• Welcome!

    Luster Studios is my personal portfolio where I share weddings, special events, engagement sessions and portraits. My origins stem from a fine arts degree in photography and computer graphics. My "style" is a perfect blend of creative ideas driven by a relaxed attitude and a fun yet thoughtful personality.

    Through a combination of posing and photojournalism I strive to capture planned and spontaneous moments that will later help you relive how you were feeling at that exact moment. I'm based in North Carolina and often travel to destination locations. I look forward to getting to know what inspires you both creatively and personally.

    - Craig Carpenter

Family Photography Portraits / Pullen Park in Fall

I received an email a few weeks ago from Layne requesting some unique outdoor photography for her family. She expressed that they weren’t looking for standard studio photography but rather a relaxed session where they could relax and be themselves.

She also referred me to her sister-in-law Angie who joined us for an extended session. I mentioned how beautiful Pullen Park (in Raleigh) was this time of year and they agreed it would be the perfect backdrop for some fun family portraits. As soon as I mentioned that there was also an authentic carousel there they got really excited

We added “grandma Susan” into the mix throughout the session and were also joined by Angie’s husband Zac and their children Russell and Katelyn. Their children were champs as they pushed through what was normally “naptime.” Layne’s husband Mike and their adorable daughter Raegan provided a lot of laughs and smiles.


children fun portrait
family fun portrait
family photography
married couple photography
family photography poses
family photographer
water spray dry
A mischievous child in the background takes careful aim with the sprinkler system at the park…
water spray wet
… and hits his mark!
family portraiture
father daughter family
child photography
children portrait
Probably my favorite shot of the day… Grandma’s prescription is a bit thick for these new eyes.
vintage photography
child picking nose
child pick nose
I’ll leave you to guess which order these “nosey” photos were taken.
couples photography
mother daughter granddaughter

no comments

Your email is never published or shared.

There was an error submitting your comment. Please try again.