Spring Hill Family Portrait Session with Grandparents

Spring Hill Family Portrait Session with Grandparents

This sweet baby boy was so easygoing for his family portrait session. And it is so clear how much he is loved and adored by his parents and grandparents.

It’s getting into my busy season and I have a ton of editing to do, so forgive me if I’m short on words. They say a picture is worth 1000 words, so if that’s true, I should be good.

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 book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you considered following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Family & Senior Combo Portrait Session in Spring Hill

Family & Senior Session in Spring Hill TN

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.

Samuel’s Senior Pictures in Spring Hill TN

Senior Pictures in Spring Hill TN

I dare you to look at these senior pictures without smiling.

I had the best time photographing these senior pictures in Spring Hill. We had so much fun laughing and dancing and playing with the puppy. Sweet Halo was so chill for our session. I joked that I needed to be able to rent her to use for other photo sessions. I always welcome dogs to my sessions (just make sure I know ahead of time so our location is dog friendly), but Halo was probably the easiest dog I’ve photographed.

Spending time with Samuel and his mom was just an absolute joy. His smile is contagious. It was a blessing to be around him, and then I found myself smiling again when I was editing the pictures.

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.

Summit High School Senior Portraits | Spring Hill TN

Senior Portrait Sessions Spring Hill TN

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.

Beautiful Blended Family Portrait Session | Spring Hill TN

I had so much fun photographing this gorgeous family at their fall family portrait session in Spring Hill, Tennessee. I’ve known Jen for years and years, but this is the first time I’d gotten to meet her entire beautiful family. With seven kids, there were a lot of people to photograph, but that was made easier with the fact that almost everyone was old enough to easily take direction. And little Sawyer was never ever without a big sibling to love on him or keep him entertained.

I loved observing the relationships between the children and the friendships they clearly share. And how perfect are the colors they chose to wear for the portrat session? I especially love the pops of yellow. They all look so great with the colorful fall leaves in the background.

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.

Spring Hill TN Fall Family Portrait Session

Spring Hill TN Family Photographer, Fall 2020

I wrote an entire blog post just a few days ago, and I think that is my limit for this very busy week. So for this beautiful family portrait session in Spring Hill, I think I will let the photos speak for themselves. These sweet boys are getting so big. Happy fifth birthday, Ty!

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.

What being a Lifestyle Photographer Means to Me

Family of Four LIfestyle Portrait Session in Spring Hill TN

One of the biggest lessons I learned early on when I became a professional photographer, was that I am not the right photographer for everyone. It’s my job to try to make sure that the right clients can find me, while those who are not a good fit for me, recognize that and find a photographer who is a better fit. So when I show up at a lifestyle family portrait session and feel like the clients are exactly right for me, I get really excited.

There are lots of things that go into a photographer’s style. But what I want to talk about today is what it really means to be a lifestyle photographer. “Lifestyle” has become a buzzword in photography world, but I’m not sure a lot of people truly understand what it means. And that meaning can vary a bit between photographers. To let you know how I see lifestyle photography, let’s first talk about what it is not.

What most of us grew up with was traditional portrait photography. This was typically done in a studio (raise your hand if you went to Sears!!) with studio lighting and a photographer who told you exactly where to stand, where to put your hands, how to hold your chin just so, etc. That is a perfectly lovely form of photography when done by a true artist (like, not Portrait Innovations). But it’s not me. My goal is that no one shows up at a portrait session with me expecting traditional portrait photography. Because if they do, then they will likely spend most of the session staring at my camera with a forced, fake smile waiting on me to tell them how to stand.

At the other end of the spectrum is Documentary photography. I think documentary photographers are super cool, and I do dabble in that occasionally, but that’s not what most of my family sessions are either. When shooting, a documentary photographer would not become part of the story at all. They would simply document what happens naturally, without controlling or guiding the story at all. My birth sessions are this way mostly. I’m like a fly on the wall, capturing events as they unfold.

But as a lifestyle photographer, my approach is between these two extremes. As a lifestyle photographer, I want to capture real life interactions between your family, but I’d prefer those interactions to happen in pretty light, and I’d like to get a variety of interactions to happen in a one hour span of time, so I offer some guidance. Instead of “hold your head like this”, I’m more apt to tell you to “snuggle up” or “have a tickle fight”. I’m looking for things that capture your family as they are, and this might mean different things for different families. You may catch me noticing an interaction between you, and it’s possible I might ask you to do it again, maybe while standing in the pretty light this time.

Side note, but after all these years, I’m not sure my husband understands the difference between lifestyle and documentary. Whenever I try to get a photo of him and my girls interacting in a certain way, he always complains “but I thought you didn’t like posed photos.” Dude, I’m not posing you, I’m GUIDING YOU. Also, just do what I said.

Anyway, in trying to find the right clients for me, I work hard on educating clients both before they hire me, and before the session so they know what to expect. Some of that comes from written blog posts like this one, or client emails, but I also do it in more subtle ways. If you follow me on Instagram, you may notice that in a great number of the photos I share there, the subjects are not looking at the camera. I always get photos of clients looking at the camera at a session because everyone wants at least a couple of those, but my favorites are almost always ones where the family is involved with each other and not looking at me. So I make a point of sharing what I love to shoot, in an attempt to attract the right clients.

Well, let’s just say I felt like I hit the jackpot with this family. They were so much fun to photograph and immediately took to my guidance and silly requests. There was so much dancing, and snuggling up and giggling and LOVE that it made my job so super easy. I just adore this family portrait session and hope they do too.

Also, the family is fairly new to Spring Hill. Please join me in welcoming them to town!