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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!

this moment will never be again

03.04.10 at 11:36pm

Lately, I have really been wanting to do a photo shoot in a bathroom. A bright, white bathroom with lots of windows and soft, buttery light. I’ve seen it done a lot recently on the photo blogs I frequent. I got tired of waiting.

We live in an old house. The bathroom is in the hall and is the ONLY room in the house without a single window. And one of the light bulbs above the mirror is currently burned out. And the tile is gray. Not dirty, just gray. But, I was tired of waiting.

I realized while we were playing and I was shooting that it has been a long time since I picked up the camera just for me. To photograph my baby and all of his charm and sweetness.

That’s not OK with me. Jack is the reason I picked up a camera in the first place. And I am sad to say that I have allowed my perfectionistic tendencies to keep me from capturing him, just as he is, right WHERE he is – even if that means bad lighting and not-so-bright-and-beautiful surroundings. A high ISO and a snappy little black-and-white conversion can cover a multitude of sins, right? And does that really matter, anyway?

{Side Note: Oh, how I love those eyes. I get lost in there sometimes. And those lashes? Are you kidding me with those lashes? People wonder why I have a hard time telling him no. THOSE EYES ARE WHY. Lord help me, I am powerless.}

So here’s to doing for myself what I always encourage all my clients to do. Don’t expect perfection. Don’t wait for that perfect outfit, or until you drop 20 pounds, or until his tooth grows back in, or her hair grows back out – The time is NOW. This moment will never be again. Get out there and photograph those you love, just as the are, right where they are.

{I am currently Spring appointments and space is limited – So if you think I am the photographer for you, email me today!}

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sweet sophie b turns three months old

02.24.10 at 2:22pm

This little girl wiggled her way into my heart way back when she was still in her momma’s tummy. When she was born, she cemented herself there with her smile, her bright beautiful eyes and her wonderful shock of dark hair. Now, little Sophie Brown is three months old, and I count it pure JOY that I am able to help document her life for her wonderful parents, Matt & Emily. Their love for her is so pure and so evident that it takes my breath and brings tears to my eyes! So before I become a blubbering mess …

Oh, the sweetness! Can you take it? One of the things I love most about this family is that not only does every room in their stunning home flow seamlessly together, they somehow manage to always coordinate themselves to their environment. This is bliss for me, being the visual weirdo that I am. I am sure there is a support group out there for people like me, but until I find one, I’ll just keep taking pictures. And now, for some sweet little pieces parts :

Sophie loves, loves, loves to look at herself in the mirror. Between outfit changes, we would head to the mirror. Anytime she would get tired of me being all up in her business, we would head to the mirror. Just for fun, we would head to the mirror. And Miss Thang never disappointed!

Mmmmmm. Oh, Sophie, why do you have to be so wonderful? Why must you disturb my normally quiet ovaries?

Why must you be so delightful?

Why, oh WHY must you go and do this to me? I said all these sweet things about you and then you do THIS? I am so happy with my only child and then there’s THIS. But I love you anyway, sweet girl. You can’t help it if you’re perfect!

Matt & Emily – Again, it was wonderful being with you. I’ll be in touch as soon as I am done with the rest – if I survive! : )

Posted in nashville children's photographer, nashville family photographer, nashville portrait photographer

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Christy - b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l

we were both young when i first saw you …

02.14.10 at 9:58pm

Oh, it’s a love story. And quite a sweet one. One that oftentimes makes us parents shake our heads, chuckle and even blush.

My little Jack has a lady love. This is old news to those of you who know me, but for those who don’t, Jack & Emmy’s romance has been blossoming now for the better part of two years. And yes, he’s five. And she’s four. Of course, by romance I mean that they are the sweetest of friends and absolutely adore each other. Valentine’s Day is a special one for them, after our surprise re-enactment of the Lloyd-Dobler-boombox-over-the-head-blasting-Peter-Gabriel’s-In-Your-Eyes scene from Say Anything last year on Emmy’s front steps.

This year there was no boombox, but there was still much excitement. Emmy’s mom, Heather, and I had talked this past week about how careful & thoughtful both Jack and Emmy were in shopping for each other’s gift. Jack chose an Accessory Pack for Emmy’s Dora Links doll as well as two teddy bears stitched together to, in his words, “make Emmy think about me and her, forever”. Emmy gave Jack a stuffed frog holding a heart stitched with the words, “You’re my prince.” Combine that with the singing card she chose for him {that he has listened to no less than 100 times} and he was one happy boy!

