CHAPEL HILL FAMILY & HEADSHOTS PHOTOGRAPHY
MOMENTS MADE EXTRAORDINARY
Nina Merklina Photography | Established 2010
Timeless family portraits and professional headshots for Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Raleigh, and Durham. Fifteen years specializing in authentic, polished imagery for families, high school seniors, and corporate clients who value quality and ease.
Portraits you'll cherish for years. Headshots that make a powerful first impression.
A photography experience that feels effortless, comfortable, relaxed from start to finish.
📍 SERVING CHAPEL HILL, CARRBORO, RALEIGH & DURHAM
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CHAPEL HILL FAMILY & PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Middle school portrait at iconic butterfly mural in Southern Village Chapel Hill, teen holding butterfly on palm
High school prom portrait couple in formal wear, North Hills Raleigh photographer
Child portrait watching ducks from pier
Middle school portrait at iconic butterfly mural in Southern Village Chapel Hill, teen holding butterfly on palm
TESTIMONIALS
This is what some of my clients say about me
CHRISTINE B
"Nina has taken family pictures for us several times, and she is wonderful. Our daughters (5 and 7) have a ton of energy, and Nina was able to make it fun for them and get it done quickly. She even made it work with my mom's dog, who is pretty lazy. The pictures came out beautifully, and we could not be happier."
JENNIFER B
"Nina is absolutely gifted and does beautiful and professional work. She photographs my girls twice each year and the results are incredible. Highly recommend!"
DAVID C
"We've used Nina's photography services twice for our program's yearly retreat and she is incredible! Great photographs, great photographer, great attitude. Highly recommend her services if you're in need of any type of photography, from professional headshots to candid working pictures of any kind of event."
"Love Nina's work! She photographed my team in the fall, and while family photos are her preference (I could see how she would be great with kids!), she did such a great job and managed to show everyone in their best light. We get compliments on our team photos all the time."
SHANNON C
"If I could give Nina more than 5 stars I would! Extremely talented photographer that is willing to go above and beyond to make your photos amazing. She came out before our photo shoot to explore the surroundings to make sure we had proper lighting and space. She had super fun ideas and was such a pleasure to work with. We were so impressed with her professionalism but how down to earth she was. Will hire her again and again. She was able to capture some pretty amazing photos with very unphotogenic people. She captured true personalities as well."
JENNIFER O
"Our experience with Nina over the years has been phenomenal. She has captured moments with our family for almost a decade".
MEHUL M
Love & Roses — Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation | February 18, 2026
Every February, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation delivers a single rose to every teacher, staff member, custodian, bus driver, and cafeteria worker in the district; hundreds of people who rarely get celebrated all at once.
Both of Nina's daughters went all the way through Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, so when PSF commissioned Nina Merklina Photography to document this year's event, showing up at 7am was a given. (Please note, Nina is not a morning person. Exceptions are made.)
The setup was at Squid's Restaurant, a long-time PSF partner, where volunteers gathered to prep and wrap each stem before loading labeled boxes bound for every school in the district. Plus, a restaurant full of hundreds of roses at dawn? Priceless.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce — 83rd Annual Meeting | February 2026
The Chamber for a Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro held its 83rd Annual Meeting in late February 2026, presented by Piedmont Health Services.
The evening brought together over 200 local business and community leaders at a beautiful Kenan-Flagler venue. And although rain pushed the gathering indoors from what would have been a stunning outdoor space, nobody seemed to mind, and the mood felt elated.
Nina Merklina Photography was kept thoroughly busy trying to catch the real moments between the official ones and documenting the mingling, the speeches, and smiles.
The First to Know — The ArtsCenter,
Carrboro | February–March 2026
The First to Know, a new play written by Jessica Abrams and directed by Annie Taft, ran at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro February 27–28 and March 6–7, 2026. Nina Merklina Photography documented the dress rehearsal ahead of opening night.
The play is smart, funny, and genuinely moving, the kind of production you watch in one breath. The ending is deliberately open: what happens next depends entirely on how you read what came before. Triangle Review critics agreed, publishing two separate rave reviews within days of opening.
Nina's connection to this one runs a little deeper. Nicole Burgess, the play's producer and one of the cast members, is also the publisher of Southern Village Neighbors, where Nina has been the regular photographer for nearly two years.
[Triangle Review — Cyndi Whisnant's review, February 26, 2026]
[Triangle Review — Kurt Benrud's review, March 5, 2026]
