Cozy in-home family photography session near the Blue Ridge Parkway
Welcome! You have found yourself on the photography blog of me, Melina Coogan. I have mixed feelings about this blog. Apparently, you need to have a blog purely for the purposes of Search Engine Optimization. (Oh, speaking of- I am a professional family photographer in Asheville and I also shoot weddings in Western North Carolina but I also shoot newborns in the greater American Southeast and sometimes I visit Atlanta and take photos. ) Ahem. Sorry. People don’t even have to read the blog, or be aware of the blog, they say. But! You must write as if people are reading, because the SEO wizards can spot the difference. Right? Right.
An example of layers in a family photo. Click on the picture to view my portfolio.
When it comes to creating ‘content’, you can use AI to save yourself some time, but the wee trade off for that is that the world will run out of water, and also you won’t actually be saying anything, but will that matter? Because people don’t need to read the blog! Although bonus if they do, because increased traffic will drive up your SEO which…..ugh.
I went to school for writing. Five years of fiction writing at the University of Washington. To say that my heart is broken and my stomach is sick when I think about AI replacing all writing out there is an understatement. I hate that all this AI slop content is out there and it’s all so damn useless. It makes the world so cheap. I hate it. And it’s coming for photography, too, but I can’t think about that right now.
Click on the photo to see my photography session offerings
I used to write a blog for a living. I know! I did! It was called The Wilder Coast. I wrote that for ten years. I threw my heart into that thing. Every post took hours- too many hours. So while I don’t want this photo blog to be an SEO word pile written by thirsty robots, I also can’t be married to the quality of writing that I put up here. So, buckle up and get ready for some stream of consciousness, all about photography, specifically documentary family photography, serving all Asheville families, photographing all newborns in Western North Carolina, creating warm, cinematic in-home photos of families, and using all those words a lot. But not too much! But some!
An example of creative composition and utilizing negative space.
So let’s talk about this photo session. This family scheduled a Local Hour session with me a few months before Hurricane Helene swept the city of Asheville right off the map. A chaotic year passed while we all tried to rebuild and dry out, and then returned to scheduling. By this time, I don’t even offer the Local Hour anymore, but of course I honored it for this family. And I’m happy I did! I forget how many interesting photos I can make during a slender one hour period. It’s quite the challenge!
Click on the photo to view more in-home family photography
Click on the photo to see my family photography session offerings
Documentary Family Photography creates images that look like movie stills
This morning was a great example of why I love documentary family photography. The sessions are so easy and laid back, yet creatively invigorating. The photos are warm and cinematic, they make your life look like an indie film. I love seeing my own life transmuted this way by the lens- it helps me experience gratitude, nostalgia and joy in the present moment. If you are searching for a photographer for a classic in-home family session and you live in Asheville, reach out and I’ll get you on the schedule. If you live anywhere else in the country, keep in mind that I am a travel photographer and I will show up at your door for half and full day in the life sessions.