Family Portraits
Family Photographer in Raleigh, NC
Documentary family sessions that look like your life, not a pose you held for three seconds.
Your family doesn't need to perform. They need to be photographed.
The stiff, everyone-looking-at-the-camera, nobody-breathing family portrait exists because photographers default to control when they don't know how to follow.
I work differently. I follow what's already happening, kids running, parents chasing, the quiet moment when your youngest grabs your hand without thinking about it. The images I'm looking for are the ones that happened between the posed ones. Those are the photos you'll still have on your wall in 20 years.
I'm a Raleigh-based photographer specializing in family sessions throughout the Triangle, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary, and surrounding areas. I specialize in photographing Black families with the lighting, editing, and intentionality that melanated skin tones deserve.
What Makes a Session With Me Different
I show up having thought about your family specifically.
Before your session, I'll ask about your kids' personalities, your family's energy, and how your people actually move through the world together. That's not small talk, it's how I know where to look.
I don't fight the chaos.
Kids don't cooperate on command. The families I photograph who try to force it always look forced. The families who let it unfold, those are the sessions that produce the best images. My job is to find the photographs inside the real moments.
I know how to light and edit dark skin tones.
This isn't a minor point. Overexposure, flat editing, and warm colors stripped from melanated skin are a documented problem in photography. Every image in my family portfolio is lit and edited with full attention to how each person's skin looks.
Baba Project
An ongoing portrait series
The Baba Project is personal work. It documents Black fathers and their children in the Raleigh-Durham Triangle, in ordinary moments, in their homes, at their parks, doing the work of being present.
I started it because I'm a father. My son, Langston. I photograph this project because I know what it means for a Black child to see their father documented with care, not as an absence, but as a presence. As someone who shows up.
Sessions for the Baba Project are available by application. They are portrait sessions first, beautiful, intentional images you will keep, but they also become part of an ongoing archive of Black fatherhood in the Triangle.
Apply for a Baba Project Session
Locations in the Triangle
Golden hour changes everything.
I schedule all outdoor sessions in the hour before sunset. I will not schedule a midday outdoor session because the light isn't right for anyone.
Packages
Sessions for every kind of family
60–90 minutes · One location
Family Portrait Session
Families of 2–6. Annual portraits, holiday photos, milestone sessions.
- Pre-session consultation (location, outfit guidance, what to expect)
- 60–90 minutes on location at golden hour
- High-resolution edited gallery (40–60 final images)
- Online gallery with download and print release
- Delivered within 3 weeks
Contact for pricing
2 hours · One or two locations
Extended Family Session
Larger families, multi-generational sessions, or more variety.
- Pre-session consultation
- 2 hours on location (one or two spots)
- High-resolution edited gallery (60–90 final images)
- Online gallery with download and print release
- Delivered within 3 weeks
Contact for pricing
By application
Baba Project
Fathers and their children. Intimate, documentary, unhurried.
- Dedicated session for fathers and their children
- Images may become part of the ongoing archive (with permission)
- Full edited gallery regardless of archive inclusion
- Apply below to be considered
Payment plans available on all packages.
Outfit Guidance
You don't need to match. You need to coordinate.
Pick a palette of 3–4 colors and let each person wear something within that palette in their own way. The goal is visual cohesion, not uniformity.
Warm earth tones
Terracotta, rust, ivory, olive
Jewel tones
Emerald, sapphire, deep burgundy, forest green
Rich neutrals
Camel, chocolate brown, cream, warm gray
Avoid: Bright white (creates exposure challenges), small busy patterns, head-to-toe matching, graphic logos.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find a photographer who actually knows how to photograph dark skin tones?
Look at their portfolio, specifically at images of people whose skin tone is similar to yours or your family's. Are they lit with depth and warmth? Are the shadows handled well? Are colors accurate and rich? A photographer who knows what they're doing will have a portfolio that proves it. Browse mine before you book.
How do I get my kids to cooperate during the session?
You don't, entirely, and that's fine. I don't ask kids to smile or hold still. I ask them to look at mom or dad and say something silly. I let them run for a few minutes at the start of the session to burn off the nervous energy. I bring the session to where they are, rather than asking them to be somewhere they're not. The images that come from real kid behavior are almost always the best ones.
What time of day do you shoot?
All outdoor sessions are scheduled in the hour before sunset, golden hour. This is non-negotiable for me. Midday sun is harsh, creates unflattering shadows, and is especially unforgiving for melanated skin. Golden hour is warm, soft, and directional. Your photos will look dramatically different, and better, at the right time.
Can we do the session at our home?
Yes. In-home and backyard sessions are available and often produce the most personal images, especially for families with young children. Your space, your light, your things. The session feels more like a morning at home than a photo shoot.
How far in advance should I book?
Fall (September–November) is the most popular season for family portraits and books out 2–3 months in advance. Spring fills nearly as fast. If you want a specific date, reach out early. Summer and winter tend to have more availability.
Book your family session
Spring and fall book fast. If you've been putting this off, now is the right time.
Or reach me directly: info@johnkornegay.com