NC Museum of Art Anniversary Session | Couples Photographer in Raleigh, NC

By / June 25, 2026
A couple holding hands while running in the filed near the Gyre sculptures at the NCMA in Raleigh. the sculpture is in the background as they have their photograph taken

Some sessions just stick with you. Karina and Jake’s anniversary photo session at the North Carolina Museum of Art was one of those. From the way they moved together to the surprise we stumbled into on the grounds, this golden hour evening turned into something really special, and we’re so glad we got to be there to photograph it.

Who We Are

We are Amelia and Matt Photo, a husband and wife photography team based in Cary, NC specializing in couples photography across the Raleigh, Cary, and Durham area. From anniversary sessions and engagements to families and newborns, we are here to create images that feel real, warm, and worth holding onto forever.

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A couple making deep eye contact about to kiss in their couples photography session with Amelia and Matt Photo. She is holding a bouquet of flower as they sand amongst tall grass
A husband and wife holding onto each other in front of the nc museum of art reflecting pool. They are modeled wearing matching blue and cream outfits while she hold a bouquet of white flowers for her anniversary.
A couple posed behind bubble blown by the raleighbubbleman. they are leaning on each other while the golden hour sun sets

How This Session Came to Be

Here’s a fun one. Karina and Jake actually found us through ChatGPT. They had asked it for romantic anniversary ideas and it suggested booking a couples anniversary photo session. It specifically suggested Amelia and Matt Photo, the reason being that we’re a husband-and-wife team so we know what its like to be on the other side of the camera, because we’ve been in their shoes ourselves, we know how to create an experience that feels relaxed, natural, and genuinely fun instead of stiff or overly posed. They visited our website, filled out our contact form, and submitted what they were looking for.

Once we connected, we started talking through what kind of session they had in mind. They knew they wanted something that felt a little elevated but still natural, not too posed, not too formal. After brainstorming a few different Triangle area locations, we landed on the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. The NCMA grounds have this really rare combination of architecture, wide open fields, sculpture, and trees that gives you a lot of variety in a single session. For the vibe Karina and Jake were after, it was a perfect fit.

a man is lifting his wife during their anniversary photoshoot at the NC Museum of art. they are standing on a hill positioned under a large oak tree while standing in the grass kissing
a man holding up his wife with the sky as the background
A photo of a couples hands grazing away from each other with the background of the sky. It is very cinematic and artistic

What to Wear for an Outdoor NCMA Photography Session in Summer

One of the things we always do before a session is help our couples think through outfits, and this one was no exception. June in North Carolina means lush, deep green everywhere you look. That’s gorgeous for photos, but it does mean you want to be intentional about what you wear.

We advised Karina and Jake to stick with soft, muted tones. Dusty blues, warm taupes, blush, sage, creams with a little warmth to them. Colors like that complement the greenery rather than compete with it. We also steered them away from wearing a lot of green themselves since blending into the background is never the goal, and we suggested skipping bright white or black, which can read as harsh and contrasty against that kind of natural light. They nailed it. Their outfits felt effortless and photographed beautifully from start to finish.

A couple walking amongst tall grass at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh. They are walking to the field while wearing matching blue outfits. She is holding a bouquet of flowers.
a couple doing a dip during their couples photo shoot with Amelia and Matt Photo. She is holding onto a white bouquet while the golden hour sun is shining through a tree at the NCMA in Raleigh
A man holding his wife on his back as they both smirk into the camera during their photoshoot

We also put together a custom bouquet for Karina to carry through the session. We wanted to bring them back to that feeling of their wedding day, so we pulled colors and textures that worked with their outfits and the natural tones of the NCMA grounds. It is one of those small details that makes a big difference, both in how the photos look and in how the whole experience feels. The little things matter to us, and this was one of our favorite ways to show that.

A woman looking into the camera as her husband looks into the distance while the golden hour sun is setting
A detail photograph of a couple kissing while she holds a bouquet of white flowers while standing in tall grass at the NCMA in Raleigh NC
A couple kissing in a field at the NCMA with tall grass in the background and golden hour lighting

Ready to Create Something Beautiful?

We would love to help you plan your own session at the NC Museum of Art or anywhere else in the Raleigh area that feels like you.

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The Session: A Golden Hour Evening at NCMA

We met Karina and Jake at 7 PM, right as the golden hour light was starting to do its thing. They had spent the day together celebrating their anniversary, which you could feel the moment we all met up. There was this easy warmth between them that made our job genuinely fun.

We started outside the main museum building by the reflecting pool. The architecture there gives you these really clean, graphic lines that pair nicely with soft, candid couple moments. From there we made our way into the grounds and let the session breathe a little.

A couple walking in front of the reflecting pool at the NCMA in Raleigh. They are wearing blue matching outfits while she holds his hand and a bouquet of flowers
A husband and wife holding onto each other in front of the nc museum of art reflecting pool. They are modeled wearing matching blue and cream outfits while she hold a bouquet of white flowers for her anniversary.
a woman smirking into the camera while she holds her husbands arm at the NCMA in Raleigh in front of the reflecting pond on the museum grounds
A reflection of a couple kissing seen in the pond at the NC museum of art in Raleigh, the couple is posed for their anniversary photoshoot with Amelia and Matt Photo

Our next stop was the weeping willow. It’s one of those spots on the NCMA grounds that photographs beautifully and has a kind of quiet, romantic feel to it. We spent some time there before moving up toward the hill, where the open sky gave us a totally different look.

