Nina Merklina Photography, 600 Copperline Drive, Chapel Hill, NC (2026)

Name: Nina Merklina Photography
Address: 600 Copperline Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, US
Telephone: +19179409326
Price range: $$$

I work with families, teens, and professionals to capture something more lasting: a spark, a mood, a story in the making. With 15+ years of experience and a deep love for visual storytelling, I create portraits that are vibrant, natural, and genuinely you. Based in Chapel Hill, I work with clients across Carrboro, Pittsboro, and nearby areas. Whether it's a high school senior on the edge of everything, a joyful (or chaotic) family session, or a standout business headshot, my sessions are relaxed, honest, and designed to bring out what matters most. What draws me in are faces, gestures, and those fleeting moments that tell a much bigger story. Not just a nice photo, but a memory you’ll return to. That’s what I call a moment made extraordinary.

09/24/2026

Whew! Looks like we can breathe now! 🍂
Fall finally appears to be here, which means outdoor photo season is back.

This is one of my favorite times of year for family photos, holiday cards, senior portraits, and anything that benefits from gorgeous foliage color and beautiful evening light.
I keep the fall schedule quite limited because I photograph outdoor sessions during the last 60–90 minutes before sunset, so I can generally take only one session per evening.
Remaining fall dates:
Oct. 19–22 — around 5:00 PM
Oct. 26–31 — around 4:50 PM
Nov. 2–4 and Nov. 6 — around 3:45–4:00 PM
Daylight Saving Time ends Nov. 1, so November sessions move earlier.
Details and booking:
https://www.merklina.com/fall-sessions

09/16/2026

A few more from NC Symphony last Saturday.

This was interesting to shoot. It was DARK. Like pitch black dark. Except, of course, for the musicians who were sitting under very orange (and I think also purple?) lights.

I actually don't mind shooting in the dark. After years of photographing gymnastics in badly lit gyms, this almost felt normal. My Z8 also sees considerably better in the dark than I do, so it earned its dinner that night.

The orange was a different story. There is only so much you can correct, without murdering the whole scene, so orange it is. It was very orange there.

But their conductor made up for all of it. I don't think I ever photographed a conductor before and now I am slightly spoiled. The man gave me a new photo about every three seconds.

Anyway, here are some of my favs:

09/05/2026

One of my favorite annual events!!!

08/04/2026

Oh my, it is August already! Which means I am now expected to think about October, fall leaves, and holiday cards while summer is not even over yet and I am still planning a beach trip.

Which also means my 2026 Fall’n’Love sessions are officially open.

These are relaxed full sessions here in Southern Village, at Merritt’s Pasture, or around Market Street, depending on whether you want woods and ponds, open fields, or a little more personality and movement.

Seniors are welcome too. Fall is one of the best times for senior portraits, but watch those October deadlines!

All sessions include 60+ minutes, a private gallery of 15+ images, professional retouching of selected favorites, and delivery within 14 days.

There are only a limited number of golden-hour dates during peak foliage, roughly October 15–30, so if you are hoping to capture the glorious color explosion, it is worth booking early.

Details and booking link are in the first comment.

06/17/2026

Just in time for North Carolina's annual attempt to bake us all, senior season of 2026 is wrapping up and the Class of 2027 is already waiting in the wings.

This was one of the busiest senior seasons I've had, and definitely the most emotional. Maybe because this year I wasn't just photographing graduating seniors. I am sending into the wild one of my very own.

So please meet a small representation of the future teachers, doctors, engineers, artists, politicians, scientists, athletes, and other people who will soon be responsible for running things. I tell you what, this bunch gives me hope that we all may be in very good hands.

I've watched their parents try very hard not to cry. I've watched friends laugh through photo sessions and then realize that this chapter is actually ending. I may or may not have shed a tear or two myself while editing images at 3 AM.

It's a strange thing. One minute ago they're little kids riding bikes and leaving shoes everywhere. The next they're choosing colleges, signing leases, and packing up their lives into a single trunk.

Congratulations, Class of 2026.

May your GPS always work, may your roommates be cool, and for the love of everything, please remember to wear sunscreen, drink water, and answer your mother's texts!

Class of 2027, you're up next.

01/27/2026

Photography nerdy stuff, please bear with me.

Hear are two images, taken seconds apart.
Same camera. Same light. Same exposure settings (ISO 100, f/4.0, 1/2000, full sun).

One small difference: 30mm of focal length.

That alone changed how the ice shows on the trees.

This isn’t really something I can fix in post. If the glaze doesn’t exist in the file, no amount of sliders will bring it back. (Outside of AI, of course.)

Kind of amazing, right?

A good reminder to myself that not everything lives in exposure or editing. Some things, and often the most important ones, are decided at the moment of capture.

Address

600 Copperline Drive
Chapel Hill, NC
27516

Telephone

+19179409326

Website

http://www.merklina.com/

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