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{Welcome to Mary Alice Duncan Photography!}

My style is fresh & fun, colorful & whimsical. I have been told that I have a gift for photographing the soul. My non-traditional approach to photography produces finished art that is unique and highly valuable to the families I am blessed to serve. 

I shoot with my heart and not with my head. I look for the perfect in the imperfect. I strive to capture the beauty that lies within and share that with my clients in a very tangible, visible way. Oh, and I can't wait to meet y o u !

This blogsite is where I share my art {and my heart} with you. You can browse by category or by month to see all the pretty people. I also recommend that you check out the 'Everything You Need To Know' section in the menu bar above to learn more about me, my pricing information and what you can expect when booking a session. Because I am a one-woman show and my family comes first, I book a limited number of sessions every month. Please be prepared to reserve your spot several weeks {and sometimes months, depending on the season} in advance!

Your comments are always welcome and appreciated, and you can always get in touch by clicking the Contact button above!

girls just wanna have fun! {nashville, tn children’s photography}

Oh my, how I love these three girls!

I have had the pleasure of knowing Kate, Ellen & Audrey since birth and can honestly say that they only seem to geet sweeter with time! If you’ve been visiting here for a while, you might remember their session with mom & dad about this time last year. And let’s take a minute to discuss their momma, my dear friend Deanna. Deanna is truly one of the most creative individuals that I have ever had the honor to work with. She has the best, most fun ideas and this session was no exception. This time around, she decided that she wanted to use three 36″ balloons in the photos, an idea that  I loved, loved, loved.

The day of the shoot, I arrived to find Deanna inflating balloons with her own helium tank out of the trunk of her car – Crazy girl! Things were going along just perfectly when the tank ran out of helium after having only inflated two of the balloons. I would have crumpled to a heap in the parking lot, but being the good sport that she is, Deanna just shrugged it off and we set about taking some pictures. But then – as luck would have it, one of the balloons caught the breeze and flew away after only a few clicks of the shutter! Again, this could have been a deal breaker, but you know what? As cool as it would have been to have three big balloons, these lovelies proved what I truly believe – It’s not about the props, it’s about the people! And speaking of people, let’s take a look at these sweet sisters, shall we?

Oh Kate, you are delightful! So very lovely, so full of personality – and growing up so fast!

This next one might just be my favorite of the day:

Ellen, you are a little peach! So, so, so spunky and vivacious! I have no choice but to smile when I’m around you.

Audrey, you are the perfect little sister. Sassy & sweet, that’s what you are! And those big eyes of yours? Wow.

Audrey’s face in these next two is priceless. Don’t you agree?

I can not imagine what it is going to be like at Jon & Deanna’s house in 10 years or so. The one thing I’m pretty sure of is Jon might have to arm himself and sleep on the porch to keep all the potential suitors away! These girls are amazing and I always love spending time with them and their wonderful momma. Deanna, I hope you enjoy your little peek and I’ll have the rest ready soon!

Amanda - Wonderful job!! These are spectacular.

my jenni & her boys

Several weeks ago, we had the pleasure of traveling to Lexington, KY to spend the weekend with some our dearest friends who recently moved there. It was, as always, a wonderful time of laughter and fun – and photos! If you know this family, or if you have been reading the blog for a while, you may remember this session - the very first one I ever did! I was amazed that they trusted me then and am still blown away to have the opportunity to photograph them. Jenni, Phillip, Jake and Evan are truly dear and to be entrusted to capture them – their love, joy, and connection – is a gift!

We shot these images in Midway, a sweet little town not far from Lexington. Had it not been about 1,000 degrees outside that day, I daresay we would have walked around and played for hours – but because we are all sweating profusely, we got the job done in less than an hour. Not bad, if I do say so myself!

I miss this precious family more than I can say. Thankfully, though, one of the beautiful things about lifelong friendships is that you always pick up right where you left off the last time you were together. That’s what we have, and I am so grateful for that.

Jenni, I love you and your boys so much. Thanks for being patient with me as I worked on these images for you. I hope you love them and can see youselves the way I do – You are magic!


Oh, and in case you missed it, there are a few more of Jenni and Phillip from this session that I posted here. Enjoy!

