Saturday evening I met up with the Podolinsky family in the Forest Hills neighborhood full of dogwoods and azaleas in Wilmington, North Carolina. The azaleas and dogwoods adorned the lawns, the fences, and sidewalks throughout this quiet beautiful neighborhood. I asked them to meet me at the corner of Colonial Drive and Guilford Avenue because of the light pink azaleas and the dogwoods that hung over the sidewalk. Oh if you are a photographer you would probably agree it was the perfect location and lighting!

Tracey use to share a classroom with me in Pender County over at Cape Fear Elementary School where we both once taught ESL (English as a Second Language). She is the Spanish expert! It was fun to meet up again and catch up after several years had past. She has a set of twins that were just babies when I first met her. Now look at them!

They agreed the neighborhood was beautiful. I had a hard time deciding which street was the prettiest. I could have walked and walked and found endless beautiful locations. But I had to narrow it down. The curvy sidewalk, the street lamp, and even the homes provided such lovely backdrop for this Wilmington sidewalk session.

Dogwoods: North Carolina’s State Flower

If you didn’t know, the dogwood tree’s bloom is North Carolina’s state flower. I can’t imagine a spring in North Carolina without one. Even as a child I remember how the dogwood flower came into stories to remind of the story of Easter and the cross. My mom used to live in an older Leland neighborhood where dogwoods grew in almost every lawn.

I read over at Ourstate that North Carolina has four different kinds of dogwoods. The one I usually think of is called a Cornus Florida. The cornus florida usually doesn’t survive or thrive as well here in Wilmington area as it might in the western areas of North Carolina. I agree. I love to see them in full when I drive up toward Greensboro where the lands starts to roll with hills. The dogwoods this time of year are amazing.

Azaleas in Wilmington

Wilmington is actually hosting an “Azaleas on Tour Porch Parade” this week! I just looked it up. I’ve been touring the forest hills neighborhood with my mom by car. We’ve been riding around slowly with our windows down every other day almost trying to find the prettiest yard. You know, I think my favorite lawn sits on Forest Hills Drive on the south side of the road. One yard has an oasis like garden maze of azaleas that took my breath away. If you go soon before the azaleas fall away and walk the sidewalk, you won’t miss it.

Family Portraits on the Sidewalks of Wilmington

Sidewalks happen to be some of the ideal places for portraits in historic neighborhoods of Wilmington, NC. First, they are public areas walking. Second, they provide many options for backdrops and landscaping to add to your portraits. If you like the idea of a family portrait as canvas “wall art” for your home, these neighborhood areas can provide aesthetics for such an image. I happen to love the blooming foliage of dogwoods and azaleas in Wilmington for sidewalk portrait sessions. If you would like to make this happen for your family, feel free to send me a message. Contact me here.

You can read more about family portrait sessions here.