Category: The Park at Harlinsdale Farms

New help choosing what to wear for Family Portrait Sessions

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If you followed my blog for long, you probably recognize my friend Christy and her beautiful family in this family portrait session I shot yesterday. Christy had never had family portraits shot at the Park at Harlansdale Farms, and it was a perfect choice for this fall portrait session. The weather and the light were perfect and the girls had so much fun roaming around the farm.  Christy and I have been friends for years, so I’ve known Haley since she was a toddler, and Hannah & Emily since birth.  I actually photographed Emily being born.   They are some of the easiest children I ever photograph and we always have so much fun. 


Since Christy is often my guinea pig for trying new things, I was excited to have her be the first to try out a new service I’m offering to my clients to help them decide what to wear for their family portrait sessions.  I don’t know about you, but for me, deciding what to wear is probably the most stressful part of planning a portrait session.  I’ve never felt particularly good at it, even as the photographer.  I often have an idea in my mind what I want, but actually finding the pieces in all the correct colors and sizes to purchase never seems to be easy.  So I wanted to find a way to make that process easier on my portrait clients.  I’m happy to announce that every client will now have access to the Style & Select tool.  Style & Select is an interactive style guide and outfit coordinator on the web. 


When you book a portrait session with me, you will be sent a link to the Style & Select questionnaire and a password to use the service. You will then fill out the survey based upon the needs of your family.  The questionnaire will ask you the number of people being photographed, their ages, and your styling preferences along with what color scheme you would like to choose for your portrait session wardrobe.

The quick results page will show you photo-approved clothing pieces for each family member and you can view outfits side-by-side while favoriting items. You can play around with it until you have selected the perfect outfit combo! Click the email button to send yourself the selected items or shop for the clothes right away by clicking the shopping cart buttons. You don’t have to purchase the items recommended.  You can also use them as inspiration for shopping at your favorite store, on Amazon, or even in your own closet. 


Christy’s thoughts on using the Style & Select Tool


“The Style & Select tool was an easy way to get coordinated outfits in the style and colors I like. I was able to come up with several family outfit selections without spending a ton of time scrolling online or actually shopping! I love that it offered several price points and at stores I frequently  use (aka Amazon). I was even able to upload a couple of dresses we already had to make sure it all coordinated. I just love how everything came together. It was so easy to use and fun too!”


And I am just thrilled with the results. Emmy’s dress, recommended by Style & Select, is one of my favorites.  They look so gorgeous and coordinated without being too matchy.  I’m very pleased with the first session to use the service and hope that all my clients find it to be a helpful tool to make planning portrait sessions less stressful.

Family of Five portrait Session at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin TN

If you haven’t booked Fall Family portraits yet for your family, I still have a few spots left, so book yours today! I also have two spots left for Holiday Mini Sessions at Country Cove Farm on October 11. The Mini Sessions are great for small families, older kids or kids who are used to working with me. If you have a large group or think it may take some time for the kids to warm up to me, you may want to book a full session.

Family of 5 Portraits at Harlinsdale Farms | Franklin Family Photographer

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Franklin Tn Family Photographer at Harlinsdale Farms

This family of five portrait session at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin was such a joy to photograph. Sometimes at a family photo session, kids can be a little shy at first, so I take things a little slow. As a photographer, you learn to adapt to the vibe of the kids you are working with. But shyness was definitely not a trait of these kids. They got right out of the car full of personality and questions. I just love their energy and excitement.

One thing I love about being a family photographer is that each one is beautifully unique. I could photograph a hundred families on the same day at the same location (if there was time), and no two of them would be the same. Some kids wanna be still, cuddled up to mom. Some kids want to run and play and be silly. Some are serious, some are goofy. They are all beautiful.

My goal is to capture something about who they are right now, as a family, and as individuals, in my photographs. I hope that I’ve accomplished that. I certainly enjoyed getting to know each of them.

If you haven’t booked Fall Family portraits yet for your family, I still have a few spots left, so book yours today! I also have one spot left for Holiday Mini Sessions at Country Cove Farm on October 23 and will probably be adding another date later today. The Mini Sessions are great for small families, older kids or kids who are used to working with me. If you have a large group or think it may take some time for the kids to warm up to me, you may want to book a full session.

