images of large, medium and small family groups on and off the beach in New Jersey and Corolla and Duck and the entire Outer Banks of North Carolina. There are also many images of sunrises, sunsets and surfing photos in the Outer Banks, along with a mix of dog and pet photography, business portraits and headshots from sessions in New York City and all over New Jersey. Lots of fun photos from my journey.
Three generations.
One beach house.
Everybody together.
That gets harder to pull off every year.
After 40+ years behind the camera, I’ve learned the family portraits that become priceless aren’t always the ones with the prettiest sunset...
They’re the ones where everyone was still there.
If you’ve got the whole gang together this year...
Make the portrait.
Do it right.
Because sometimes later...
Becomes never.
See more in the first comment. ✌️❤️🙂
Sometimes a song just finds you at the right time.
“Don’t Let Go” — Johnny Blue Skies hit me first thing this morning and somehow changed the whole direction of the day, funny how a song can do that.
https://open.spotify.com/track/5Bb3bQz7BCG01HiTzx5mU5
Add a sunrise, a little salt air and a few quiet minutes by the ocean with ole Dunc watching the sunrise…
Yeah. Grateful . ☀️🌊🎶☮️❤️😀
Turn it up. Get outside. Keep moving.
Just a gull, a little surf, and nowhere he really needs to be.
Some days, that’s the whole damn lesson. ☮️❤️😀
Good morning from Corolla… ☀️
ole’ Dunc has already inspected the beach, approved the sunrise, and is now patiently waiting in the Jeep to see where the adventure heads next.
Not a bad way to start another day.
Hope you find a little sunshine, a little salty air (or whatever feeds your soul), and one good reason to smile today.
Peace. Love. Smile. 🌊🐾☮️❤️
Forty years behind the camera has taught me something...
Your grandchildren won’t care what camera your family portrait was taken with.
They’ll simply be thankful someone cared enough to make it.
If your family is together this year…have that portrait made
Don’t wait.
Because sometimes later...
Becomes never.
See more in the first comment. ✌️❤️🙂
About eighteen months ago, this little guy slept his first night in our home.
He was exhausted… body and soul.
Life had taught him that people, strange noises, other dogs… just about everything… might be something to fear.
Today?
He’s still a work in progress. He’ll probably always have a few trust issues with strangers and other dogs. That’s part of his story.
But every morning he greets the day with a wagging tail. He chases crabs on the beach, runs with me at sunrise, naps like a champion, and somehow has us laughing every single day.
Rescue isn’t about creating a perfect dog.
It’s about giving one a chance to discover that the world isn’t quite as scary as it once seemed.
I’d say Duncan’s doing just fine. And truth be told… so are we. ❤️☮️🐾
Mother Nature sure is a funny artist.
The smoke from the Ontario wildfires isn’t great news for our friends up north, but it’s been giving us some unbelievably sweet portrait light here in Corolla.
Soft light... smiling families... another beautiful evening by the sea.
Wishing everyone cleaner skies soon. ☮️❤️
Three generations...
One little girl...
A week they’ll never forget.
Years from now, this won’t just be a photograph.
It’ll be part of their family’s story.
Have that portrait made now, because.......Sometimes later becomes never. ☮️❤️
(I’ll share the story behind this portrait in the first comment.)
This morning the sun came up... and so did a thousand dreams for the future. ☀️❤️This morning I had the honor of photographing a brand new chapter as she said “yes” with the Atlantic cheering them on.
Moments like these remind me why I still love picking up my camera after all these years. Life moves pretty fast... slow down long enough to celebrate it.
Congratulations to the happy couple. Wishing them a lifetime of sunrises together. ☮️🌊😀
Remember when we were building snowmen? ☃️
Now it feels like we’re all melting faster than one. 😅
Hope you’re finding a little shade and a lot of reasons to smile.
Stay cool out there, my friends.
☮️❤️😀
Well... somehow it’s already July 2nd.
Half of 2026 is in the rearview mirror……….hope the first half brought you a few great sunsets, a couple of laughs that hurt your sides, and more good days than bad.
If it didn’t... here’s the good news.
The calendar doesn’t care what happened yesterday. Every sunrise hands us a clean page.
The second half of the year is still unwritten, and most of the good stuff in life usually starts with a simple decision to point your boat toward a better horizon.
Whatever you’ve been dreaming about... making that trip, spending more time with family, getting healthier, learning something new, or simply slowing down enough to enjoy the ride... don’t keep putting it off.
Sometimes later becomes never.
Here’s to making the rest of 2026 one heck of a ride.
See you out there. 🌴☮️❤️😀
Somewhere between the dunes and the sunrise, I remember how little we really need to have a pretty good day. ✌️❤️😀
Every sunrise feels like the ocean saying, “Let’s try that again.”
Sounds like a pretty good plan to me. ☀️🌊🍹
Duncan spotted a crab on the beach this morning and figured he’d do a little investigating.
Turns out the crab had a few opinions of its own. 🦀🐶
What started as ole Dunc chasing the crab quickly turned into the crab having none of that 🤣
Just another day in Corolla… where even the locals don’t always agree on who’s in charge. ☮️🙂🏖️
Some Saturday mornings feel like they’re trying to tell us something.
