I so enjoyed getting to know Kate and her mom during this downtown Columbia Senior Portrait Session on Sunday. I feel like her mom and I should have known each other already as it seems we have been on the edge of each other’s circles for years.
Downtown Columbia has become one of my favorite spots for Senior Pictures. There are just so many fun walls and textures, which is what Kate was looking for in her photos. Downtown Franklin is another fun spot for a downtown look but is often more crowded.
If you need me, I’ll be editing. It’s the busy season. ❤
Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.
I think my favorite pictures from this Senior Session at Pinkerton Park in Franklin are the ones in the playground. I’ll admit that it’s totally because Liam’s mom told me that he used to play in that very same playground as a boy. Well, you know I’m a sap for a sentimental photo location. As a mama myself, the photo of the senior guy with his childhood playground in the background gets me in the feels.
Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.
It’s always a special treat to photograph Senior Pictures for a family I’ve known forever. So I was really excited when my old friend Ellen booked me for her son Will’s Senior Portrait Session. She wasn’t sure where they wanted to take the pictures but said they loved textures and cool walls. After some discussion, we settled on Downtown Columbia, which is one of my favorites that few people ever pick.
While I was shooting, I didn’t realize that Ellen was taking a few photos of me. She shared them with me, so I thought it might be fun to show you a behind-the-scenes view of a portrait session by sharing her pics side by side with the ones I was taking when she captured me.
I discovered the backside of this strip of buildings the last time I shot in Columbia & wanted to shoot there again. The sky was pretty cool so I got some close-up shots and some wide-angle views. This is not an angle I would use for a grown person, but these young kids can handle it.
I love this big textured wall in Downtown Columbia but wish there weren’t parking spaces right in front of it. It’s a really cool spot to capture a lot of different angles.
I once took photos of a guitar player in front of Variety Record Shop. Since Will plays the Trumpet, I thought it would be fun to photograph him there too.
I just loved how the brown door, trim, and bricks worked with what Will was wearing, and his red hair. The colors were fantastic. Also, you’ll notice I did not include any black & white images in this blog preview. I just couldn’t do it. The colors were too perfect.
This photo, in particular, did a great job of showing how the beauty of a session location really is in the eye of the photographer. This was literally some back alley construction site with garbage all around. But the texture of the stack of bricks, the stone and brick walls, and the ivy growing in the background got my attention. And I thought the colors worked great.
I’m a little obsessed with chasing the sun.
Here we were joking about all the positions photographers find themselves in and how I’m often literally rolling around in the mud. Anything for the shot. It’s a lot more tiring with little kids I’m trying to chase and then diving to the ground. At least the teens follow directions.
I made Will play for me while taking these because authenticity is key. It felt like we were on Bourbon Street. I got a sneak peek of the theme for the Summit High School Marching Band show for this year. I’m not going to give it away, but I am STOKED. I can’t wait to see them perform.
And then here are a few more I don’t have behind-the-scenes shots of, because I am horrible at narrowing down my favorites from a session. Especially one I really enjoyed, like this one.
Thanks so much to Ellen for sharing these pictures with me so I could share a behind-the-scenes perspective of a photo session.
Looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.
Sunday was the perfect spring day in Spring Hill for this combination Family & Senior portrait session. I loved getting to know this wonderful sports-loving family. I always encourage people to include items that are special in their portrait session. For little ones, that sometimes means a special lovey, stuffed animal, or blanket. But this advice works for teens and older kids too. Anything that both says something about the person or family being photographed and also helps clients to be more relaxed at a session is a win. For this session (and another recent session), a football was that item. I’ve also had clients include books and instruments in a session.
If you had to choose an item that was special to you, and represents what would you choose?
I would love it if you could follow me on Instagram. That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. Also, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions. In addition to Senior photos, I love photographing families.
Back in September, an old friend of mine hired me to do Senior Portraits for her son Ashton, who attends Grace Christian Academy. Ashton had recently lost one of his best friends, Grant, and wanted to honor his memory in the photos.
Grant’s mom, Angie, saw some of those pictures of Ashton. She contacted me about shooting similar senior portraits for Grant’s best friend, Wynn. And she wanted to include Grant’s little sister as well. Wynn and Grant had been best friends for nine years and were almost like twin brothers. Wynn’s senior portrait session was a way to help both families honor Grant’s memory and process their grief.