In case you missed it: Last month I wrote about the challenges of photographing my own family.

Love and Portrait Sessions in the time of Coronavirus

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Wow, what a week. I hope that you are all finding some peace, love and toilet paper in this time of coronavirus, and above all, staying safe and healthy.

I know you have already received emails from every business you’ve ever associated with on how they are handling things during this time of quarantine, so I’m going to refrain from sending emails on my thoughts. But I will outline them here in case you have a session coming up and are wondering what will happen.

For my portrait sessions, these are generally done in outdoor parks or in clients home where close contact with other people is minimum. I do plan to take extra care in changing the way I do sessions temporarily in that I will rely on my words to guide you into position rather than touching you or your children to move you into the position I would like. This goes for newborn photo sessions as well.

But, if for any reason you are uncomfortable proceeding with a session at this time, please know that I will allow you to reschedule for any date in the future. Please just shoot me an email and let me know and we can postpone your family portrait session until things have settled down.

I was happen to get out into the sunshine and photograph this beautiful family of four at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin this week. Little Chase just turned two, which is my favorite age of children to photograph. Look at that adorable smile!

Family of 5 portrait session at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin TN

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When Jennifer first started discussing her family portrait session with me, she told me that her girls were all “super energetic & goofy.” I said that was great because that’s my favorite type of family to photograph!

Kylie (8), Alexie (6.5) and Bailey (3) were so much fun and I just adored working with them. Photographing young sisters always makes me nostalgic for when my own girls were younger. (Side note: I just registered my oldest for high school. How in the world did that happen already?) Also, Trev & Jennifer are the most adorable couple. There is so much love and laughter in this sweet family, and it shows.

The family moved to Middle Tennessee from California, and in the process, left their beloved family photographer and friend. This was the first time they had pictures made since the move, and wanted a country feel to the location. They also wanted to include their sweet, 13 year old golden retriever. Since it’s still winter and there isn’t a lot of green on the trees, I though Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin would be a good spot. I always love the textures and colors on the barns and buildings there, and it’s a great place for a dog.

I was a little worried about ti being super cold, but it ended up being a really beautiful day, though still a bit chilly if you weren’t bundled up. As a bonus, the girls found the first dandelion of the year! You guys know I love a good dandelion wishes photo, and this year Kylie got to be the first. I hope they enjoyed their first Tennessee photo session as much as I did.

Why I’m thankful for Portrait Session Referrals

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It means the world to me when a new family portrait session client tells me that they hired me because a friend referred them to me for photos. I have several loyal clients who are often sending new families to me and I am so thankful for their recommendations.

First of all, if a client refers someone else to me, that means they’ve been happy with their experience in the past, and that is the MOST important thing to me. I want every client to love both their photos and the experience in getting the photos made. If a client trusts me enough to refer other people to me, then I feel like I’ve done my job.

Also, this photography gig is pretty much a one-woman show. I’m not only photographer and editor, I’m also advertiser/marketer, accountant, web designer and administrative assistant. I never expect or require clients to share my work, write reviews or send friends and family to me. But when they do choose to help with the advertising of my business, I am so very grateful for that vote of confidence.

When Venissa contacted me about booking family photos, she said that she had learned about me from her friend Nicole, one of my oldest and dearest clients, who often sends other people my way and I am so very grateful for her support. ❤

V️enissa wanted to book an extended family portrait session while her parents were in town for the holidays. We had originally booked for a few days after Christmas, but the weather was awful and rainy, so we were able to reschedule for New Year’s day before her out-of-town family returned home. What a gorgeous way to kick of 2020….I loved hanging out with this wonderful family. The weather was a bit chilly but tolerable, and they were all so much fun to photograph.

How did you kick off the new year? Are you planning on scheduling family portraits for 2020? I’m now booking sessions through June! Contact me today!