Ellen Grant - Mary Alice, these are so good. It makes me long for our picture time!! (Well, maybe when it's not 1000 degrees outside!) (Which might not be until December. Ha!) Great work as always.

cameron & the bubble machine! {nashville children’s photographer}

It is always such a treat to meet new people and make new friends through this little business of mine. Meeting precious Cameron and her lovely mom, Lorie, was certainly no exception! Little Miss Cameron is 18 months old and was such a little doll to photograph. She had some of the sweetest expressions ever – and her eyes! Her eyes are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen! I must say a huge thank you to my dear friend Deanna for referring Lorie and Cameron to me  - What an honor!

The morning we were scheduled to shoot was absolutely gorgeous. Beautiful sunshine all around … for about the first 30 minutes or so … then the dark clouds appeared and the bottom fell out! We hid out in our cars for a few minutes before making the call to reschedule for the next day. Thankfully, it was the right call and we were able to finish up  - this time with the help of Cameron’s bubble machine!

Do you see what I mean about her eyes???

Time for bubbles! Bubbles + Cameron = Delightful Perfection!

Lorie, I hope you enjoy this little peek! Cameron is such a beautiful, charming little girl and I am having so much fun working on these for you. I will be in touch very soon when everything is ready to view!

Deanna Cornelius - These are FANTASTIC! I love the one with her tongue hanging out reaching for a bubble....just precious! She's gorgeous Lorie D! Way to go MAD.

sophie + the downtown library = m a g i c {nashville children’s photographer}

Magic. Magic, magic, m a g i c. That’s the word that kept floating around in my head while I was snapping away the evening I met up with Sophie – and her adoring parents, Matt & Emily - at the Downtown Nashville Public Library. What an incredible, inspiring place to shoot -  the perfect location to photograph a little girl who already, at just six months old, loves books. Let’s just say that she comes by it honestly!

I absolutely, positively and completely adore this family. Being with them feels like being with my own family, so it’s always laid back and fun. Lots and lots of laughter and smiles this time around - and more laughter, and more laughter … so much laughter, in fact, I am shocked that they didn’t shoo us right out of the library! But seriously – once you see the expressions and poses we were getting out of Miss Sophie Brown, I am willing to bet you’ll be smiling and laughing, too!

At one point during our time together, Matt & Emily put on quite the puppet show. Sophie was completely engrossed in their antics, just as they are both completely engrossed in her. What a delight to watch! And thanks to that puppet show, we got my very favorite shot of the day – the 4th image below. Are you kidding me?

Now let’s discuss these next two images, shall we? Emily brought along this precious (and oh, so appropriate!) book that was a gift from a good friend. It was hilarious watching Sophie try and hold it up since it’s nearly as big as she is! And that expression on the right? Totally Sophie – I do believe I had tears streaming down my face at that point, I was laughing so hard!

Oh my, what fun can be had at the library! Of course, this sweet family would be fun standing in a cardboard box! And if you can’t get enough of sweet Sophie and her parents, you can see more of them here – when Sophie was still a bun in the oven, a newborn and three months old. It’s almost too much sweetness to take in! BUT – just in case it’s not enough for you – you really, really, really must check out Emily’s website, little e studio! Sophie’s mom is a gifted artist  and her mixed-media paintings are incredible. Each piece she creates is so full of love and passion – So please be sure and check her out. And treat yourself to a painting by a local artist!!

Emily, as always, I was honored to photograph Sophie for you. I hope you enjoy this little sneak peek and I’ll have the rest ready for you soon!

Emily - I am mad about MAD!!! These are fantabulous!!!! I just made that word up because what else can I say?!! I can't decide which I love more. The one on the couch looking at the books, the one in the hallway, the one with her Sophie book, the one in front of the puppet show....see what I mean? And oh my goodness! You captured my new favorite shoes for posterity, too!!!!!! LOVE you!!

Amanda - Love these!! I am so taking Mark down there as soon as he can sit up :)

Ceacy Hailey - Ooohhh drling Matt 7 Emily! These are absolutely adoreable and precious! I've never seen such personality - and always around you folks an aura of joy & laughter. What a lucky, blessed little girl. Her west coast li'l guy friend, McKenna Hailey is now 15 months old. SOMEday, maybe we'll get them together. Thank you for sharing these dear pictures! Love, love love, Ceacy HH

skylar is ONE! {Nashville Children’s Photographer}

Anyone who has ever met Miss Skylar Rose knows that she is one specal girl. There is no denying that her smile absolutely lights up a room and she has some of the funniest, sweetest facial expressions ever. She has a sunny disposition, eyes that sparkle and a precious giggle. Skylar is loved for far too many reasons to list, but there is a very particular reason that she will always hold a unique place in my heart: Skylar is the first baby that I have photographed for the entire first year of her life!