I wish that I had been able to meet Grant, and photograph his senior portraits. I feel like I was able to get to know a little about who he was by being around his friends and family. He was a passionate athlete, a loving brother and son, and an amazing friend.
My hope is that these photos help others to see the impact he made on his family and friends.
I would love it if you could follow me on Instagram. That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. Also, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions.
I’m pretty sure that I say this every year, but the best time to get Fall portraits done if you want Autumn color is the first or second week in November. This year’s most perfect Fall session was definitely snagged by Kendall for her Senior photos.
I was afraid that we might have to postpone this session for rain. But the rain cleared out in time for the portrait session and everything was just perfect. I love the lighting that you can find after the rain, and the overcast skies really make the fall colors pop. I’m in love with this senior portrait session. I hope Kendall and her family love them as much as I do.
To see other senior photo sessions I’ve photographed recently, click here and here.
I would love it if you could follow me on Instagram. That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. Also, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions.
I’m still struggling with the fact that all these kids I knew as little ones in the MOMS club are now growing up and getting Senior portraits done, but here is another one. Mason went to Chapman’s’ Retreat Elementary when he was little, so the walking trail there seemed like a perfect, sentimental choice for his Senior Portraits.
He also wanted to include his love of Soccer in the sessions. Since Summit High School wasn’t far away, we were able to get in both locations. Shooting the Soccer pictures was so much fun. The light was beautiful.
We had to reschedule this session several times (thanks, Covid), but it worked out perfectly in the end. I’m so glad everything came together for Mason’s Senior Portrait Session.
If you need me, I’ll be editing.
I would love it if you could follow me on Instagram. That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. Also, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions.
Last year, when I photographed beautiful McKenna, I wrote about my roots as the MOMS club photographer years ago. It’s crazy to me that I’m now starting to photograph senior portrait sessions for these kids who I was just at playdates with like last week. Ashton’s mom Alisha was also one of those moms I got to know back then, and I was so happy to be asked to shoot Ashton’s senior portrait session at his high school, Grace Christian Academy. As a senior photographer, it is especially rewarding to photograph kids who I’ve known all these years.
I had never been to Grace Christian Academy before, and was so very pleased with how pretty it was and perfect for Ashton’s senior photos. I love being able to capture pieces of his high school experience in the background of these photos. Where else would you want to photograph a football player but on the football field? And the school has a beautiful little pond and pretty wooded area. With the location, the light and the weather, it was the perfect location for senior photos.
Ashton lost one of his best friends, Grant, in July. He wanted a way to honor Grant’s memory in his photos. You can see Grant’s initials on the cross in the photo with the bible. 💔
Are you following me on Instagram? That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. I have a couple spots left for my Holiday Family Mini Sessions. Or are you looking for a senior photographer? Either way, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions.
I have always been sure that the most important subjects in my photos are the people. That is why I don’t tend to use a lot of props with my photography (unless they have some kind of emotional connection). However, I also strongly feel that place is important too. I love including places that have special meaning to a family. Kaelan’s family owns the Franklin Mercantile Deli so she has spent her entire life in the area. She went to preschool at the church down the street, worked at the family restaurant, and even attended music classes in the area.
I love shooting senior portrait sessions in Downtown Franklin generally, but having such a personal connection to the location makes it even more beautiful to me. I loved getting to know Kaelan and her family. She was so photogenic and a joy to be around, not to mention gorgeous.
Kaelan attended Independence High School. I understand that they are attempting to have a graduation ceremony at the end of June. I really hope that these kids are able to safely celebrate their achievements.
I really can’t imagine what it must be like to be a senior during this pandemic. My heart breaks for them and all the experiences they have missed out on. Those lost memories are not trivial things. My sincere hope for the class of 2020 is that they are able to find some happiness in their day to day lives while maintaining hope for the future. I am confident that these young men and women will become the most resilient and resourceful generation yet. I have great confidence in them and can’t wait to see what their futures hold.
I joined the MOMS Club of Spring Hill in 2009, the day after I left my job as an Engineer at General Motors. It was during the big recession, GM was bankrupt, and the plant was closing. I had a new baby, a toddler, and no desire to be transferred to another facility, so I was out the door. Honestly, I was pretty excited about it.
