Tag: boy

Birthdays in the time of Pandemics

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What a crazy time we live in right now. When you stop to think about how many things have changed over the past few weeks, it can take your breath away. One of the things that is different right now is how we celebrate birthday parties.

First of all, let me say that I take social distancing very seriously. I wanted to be able to take these birthday photos for Beth on Lincoln’s special day, but I also thought it was important to follow all the recommendations. We met outside in Beth’s yard. I used only my 85 mm longer lens so that I never needed to be close to my subjects, and I never touched them, like I normally might to move a hand into the spot I wanted for a photo for example. So these are my version of front porch photos. But since Beth lives on a pretty large piece of land with some woods, you don’t see her house which is right behind us.

I photographed Lincoln’s birth six years ago and it was an amazing experience. Beth has been like a sister to meet since we met in college back in 1995. I’m so glad I was able to get a few photos to commemorate Lincoln’s birthday, even though it happened to fall during a Pandemic.

People are coming up with all kinds of ways to celebrate birthdays while still observing social distancing guidelines, so I thought I’d share a few that I’ve seen here in case you have a little one with a birthday in the next few weeks. It’s disappointing to have to cancel parties and other special events, but you can still have a memorable fun time at home.

  • For my daughter’s 14th birthday last week, I used Canva to create a website “card” that included lots of videos of her when she was younger that were cute and funny. It also included some YouTube videos that would make her laugh. She was disappointed in not being able to be with her friends, so I asked some of her friends to send me a video greeting of for her, and I included those as well. It was a great way to make her smile and feel like her friends were there with her even though they weren’t.
  • For Lincoln’s birthday, Beth planned a fun scavenger hunt for him in their yard. He had to follow clues that eventually led him to his birthday gifts. They were able to get take-out from Outback for his family meal.
  • Another friend I had told of how some friends of her daughters showed up in front of their house all dressed up in silly costumes they’d found at home to wish her daughter a happy 11th birthday. They stood across the street and did a fun happy birthday dance fo the birthday girl.
  • I’ve seen on the internet where there were birthday parades to celebrate a special day.

What other ideas do you have for celebrating a birthday during social distancing? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Spring Hill TN Fall Family Portrait Session

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This lovely family just moved to Spring Hill from Chicago and found me on Google when looking for a family portrait photographer.

In my client questionnaire, Justine said that the family was a little homesick, but was enjoying getting to know Spring Hill and Middle Tennessee. What tips would you offer them for acclimating to our area? Any favorite businesses or outings? When I moved to Spring Hill 16 years ago, there wasn’t much to this tiny little town, but now there is a ton to explore and do. In the comments, tell me your favorites. Be sure to tag your favorite businesses, so she knows where to find them.

Justine also mentioned that her fear for the portrait session was that Nolan (like many toddlers) was pretty squirmy, and she was a little concerned about getting a family picture. That wasn’t an issue at all. I would say this was one of the easiest portrait sessions I’ve photographed in a while. Nolan did a fantastic job. My other portrait sessions of the day both included two very young siblings. One toddler is generally very easy to photograph. It’s when you start trying to get two or more of them together that it gets more challenging.

🍁 Great Opportunity if you haven’t booked fall photos!

I’ve had a client who had to reschedule a session, leaving an opening for a family session at Chapman’s Retreat Walking Trail (shown below) on November 10 at 3:15 (magic hour!!).

I also have a 1:15 spot open for that day. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

In case you haven’t heard me preach this before, contrary to popular belief, October is NOT the best time for fall color in Middle Tennessee. Early November is. Of course, I can’t promise anything, but there is a good chance this might be one of the best weekends of the year for Fall photos, and I have two spots open. Don’t wait.

Childhood Cancer Awareness Month: Jaxon’s Gold Hope Session at the Parthenon

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This is the fifth and last in a series of post I’m doing this month 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. Today, I want you to meet Jaxson.

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.

Jaxon’s Story:

Jaxson had low platelets at birth. After testing for many different conditions, Jaxson was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) at 18 months old. He was scheduled for a bone marrow transplant at the end of January. Unfortunately, his bone marrow biopsy right before transplant showed that the MDS had turned into Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). He was diagnosed with AML at 20 months old. 

