Hello and welcome to my site! My name is Caroline Cockrell and I’m a 38 year old Durham native with a big love for photography. You name it, I’ve photographed it… meetings, events, weddings, engagements, music festivals, portraits, etc. There is nothing I won’t try!

I became interested in photography after taking a class in high school. I don’t remember much about the class, besides making pinhole cameras and using the dark room (which I loved!), but I do remember the joy I felt after capturing a special moment in nature or between people…I still get that same feeling today.

I was in my early 30’s when I decided to turn my hobby of photography into something more. It was a frustrating time for me as I did not have formal training and the camera I had was far from professional. But I refused to let that get me down. So I focused on what I had, a Canon Point & Shoot and a little bit of creativity.  I spent my time looking for colors, rust, peeling paint, and any details of decay in random places such as old barns, buildings, cars, and dumpsters. I used to joke around with people I’d meet by telling them, “if you ever see a girl taking closeup pictures of dumpsters downtown, that’s me!” I would turn these small overlooked everyday details into colorful abstract photographs.  I accidentally found myself becoming an abstract photographer and eventually exhibited my work in Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill. It was the first time people saw me as a creative and that made me very happy.

After a couple years of focusing solely on abstract photography, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and start photographing people and events. One of the first things I realized was how much fun it was working with others to create a vision! I had never experienced that before. I love finding locations, sharing ideas and celebrating with clients over the perfect shot. It brings me so much joy! More than anything, I enjoy capturing moments between people when they think no one is looking – jokes between friends, hugs from family members, a kiss between lovers, a shared laugh, and so on. I’ve been told that I’m great at capturing the spirit of an event or location. I would love to work with you if my style of photography is something you are looking for.

Additionally, I have photographed events for The News & Observer, ArtsnowNC, Triangle Today, The Black on Black Project, Center for AIDS Research, uke Human Vaccine Institute, Hopscotch Music Festival, Duke Physician-Scientist Development, The Art of Cool, Visual Art Exchange, LaunchBio, Ally J’s Music, The Block Vintage, The Carrack, Beats and Bars Festival, Moogfest Music Festival, Festival 4 The Eno, Creative Mornings, Ally J’s Music.

If you have any questions or would like to collaborate you can contact me at carolinedcphoto@gmail.com