You know, I am no fortune teller. I have no idea what the future holds. But I do know that there is something special between these two. We all laugh & joke about the day they will get married and I always run to get the camera when they are together just in case I am in charge of a wedding slide show someday. But for now, I just want to enjoy the innocence of their love story. The genuineness of their friendship.  The pure sweetness that is Jack & Emmy.

Thank you, as always, for checking in. I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day full of love!

Posted in life as i know it, nashville children's photographer

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julie - one word: prrrrrrrrrrrecioussssssss!!! thank you for posting these sweet pictures. they made my snow day!

Shannon Steen - Ok this is too cute!!! Love it!

i’m head-over-heels for a boy named jonas …

02.12.10 at 7:23pm

… and by the end of this post, you will be too. That’s a promise.

I had the pleasure of spending the morning with one year-old Jonas, his mom Sarah, his big brother Asher and grandma & grandpa, too! We had so much fun exploring Jonas’ beautiful home as well as playing outside in the C O L D ! I have to go ahead and say right now that Sarah truly has the patience of Job. These photos were supposed to have been taken back in the fall, but my schedule was so full that I had to say no and ask that we wait until after Christmas. It absolutely killed me, as it always does when I have to say no, BUT – Sarah was beyond gracious, so we agreed to wait til after the holidays. I’ll spare you the details – including post-holiday craziness, multiple sicknesses, my cluttered inbox and S N O W – but we were FINALLY able to meet for Jonas’ photos this week!! And for all her patience and kindness, I just could not make Sarah wait one more minute!

Oh, this kills me…

And as a side note, Mr. Jonas is a cousin to this precious little lady. That’s an awful lot of cuteness for one family to handle.

Jonas’ big brother, Asher, joined us outside for a few shots. He is such a sweet, shy little boy and was absolutely delightful the entire time I was there!

And this last shot? Yeah, I have no words. He really is that cute. You’re head-over-heels, aren’t you? Told you so!

Sarah, I am so sorry we had to wait so long to meet up, but I definitely think it was worth it. We got sunshine and good moods, and I couldn’t ask for more than that! I am in love with these images and hope you will be too. I’ll have your entire gallery ready shortly and will be in touch soon!

* Nashville children’s photographer, Nashville children’s photography, Nashville portrait photographer, Nashville portrait photography

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Sarah Wilson - These are wonderful!! Thank you so much, Mary Alice, for making our morning so much fun and for sharing your gift of photography with us. We can't wait to see the rest but are already thrilled. It was worth the wait!!

Angie Wilson - These are SO great! I love the ones of him in his little coat and hat. :) As usual, you did a wonderful job MA!!

sweet sophie brown

02.10.10 at 11:11am

I am about to become your favorite person in the whole wide world if you are in need of a baby fix. Little Miss Sophie B is positively Splendid! And her parents are, of course, quite obviously over-the-moon about her!

You will likely remember Matt & Emily from their super-fun maternity session. Their joy over Sophie was so apparent then, and it has only multiplied since she was born. I was so struck during my time with them how naturally they both filled the role of parent and how calm and serene their home felt. {I did not feel the slightest bit serene as a new mom, so I am always in awe when I encounter this phenomenon!} As I said in my first post about them, Matt & Emily are so connected. You just can’t help but feel it when you are with them. And now, with the addition of Sophie, it just feels like she’s always been there.


Pure sweetness!! Matt & Emily, you are so blessed! Sophie is so delightful and it was such an honor to photograph her for you. I can not wait to see you this weekend for Sophie’s three month shots. I can hardly believe it’s time. xoxo!

Posted in nashville children's photographer, nashville couples photographer, nashville family photographer, nashville maternity photographer, nashville portrait photographer

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Angie Thompson - I love these and thanks for sharing them with us. I can't believe how much she changes just over 3 months. She is such a JOY to be around! I'm glad to get my "baby fix" when I'm around her. You guys are doing such an awesome job and I'm very proud to be her aunt. Loves!

so lovely : tori, class of 2010

02.03.10 at 12:14pm

I am so happy to introduce you to the lovely Tori – oh my, isn’t she gorgeous?

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When Tori’s mom contacted me about shooting her senior pictures, my first thought was YES! Then I immediately had visions of Big Hair, shoulder pads, feather boas, dressy shorts {with tights!}, white patent flats {with bows!} and paint-splattered backgrounds. Then, I came to and realized I was remembering my own horrific senior portrait experience in my high school gymnasium and knew right away that I must never subject any young woman to that kind of torture. {Can I get an AMEN, class of ‘93?} For Tori’s portraits, we opted for something a little more relaxed. She has such a natural radiance that just shines thru in every image.

