Claire & Cooper tied the knot on an early August summer evening. By the time I arrived at The Little Chapel at Haven Ridge, one of the worst thunderstorms I had ever seen was making its appearance. When I met Claire & Cooper at their rainy engagement session (click here to see those photos!), they […]

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Elizabeth’s summer bridal portraits at Magnolia Hill Chapel, just outside of Winston Salem, were a dream! I’m so excited to share these because she is officially a married woman! Her stunning gown is from English’s Bridal, designed by Justin Alexander. I absolutely love her dress with those little cute bows (they can even be removed, […]

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Wesley proposed to Katherine on the hottest summer day of 2025. Yes, I looked it up! It was a beautiful day. Reynolda Gardens was in full bloom in the heat of the summer! I had such a fun time hiding out in the bushes to catch the proposal moment and then taking a few portraits […]

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Claire & Cooper’s engagement session was truly a scene out of The Notebook. Claire & Cooper’s elopement date was coming up, and we wanted to make sure they got to enjoy their engagement photos beforehand. So even though there was rain in the forecast, we decided to meet for their engagement photos at the Tanglewood […]

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Lydia graduated from the University of Virginia in December of 2024 but wanted to commemorate her time there with senior portraits during the summer. We picked Reynolda Gardens because she loved the open fields and florals there, of course! Lydia is also a senior photographer herself, so she had a specific vision for her senior […]

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Emily & Dequan chose to do their engagement session along the Blue Ridge Parkway, a place that means a lot to Emily because she graduated from Appalachian State. We planned for a June evening and the forecast looked perfect, but as we both drove into Boone, the clouds rolled in. If you’ve spent time in […]

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Zoe & Ty’s rehearsal dinner was held at the historic Summit Street Inn in Winston Salem, North Carolina. It was the perfect start to their wedding weekend! The tented party sat beside the brick estate which was surrounded by beautiful summer florals and a summer sunset. Guests were welcomed to beautifully set tables with vintage […]

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Choosing your outfits is the most important part of planning for your senior portraits. I’m sharing photos from Quinn’s spring senior session at Reynolda Gardens because her wardrobe is a perfect example of color choices, variety, and coordinating outfits with different locations. Quinn booked my Full Senior Experience, which gave us plenty of time for […]

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The Rodriguez Family lucked out with a beautiful early summer evening for their family portraits at The Little Chapel at Haven Ridge. This family’s sweet interactions with each other made for sweet photos. We ran around in the fields around the venue and used the iconic chapel as a backdrop too. Check out my favorites […]

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Mallory & Jack’s engagement session at Reynolda Gardens was relaxed and genuinely fun. They were up for anything and spent their session laughing and playing around with each other! My Hybrid Workflow I photographed their session using both digital and medium-format film. I still shoot mostly digital, but I’m most intentional when I shoot film. […]

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I’m Emma Jo, a Wedding & Portrait Photographer based in Winston Salem, NC, creating timeless imagery on both film and digital that feels intentional and true to you. 

This journal is where I share my favorite stories, the people I’ve had the joy of photographing over the years, and take a deeper look into the heart behind my work. 

welcome to the blog

featured favorites:

Summer wedding at the Barn at Reynolda Village

Biltmore Estate fall couples photos | Alex & Casey

boston summer couples photos | kyla & dillon

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Whether you're planning a wedding or celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime milestone, I'm here to capture it with care and creativity.

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