My last portrait session of the decade

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What a beautiful way to finish up 2019 with this gorgeous family of 5 portrait session at Harlinsdale Park in Franklin. This photo session was originally scheduled for November but we got rained out. We couldn’t reschedule right away because the family’s oldest daughter, Jessica, lives in New York so we rescheduled the session for when she would be home for the Christmas holidays. And what an amazing day it was! We could not have asked for more beautiful weather.

I originally photographed this family about three and a half years ago, and it was one of my most memorable sessions of the past five years because we got photobombed by a hot air balloon! No hot air balloon showed up this time, but we did get the most gorgeous sky! That sunset is one reason Harlisdale Farms is one of my favorite spots for family portrait sessions in the Nashville area!

I’m now booking portraits for 2020 through June! Book online or contact me today to get your spot!

Tips on Sending Christmas Cards!

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Here goes my annual plug in favor of sending holiday cards in the mail. In almost every other way, I tend to choose the greener, more efficient way of doing things. I loathe writing checks, and much prefer Venmo. I decide to do most things online rather than paper versions. I’m content reading an e-book.

But there is just something about receiving an old fashioned paper Christmas card in the mail. I particularly love the ones with family photos (I know…shocker.) I tape each one to our front door and admire them until well after the New Year.

But I know many of my friends and clients are overwhelmed about getting a Christmas card made and sent out, so I thought I’d offer a few tips to help you with this holiday task.

STEP 1: Getting the Photos

The most obvious choice for getting photos for your annual holiday card is to use the images from your yearly family portrait session.

You can also use photos you’ve taken throughout the year. Last year, my family went on a vacation to Toronto and Niagara Falls for Thanksgiving week. I used photos I took from that vacation (including some phone selfies!) for our holiday card, and everyone seemed to really enjoy them. So don’t think your holiday card has to be all fancy or posed. I haven’t decided this year whether to use vacation photos or the more formal ones I just took a few weeks ago of our family for this year’s Christmas card.

One of my best friends recently set up her phone to take a selfie photo of her family (including their sweet dog) in front of their fireplace. They propped up the phone on a shelf and then used a smartwatch to trigger the photo, but a timer would work fine too. She had the stockings all hung, and it looks super festive and cute. This is an excellent option if you didn’t have family photos made this year, or, if like her, you had spring photos made and want something more festive looking for your holiday card.

Another great option is to come to see Santa Claus and me at the Spring Station Middle School Holiday Market on December 7. Your $25 pre-order ticket includes admission to the Spring Station Holiday Market event for two adults and your children & digital photo downloads of your Santa visit that you can use for your holiday card! Book your spot now before they sell out.

STEP 2: Printing the Photo Cards

If you had pictures made with me this year, you could design and purchase a holiday card straight from your session photo gallery. There are lots of high-quality options, and they print and ship super fast.

If you are using your own photo, I recommend Mpix.com for all your printing needs, including Christmas & Holiday cards. They are having a 50% off sale on Christmas cards that ends today if you are ready to get it done.

And of course, there are plenty of other printing options, such as Shutterfly. I have found the print quality of cards from Shutterfly to be mixed, but with their sales and coupon codes, they are definitely a good choice if you are looking to save a few bucks.

I’m just going to remind you now that if you print professional photos at Walgreens, then a unicorn will die.

STEP 3: Mailing the Photos

I know some people insist that Christmas cards should be hand addressed and signed. I’m not one of those people. My list is huge, and in this case, I’m an advocate that done is better than perfect. So I make it easy on myself.

I either have the place I’m ordering cards from print my return address on the envelopes, or I use return address labels (this year, I got some on sale from Shutterfly).

I keep a document on my computer of addresses, formatted to print onto adhesive Avery address labels. Each year, I review the list to see if it requires changes and then print the labels to address my cards. If any cards are returned to me, I make sure to figure out why, and then edit the list accordingly for next year’s cards.

I’ve seen some people on Facebook using google forms to collect addresses of people who want to receive a card from them. That’s a great place to start if you are beginning from scratch, but be sure to save the addresses in printable form to use again next year to make it super easy for you.

