Serious Art. Entirely unserious environment.

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Fine art PORTRAITURE + Pennsylvania elopement photographer

Caroline is a Pittsburgh-area photographer crafting warm, soulful, film-inspired portraits in her West Brownsville studio while writing about herself in the third person. She also photographs intimate elopements with a strong documentary sensibility throughout Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Caroline believes that you don’t have to be exceptionally fancy or comfortable in front of a camera to get extraordinary photographs that are thoughtfully made, beautifully finished, and meant to be lived with.

pennsylvania elopement photography

a bride and groom stand in a dark forest, they are facing away from each other but holding hands
go to elopements + microweddings

fine art portrait photography

Fall in love, not in line. Whether it’s just the two of you, ten of your nearest and dearest, or fifty of your somewhat less near but still dear friends and family, you’re in the right place. And if you embrace the weird, the non-traditional, the things that make your heart sing, even if nobody else gets it, well, I’m here for it, too. Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, and West Virginia.

a newborn baby is curled up on a black background, she is wrapped in a black and white swaddle with flowers and skulls, and you can see her hands and feet
newborn

I don’t want you to end up with hundreds photos that you like. I want you to end up with a curated collection of portraits that you love. Like truly, take your breath away, this is the image I dreamed of, love. I have lots of cozy hand knit swaddles in lovely neutral shades, but also lovely jewel tones and charcoals and blacks, because not everybody is into beige okay? In-studio only, posed or lifestyle portraits of your new favorite person.

Two bulldogs and a small girl sitting on the floor, playing with dough or food, in a playful scene.
maternity
milestone
family

These sessions are available in-studio, in-home, or on location. Basically wherever.

how do i book?
a newborn baby is curled up on her back on a black background, surrounded by a black and white swaddle with flowers and skulls on it
a bride and groom elope at Phipps, here they are standing in the desert room in front of cacti, the bride wears a short gown with long sleeves and the groom a traditional suit
A bride and trans groom kiss at the altar at their elopement, the groom fist pumps in the air. Their dog is standing in front of them, wearing a neck wreath, and a pastor with a rainbow stole smiles behind them.
a pregnant woman in a long floral dress stands in front of the sunset, there is a flare in the camera and she looks glowy, she holds hands with her husband who is just in frame
a bride and groom with alternative styling like ear plugs kiss while standing in the forest at their elopement at Stonebridge, the bride wears a lacy vintage style dress
a groom lifts his bride, they are smiling at each other. she wears a birdcage veil, and they are at Phipps where they eloped
a newborn baby cuddles a stuffed rabbit, hand knit by the photographer
a one year old sits on the floor in the messy aftermath of a cake smash, there is frosting everywhere. two bulldogs are helping to clean it up, one looks directly at camera.
A lesbian couple smoke cigars to celebrate eloping at the Pump House, it is dark and they both wear leather jackets, one over a traditional wedding gown and the other over a cream suit.
A bride and groom meet Wyatt the penguin at their Aviary microwedding.
Black and white photo of a pregnant woman, she and her husband both have their hands on her belly, the top half of their faces aren't in view but she is smiling
Two toddler girls lay on a blanket in the grass, they are hugging and looking up at the sky
a bride and groom stand under a tree at West End Overlook with their officiant
Black and white photo, bride in a white jumpsuit and groom in a suit walk toward each other, between them are the lines from the glass doors
A mother holds her toddler and baby in a swing
A pregnant woman stands in a sunflower field during golden hour, a peaceful expression on her face. she wears a long corduroy gown.
Everyone at the elopement is gathered in a group photo, taken from the top of the West End Overlook. The bride and groom are front and center.
A newly married couple walks out of the room after they elope at Nemacolin Castle, the guests clap. They were married indoors in a blue room.
A baby sits on his father's lap, you can see dad's hands around him. His toddler older brother is handing him a pear that he definitely can't eat.
A family of four - mom, dad, and two sisters - walk through a forest path in the fall, they are dressed warmly. The youngest holds her hands to her head like "can you believe these people?"
A bride sits casually with a glass of wine, talking to friends in the courtyard at the Hyeholde after her micro wedding
A bride and groom kiss in front of a brick wall with ivy after they elope at the Pittsburgh Aviary
Two young boys in the studio, the older sits in a wooden chair looking at the camera while the younger climbs on the back of the chair to lean into his brother, they are wearing casual clothing
a newborn baby lays on a rust colored backdrop, covered with a rainbow knit swaddle, and wearing a Jayne hat from Firefly

FOR REGULAR PEOPLE WHO LOVE UNCOMMON THINGS

You are exactly the right amount of fancy to get extraordinary photographs. I work with real people who are not models, and who feel just as awkward as you in front of the camera. You don’t have to know how to pose, or think you’re photogenic. Film-inspired edits, honest portraiture that’s authentic to you, all in a laid back experience that leaves you with happy memories of the whole process. We do serious art without the pretense here. I aim for true colors, visually and metaphorically. Never stiff or forced. Whether your family is traditional, alternative, goth, or some other flavor of wonderfully weird, you can bring your whole, real self.

