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Hi, I’m Courtney, photographer, storyteller, and the eye behind Poppies & Pines Photography.

At 30 years old, I experienced the kind of loss that changes how you see time. I was widowed far earlier than anyone should be. Years later, I walked through another quiet season of loss that shaped my heart in a different way and changed how I see the moments we live inside every day.

For as long as I can remember, I have dreamed of being a mother. It is a chapter of life I have longed for, prayed for, and held close to my heart, even through seasons when that dream felt so far away. Now, as my husband and I wait to welcome our little boy in March, I find myself seeing motherhood through an entirely new lens. There is something incredibly humbling about spending years documenting the love between mothers and their children, all while quietly dreaming of experiencing that love myself.

That is why I photograph the way I do.

I know how quickly life can change. How the ordinary moments we barely notice can become the ones we would give anything to step back into. And how much it means to have something tangible to hold onto when a season of life has passed.

That way of seeing carries into how I photograph families now. I am always looking for what feels honest, lived in, and already sacred before anyone realizes it is.

I am drawn to the quiet in-between moments. The way your child reaches for you without thinking. The soft laughter from another room. The feeling of being together in a season you do not yet realize will someday feel distant and sacred.

Originally from a small rural town in New Jersey, I now call Aledo, Texas home. I am endlessly inspired by the huge skies, the golden light, and the stories unfolding around me. Whether we are on a dusty front porch, chasing sunset in a field, or documenting newborn snuggles in your home, I am there to help you hold onto what matters while it is still yours.

I don't expect the families in front of my camera to be anything other than themselves. I know that being photographed can feel vulnerable. You're inviting someone into your world, allowing them to see the love, the chaos, and the pieces of your life that aren't always perfectly put together. I don't take that trust lightly.

Because at the end of the day, I'm not looking for perfect photographs of perfect lives. I'm looking for the things that make yours worth remembering.

Let's make something meaningful together. 🤍

Serving families in Aledo, Fort Worth, and Parker County, Texas.