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Tori’s sweet momma, Melanie, and little sister, Abby, came along for our little excursion and got in on a little of the action towards the end of the shoot. I’m so glad they did! I mean, seriously – They’re ALL gorgeous and have such a tender connection to each other.
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Don’t even get me started on how much I love these next two. Makes me wish I had a sister!!

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Tori, You are positively adorable. Your sweet spirit just shines every time you smile! I absolutely loved shooting your Senior portraits and hope you love them as much as I do.  I know that there are many amazing things ahead for you and I pray that you have an incredible Senior year!!

* nashville, tn portrait photographer; nashville, tn portrait photography; nashville, tn senior photographer; nashville, tn senior photography

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Laura Troup - Wow! Wow! Wow! I LOVE these! You did a phenomenal job. But, of course, you did have an amazingly beautiful subject to photograph.

they definitely win the longest distance traveled for a session award

01.28.10 at 10:46pm

And just how far did they travel, you might ask? How about all the way from Boston? That’s right – Boston.  As in Massachusetts. As in Hometown of NKOTB. As in nearly 1,000 miles. And I could leave it at that and let you all think that I am so special that these lovely, charming people traversed this great distance just to see me … but oh well. A liar I am not.  Truth is, they were here in Nashville visiting family for the holidays and my sweet friend Alicia emailed to see if I could squeeze them in. And once you see all the lovey cuddly goodness to come, you’ll see why it was a no-brainer for me!

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Before she moved away, Alicia and I used to work together at a little company here in Nashville called Aegis Marketing Group. I often credit my time as an employee there with giving me some of the sweetest friends I have ever had, and I count Alicia among those. We were cubicle buddies while I was pregnant with Jack. She was on the front lines of listening to me complain about being hot, and dizzy, and hungry. It’s quite possible that she talked me down from a panic attack or two, but I didn’t say that out loud. She helped to throw me one of the nicest baby showers any mommy-to-be could ever hope to have. Until these photos were taken, I hadn’t seen her in nearly 5 years. When she emailed to set up a session for her family, there was NO WAY I was going to miss the chance to see her and her handsome hubby Gabe – and meet their two beautiful boys, Colin and Eli!

And oh yeah – Here’s some of that lovey cuddly goodness I mentioned earlier.

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And here are reasons number one and two why nice, pretty people should reproduce:

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I just love these next two. They just scream F A M I L Y – Who doesn’t cart their kids around this way? Love it. I have always thought that Alicia and Gabe looked like they were tailor-made for each other. And I still hold that opinion! Alicia has a mega-watt, movie-star smile that totally lights up a room. I remember when she first interviewed at Aegis – I wanted to hire her for her smile before I ever even heard her speak!

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Big props to anyone who can spot my Jack in the photo below … Sometimes when you hire me, you get a package deal!

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Oh, Alicia, it was absolutely delightful being with you and your boys! I will be posting this link on Gabe’s Facebook page, so this would be a wonderful time for you to cave and get your own profile as well. {Alicia is a Facebook holder-outer, y’all, so lets all give her a little encouragement to sign up, shall we?} I hope you love these as much as I do and that your blog debut was painless! I’ll be in touch soon, sweet friend …

* nashville, tn family photography; nashville, tn family photographer; nashville, tn lifestyle photography; nashville, tn lifestyle photographer; nashville, tn portrait photographer; nashville, tn portrait photography

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Deanna Cornelius - OK...these are GREAT!!!! HEY ALICIA!!!! You have a beautiful family and of course Mary Alice captures it all just perfectly!!!

baby love

01.27.10 at 10:59am

Sweet little Skylar has grown so much since I first photographed her when she was three months old. She was six months old when we shot these images and it’s almost time for me to see her again for her nine month photos. Time sure flies when you’re little and positively adorable! Skylar’s mom, Angie, has such a beautiful, elegant and simple style. Her only request for this session was that we get some good shots of Skylar in her white dress with a neutral background. I don’t do a lot of studio-type shots, seeing as how I don’t really have a studio {YET} – but ah, yes! We have discovered that my dining room doubles as a wonderful studio when you move most of the furniture out of it!!  Once we got the more formal shots, Angie told me I could do whatever I wanted to. Having grown up as a somewhat spoiled only child, I will rarely say no to that! I had lots of fun with this little lady, and she was so good to just sit and smile. I also had lots of fun in with the post-processing as well, which you will be able to see more of as you scroll down!

