Devin Desjarlais Photography

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Raleigh, NC
Devin Desjarlais Photography

Devin Desjarlais is a Raleigh-based family, maternity, and newborn photographer. Here are two facts about me: I love people and I'm incredibly nostalgic.

I'm also a Raleigh, NC family, maternity, and newborn photographer with 15+ years of experience documenting the joy in people's lives. Working together, I promise to capture your family the way I’d capture my own: in all of their beautiful, messy, chaotic, wonderful glory. I will help guide you through poses but I’ll also look for those tiny, real moments that are uniquely yours. Every session inc

ludes a fully edited, hi-res gallery of images that are yours to download and print at your leisure. I can’t wait to meet you!

05/28/2026

Moms are so much more than what their bodies can create. They are educators, artists, protectors, and leaders. They are launching pads for bold ideas and soft places for little people with big feelings to land. I feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by mothers who are as independent as they are community-minded, and who are also silly, thoughtful, ferocious, brilliant, kind, resilient, and deeply beautiful in all the ways that matter most. 
This one is for the moms, featuring just a few of my favorites.

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05/20/2026

I need parents of kids with complex medical needs to see these photos.

Meet Amber and her family of six. She told me upfront she’d understand if I didn’t want to take on a family with needs as high as theirs. That broke my heart, because all families deserve beautiful photos of their love and joy.

The Petersen family’s story includes birth trauma, medical complexity, and a version of family life that doesn’t always fit into traditional photography. Their 10-year-old son Dylan experienced oxygen deprivation at birth and now lives with significant developmental delays, seizures, and GI issues, along with a rare genetic mutation that adds to his medical complexity.

Before this session, Amber shared that they hadn’t done family photos since before her three-year-old was born. Not because they didn’t want them, but because it’s so hard to find a family photographer who understands how to work with a family with special needs. Every past experience felt rushed, forced, and frustrating. So we did this differently. 

We stayed close to their home in Wendell, where everything already works for their family, especially for Dylan. Amber told me he loves bubbles, music, and dancing, and we built the session around that so he could safely be himself. 

If you’ve ever wondered whether your family is too much for photos, you. are. not. You just need someone who knows how to meet you where you are. 

As a special needs family photographer in Wendell, this work with families navigating challenges like birth trauma means everything to me.

If this feels like your story, I’d love to talk.

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05/06/2026

This is Soren. He’s nine years old. He loves The Beatles, neighborhood walks, and being with his parents. He’s also on the autism spectrum, has a PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) diagnosis, and has spent much of his life fighting battles bigger than most of us can imagine.

Before this session, his mom Katrina (the very talented photographer from ) gave me one of the greatest gifts a parent can give a photographer: deep understanding.

She prepared me thoughtfully and honestly, not just about Soren’s needs, but about who he is. She helped me understand that if this session was going to work, Soren had to lead. Connection had to come before expectation and humor, curiosity, and flexibility mattered.

She knew her son deeply, and because of that, she helped create the foundation for something beautiful.

So when I arrived, I didn’t ask Soren to perform for me. I stepped into his world. I let him show me what mattered to him like his favorite street and music. I purposefully pronounced the name Paul “Simmon” so he could correct me, which he thought was hilarious.

And over time, that trust gave us something extraordinary. With The Beatles playing and his mom walking beside him, we captured something Katrina had deeply hoped for, a photo of Soren happily stimming.

These photos are more than portraits. They are evidence of love that listens, of parents who advocate fiercely, and a child who deserves to be seen exactly as he is.

This session wasn’t about perfection. It was about honoring Soren’s story. And that is what makes these images feel like a miracle.
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04/21/2026

From his birth at Duke Regional Hospital to newborn photos at home in Durham, this is the next chapter of Remy's story with his biggest fans.

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04/08/2026

I am profoundly changed by my first birth photography experience.

I met Sarah and Logan two years ago at my sunflower minis as they prepared to welcome their daughter, Rayya. They were strangers to me. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing their family grow, documenting the quiet and joyful unfolding from infant days into big sisterhood.

When Sarah asked me to document the birth of their son, Remy, I was deeply honored. Being invited into this sacred space where a family expands, where a woman labors to introduce a life she has made to this world, where she steps into motherhood again… is something that I will never take for granted.

If you, or someone you love, is expecting and feels called to preserve birth as the powerful, intimate, and deeply human story that it is, I would love to connect.  Raleigh birth photographer, Durham birth photographer, birth photography, Cary birth photographer, Wake Forest birth photographer, Chapel Hill birth photographer

04/06/2026

What if we just slowed down.

Held each other a little longer.
Counted fingers and toes.
Noticed how often they laugh until they can’t breathe.

And actually captured it before it all changes again.

Raleigh family photographer, Raleigh family photos, lifestyle photography

04/05/2026

We Rock The Spectrum - Cary is such an incredible space for families with different abilities. I was so happy to work with them recently.

03/31/2026

Anyone want a free vinyl sticker? Hit me up! I may have designed and ordered these while running on fumes, Pirate's B***y, and a Danny Go playlist. Send me a DM or send a message through my website: https://devindesjarlais.com/

03/26/2026

Okay I need your thoughts!

I’m thinking about offering personality portraits. These would be part of a one day only event. Just your kid being themselves. No pressure to perform and no perfect smiles required.

Is that something you’d want? If so, drop a comment and tell me what month would work best for you.

Raleigh family photographer, Raleigh family photos, lifestyle photography

03/18/2026

All families deserve photos that reflect who they actually are.

Last month I spent a morning with the Petts family in their Durham home, documenting life with their two boys, including Theo, who has ADNP Syndrome, a rare genetic condition with fewer than 500 diagnosed cases worldwide.

We didn’t ask for smiles or rush the moment. We let the boys lead.

Theo played with his favorite toys, got cozy in his blue blanket, and stayed close to the people who make him feel safest.

Because for many neurodivergent or medically complex families, comfort isn’t a bonus in a photo session. It is the foundation.

This is what inclusive family photography can look like.

If traditional sessions haven’t felt built with your family in mind, I would love to change that.

Address

Raleigh, NC

Website

http://www.devindesjarlais.com/

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