Since I’d had the girls, I’d been pretty torn about working full time, but also nervous about living on one income. It all worked out for the best.
I had a friend from work who had told me about his wife’s involvement in the Spring Hill MOMS Club. I’d met her a few times, and she seemed nice. I suddenly had a lot of time on my hands, and a toddler who needed to get out of the house sometimes, so the day after I left GM, I showed up at one of their meetings.
It turned out to be a fantastic decision for me. It’s where I spent the next five years, eventually becoming president for several years. It’s where I met my mom tribe and the women who still get me through the hard days of parenthood. It’s a club meant for those with small children, so eventually, I “graduated” and left officially, but the women I met there are still a massive part of my life. Some I see often. Others I see rarely but follow along with their lives on social media. All of them are important to me.
These women were also hugely instrumental in me becoming a photographer. I joined around the same time I became interested in photography. And I photographed EVERYTHING…Playdates, holiday parties, and everything in between. The other moms encouraged me and let me practice. They made me feel like I was capturing something special, and not just the annoying woman who always had the camera out. My Facebook Timehop is filled with those memories, and I am so glad to have them.
At some point, it moved from just me casually taking photos at events, to friends asking if I would shoot their yearly family photos. I was grossly unqualified and had no idea what I was doing, but they encouraged me anyway. That’s when I really started to figure out my style, what I loved to photograph, and that photography was indeed something I was passionate about pursuing. Those sessions helped me practice and learn, and eventually, almost five years ago now, I turned it into a real business.
Jennie was one of those moms. I photographed a session for her family seven years ago. There are a lot of photos from that period that I look back on and cringe at, but I like looking at that session. I feel like I’ve improved a lot since then, but I feel like I can start to see my style emerging in those. They moved to Murfreesboro years ago, and I haven’t seen her in years, so I was excited when she asked me to photograph a combination Senior / Family Session.
I had not looked back at that session in years, but after I got home from shooting this week’s session, I wanted to go back and look at them. I was surprised to see that a lot fo the pics I took this week lined up nicely as a side-by-side comparison from seven years ago. They say time flies, but there is nothing like looking at photos like these to make it hit home. Was that really SEVEN years ago? And how did these babies turn into beautiful teens, with McKenna ready for COLLEGE???
2011
2019
2011
2019
We used to joke about how someday, maybe I would photograph Senior portraits for the kids. But now it’s happening already. I’m not sure I’m ready for that. I swear, last week, we were handing out juice boxes at the Giraffe Age Group Playdates.
Anyway, that was a lot of rambling. Mostly I wanted to say to all my MOMS Club peeps…thanks for encouraging & supporting me all these years. And to Jennie…dang you did good, mama. You raised three amazing babies.
There are sooooo many things that go into creating photos at a portrait session. Equipment is just a very small part of that. I always hesitate a little to share too much about what equipment I use, but beginning photographers can put too much stock into that, thinking if they go out and buy the right thing, that their photos will look like they want, which is not at all the case.
With that being said, what equipment a photographer uses, and in particular what kind of lenses, does really contribute to her overall style. So I thought I’d take a moment to tell you about my favorite lens.
There are two main types of lenses: zoom lenses and prime lenses. If you have a entry level DSLR, then the lens that came with it (which we often refer to as the “kit lens”) is probably a zoom lens.
Zoom lenses provide ease in mobility…you can zoom in and out from where you stand. Prime lenses do not zoom to move in and out – you have to move your feet. However, the benefit in using this type of lens is that a detailed and sharper image is produced. The focus is quicker with this type of lens and will allow more light in your camera.
Why I love my 85 mm 1.8
I absolutely love the creamy backgrounds I can get with this lens. It’s super sharp, fast, and the 85 mm focal length is perfect for flattering portraits.
Why it doesn’t stay on my lens all the time
If you’ve had a portrait session with me, you’ll notice that I switch lenses A LOT. That’s because I do generally only photograph with prime lenses. If I’m shooting with my 85 mm, and your toddler comes to close to me, then I’ll be photographing their nose hairs and not much else. I can’t zoom out with my lens, since it’s not a zoom lens. So I either have to back up, or switch lenses. Also, I want to give you a variety of images for your gallery so I don’t always use the same lens. For example, if I want a wide photograph that takes in the entire scene, I’ll switch to my 20 mm lens that will include a lot more of the background in the photo than my 85 mm would. Here is are two photos taken from relatively the same spot.