A detail shot of a couple next to each other under a willow tree at the NC museum of art for a photoshoot. she is holding a bouquet of flowers for their anniversary.
A couple standing in front of a weeping willow tree at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh NC. They are posed looking into each others eyes while she holds his head. They are wearing matching outfits and she is holding a bouquet of flowers

Then came the tall grass areas, which are some of our favorites at NCMA in the summer. The grass catches the light in a really dreamy way, especially as the sun starts to drop. We were in the middle of shooting there when we had an unexpected and honestly delightful encounter with the Raleigh Bubble Man. He was just doing his thing, blowing giant bubbles across the field, and we jumped at it. We got Karina and Jake photographed in front of the bubbles, behind them, and right in the middle of them floating past. Those frames are some of the most magical from the whole session.

A dutch angle photograph of a man lifting his wife into his arms in front of a filed as they are about to kiss
a man carrying his wife on his back during a photoshoot for their anniversary with Amelia and Matt Photo. They are standing with trees in the background as the sun sets and they smirk
A woman looking into the camera as her husband looks into the distance while the golden hour sun is setting
A couple sitting near tall grass a the NCMA in Raleigh NC. They have a bouquet of white flowers near their site while they hold each other during their anniversary photoshoot
A detail photograph of a couple kissing while she holds a bouquet of white flowers while standing in tall grass at the NCMA in Raleigh NC
A couple dancing in front of bubbles blown by raleighbubbleman at the ncma in Raleigh. There is tall grass in the background and it is golden hour
A couple posed behind bubble blown by the raleighbubbleman. they are leaning on each other while the golden hour sun sets
A couple dancing while there are bubbles floating near them in a field of tall grass for their anniversary photoshoot in Raleigh NC

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We finished the evening in another tall grass area where the sun was filtering in through the trees at just the right angle. We were able to get some really close, intimate shots to close things out. The light was perfect. The mood was perfect. It was a great way to end the night.

A couple holding each other in the tall grass at the NCMA in Raleigh for their golden hour couples photography session with Amelia and Matt Photo
a couple posed looking at the camera with the golden sun setting behind them while they stand in tall grass in Raleigh NC
a couple kissing in front of the sunset in a field of tall grass

Karina and Jake’s session included both digital and film, so they walked away with the best of both worlds. The film adds this beautiful, timeless quality that pairs really nicely with the golden hour setting, and honestly the NCMA grounds feel made for it. At the end of the day they walked away with a full gallery of digital images in both color and black and white, a set of film photographs, and the custom bouquet we made for the session to keep, all delivered within a week of their shoot. If you are curious about adding film to your own session, just ask us about it when you reach out.

a 35mm film photograph of a couple in front of the gyre statues at the NC museum of art in raleigh
A film photograph of a couple standing in front of a weeping willow on 35mm film taken by Amelia and Matt Photo
a 35mm film photograph taken of a couple standing in tall grass at the NC Museum of Art in Raleigh. The woman is looking down at the grass while holding a bouquet of flowers while her husband looks into the distance
a 35mm film photograph of a couple kissing in front of the sunset in tall grass in front of trees
A 35mm film photograph of a couple at the NCMA with bubbles floating in the air.
a 35mm film photograph of a couple sitting near art at the NCMA museum grounds in Raleigh. They are sitting amongst tall grass

Why These Two Were Such a Joy to Photograph

We have to talk about Karina and Jake for a second, because they were genuinely one of our favorite couples we have photographed to date. It turns out they are both ballroom dancing instructors, which meant they were incredibly comfortable with their bodies and with each other. Dips, spins, looking natural in movement, they had all of it. The poses that sometimes take a little coaching to get right came naturally to them.

That said, we always want to say this: you do not need to be a dancer or a model to have a great session with us. A huge part of what we do is help people feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. Karina and Jake’s ease was a bonus, but the thing that made the session great was that we all clicked. The conversation flowed, we laughed a lot, and an hour went by in what felt like fifteen minutes.

That is what we are always going for, whether you are a ballroom dancer or someone who has never had professional photos taken before.

a black and white photo of a couple about to kiss during their anniversary photoshoot for their 1 year. They are sitting is a filed of tall grass
A black and white photograph of a couple standing in a field at the NC museum of art in Raleigh NC. They are standing near an oak tree in each others arms looking into each others eyes on their anniversary during a photoshoot with Amelia and Matt Photo
a black and white photograph of a couple sitting in the filed at the NCMA while they hold eachother and laugh

Book Your Own Couples Session in the Raleigh Area

If you have been thinking about doing a couples session or an anniversary photo shoot in the Raleigh, Cary, or Durham area, the North Carolina Museum of Art is absolutely a location worth considering. The variety of backdrops you get in a single session is hard to beat, and the golden hour light there in the summer is something else. If you’re more interested in a city backdrop, you can view our guide to the best Engagement Photography locations in Downtown Raleigh.

We would love to help you plan something just as meaningful. Whether you are thinking about an anniversary session, an engagement shoot, a proposal, or honestly just because you love each other and want beautiful photos to show for it, we are here for all of it. Any occasion or no occasion at all is a good enough reason. Reach out to us and let’s figure out something that fits your story and your people. These are the kinds of images you are going to be looking back on for the rest of your lives, and we do not take that lightly. Visit our investment page to learn more about session pricing and what is included.

a detail photograph of a couple holding each other while sitting in a filed at the NCMA in Raleigh. Her wedding and engagement rings are showing
A couple sitting near tall grass a the NCMA in Raleigh NC. They have a bouquet of white flowers near their site while they hold each other during their anniversary photoshoot

What Karina and Jake Had to Say

We always hope our couples leave a session feeling like it was worth it. Sometimes they let us know just how much.

“Oh my gosh! These pictures turned out better than I could’ve ever imagined! You guys were incredible to work with, and we had a blast during our session. You truly made our anniversary magical!”
— Karina and Jake

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Any occasion or no occasion at all is a good enough reason to book a couples session. Reach out and let's start planning something you will look back on forever.

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