Blackwood Farm Park Family Session | Chapel Hill, NC
Some places make you slow down the second you arrive. Blackwood Farm Park is one of them.
If you've never been, picture this: big, generous trees that look like they've been keeping watch for a hundred years. Sweeping fields that catch the light and hold it. A meadow scattered with yellow flowers. A quiet pond. Tall grass that brushes against little legs as they run. The first time I walked through it, I remember thinking it felt like stepping into a movie scene—the kind of setting where a story is already happening, and you just get to witness it.
That's exactly why it's one of my favorite places in Chapel Hill for a family session. It gives families room to move. And when kids have room to move, you stop getting the stiff, say-cheese version of them and start getting the real ones.
Blackwood Farm Park:
4215 NC 86 S
Chapel Hill , NC 27516
Why I love Blackwood Farm Park for family photos
So much of family photography is about giving everyone permission to just be. Blackwood Farm Park makes that easy. There's no single backdrop you're stuck in front of—there's a whole landscape to wander through, which means the session feels less like a photo shoot and more like an afternoon out together.
We followed the kids. We let them lead us toward the pond, through the tall grass, into the field of yellow flowers. Mom and Dad chased and scooped and laughed, and somewhere in the middle of all that running, the photos happened on their own. Nobody had to perform. The whole thing felt like a little adventure—which is the point.
These are the afternoons that go by in a blur when you're living them. One season folds into the next, and the details get soft around the edges: how small their hands still were, the way they reached for you, the sound of them laughing across an open field. A session like this is a way to hold onto a few of those details before they change again.
What to know if you're planning a session here
Blackwood Farm Park sits in Chapel Hill, NC, and it's an easy, beautiful spot for families across the Triangle—Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, and beyond. The variety of the landscape means we can get a lot of different looks in one visit without ever feeling rushed. Golden hour here is something special; that low, warm light through the trees and across the fields is hard to beat.
Mostly, I tell families to come ready to play, not to pose. Wear what feels like you, bring whatever helps your kids feel comfortable, and let the rest unfold. My job is to notice it and keep it.
Let's tell the story of this season
If you're the one who's always behind the camera—the one documenting everyone else, rarely in the frame yourself—this is your reminder that you belong in the picture too. You were there. You held them. That deserves to be remembered.
If you've been thinking about family photos at Blackwood Farm Park, or anywhere around Chapel Hill and Durham, I'd love to hear about your family and this season you're in. Let's make something you'll be grateful to have years from now.
Hello there and thank you for stopping by! I’m Katrina, the heartbeat behind Fifty Two Hundred Photo + Film, in Durham, North Carolina. I specialize in capturing meaningful and precious memories for remarkable families in North Carolina. I hope you enjoyed this story I shared today and if you are interested in learning more about The Time Capsule membership, or let’s connect. Not quite ready to connect, but you would like to follow along the journey? Follow me on Instagram and let’s be friends!
Katrina is a family photographer and family filmmaker based in Durham, North Carolina. She offers lifestyle newborn photography, family sessions, and storytelling family films that focus on honest, heartfelt, and authentic moments. Her clients love receiving both their digital files and beautiful artwork to display in their homes. Katrina also creates custom heirloom albums so you can revisit your favorite memories for years to come.
Katrina has previously partnered with Adobe to share her expertise in capturing magical light and the true essence of each family—an experience that continues to shape her approach and craft.
Want an easy way to make something beautiful out of all your phone photos and videos? Learn more about the Time Capsule Membership here.
Katrina serves Durham, Raleigh, Cary, Carrboro, Apex, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina