For me, the first day of school is bittersweet. I am so excited for them to enter into a new experience, but I am also lowkey devastated that my babies are a year older. This year, I had a backpack to clean, shoes that were magically too small, and a billion dollars’ worth of school supplies.

Every year, my own little family has taken time to mark this milestone with intention. A special treat, a little ritual, a photo to remember what’s changing and what’s staying the same. This year, as I was visiting my dear friend Vanessa - who owns The Parlour in Durham (easily the best ice cream in town, full stop) - an idea stitched itself together: What if I combined the magic of fine art portraiture with the whimsy of a sweet, celebratory scoop? I will still probably bully my babies into their annual front-of-the-door photos with their silly chalkboard signs from Target, but I love the idea of making it a bit more fun and special. A celebration for getting through the first day.

Let me tell you about A Sweet Start, our new back-to-school portrait pop-up.

Artistic black and white school-year portrait of girl with a thoughtful pose at The Parlour in Durham, NC — Black and white back-to-school portrait

Rooted in Ritual, Made for Real Life

As a parent, I know how hard it can feel to press pause. To hold onto a fleeting moment long enough to mark it as yours. To say yes to being photographed - not when you're "looking your best" but when you're simply... you.

Over the years, I’ve witnessed how deeply we crave to be seen in our day-to-day lives. Not only the grand events but the ordinary thresholds too. And let’s be honest: the first day of school is one of those tender thresholds. It is a micro-rite of passage that deserves art, sweetness, and a little celebration.

So, I dreamed up this offering with those stories in mind. For the moms navigating drop-offs with a lump in their throat. For the nonbinary parents cheering on their kiddo in glitter high-tops. For the kids grinning wide with chocolate on their lips and a head full of new ideas and plans.

This is for you.

Black and white portrait of young boy enjoying a large ice cream cone at The Parlour in Durham, NC

What to Expect from Our "Sweet Start" Portrait Experience

Not your average school photo - and that’s exactly the point. Here's how these pop-up portraits work:

✧ Boutique-Style Portraits, Without the Boutique Price

$30 per child
One artistically edited digital portrait included
Online proofing gallery to view and purchase additional photos if you like (no pressure!)
Includes free toppings for your ice cream treat

These are fine art portraits, crafted with care and intention. Think glowing natural light, creamy tones, and timeless compositions that tell a little slice of your child’s story that day.

Fine art back-to-school portrait of girl in purple Girls on the Run shirt, taken at The Parlour in Durham

✧ Playful + Optional Props

Chalkboard "first day" signs available
Encouraged: wacky outfits, sparkly accessories, or that very serious lunchbox they chose with conviction
Ice cream in hand? Yes please. It’s all part of the charm. Or save it for a celebratory post-photo treat. Ahem, it isn’t a “bribe,” it’s, uh, positive reinforcement.

I’ll have a small, cozy studio setup inside The Parlour, designed to feel more like play and less like "say cheese." The goal? Capture the magic already present - no stiff posing, no forced smiles.

✧ A Soft, Safe Space for Every Body

As a parent, photographer, and human who lives in a body (especially one that hasn’t always felt welcomed by the lens), I hold emotional safety at the heart of every session. Whether your kid is camera-shy, neurodivergent, or just really into sprinkles and not feeling the camera that day, that’s okay, this is a slow and gentle space. No pressure to perform, just show up and be.

Excited child holding a back-to-school ice cream sign at The Parlour’s Sweet Start portrait session in Durham, NC — First day of school photo with ice cream sign and balloon

Why These Little Moments Matter (So Much, SOB!)

You deserve more than the rushed school hallway photo line. You deserve images that feel like keepsakes, not checkboxes. Images that hold the spirit of who your child was right then, at that doorway between summer and school.

Over time, I’ve come to believe there’s so much power in revisiting and reclaiming these annual portraits. When done with tenderness and intention, they become part of your family's living memory. Not just what the hair looked like or what grade it was - but how that year felt.

For families craving more authenticity, more slowness, more joy - this is for you.

Ready for a Portrait with Sprinkles?

If you’re local to Durham and looking for something special to mark the start of your child's school year, I’d love to see you at The Parlour for A Sweet Start.

This might just be our first of many pop-up portrait experiences, and I’d love your thoughts. Are you interested in more magical, playful, boutique-permission-giving photo events like this?

Let’s keep making memories that taste as sweet as they look.

To book your spot or learn more, head to the booking link or follow me over on Instagram @littlewildlight. I’d be honored to celebrate this milestone with you and your little light.

Book Now

With warmth and a scoop of Vietnamese Coffee in a cone,

Lis