The first is with my 85 mm and the second is with my 20 mm. You can clearly see the difference. Notice how with the 20 mm, you can see a wide view of the town in the background that you can’t see with the 85mm. I also stepped a lot closer to Gabe to get the second shot with the 20 mm lens.
85 mm Lens20 mm Lens
A suggestion for new photographers:
My 85 mm is by far not the most expensive lens out there, but it isn’t the cheapest either, and not what I recommend (yet) for those trying to learn photographer. But I DO usually recommend that new photographers consider a prime lens. But instead of an 85 mm, i recommend the much less expensive, 50 mm (sometimes called a “nifty 50” or a 35 mm. Either of these will be a good overall lens that will perform way better in lower light than your kit lens. Are you into photography? What’s your favorite lens? If you are interested in learning more about photography, ask me about my photography workshop for moms.
Gabe’s Senior Portrait Session
One thing I love about shooting Senior Portrait sessions, is that I am able to use my favorite 85 mm lens a lot more than I can at a family session with little kids, because I have more control over my subjects, who generally stand where I tell them to (unlike an energetic two year old.) I also love that Senior Sessions allow me to play with creative backgrounds and framing more than I typically can with younger kids.
I have to brag a little on the guys I’ve photographed lately for Senior photos. They’ve done an amazing job, Gabe included. It’s no secret that the guys are normally having these photos done just because mama wants them, but that hasn’t stopped the guys I’ve photographed lately from doing a fabulous job. Their mama’s should be very happy & proud of their young men.
Drew is the nephew of one of my oldest and dearest friends from college, Mandy. I remember him as an energetic two-year-old at her wedding. I have only seen him a few times over the years, but I have gotten to hear fantastic stories from his doting aunt.
Drew is the third of four siblings, and Mandy has gifted each of them a Senior Portrait Session with me during their senior year. His oldest sister, Jesse, was actually the very first senior session that I photographed. Then, two years later, I had the joy of photographing his sister Caroline. Now, two years after that, it was Drew’s turn in front of the camera, and he did a fabulous job.
Portrait sessions make a great gift for lots of different occasions. You can even purchase a gift certificate to give to recipients and then they can book their own date at their convenience. Let me know if you have any questions.
If you are wanting Fall Portraits sessions for your family or senior, please book today. There are no October spots left but there are a couple of November spots still available. Book yours today.
Isn’t it funny how a smell can take you back to a time 30 years ago? That’s how I felt at this session at Aspen Grove Park in Franklin, TN this week when I arrived early (like I always do) to take a walk before my clients arrived. It was an absolutely perfect spring day, and as I walked down the trail, I was overwhemed with the scent of honeysuckle. Honeysuckle is one of my favorite smells (I even use this in my kitchen), and it takes me back to my childhood in the mountains of East Tennessee when me and a neighborhood friend use to spend hours and hours walking through the hollows and back roads just talking and enjoying the sunshine.
It was the perfect day for a family session for this handsome family. Dad had purchased the session as a gift for mom this past Christmas, after she had hinted strongly that what she wanted was to capture her families special memories in a portrait session. This was especially important now, because her oldest, Porter, is graduating from high school this week.
We all know how quickly time flies. A portrait session gift certificate is a perfect gift for moms who want to freeze time forever, if only in photographs.
A few times, I’ve been approached by a mom who needs to book a senior session for her child (or in this case, children) for graduation announcements and all that fun stuff. But then she’ll also say that it’s been a long time since they’ve had family portraits done and that she’d like to get a few photos with everyone in them.
I’m sure that other photographers may disagree with my approach to this, but I am 100% OK with combining a senior session with a family session. I charge a set fee for a one-hour photo session for up to 6 people, so it is really up to the client on how they would like me to prioritize that hour. I always do individual shots of each child at a family portrait session, so it is pretty easy to combine the two types of photo sessions.
Combining sessions might not be the best option for you if your senior is very shy and maybe might take a while to relax at a session, allowing me to get natural images. But that wasn’t the case for Sarah and Jacob. It also might not be best if your other children are very young toddlers and may need extra time for getting family shots. But Eli was just old enough to be pretty easy to work with, so this was an excellent option for their family. I feel that we easily got enough photos for the twin’s senior portrait needs, and also the typical family sessions shots.
