What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

Monica Bliss Photography

Home
United States
Durham, NC
Monica Bliss Photography

Website Contact the business

Specialized in Newborns, maternity, 1st year milestones , and family photography. www.monicablissphotography.com

11/03/2026

FROM BEHIND THE LENS ✨

We spend so much time, energy, and money making celebrations beautiful.

The perfect cake, the decorations, the flowers, the outfits, and every little detail.

And there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that! Celebrating life’s milestones is important.

But here’s something I wish more people would consider…

We often invest more in creating the moment than in preserving it.

When the celebration is over, the cake is gone, the decorations come down, and the flowers eventually fade.

But the photographs? Those can become treasured memories for generations.

Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, pregnancy, or another beautiful chapter of your life, professional portraits are more than just pictures.

They’re a way of remembering who you were, how you felt, and a moment in your life that will never happen quite the same way again.

The celebration lasts a day. The photographs can last a lifetime. 🤍

So I’m curious…

If you had to choose, would you invest more in the celebration itself or in the photographs you’ll treasure for years to come?

I’d genuinely love to hear your thoughts!

— Monica

From Behind the Lens | Every Tuesday

LuxuryPortraitPhotography DurhamPhotographer RaleighPhotographer CaryNCPhotographer CelebrateYourself PortraitPhotography TimelessMemories

10/27/2026

Sneak peek ✨ Two looks, one beautiful mama…

Which one is your favorite — 1 or 2? 🤍

DM "MATERNITY" to book ✨

10/27/2026

FROM BEHIND THE LENS ✨

Moms, why are you always behind the camera instead of in the photographs?

Mothers are often the memory keepers. We capture the birthdays, milestones, holidays, and everyday moments.

But when we look back at those photographs, someone is often missing.

Mom.

“I need to lose weight first.”
“I don’t like how I look.”
“I’d rather just photograph the kids.”

Here’s what I want every mother to remember:

One day, your children will look for YOU in those photographs.

They won’t care about the extra pounds, wrinkles, or imperfections you worried about.

They’ll simply want to see their mother—the woman who loved them, held them, and made their childhood special.

So please, don’t wait until you feel perfect to be part of your family’s memories.

Your children deserve photographs of you. And you deserve to exist beautifully in them. 🤍

Moms, when was the last time you had a photograph with your children that you truly LOVED?

— Monica

From Behind the Lens | Every Tuesday

10/27/2026

She's not just glowing. She's powerful. ✨

This mama is expecting her very first baby — and she wanted a session that felt empowering and elegant. Not hidden. Not minimized. Fully seen.

Swipe to the last photo. That one is special.
We created the carriage portrait specifically for her, so she can display it at her baby shower. A portrait of who she is right now, before everything changes. 🤍

Mamas, I need you to settle this: which look is you — the glam gown (1) or the soft sheer (2-4)? Tell me your number in the comments.

Send this to an expecting mama who needs to see herself like this, and save it for your own maternity inspiration.

Expecting in the Triangle? Follow for maternity inspiration, and DM "MATERNITY" for session details & availability.

10/26/2026

Sneak peek ✨
Behind the scenes of this beautiful mama's session… wait for the final image 🤍
DM "MATERNITY" to book ✨

10/15/2026

Sneak Peek 🔥

At Monica Bliss Photography, we offer a luxurious maternity experience complete with over 200+ designer gowns to choose from. Everything is provided, so you can simply arrive and shine.
✨The ideal time to book is between 28 to 34 weeks of pregnancy.
✨To get in touch, simply tap the link in our bio, send us a direct message, or fill out the ‘Contact Me’ page on our website.

MotherhoodJourney

10/13/2026

FROM BEHIND THE LENS ✨

“What if my child doesn’t cooperate?”

If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve worried about this before a photoshoot.

Will they sit still?
Will they smile?
Will they look at the camera?
What if one child is perfect in one photo…and the other one isn’t?

Here’s what I want you to know:

Your children do not have to perform perfectly for my camera in order for us to create a beautiful portrait.

A two-year-old is allowed to act two. A shy child may need a little extra time. Someone will probably look away at exactly the wrong moment. And yes, sometimes the beautiful smile I get from one child happens in a completely different frame from the beautiful smile I get from the other.

That’s okay.

Because part of choosing an experienced photographer is choosing someone who knows what to do when everything doesn’t happen perfectly in one click.

When possible, I can even swap faces between photographs, carefully combining the best expressions from several frames to create one beautiful final family portrait.

That is one of the reasons I photograph intentionally and take the images I know I may need later. Sometimes what looks effortless in the finished portrait required quite a bit of work behind the scenes.

And honestly? I’d much rather let your children relax and be themselves than spend your entire session telling them to “Smile! Look at the camera! Sit still!”

My job isn’t to wait for your family to become picture-perfect.

My job is to know how to photograph the family you actually bring me. 🤍

Parents, tell me:

What stresses you out MOST before family pictures—your children cooperating, how you will look, or something else entirely?

— Monica

From Behind the Lens | Every Tuesday

10/10/2026

At Monica Bliss Photography, we offer a luxurious maternity experience complete with over 200+ designer gowns to choose from. Everything is provided, so you can simply arrive and shine.
✨The ideal time to book is between 28 to 34 weeks of pregnancy.
✨To get in touch, simply tap the link in our bio, send us a direct message, or fill out the ‘Contact Me’ page on our website.

10/07/2026

FROM BEHIND THE LENS ✨

“Can I have the unedited images?”

As a photographer, I get this question occasionally, so let’s talk about it.

When you hire me, you’re not simply hiring me to press the shutter.

The photograph I capture in camera is only the beginning.

I carefully choose the strongest expression and pose. I refine the lighting and color. I remove distractions. I perfect skin while preserving texture. I enhance details, shape light and finish every image in the style you came to Monica Bliss Photography for.

The RAW image is the photograph I captured.
The finished image is the artwork I created.

And that’s why I don’t release unedited images.

It isn’t about hiding something from you or withholding photographs that belong to you. It’s because an unfinished image doesn’t represent my work.

Think about a magazine cover. The photographer doesn’t hand over the photograph halfway through the creative process and call it finished.

Neither do I.

And yes, I believe in retouching. Tasteful, intentional retouching that still leaves you looking like you.

There’s an important distinction for me:

Retouching doesn’t have to create a different reality. It can beautifully refine the reality that was actually there.

The woman was real.
The baby was real.
The expression was real.
The connection was real.
The moment actually happened.

I simply finish the photograph with the same care I used to create it. 🤍

— Monica

From Behind the Lens | Every Tuesday

Address

Durham, NC

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Website

http://www.monicablissphotography.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Monica Bliss Photography posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.