It is the best thing ever to have the NC Arboretum so close for a quick adventure. Between the seasonal change and all the constant hard work by the grounds crew, it is never the same on campus. It has been awhile since I shared any photos from the gardens, so I created a small collection of images from a few visits this summer. The art integrated into the landscape is so inspiring! The gardens and trails are always the perfect escape - and they make the best location for photo sessions.

I am looking forward to being a vendor at the Arboretum fall Plant Sale September 16-17. If you haven't gotten a chance to go to the plant sale there yet, mark your calendar and make sure to come visit. Do not miss out - SO many great plants and plant related goodness! If you can't make it those days, if you make it on campus, I have an assortment of cards, coasters, prints and more for sale at the shop in the Baker Center. I am happy to ship if not in the area or if you visit and don't want worry about transporting your photo art home. Contact me for more info.

Thanks for checking out my blog!

Photography: Camilla Calnan Photography

Location: NC Arboretum, Asheville, North Carolina

On the last Saturday morning before the Forest service closed the trail to Catawba Falls until spring 2023, I am so glad I was able to make one more trek to this spectacular place. They will be working to make viewing the falls safer for the public “by building retaining walls, boardwalks, staircases, and overlooks along the trail from the second bridge to the base of Lower Catawba falls along the creek to Upper Catawba falls.” (Quoted from Forest Service signage) If you have been following the blog or posts about my adventures, you have probably seen that I have visited these awe-inspiring falls several times lately since my first visit not long ago. This visit was the first time I made the climb to Upper Catawba Falls. This was only possible with the help of some new friends I met on the trail; we helped encourage each other to continue as none of us had been to the upper falls before. So grateful we met when we did! It was quite the climb, scaling rocks and using roots to scramble up the mountain. There is no question that it was totally worth it to see this magical place.

I am not sure how I timed it on a weekend to catch this place just before being closed perfectly. I parked with 4 other cars in the lot and a few hours later, walked out to big crowds and not a single spot in the lot – cars parked anywhere they could be squeezed. I am truly over the moon that I went and saw the falls before the structures are built, glad I made that climb, but most grateful that I somehow had quiet moments with no other people at both sets of falls. It was insanely busy with visitors everywhere when I climbed down. People wanted to say goodbye to what they have known these falls as for so long and had gathered en masse to do so. I understand that the closure and repairs are needed to make it safe with so many people flocking to these sites; I can only hope that the magic of the place is somehow left intact after all the construction. If you haven’t been, you will have to wait until it reopens, hopefully by spring 2023. Forest service site with updates is linked below.

I will go visit when it reopens as I cannot wait to see these beautiful falls again. Hope you enjoy seeing a bit of this adventure. I still wonder how on earth I ended up there on a beautiful weekend with time before all the other people arrived (kismet!). Wading in the pool of upper Catawba and finding a rainbow in the mist of the falls has to have been one of my favorite moments of zen lately. Truly a special place. Ecstatic to share these.

Photography: Camilla Calnan Photography

Location: Catawba Falls, Old Fort, North Carolina

Kasia and Kevin had the most romantic winter wedding day in Asheville, North Carolina. Their ceremony was held in a gorgeous church in downtown Asheville, the Basilica St Lawrence. The reception was at Homewood, a castle-like venue that was a perfect location for this Game of Thrones loving couple. The couple got ready with their family at the Hilton, gathering at the Montford Rooftop Bar in the hotel for the couple’s first look on the patio. It was the sweetest first look as Emma, the couple’s daughter, joining her dad for mom’s big entrance. After some sweet family moments, they enjoyed the most delectable lunch before they headed to the church for the ceremony.

I love this couple and their family so much. I especially adore their sweet little girl, as you can probably tell from the photos. We had so much fun! The locations were swoon-worthy on their own, but the details, colors, and loving touches they added throughout were spectacular. Kasia’s blush pink gown and her bejeweled shoes, the fur-edged shawls for the girls, the kilts on the groom’s party, the flowers, the cake, the food…it was like the best scavenger hunt ever seeking to photograph it all!

Huge thanks to Nikki with Carolina Love Events and Homewood for coordinating the perfect evening to celebrate Kasia and Kevin! Nikki’s team also created the wonderful floral and created the event design. Black Eyed Susan Catering did a magnificent job creating a wonderful menu for the evening and fulfilled some very important special requests (pirogi anyone?). Just Simply Delicious created the perfect cake designed to look like a birch tree and it was truly delicious! Flawless did a fabulous job on the bridal hair and makeup making Kasia even more gorgeous than she already is.

The whole event was a photographer’s dream and I was so lucky to get to be there to capture it all. Wishing Kasia and Kevin many many more happy years!! I wish I could share all the photos and sweet, silly, loving stories behind the photos, but I have a feeling the ‘a photo is worth a million words’ applies ten-fold to wedding days that are as special as this one. Each person there (and those that joined remotely) were ecstatic that the big day was finally happening and that made it all that much more magical. It was an honor to be there to photograph their day. I hope you can feel the love!

Photography: Camilla Calnan Photography

Getting ready/first look location: Doubletree by Hilton Asheville; Montford Rooftop Bar

Ceremony Location: Basilica St Lawrence

Reception Location: Homewood

Planner & florist: Carolina Love Events

DJ/reception music: Mr C’s Mobile DJ

Cake/baker: Just Simply Delicious

Caterer: Black Eyed Susan

Hair/makeup for bride: Flawless

It is such an honor to share some of my favorite portraits from this awesome session. I was thrilled to get to finally photograph the gorgeous family of a colleague turned friend with her adorably proud husband, and their ridiculously talented beautiful children on a perfect fall day near their home in the mountains.

It is one of the best things in my world to get to photograph families together. These fleeting moments preserved to look back on when these memories seem so long ago will be more important than you can imagine. If it has been awhile since you were photographed with your favorite people, isn't it about time? Give me a call or email so we can plan a session for you and yours.

So much fun working with these four! This family is truly changing the world in the best ways. I am excited for you to get to see these favorites from their fall portrait session.

Photographer: Camilla Calnan Photography

Location: The Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina

As the mountains near Asheville prepare for another round of winter weather, I have been working away on so many projects. With so much to do, the past few days being ‘snowed in’ at home have been especially wonderful! The Asheville area received well over a foot of snow, and I found drifts that were easily 16″ or so deep while wandering the property. I spent way too much time outside playing, working, and photographing the magic the other day. Snow has always made me feel like it is a fleeting opportunity to ‘have to’ stay home (when I can), to be more prepared, and, for me, to watch for the perfect time to break out the micro lens. I am enthralled with this storm’s micro evolution – from tiny ice chunk to ball to fluffy clumps, then as I was about to give up on it making ‘good’ flakes, the temperature dropped, the humidity levels leveled out and the clumps finally turned into the most spectacular flakes I am excited to share some of my favorite scenes and micro snowflake photos from that day.

I will be sharing more winter mountain magic soon as I am planning to get out for as many adventures as possible this season. Until then, I hope you enjoy some of my favorites from my snowy day walkabout.

Photographer: Camilla Calnan

Location: Asheville, North Carolina