SPEAKER
PHOTOGRAPHER
Hello, I’m Teresa
I help people see and be seen
In a human connection economy I create images with impact and teach others how to see.
14+ Years of Photography and Speaking Experience
A master of making everyone look and feel amazing – Teresa Porter is a professional portrait photographer and keynote speaker from Cary, NC. Known for putting everyone at ease, and never meeting a stranger – her portrait photography studio in Downtown Cary, NC is aptly named My Friend Teresa Studios. She can deliver a message like only a friend can too: honest, funny, and with all the important details. She has been featured on Huffington Post, delivered a TedX talk, and worked with various families, organizations and associations throughout the United States to create high-end portraiture.
Experience
My Friend Teresa Studios / 2010 to Present
Portrait photography studio in Downtown Cary, NC serving high school senior portraits, family portraits, and creating personal branding images.
Business Mastery with Teresa Porter / 2019 to Present
Photography business education for women in the photography industry to learn best practices in pricing, marketing, and customer service. Meets monthly online and in-person.
Teresa Porter Photography / 2022 to Present
Modern corporate headshot and personal branding photography studio in Downtown Cary, NC serving small to medium businesses and individuals.
Awards and Recognitions
Professional Photographers of North Carolina: Fellow of Photography (2022)
“Breakthrough” 1st Place Women: PPNC Print Competition (2021)
Cary Magazine “Mover and Shaker” (2019)
Associations
Professional Photographers of America
Professional Photographers of North Carolina
National Speakers Assocation | NSA: Carolinas
Cary Chamber of Commerce
Heart of Cary Association
COMMUNITY PASSIONS
My Girl Scout Troop
These 5th-6th grade girls have the power to make a difference and they know it! From bugs to bath bombs, and hiking to helping animals I love to lead this troop of determined future leaders.
Mentoring
I found photography in high school and had amazing mentors that nurtured my creativity. Now I give back to high school and college age aspiring photographers and creatives. The studio offers paid internships for a select few students to have behind the scenes studio work experience .
People with
Special Needs
Whoever you are is just fine with me. That extends especially so to my friends with special needs who have always had part of my heart. I enjoy my charitable partnership with Esteemed Coffee – my Downtown Cary neighbor where many of my favorite people work.
Women in Business
I know the unique challenges of entrepreneurial women – and that we are best when collaborating. I teach free monthly photography business classes – available online and in person, to rise the tide for other women in the photography industry.
Featured Talks
Red Carpet Confidence: Posing Secrets of the Pros
Learn the insider techniques and strategies used by professional photographers to help anyone pose with confidence. A hands-on class for marketers, content-creators, creatives, and entrepreneurs who use their phones to create.
The Before and After Effect: Using Transformation in Luxury Marketing
Discover how transformative before-and-after content can elevate your luxury brand, creating compelling visual stories that captivate and convert high-end clients. A hands-on class for luxury services, client-focused businesses, and experience-based industries.
One Shot: Excelling Together in Critical Moments
Master the art of guiding others to perform their best under pressure, ensuring collective success when it matters most by leveraging techniques from high-stakes photography. A talk for diverse audiences.
Awe and Light: Amplify Your Influence Through Human Connection
Explore the power of seeing and accepting others in their best light, using principles from photography to build deeper, more influential human connections in your professional life. A talk for diverse audiences.
Teresa Porter
Teresa Porter is a portrait photographer and speaker in Cary, NC. She runs her senior portrait and family portrait photography business, My Friend Teresa Studios and her Corporate Branding and headshot photography studio Teresa Porter Photography also in Cary, NC.