Slow down.
Look around.
You’re already standing in the good old days.
✌️❤️😀
Duncan and I slipped down to the beach before most of Corolla was awake this morning.
Just a little salt air, a quiet sunrise, and a dog with absolutely no interest in watching the sunrise because there were far more important things to sniff. ☀️🐾
Seems like ole Dunc has life pretty well figured out.
Slow down. Chase a few smells. Enjoy the view. Be where your feet are.
Happy Friday from Corolla
☮️❤️🐾
Getting all of your family members together in one place isn’t easy.
Different schedules.
Different states.
Different stages of life.
And when this group may never all be together again, it’s probably not the time to hire someone who’s still learning on the job.
Large family portraits require experience, planning, patience, and the ability to keep a lot of moving parts moving in the same direction.
I wrote a short article about why large family portraits require a different kind of photographer.
Link in the first comment.
☮️❤️🙂
Happy Monday. ☀️
I’ve never really understood why so many people dread Mondays.
To me, Mondays have always felt more like a fresh start than the beginning of a workweek. A new page. A new sunrise. A chance to begin again.
This morning ole Dunc and I headed over the dune to watch the sun come up over the Atlantic, and it felt like a pretty good reminder that every week arrives with possibility built right in.
Here’s to new beginnings, fresh tracks in the sand, and whatever good things this week might bring.
Peace, Love, Smile. ☮️❤️🙂🐾
Every summer I photograph families who tell me,
“We’ve been meaning to do this for years.”
Funny how life works.
The days seem long.
The years seem short.
I’m always glad when people finally decide to make the time.
☮️❤️🙂
See the video in my comment
A reminder from yesterday...
A woman called me in a panic because her photographer had just canceled her family portrait session. The reason?
“It’s too windy and I don’t want to damage my camera.”
Seriously.
Fortunately, I was available and able to photograph her group of 16 people—many of whom hadn’t all been together in several years. We created some beautiful images they’ll treasure for a lifetime.
Unfortunately, that kind of thing happens more often than you might think here on the Outer Banks. Beach photography can be challenging. Wind happens. Sand happens. Weather changes. It’s simply part of the job.
Here’s the thing...
Just because someone has a camera, a website, and a few years of experience doesn’t guarantee professionalism, dependability, or the ability to handle real-world conditions.
After more than 40 years as a professional photographer, I’ve learned that great portraits aren’t made when everything is perfect. They’re made when you know how to adapt when things aren’t.
When your family may never all be together again, experience matters.
Sometimes later becomes never.
☮️❤️🙂
See the first comment
“ If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine” hunter/garcia ☮️❤️😀 #obxsunrise #corolladise
embracing the slow ☮️❤️😆🏃♂️ #beachrunning
Just finished putting together what I think is a pretty helpful article for anyone thinking about family photos while they’re in Corolla or the Outer Banks.
A few thoughts from 40+ years behind the camera about choosing a photographer, why experience matters, and why photographing a family of 20 isn’t quite the same as photographing a family of 4. 🙂
The article link is in the first comment if you’d like to take a look.
As I often say...do it now..........because sometimes later becomes never.
☮️❤️🙂
“If I were a pirate,
I sure as hell wouldn’t own a necktie” j. buffett ☮️❤️😎#corolladise #obxsunset
“I’ve always figured there’s room for everybody. Live your life, be kind to people, and let others do the same. ☮️❤️🙂🏳️🌈”
Saw this guy/gal cruising the dunes the other evening……..the wild horses here remind us that not everything in life is supposed to be rushed.
No schedule.
No noise.
Just sand, salt air, and another Corolla sunset quietly doing its thing. ☀️🐎
Sometimes the best moments out here are the ones that don’t say a word. ✌️❤️😎 #corolladise
“Life is not a race to accumulate furniture.” — Jimmy Buffett ☀️
Funny how the good stuff usually isn’t the stuff at all.
It’s quiet mornings…salt air…a shell in the sand…and those few minutes when the sun reminds you to slow down and just be where your feet are.
Keep collecting moments. The rest tends to sort itself out. ☮️❤️🙂 #liveyourdash #obxsunrise
Real talk...
Anybody can buy a professional grade camera, but the camera doesn’t create the photo.
Years from now you won’t remember what camera somebody used.
You’ll remember who was standing beside you.
Kids.
Families.
Moments.
Everybody together under one roof again.
Do it right.
Hire a professional to make that family portrait you’ve always wanted.
Because one day these moments become priceless.
Do it now...
Because sometimes next time...
Becomes never.
I’d love to help create something your family will treasure long after the beach week ends.
✌️❤️🙂
See the first comment for contact info
Freedom, family, ocean air, and little footprints in the sand. 🇺🇸
Grateful today for those who made moments like this possible.
Hold hands. Slow down. Savor the moment. ❤️☮️🙂
Real talk...
One day these beach weeks become stories.
The people.
The laughs.
The sandy kids.
The sound of the ocean.
Right now you’re living the stuff you’ll someday look back on.
Take a picture.
Better yet...
Get in one too.
✌️❤️🙂
See the first comment
call me anytime 800-646-5812