Bonus tip: This year, I ordered discount Forever stamps from Ebay to save a few bucks on shipping the cards, which is good since I send out so many.

That’s it, then sit back and enjoy the rest of the holidays knowing you did your part in spreading cheer.

Gorgeous family photo session with some of my favorite people

Speaking of festive holiday cheer, check out these photos of one of my absolute favorite clients. I adore their clothing choices for this session – perfect for a holiday card, but not so Christmasy that they won’t look great hanging on their walls year-round. These kids keep me on my toes, but I adore them and always end up loving the photos of them. They are so full of life and personality, and everything I love about photographing young children.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: In Memory of Super Sophie

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This one is really hard to write. If you’ve been following me, you know that September is childhood cancer awareness month.  I am a volunteer photographer with an organization called The Gold Hope Project and I’ve been blogging about all the amazing fighters I’ve met over the past year. So far, I’ve introduced you to Kelly, Hattie & Amelie. Today, I want to tell you about Sophie.

Sophie’s Story:

Sophie was diagnosed with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma in 2016, the same kind of cancer that took Finn (the wonderful little boy who partly inspired my seeking out the Gold Hope Project). She battled like a champ for almost 4 years, when she was called home on August 1.

Our Time Together:

The first moment I met Sophie, she asked me if I knew Finn. She had seen the avocado I have pinned to my camera bag in his memory. The question took my breath away a little. I told her yes, I was definitely a Finn fan. She said “me too” and then went on to tell me how he was her friend and she missed him.

I spent the next hour photographing Sophie and getting to know her family. Her mom, Mary, was so easy to talk to and I so enjoyed the time talking with her. Sophie’s little brother Gabriel is an adorable, energetic toddler who was so much fun to photograph, and clearly adored his big sister.

It was only an hour, but let me tell you, Sophie had an impact on me and I will never forget her.

She told me about her horse and how much fun she’d had with Angel Heart Farms. I was so impressed with her knowledge of 80s movies. We were goofing off and singing songs and I learned that she loves Weezer and we sang the Sweater Song together. Now I think of her every time I hear that song. She was funny, and interesting to talk to seemingly beyond her years, and super strong, and in the words of her amazing mama, the most badass little girl ever.

As I sat in my room crying the day she went to heaven, I thought about how I’d only known this amazing person for one hour. I cannot imagine how her friends and family must feel, and my heart breaks for them. 💔

I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered with The Gold Hope Project. And it is so hard sometimes. But also, I feel so incredibly lucky to have had the chance to meet Sophie, and I feel the same way about Finn. These kids have taught me something I’m not sure how to put into words…that you can find joy in the tough moments, that it’s ok to be vulnerable, and that being able to experience something truly beautiful is worth being afraid of getting hurt.

I’d like to think that Sophie and Finn are together now, taking care of each other. 💪🥑

Where to Read More About Sophie:

Sophie’s Gold Hope Session Blog

Super Sophie Facebook Page

Pediatric Cancer Foundation

The mission of The Gold Hope Project is to gift families battling pediatric cancer with a free portrait session. Photos from the sessions are then used to raise awareness & funds for pediatric oncology research and treatment.

Through my work with the Gold Hope Project, I have had the honor of meeting some truly amazing little fighters, and their families. The short amount of time that I have spent with them has changed me for the better. I want to share a little about them with you.

If your child is currently fighting childhood cancer, or is a survivor under the age of 18, click here to apply for a free Gold Hope Session.

I still have a few Fall Portrait sessions left. What are you waiting for? Book yours today.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Amelie’s Gold Hope Project & The Secret Her Parents Shared with Me

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In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness month, I’ve been blogging about my work with The Gold Hope Project and featuring all the amazing fighter kids who I’ve had the honor to meet over the past year.

The mission of The Gold Hope Project is to gift families battling pediatric cancer with a free portrait session. Photos from the sessions are then used to raise awareness & funds for pediatric oncology research and treatment.

If your child is currently fighting childhood cancer, or is a survivor under the age of 18, click here to apply for a free Gold Hope Session.

If you are photographer who would like to volunteer your services, click here.