What a joy it has been to watch her grow! I can hardly get over how much she has changed since I first photographed her at home at three months old. And then there were the fun six month shots we did in my dining room! When she turned nine months old, I headed back to her house to catch her in her own environment. And now she is ONE. I can hardly believe it! This time, we were able to head outside for the first time and I must say, I think these are my favorites of the year!

Angie, it has been such a pleasure capturing your beautiful little girl over the last year. She is a treasure, just like you! Enjoy these images and I’ll have the rest to you soon!

Angie Wilson - YAY!! I totally LOVE them! Thanks so much for doing such an incredible job! I feel honored that Skylar is the first baby you've photographed during the first year of life. :)

permission to create

Lately, I have been in a bit of a rut. A creative rut. I’ve been wanting to update the ol’ blog and shoot photos just for fun and Life has had some other ideas. I know every creative soul goes thru this from time to time, but man – I feel like it has become a state of being for me! I talked recently with an artist friend of mine who suggested that I needed to give myself “Permission to Create”. Say what?

Permission to Create. Now there’s an interesting idea. Her words struck me as I began to realize that somewhere along the way, I stopped doing just that. When I started this business a little over a year ago, I wasn’t afraid to try new things, to experiment, to succeed – or even to fail. At some point, I started measuring my success by how well I pleased everyone else, and in so doing I lost myself. I stopped experimenting – stopped playing – stopped having fun!

I had been thinking a lot about this idea of giving myself Permission to Create when we took a weekend trip to Kentucky to visit our dear friends who recently moved there. Jenni has always been a huge support and encouragement to me and part of the reason for our trip was a family photo shoot. I remember asking what kind of “feel” she was looking for in her photographs – If she had any specific editing style she wanted me to use. She responded with these words: “You just do your creative Mary Alice thing, and I am sure that I will love it!” And with that sentence, Jenni had done for me what I hadn’t figured out how to do for myself. So, thanks for the permission, Jenni – I love you!

That said, here are a few images of Jenni and her Phillip. I love the soft, vintage-y feel – very different from my usual style! I have lots more of the whole family to share, but I’m not quite done with those yet.

This next  image makes me really, really happy. And not only because my sweet friends were willing to risk ticks and chiggers for me but because normally, I would have only posted this image in color (because it’s oh, so bright and lovely in color). Also, I had intended for it to be flipped the other way, but I was watching Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” while I was editing and well…looking at this image sort of made me feel like they’re falling down the rabbit hole. Which is kind of like being in love, right?

Thank you, Jenni and Phillip for being such willing subjects. I love you both, and I’ll have the ones with the kids up soon!

Marilyn Switzer - I love these. I love that you take shots in all the unexpected places. You are so talented.

Maryann - amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

admin - thanks, ladies!!!!!!! can't wait to share the rest...it was a sweet time!!! : )

BST : Three little letters you need to know.

I don’t even know where to start with this guy. Brandon Scott Thomas (or BST as he’s known around here) is not only a great friend of our family, but he is also our former worship leader, an a-m-a-z-i-n-g performer, a Grammy nominee, and can wear the heck out of an orange paisley shirt! (Please see below for undeniable proof of that last claim.) Brandon, in a word, is Gifted. When he asked me to take some headshots for him, I was at once humbled, thrilled and terrified. He’s a Grammy nominee, after all! Then I reminded myself that he’s also a total goofball and the terrified part just melted away. We had such a blast when we met to shoot, wandering around downtown, acting ridiculous and scouting out good spots. I must tell you that I wound up with quite a few hilarious images of Mr. Thomas, but to protect his professional image – and our friendship – I will refrain from posting them here. (Brandon, that does NOT – ahem – mean that I have deleted them from my computer, so watch your back.) Love you!

Brandon’s lovely wife, Sheryl, is also incredibly gifted. That girl can sing like an absolute angel and has also begun her own floral design business. So if you are looking for stunning arrangements for your wedding or another occasion, you should definitely check out her website here. I can’t recommend her enough, for both her talent and her sweet spirit.

And now, without further ado, I give you some of my favorite images of my friend – the one and only BST. Check them out, leave a little comment love if you are so inclined and go check out Brandon and Sheryl on the web!

I hope everyone is well and having a great summer.  I know it’s been a little quiet on the ol’ blog as of late, but that’s about to change. I’ll be back soon with a couple of sweet girlies, some silly boys and a wonderful family close to my heart. So, please come back soon!

well hello, harper!