A black man in a maroon suit and a white woman with a high bun and a green jumpsuit smile at each other, they eloped at Raccon Creek State Park, and the background is all greenery

The experience matters just as much as the finished portraits you’ll hang on your wall. I take a non-invasive approach to portraits and elopements alike, and support the energy that you bring, whether that’s Wuthering Heights romance or intense goofball mode. Twenty years of experience means that I know when to step in to make magic, and when to step back and let it happen. You’ll get enough direction and guidance to get deeply honest portraits, but still feel like yourselves. Introverts are welcome here.

HIGH ART, LOW KEY

an assortment of printed photos, some on instant instax film and others with a deckled edge

There is a charm and to a stack of prints tied up with a ribbon that a USB full of files just doesn’t have. I don’t require you to get printed work with your portraits or elopement, but I do encourage you to. Your heirloom album is a time machine that takes you right back to the day you became a family – looking at it feels like a memory unfolding. Let the photos of people you love live somewhere other than your hard drive. Film-inspired edits give you all the nostalgia of film without the expense and unpredictability of the real thing (although I do offer a few real film add-ons, for fun!)

LOVE LETTERS TO FUTURE YOU

welcome to the studio

meet caroline

photographer, author, secret third thing

Two Polaroid-style photos of a woman with long brown hair and glasses, smiling. The top photo has a pink background, and the bottom has a darker background with white text.

At every elopement or portrait session, people tell me that I’m doing a great job. And I used to think that was so strange, because they hadn’t even seen the photos yet! But your experience of being photographed is important, too. I’ll not only give you wall-worthy art, I’ll make it easy for you. I’m body positive, queer affirming, and environmentally conscious. Non-traditional is totally my wheelhouse. Embrace the weird. Find out more about me >

published in

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The logo of The New York Times in black and white.
Text saying 'the knot' in white cursive font on a black background.

How do I book?

01
INQUIRE WITH ME

You decide you love my work, so you reach out. Use the “inquire” button in the navigation, fill in the form, or email me directly. All roads lead to my inbox.

Bonus option: you can also schedule a call with me if you’d rather talk than email, or if you just want a vibe check.

02
WE DESIGN YOUR SESSION

I’ll get in touch with you in the way you prefer (phone, text, or email) and we’ll start planning the session. We’ll talk about what you want from your experience and your finished portraits, locations, colors, what to wear, if a payment plan is right for you, all of that stuff.

03
ENJOY YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS!

You’ll sign a contract and pay your deposit, and I’ll put you on my calendar. We’ll have a super relaxed session or elopement day, and I’ll post a sneak peek or two while I work on editing everything. You’ll receive a link to your proofing gallery, and you’ll decide which images you can’t live without (if you’re eloping, or choose a session with a full gallery, you’ll simply download them all).

optional, but I think it’s awesome: schedule an ordering appointment

This is for those of you who are excited about heirloom prints, albums, or wall art and don’t want to be stranded figuring it all out yourself. This is not the time-share presentation that never ends, this is not the hard sell “if you buy now, get this great set of Ginsu knives.” I hate all of that. I believe that photographs deserve to exist in the real world. You don’t have to agree with me.

We skip the high pressure sales tactics, and figure out what you actually want. Maybe that’s an album. Maybe that’s a piece of art for your wall. Maybe it’s just the digital files. I’m not going to talk you into buying something that you don’t want. I will tell you what I think would look fantastic printed, because I care about this stuff and I want you to have beautiful things. I won’t think any less of you if you only want digital files, I promise. But if you do want beautiful printed artwork, I happen to be really good at helping you make those choices. I’ll help you narrow down your photographs to the ones you’re sure you want to print, and then help you figure out how you want to print them. I wouldn’t ask you to come to the studio for this if it wasn’t SO much easier this way. Nobody wants twelve emails nailing down frame styles and album covers.

a newborn baby rests in his father's hands, the focus is on his tiny feet in this black and white photo

“We love, love, love the pictures! Thank you for capturing who we are as a couple and family, we honestly can’t thank you enough!”

— Jeanine

see more reviews on: google | facebook | the knot

Thinking about it? Fill out the form if you’d like me to be in touch, or you can schedule a call with me right the hell now! Fortune favors the brave, I hear.

If you came here first and are just inquiring to get pricing information, you don’t have to! I have ALL of my pricing for microweddings and elopements and newborn portraits right here on this website. It won’t be able to answer all of your questions (that’s what I’m here for) but it will certainly get you in the ballpark.

Want a direct line? Email me at hello@carolinemoorephotography.com, text or call 724-880-0519