Amelie’s Story:

Amelie was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in January of 2018. She had port insertion surgery, tumor removal and bone grafting surgery and chemotherapy as well as transfusions of blood and platelets. After a very long, scary year for her family, she finished up her treatments in December 2018.

Our Time Together:

I met Amelie and her family in January, shortly after she had finally finished her treatment. I had the best time with Amelie and her little sister, Eloisa, on an unusually gorgeous January day at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms. The weather and the light were both beautiful, and we spent time running, playing, and giggling. Amelie’s mom, Alyssa, had the fantastic idea of bringing their favorite dress-up clothes, so at the end of the session, we were able to capture some really magical images of the girls playing in the sunset.

Before our session, Alyssa had let me in on a little secret that not even the girls knew at the time…Alyssa and Naph had just found out they were expecting baby #3! They had shared their first two pregnancies with family and friends using photographs made with a large frame to highlight Alyssa’s newly pregnant tummy and wanted to use our session as an opportunity to do the same with baby #3.

They weren’t quite ready to tell the world yet, and since the girls were so young, Alyssa wasn’t sure they could be trusted to keep such a secret, so even they didn’t know at the time of the session. But we took the “framed belly” photos for the couple to use when they were ready, but the girls didn’t know why we were doing that.

Now it’s been about nine months since that beautiful January evening, and I checked in with Alyssa to get an update on their growing family and on Amelie’s recovery. Amelie is in remission and doing great, but her trials aren’t over. She may possibly have to have another surgery on her arm as the original bone replacement she had because of her tumor is not growing correctly as she ages. She might possibly have to have several surgeries as she grows.

Another thing the family is still dealing with is all the medical costs associated with fighting childhood cancer. They had to switch to different insurance this year, and the out of pocket maximums are much higher. Many of their providers are out of network, making expenses even higher. The 4 scans a year Amelie has to have for the next several years will cost them $3500 each time. The family’s GoFundMe is linked below if you’d like to help contribute to those costs.

Baby girl #3 is due at the end of this month and is doing great!

Where to Read More About Amelie:

Amelie’s Gold Hope Session Blog

Amelie’s Website

Amelie’s GoFundMe

Last week, I blogged about my Gold Hope Sessions with fighters Kelly and Hattie if you would like to read their stories.

I still have a few Fall Portrait sessions left. What are you waiting for? Book yours today.

Yes, Bring the Dogs

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I welcome clients including their pets in family portrait sessions. After all, they are a part of the family too.

Robin & Miles wanted to include their dogs Harley & Cassie in their portrait session, and the Park at Harlinsdale Farms was the perfect spot for including pets.  Robin is originally from Kentucky and wanted a location with a rustic feel, so Harlinsdale was perfect and a welcome spot to bring dogs. 

One reason I love to include dogs in a session, is I think it helps the clients to feel more relaxed.  It’s easier to capture candid moments when there are sweet doggies to play with during the session. Some clients worry that the dogs will be a distraction. I haven’t really found this to be an issue.  Assuming the dogs are friendly, I am generally able to include photos both with and without the dogs. For this session, my 10-year-old “assistant” actually joined me at the shoot was able to help with the dogs when they were not being included in photos.  If you would like to include your family dogs in a session, just let me know ahead of time and we can choose an appropriate place, and I can even bring my young assistant if you think that will be helpful.

Harley and Cassie were the sweetest dogs and I really enjoyed getting to know them and their lovely owners on this gorgeous day.

William’s First Birthday Portrait Session at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin TN

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Franklin TN Children's Photographer Cake Smash Session at Harlinsdale Farms

I cannot believe that it’s already been one year since this sweet boy was born.   It seems like I was just photographing his newborn photos last week. I wish that the weather would have cooperated better for this session, but we made it work.  Isn’t William just the cutest thing in those little suspenders and button up shirt?  And oh my gosh…those eyes!  I could photograph those eyes all day long. 