Angie, as always, it was delightful being with you and Skylar. She has the BEST facial expressions and is just so absolutely beautiful! I hope you love these as much as I do, and I’ll have the rest to you soon!

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* nashville, tn children’s photography; nashville, tn children’s photographer; nashville, tn portrait photographer; nashville, tn portrait photography

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Shannon Steen - LOVE these photos!!! She is adorable!!!

Angie Wilson - Thanks so much, Mary Alice! These are SO cute! I look forward to seeing you again soon. :)

admin - thanks, angie! i want to eat her. and i realized that i didn't post any of the full-body shots in the white dress. not to worry, you will see those soon!! kiss her for me!!

Judy - LOVE the feathers :)

i’m head-over-heels for a boy named jonas … » Mary Alice Duncan Photography - [...] as a side note, Mr. Jonas is a cousin to this precious little lady. That’s an awful lot of cuteness for one family to [...]

celebrate love at the loveless :: 2010 sweetheart sessions!

01.09.10 at 2:56pm

sweethearts

I am beyond THRILLED to announce that the 2010 Sweetheart Sessions will be taking place at The Loveless Cafe! I really don’t have words for how excited I am about this. THE LOVELESS CAFE!  I mean, seriously, when you think of Nashville Landmarks, the Loveless has to be awfully high on your list. As a lifelong Nashvillian, and a huge fan of Miss Carol Fay’s biscuits, this is an absolute dream for me. Thanks to Phillip’s hard work and the kindness of the good folks at the Loveless, we are going to have total access to the grounds & barn and will even have one of the main restaurant tables reserved for some cozy inside shots! I really don’t even know what to say about this other than this :  It. Is. Going. To. Be.  E P I C  !

So here’s the deal. In bullet-points!

  • Sweetheart Mini-Sessions will be held February 6 & 7 and are 30 minutes each. 
  • The cost is $200 and must be paid in full at the time of booking to secure your time slot. {I accept cash or personal check and can take debit or credit cards thru paypal.} 
  • Sessions will be booked on a first-come first-served basis. 
  • I will be accepting bookings thru Tuesday, January 22nd, unless the slots fill up before then. 
  • You will receive a disc containing no less than 10 beautiful, custom edited high-resolution images of you and your sugar-pie with an unlimited printing and sharing release. You are also free to print with me thru my professional lab {at my regular printing prices}, but the normal $200 minimum order is NOT required for this special session. 
  • I can not guarantee that you will have your discs by February 14th – in fact, I can almost guarantee that you will NOT have your discs by February 14th! However, I will get discs in the mail to you on or before February 28th.

The sweet people at the Loveless have asked to advertise this offer to many of their regulars, so I anticipate spots to fill up fast. Message me TODAY for details and to reserve your time before they’re all gone! Just think … photographs and breakfast or lunch at the Loveless just in time for Valentine’s Day – Are you kidding me? And I know that I mentioned a potential second location for these shots … but I have decided to hold off and save that for another time. Two days at the Loveless was just too good to pass up!

So, again, I ask for your help in getting the word out. Please feel free to share this post on your Facebook page or email the link to friends, family and neighbors who you think might be interested. I am totally dependent on and grateful for your referrals!

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just tell him how it’s gonna be, girls

01.07.10 at 12:06pm

sweetheartspromo1

I am absolutely thrilled to tell you that Phillip, fantastic husband and Business Manager extraordinaire, has secured at least one of two possible locations for the 2010 Sweetheart Sessions. That’s right, ladies, go ahead and tell that man of yours to get ready for his close-up! This is going to be so amazing!!! I am waiting to announce the final plan until I know for sure about the other possible location, but let me tell you – if it comes thru, it will be an absolute dream weekend for me. I had hoped to  have the official location announcement ready by now, but both possible sites require permission to shoot, so it’s taking just a little longer than anticipated to get the final word out. But, trust me,  it will be worth it! 

So remember : February 6 & 7 are the dates. Cost is $200 for a 30 minute mini-session and no less than 10 beautiful high-resolution images with your beloved burned to a cd with an unlimited printing & web-sharing release. PRETTY PLEASE share this with anyone you think might be interested  - Dating couples, engaged couples, newly married couples, older married couples, couples with kids, couples who need time away from the kids… and how about some grandparents?! Can I get an Amen?

Keep checking back. As soon as I have confirmation on location two, I will pass along the information to you and open the calendar for booking. Here’s to love!

Posted in business info, nashville couples photographer

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