A couple weeks ago, I had one of those experiences that kind of makes you go, “Wow!” and shake your head in wonder. I met my beautiful friend Elizabeth, her sweet hubby  and her baby girl, Harper, in the park for a camera date  – and when I saw Harper toddling toward me, my jaw nearly came un-hinged. The last time I saw the lovely Miss H was about ten months ago when we made this little bit of magic together. I don’t know what I was expecting, but certainly not this. She has changed SO MUCH in such a short amount of time! Thankfully, however, some things do not change because this little lady is just as beautiful as she was when I first met her. Don’t you agree?

OK. I have to pause your swooning to say how much I love, love, love what bright beautiful sunlight can do to a photograph. It doesn’t always work out, but every now and then, I get a shot like this and it makes my heart sing:

Oh Elizabeth, I had so much fun with you guys at the park! I’ll be in touch ASAP about the rest of your images. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy looking at and sharing these. Give Harper a big kiss for me!

Have a beautiful day, everyone. Until next time . . .

Deanna Cornelius - Where were these taken, MAD? The swing photo is to die for.

Mammaw - I could not tell you how many times A DAY I take a look at my special granddaughter. I laugh, I get choked up, I burst at the seams. Mary Alice....you are the best

sweet skylar turns 9 months!

I have been astounded lately by how quickly time is flying by. It is especially hard to believe that soon, I will be shooting this little lady’s one year portraits. Seems like only yesterday we were getting together to celebrate three months and six months! These nine month images were taken back in February at Miss Skylar’s house, where her sweet mommy and I enjoyed lunch together before Skylar woke up from her morning nap. And when she woke up, she was ready – Just look at that beautiful smile!

This little lady absolutely melts my heart. I could go on and on, but I am trying to get this post up for her wonderful mommy, who is anxious to see a little peek! Angie, I am so sorry we missed each other at church yesterday, but you’ll be seeing the rest very soon!

Much love, everyone!

Angie Wilson - Thanks for putting these up, MA! I was so excited to see them and am not surprised that they are absolutely precious! Sorry we missed each other yesterday - I hung around for a while and then assumed that you'd already gone. Thanks for mailing it. I appreciate you. :)

Phillip - I know I'm biased, but you are an absolute freak with that camera. These are incredible. Knowing how much you love being a mother, I know how special it is for you to capture these images for other Moms to hold on to. Amazing work done by an amazing lady.

almost six

In thirteen days, he will be six.

S I X .

He’s been counting down since April 1st.

He is growing up before my very eyes.

I know every parent feels that way, but seriously.

He has been expressing lots of emotion lately and is really attached to us.

He loves his friends fiercely and has been blessed with many who love him in return.

He has a bright spirit and a beautiful, compassionate heart.

He still asks God every night to take care of the earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile.

This morning he read 27 pages of Green Eggs and Ham to me.

He would have finished had we not had to leave for school.

He gives the BEST hugs and kisses.

And I mean the BEST.

He asks LOTS of questions.

And I mean LOTS.

He is anxiously awaiting his first loose tooth.

He is incredibly polite and well-spoken.

He no longer wants to be a Paleontologist when he grows up.

He wants to be a Paleontologist and a Monster Truck driver.

His sweet raspy voice and southern drawl melt my heart.

His daddy is his hero.

And he is his daddy’s pride and joy.

He loves Jesus.

He’s head-over-heels for a girl named Emmy.

It’s a good thing she’s crazy about him too.

His laughter is contagious.

He loves playing PlayStation 2, Wii and the DS.

He kicks my tail in every single game we play.

He has an unbelievable sense of humor.

Seriously, little dude is side-splitting hilarious.

He always reaches up to take our hands in public and still screams “I LOVE YOU!” as he runs up the steps to school.

He loves basketball and will be going to basketball camp this summer.

He is very concerned with eating healthy food so that he can grow up big and strong like his daddy.

He also wants us to eat healthy food so that we don’t die.

I’m totally with him on that one.

I am blessed to be able to watch who he is becoming.

His big brown eyes reflect the person I want to be.

He holds my heart in his hands.

He is my one and only.

And he is almost six.

Laura - "His big brown eyes reflect the person I want to be"....well I just nearly broke down in tears!!! What a lovely, lovely sentiment. Tell me you're going to frame this picture with these words???!!!??? You're work is precious. Thanks for sharing

Elizabeth - You should TOTALLY frame this pic with these words. What a priceless treasure that would be!!!

Kristi - Okay...so now you're a writer too?....what next? Very sweet.