This session was the last in William’s milestone package.  My milestone package is intended as a great way to document a baby’s first year of life and includes four portrait sessions with all the digital images of your photos from each session. You can learn more about it on my pricing page.  I just love being able to capture multiple sessions for a family after a baby is born.  There are some many huge changes that a family goes through during that one year and it’s such a magical time of growth and wonder. 

And aren’t their outfits adorable? I love the colors, the textures and of course, Charlotte’s boots are to die for.  The coats are great too, which is definitely something to pay attention to for portrait sessions in March when the weather can be so unpredictable. I cannot wait to see how these two beautiful babies grow over the next year. ❤️

February Family Portrait Session at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin TN

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I’m not gonna lie, this one was chilly.  Only a week earlier I shot a session at Harlinsdale when it was 70 degrees outside, but we all know how quickly Tennessee weather can change, and change it did.  

But that didn’t stop my adorable new friend Porter and his family from having a great time and rocking their family portrait session. I actually love cold winter sessions because I think they show a level of coziness and closeness in a family…all bundled up together to keep warm.  And isn’t he just so adorable in his winter hat?  

Sarah and John were just fantastic. I love how they went with the flow and played with and entertained little Porter instead of expecting him to pose for too many photos.  

Sometimes the parents of toddlers can feel like a session isn’t going well because a little one maybe just wants to be in mommy’s arms.  Or perhaps the opposite and he doesn’t want to be held.  Or he or she is on the move and doesn’t seem to be “cooperating” for poses.  This can be stressful for parents because they might be used to a more posed type of photography, possibly in a studio.  I try to reassure them that pretty much whatever their toddler does is absolutely beautiful.  

Sometimes we make tiny adjustments.  For example, Porter was getting distracted by a guy on a motorcycle, so we just moved to another part of the park where he couldn’t see the bike.  But for the most part, I just want toddlers to be themselves and for parents to let them.  And Sarah and John did a fantastic job of that. I love how playful they were together…so many hugs, and tackles and hide-and-seek.  This way, it doesn’t feel like a job, but just like having fun while someone happens to take photos…and that’s precisely the way it should be.

Sarah wanted to include her extended family in the session. This was a celebration of Porter’s birthday, and she wanted to have all his grandparents and uncles in some of the photos, but she was afraid that they might distract him while we were trying to get pictures of just their immediate family, so she had the extended family come at the end of the session. That worked out great as an option, and my favorite part was when Porter got so excited at seeing his grandparents and ran to them for hugs with such joy on his face.  It was just absolutely beautiful. 

The Perfect Day for a January Photo Session

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Once upon a time, Spring Hill was a tiny little town, and about the only restaurants were J.J.s Barbecue, the Poplar House and the Old School Restaurant.  At that time, I worked as a Quality Engineer at GM, and we had sort of a tradition in my work group. 

It would happen on those rare beautiful days, when it wasn’t too hot, or too cold, when Spring was just on the horizon.  You know the kind of day…where it is just too beautiful to stay stuck inside a dark, giant auto plant. It’s the kind of day where teachers choose to take extra recess time, and even adults get cabin fever and just have to go outside.

On those rare days, someone (not always the same person), would come one by one to each of our cubicles, and say simple “Huffs today.”  Then, at lunch time, me and the boys would pile into a vehicle or two, depending on how many of us there were, and head out to Huff’s Grocery, in Burwood.  Usually, my friend John would drive, and I would instantly regret allowing him to because he drove like a teenage boy with something to prove.  But with the windows rolled down and the wind in our faces, it was hard to care too much about being responsible. 

It was too far of a drive to go regularly for a working lunch, which is why it was reserved for those special days. Driving on the back roads and taking the long way was part of the fun. (Saturn Parkway didn’t go that direction back then anyway.) To be clear, Huff’s isn’t really a restaurant at all, but a little gas station with a few groceries, in the middle of nowhere. (At least it use to be in the middle of nowhere, but I haven’t been there for years. With the parkway it could now be a booming exit.)  It reminds me of the salvage store that was near my rural home growing up…where you can get the necessities you need when it’s too far to drive to Kroger. 

But they made the BEST sandwiches.  They had a little paper menu where you’d choose white or wheat bread, then choose your meat, cheese and condiments.  Nothing fancy at all, but it was SOOOOOO good.  

