The Portfolio
This is what it looks like
Real sessions, real people, real magic
Every session tells a different story. Some are ceremonies covered in salt and sand, others are stolen moments in fields of wildflowers, some are intimate encounters with your own reflection. But they all share a beauty that is real, raw, and full of magic. That's what I'm always chasing. Below, you'll see what it actually looks like when people show up fully: the chaos, the tenderness, the beauty that breaks through when you stop holding back. These aren't just descriptions. They're invitations into the moments that make this work my passion.
Intimate Weddings
The ceremony happened under live oaks so old their branches bent like prayers, Spanish moss hanging thick as ghosts in the golden hour. The air was heavy with salt and jasmine. Vows were whispered while the light filtered through leaves and turned everything amber and impossible. There was no aisle, just dirt and roots and wildflowers. The bride's dress caught on bark. The groom's hands shook. When they kissed, the wind picked up like the marsh had been holding its breath.
Elopements
They stood barefoot on the beach at sunrise, the kind of cold that makes you feel alive. No chairs, no flowers, just endless pale sky meeting silver water and the two of them in the middle of it all. Hair wild and salt-tangled, voices steady despite the wind. The vows were short and perfect. When they kissed, a storm was rolling in from the ocean, purple clouds gathering on the horizon. They stayed there long after, just the two of them watching the waves, knowing they'd remember this moment forever.
Couples
They met in the golden hour when the light turns everything to honey. No plan, just wandering through tall grass that brushed their knees, laughing at nothing and everything. They moved like they'd been doing this forever, bodies pressed close, stealing kisses between breaths. The sun dipped low and set the sky on fire, painting them in amber and shadow. They didn't pose or perform. They just existed together the way they do when no one's watching. By the end, their hair was wild, clothes wrinkled, faces flushed from laughing too hard. The kind of beautiful that only happens when you forget the camera's there.
Portraits
They showed up nervous, unsure of what to do with their hands. We started walking, no destination, just moving through dappled light and long shadows until their shoulders dropped and something shifted. The walls came down. Their face softened into something raw and honest, eyes holding stories they didn't need to speak out loud. We found a spot where the light broke through the trees like cathedral windows, golden and strange. They stood there, still and breathtaking, while the world went quiet around them. By the end, they weren't guarded anymore. Just existing, exactly as they were meant to be seen.
Family
The kids were chaos from the start, running wild under the live oaks while you tried and failed to wrangle them into something resembling order. Perfect. We let them run. Chased them down sandy paths and through patches of sunlight breaking through the canopy, caught them mid-laugh with dirty feet and messy hair. The baby cried, then didn't. Someone's shoe came off. The oldest made a face at the camera until they forgot to, and that's when their real smile broke through. You looked at each other over the noise, that look that says we made this beautiful mess. By the end, everyone was exhausted and sun-drunk and exactly themselves. The kind of family portrait that feels like a core memory.
Boudoir
She walked in carrying all the armor she usually wears: the doubt, the apologies, the years of being told to be smaller. We started slow. Just her and the light, no rush, no pressure. Then something shifted. A look in the mirror that lasted longer than usual. A stance that claimed space instead of shrinking from it. The camera caught the moment her jaw set, shoulders rolled back, eyes went from uncertain to absolutely sure. Fabric slipped, shadows played across skin, and suddenly she wasn't hiding anymore. By the end, she was moving like she owned every inch of the room, every inch of herself. When she left, she walked different. Head higher. Something unlocked.
"I always love booking photography sessions with Tara for any occasion I can."
"Not only are all the photos always stunning, but the biggest thing for me is how easy, comfortable & fun she makes the process. I’m never quite sure how to pose or exactly the look I’m going for, but she somehow always manages to envision what I see, & bring it to life perfectly, while also making it an actually fun outing." | Madeline P.
"Tara Leigh Photography captures magic in her pictures."
My family has worked with Tara many times. She is professional and makes you feel comfortable in any environment. She is able to bring out the beauty of simple moments and turns them into fine art. She is unbelievably talented, and I recommend everyone to choose her to capture your special moments. | Courtney B.
"I have had numerous amazing experiences during my sessions with Tara Leigh!"
"She makes you feel very comfortable with her easy going personality. Tara shows up to sessions with many of her own talented ideas however she is always open to creative ideas of her clients. She has a way of making her sessions fun and playful, you’ll truly feel like a friend is snapping your photos. Tara will capture your special life moments flawlessly creating timeless photos to forever relive." | Tori L.