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My passion is capturing photographs of heartfelt moments for families to savor forever as keepsake memories. Whenever I'm not helping your family, you can find me loving on my own. Camping trips, boba tea, and card games are our favorite ways to connect!  

I'm Kelly

Hey!

Greensboro Family & Lifestyle Photogapher

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My passion is capturing photographs of heartfelt moments for families to savor forever as keepsake memories. Whenever I'm not helping your family, you can find me loving on my own. Camping trips, boba tea, and card games are our favorite ways to connect!  

I'm Kelly

Hey!

Greensboro Family & Lifestyle Photogapher

Categories
Have you ever wondered why some family photos online look so effortlessly stylish while others seem a bit off? In many cases, the answer to styling outfits for family photos lies with color theory. What is color theory? Not to get overly technical here, but in short, color theory is the study of how colors are perceived and used in design. It describes the relationships…

September 23, 2024

Color Theory: Your Secret Weapon for Family Photo Outfits - Kelly McPhail Photography
As soon as we stepped onto the sand for the Schneider’s family photos at Holden Beach, the wind picked up. Not just a little wind, but a lot of wind! The most wind I’ve ever shot a session in. Sand was whipping in their faces, stinging their legs, and hair was flying every where (mine included)! I could tell the kids weren’t too happy. They…

September 20, 2024

Family Photos at Holden Beach, NC - Kelly McPhail Photography
It’s a question clients ask all the time: When is the best time to schedule newborn photos? The short answer is, it depends! While there are some general guidelines and ideal time windows, it’s actually never too late to capture these precious early moments. The Sweet Spot: 5-10 Days Old In my experience, the “sweet spot” to schedule newborn photos is between 5 and 10…

September 17, 2024

When is the Best Time to Schedule Newborn Photos? - Kelly McPhail Photography
There’s something truly magical about capturing wildflower family photos in the midst of a blooming wildflower field! Last spring, I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the sweet Treadway family in a sea of larkspur. As you can see, the golden hour light was absolutely perfect! (That warm glow in all the photos is what I am after in every single session.) After first speaking…

August 13, 2024

Wildflower Family Session at Dogwood Farms in Belews Creek, NC - Kelly McPhail Photography
There are so many things I’m looking forward to about living in Greensboro, North Carolina. Being closer to the beach is one! But being near family again is of course the major reason we’re moving back. In this post, I’m combining both beach and family by highlighting my beautiful sister’s summer family beach photos at Ocean Isle Beach! Ya’ll, these are some of my most…

June 5, 2024

Summer Family Beach Photos at Ocean Isle – Etheridge Family - Kelly McPhail Photography - Kelly McPhail
For any outdoor session, the weather is ALWAYS a factor. I want my clients to have the best weather possible for their sessions. Sometimes that means rescheduling, but sometimes that means taking a risk to get something extraordinary. For the Brundidge family’s session last fall, Jennifer and I were texting back and forth practically every hour, leading up to the session, wondering if we should…

March 5, 2024

Honestly, I’m honored by every single senior who chooses me to help celebrate this incredible year in their lives. But, I’m especially honored when someone from 1.5 hrs away reaches out about booking a session with me for their senior photos! That was Ryane, a 2022 senior, I am featuring in this urban senior photos post! Last year, Ryane and her mom made the drive…

February 29, 2024

Ryane's Urban Senior Photos - Kelly McPhail Photography
Maybe it’s because I just don’t love the cold and dreariness of winter, but I can’t stop going back to look the Isenbarger’s beach family photos at Indiana Dunes last year. (Although I was born in Minnesota, I think I might be a warm weather girl at heart!) This post is especially for my Midwest friends. But the beach is too far away… Have you…

February 26, 2024

I have some exciting but bittersweet news to share.  In August 2024, our family’s journey will be moving us to Greensboro, North Carolina! This announcement is SOOO bittersweet, considering the incredible memories we’ve made here in Indiana over the past 7.5 years.  Two of our 3 kids were born here.  Brian completed his PhD here.  We bought our first house here.  We started our photography…

February 6, 2024

We're Moving to Greensboro, NC! - Kelly McPhail Photography
Whenever life is hurtling obstacles my way, I’m typically a “just-watch-me-overcome-and-persevere” kind of person rather than a “it-must-be-a-sign-the-universe-is-trying-to-tell-me-something” kind of person. It’s probably stubborness! (Just ask my husband or parents…) So when I tell you it took three tries to get the Armentrout’s family photos at Indiana Dunes this past summer, you’ll understand that I was going to make these beach photos happen no matter…

January 22, 2024

Family of 5 with 3 young kids sitting in the sand at sunset at Indiana Dunes.