Then we’d take our sandwiches, with a bag of chips and a can of soda and go sit out on the front steps of the store.  And we’d sit and just enjoy the day, and our sandwiches, with the sun on our faces, and take our own sweet time getting back to work.  

So you are probably wondering what any of that has to do with photography.  Well, when this family booked their January family session, they were concerned about whether it would be too cold.  Not a problem because they got one of the most beautiful days of the entire year.

And as I got to the location early before our shoot, I kept thinking about how it was a Huff’s day.  And ever since, and especially as I edit the photos of this beautiful family, I keep craving a Huff’s sandwich, which I have not had in years.  But the beautiful weather only lasted a couple days, and now it’s all winter again.  Boo. But maybe soon, it will happen again and I can go to Huff’s. Who wants to go with me?

Find your Tribe, Love them Hard

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These two families are visiting together for the holidays…one having just recently moved to Nashville from California, and the other coming in from California to spend a week with them in their new home in Nashville.  Originally, we had planned to shoot the two family portrait sessions separately, one at a time.  But some time constraints prevented them from having enough time to do two full separate sessions before it got dark, so we decided to combine them into one big extended family session. 

I have to say that I am really glad it worked out that way because these families needed photos together. They wanted a location that was representative of the area and that they wouldn’t be able to see in California.  I’m really glad we chose the Park at Harlinsdale Farms. What better way to represent Nashville than with a beautiful old horse farm? Plus there is lots of variety there and it looks beautiful in any season.

It was the kind of session that was just so easy to shoot and everything came together perfectly. The light and the sunset was amazing, but most of all was just the connection between all of these friends.  I left the session feeling really glad to have been a part of it, and hoping that they have an amazing week in Nashville making memories together. 

Summer family portrait session at harlinsdale farms

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What an absolutely gorgeous day it was for this family portrait session at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin. We had the best time exploring the farm and goofing off.  These boys were just too much fun and I just adore all their expressions and interactions.

Summer is almost over and I’m booking Fall sessions now!  These will fill up fast, so don’t wait to book your spot!

Please note that there are currently two different options for choosing a date on my calendar.  One is for August sessions and for Fall weekday session where you may choose the location for your session.

The other choice is my Fall weekend session calendar. In order to get in as many clients as I can for the busy season, I will be choosing the session locations for these dates so that I may book clients back to back at the same location. On the calendar, you will see the tentative locations for these dates. However, it is possible these may change depending on how the locations look once Fall comes. 

Embracing the Rain – Nashville Family Portrait Session

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“I love the rain. I love how it softens the outlines of things. The world becomes softly blurred, and I feel like I might melt into it.” – Hanamoto Hagumi

It’s no secret that I love the sun, and obsessed with chasing light. But not everyone knows that I also love the rain. A couple years ago, I did a rain session with my friend Christy’s daughters. We planned it and then waited for the right weather to hit, and then I called her and said, “It’s go time.” We met at a park and I photographed her adorable kids playing in the rain. It was so much fun.

Last fall, one of my favorite sessions was for a couple who decided to go ahead with our planned time, even though we knew it would probably rain. To me, it was such a romantic session, and the rain just added to it. 

That wasn’t exactly the situation for this family portrait session at Harlinsdale Farms.  They were hoping to avoid the rain, but mother nature had other plans.  We were able to get in a few photos before the rain came, but then once it did, I couldn’t help but to wrap my camera in a poncho, hand these sweet kids some umbrellas (I always keep these in my car because they still let light in), and to keep shooting.

And I have to say, I’m not really sorry it rained. These two kids are just so perfectly adorable with the colorful little umbrellas and those smiles.  It’s just one more thing that I absolutely love about kids this age…they really know how to embrace the rain.  

Hannah’s Senior Portrait Session in Franklin, TN

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“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. 