Beth had let me know that she had these adorable shirts that she wanted to get a photo of the kids in at the beginning of the session. So we planned to get these in first and then let them change for the family session. Aren’t these just so cute?
“And suddenly you know… It’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”
I’m a pretty strong extrovert. This may or may not be obvious, depending on the circumstances of how you meet me, but I definitely prefer being around people and am not huge on quiet time. But for some reason, the exception to that is that I do enjoy the time before my sessions. I always show up to a location for a shoot pretty early. I’ve sometimes said that I do that to scope out the place, but that’s not completely accurate because I still show up early when it’s a location that I know like the back of my hand.
Even if I’m very familiar, I still like to walk around and look at the light..light is always changing. And since I consider light to be the most important element to my “backgrounds” it’s important to take a look. I’m a light chaser, always looking for interesting things the sun is doing. So a lot of the time on my walks around a location, I’m looking at the light.
But also, I’m thinking about my session…who am I about to photograph? What part of him or her or them do I want to capture? What is important about this time period that the client wants to remember? For my family sessions, my goal is to capture interactions and emotion between family members. With senior sessions, that’s different because there is typically only one person. So the interaction is between me and my camera, and the subject. Hannah made that so easy because she was such a joy to talk to and get to know. She’s graduating next week from Independence High School, and even though this is the first time we met, I feel so proud of her and happy for her to begin this next stage in her life. Her parents can be very proud to have raised such a lovely young woman.
So I guess that I enjoy this quiet time before the session because I don’t feel quite alone…I feel that it’s the first step in getting to know my client…imagining where they’ve been, where they are going and what these photos might mean to them. I hope that these photos mark the beginning of a wonderful adventure for Hannah, wherever she may go. Congrats to Hannah and to the entire class of 2018.
“Now go, and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here. Make good art.” – Neil Gaiman
This was kind of an unusual week for me in having two senior guy sessions in one week, since I normally shoot more family sessions. Both the guys chose downtown Franklin as their location, which works for me because I love this spot for Senior Portraits. It’s not the best place for small kids, as I like to let the little ones roam free, without worrying about traffic, and sometimes downtown requires patience for waiting on other people or cars to move out of a scene. But it’s perfect for seniors, and I adore all the colors, shapes and textures.
I have to say, I wasn’t sure at first about senior sessions because photographing young children was my first passion. But I truly enjoy the different opportunity that photographing these young men and women offer. It’s fun to be able to plan a shot out in more detail, and to focus on the framing and perspective without fear of losing the moment. With active toddlers, you don’t get much of a say so on the exact location and posing, so Seniors are a really fun change for me.
There was one spot in a back alley that I came to at my first session this week and I took a few photos there. But I found myself wishing I had done more with the spot, so I was excited to go back for this session. I just love the perspectives and colors in the alley. It was so much fun.
I enjoyed getting to know Jack. It turns out, my daughter played Hockey with his younger brother last season, but I didn’t even realize that until we were chatting during the session. Such a small world!
“Follow your passion, stay true to yourself, never follow someone else’s path unless you’re in the woods and you’re lost and you see a path then by all means you should follow that.” – Ellen Degeneres
I’m literally about to run out the door to go work some more on Cheetahfest 2018, but I just couldn’t help but share these photos of my senior session in downtown Franklin on Monday. I was afraid it would get rained out, but it turned about to be a gorgeous day! I am quite aware that my senior guys aren’t really into having their photos taken, and are generally just there because the love their mamas, but Drew was such a great sport, and I love the way his photos turned out.
And its never a dull moment in Franklin. During our session, we were cheered on by passing cars, offered a donut in exchange for a photo for a scavenger hunt, photobombed by a random stranger, and offered free popcorn from a very sweet attendant at the Franklin Theater who noticed us outside taking photos. I love this town!
Ok, I’m out the door, but if you don’t have any plans on Friday, please join me at my other “job” (PTO President) and come out to food trucks, bounce houses, a petting zoo, games and more on Friday at Chapman’s Retreat Elementary Cheetahfest from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. There is also an AMAZING silent auction. You can also bid on a session from me! If you were planning on booking a session before the end of summer, this is a great way to give back to a great cause. Hope to see you there!