Let’s be silly – Family Portrait Session at Harlinsdale Farms

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If I had to say what age group is the most challenging for photos, I’d have to say it is big kids / tweens.  Most people with toddlers, assume their toddlers are the hardest.  Some photographers might agree, but not for me.  Toddlers are fast, and always do the unexpected, and will never ever stand in the spot you want them to stand in, but they are always, without fail, 100% authentic. 

But by the time they become big kids, children have been conditioned to act in a certain (wrong) way for portrait sessions.  They “behave” and stand wherever you ask them to, with this forced, uncomfortable smile on their faces, talking to me through clenched, smiling teeth when I ask them questions.    

So I’ve had to find ways to overcome this.  

Usually, this means playing and being silly. 

Sometimes I think parents must think I’m nuts to have somehow turned their well-behaved children into giggling, energetic goof balls by the end of the session, but honestly I prefer that to stiff children I see at the beginning of a session.  I am so thankful to the parents in this session because they stood back and let me guide the children in play and silliness instead of trying to force a certain pose or photo that they had in their heads. 

My guidance varies depending on the family, but for this session we discussed what vegetables are gross, embarrassing moments (they preferred to tell me one of a friend’s moments instead of their own, but it still worked), and whether or not Daddy is a good dancer.   We raced, played tag and roughhoused.  It was perfection. These two twins were just so much fun to watch. I loved seeing them interact with each other and trying to capture the connection between them.  And those Freckles!!!  ❤️❤️❤️

Capturing the Moments – Harlinsdale Farms Family Portrait Session

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I just love this session.  The colors, the light, the giggles….and it reminded me of the connection between my own girls.  I hope that my client loves them as much as I do.  I try to capture the kind of images that I want for my own family…not just posed photos of everyone looking at the camera, but those moments between a family….a look, or a giggle, or they way they are naturally holding hands as we move on to our next spot.  In one of the images below of the father and the older daughter…they thought that I was only shooting pics of mom and younger daughter, but I saw them hanging out together and just had to take a moment to capture them too when they weren’t looking. My absolute favorite images are at the very end of the session, when the girls were just playing with each other.  That pure joy that you can see on their faces is just the kind of thing that truly inspires me.  They are absolutely stunning. 

Harlinsdale Farms had no less than 10 other sessions going on while I shot this one…probably more like 15.  It was insane, but it was SUCH a gorgeous December day.  The trick to shooting in such a busy place is to find where you want to shoot that is in the light you want to shoot and try to frame out any unwanted people or elements.  That’s not always possible though, especially when you are trying to capture a real connection between active, moving children, so that is where photoshop comes in, to eliminate unwanted people in the frame when absolutely necessary.

I also want to take a moment to point out that these images were shot when Fall was completely gone.  There is pretty much no more leaves left at Harlinsdale and everything is mostly dead.  This is a winter session for sure, despite the warm weather, but I absolutely adore it.  I point this out because so many people are dead set on shooting “Fall” portraits. Well sadly that really pretty season only lasts for a few weeks, but I 100% believe that beautiful images can be created any time of year.  

Chelsea & Molly – Mother Daughter portrait session with extended family

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I don’t get to see Chelsea enough these days, so it was so good to hang out with her for her annual family portrait session. For the past two years, I have taken photos of just Chelsea & Molly, but this time, they decided they wanted to include Chelsea’s parents and brother in the session.  Are they just a gorgeous family?  I adore the colors they chose to wear for this session…and Chelsea’s beautiful scarf really brings it all together.  

I cannot get over how old Molly is getting. All my photo babies are growing up.  🙁  Sometimes with tweens, it can be difficult to get real genuine smiles and expressions at photo sessions.  By now, they have begun to get that uncomfortable feeling that we as adults sometimes get when a camera is in our face, and adopt the cheesy fake smile. This is primarily our fault as adults for screaming at them for years to “smile and say cheese.”  But this time, I had a game plan and brought a secret weapon…my 9 year old. Her methods are unconventional as she stood behind me for half the shoot singing ridiculous songs in a loud obnoxious voice for Molly, but she did manage to help me get some genuine smiles and laughs, so I’ll call it a win. 

I just adore these two and love photographing them.  Such a gorgeous mother / daughter combo both inside and out.  <3