In January, he had his central line placed and had his first round of chemo. He spent 10 days on chemo and 34 total days in the hospital. Jaxson went into remission after the first round of chemo! He had another round of chemo in March as a preventative measure while his donor was preparing to donate for transplant. He spent 8 days on chemo and 26 days in the hospital. Jaxson is getting to spend 4 weeks at home. We will be admitted to the hospital again at the end of April to start chemo. Jaxon had his bone marrow transplant on May 2, only a couple weeks after our session.

Jaxson and his family actually live in Smithville, TN but was treated in Nashville. He and his family had to spend several months in medical housing near the hospital while he recovered from his transplant.

They received grants to cover the cost of the first month of medical housing, but were unfortunately out of grants to apply for after that. The cost of housing, groceries, etc. adds up quickly when you are away from home and out of work. Jaxon’s GoFundMe page is linked below if you’d like to help out.

Our Time Together:

Jaxon’s mom had described in as one of the happiest boys she had ever met, and she was not wrong. I had a blast hanging out with him an his big brother Tristan. The day was gorgeous and the Parthenon at Centennial park was a gorgeous backdrop. We climbed trees, smelled the flowers and had a beautiful time. Have you ever seen such an adorable smile? He was truly a joy to be around.

How Jaxson is Doing NOw:

I have followed along with Jaxson’s journey since we met and am happy to say that his transplant was a huge success. He has passed the 100 day mark, which is supposed to be an important milestone. He is now at home and his bone marrow and blood work are looking perfect.

Where to Read More About Jaxson:

Jaxson’s Gold Hope Session Blog

Jaxson’s GoFundMe

Earlier this month, I blogged about my Gold Hope Sessions with fighters Kelly, Hattie, Amelie and Sophie 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.

Baby Azure’s At Home Newborn Portrait Session in Spring Hill

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I first met this lovely Spring Hill family a little over two years ago at big sister Scarlett’s newborn session. I was excited when Mikaela contacted me to tell me that she was pregnant again and wanted to schedule a second newborn portrait session. 

It is so much fun to get to come back to a family and again witness such a beautiful time in their lives.  I loved seeing baby Scarlett, now 2 1/ 2, doting over her new baby brother. I was able to see what used to be her nursery, recently turned over to baby brother.  And she showed me her new big girl room and all her toys. 

It’s a different vibe to the house the second time around when I get to photograph repeat newborn sessions.  Mom and dad are no longer newbies, but seasoned parents who know better what to expect from both parenthood, and the photo session.   And then there is an energetic giggling big sibling there to liven things up…one of my favorite parts.  

I feel fortunate to have a job that lets me be a small part of such special memories for a family. I know every time I leave a newborn session, I end up reminiscing about when my girls were that age, and what a magical time it was.  I know it was tough too. I haven’t forgotten that completely, but it was also so special. I’m glad that I can create a little something to help them remember that time, which is so fleeting. 

And as a bonus, I got to spend a morning hanging out with two pretty awesome little humans. ❤️

Share the Love Instagram Contest Family Portrait Session Part 1

Posted in Little Kids, Newborns & Babies, Portrait Sessions, Sarah Benson Park, (formerly known as Thompson's Station Park)Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Nursing Baby - Spring Hill, TN Family Photographer

In February, I hosted my very first contest on Instagram in celebration of Valentine’s Day. For my “Share the Love” contest, I asked people to nominate a friend and tell me why that friend was terrific, and they both had to follow my Instagram page.  Then I randomly chose a nomination to win a free portrait session for both the person nominated and the nominator to share.  They could decide to each take 30 minutes of a one-hour portrait session, or they could do the session all together as a big group.  

I designed the contest the way that I did because I was really feeling the need for some positivity and wanted to see what people would say about other women in their lives, and I was not disappointed.  

Katie, a fantastic client who I have photographed in the past, was the winner of the contest who nominated her friend Anna. This is the preview of my 30-minute session with Anna and her family.  I will do a separate post of the 30-minute session with Katie and her family.  In the blog previews, I want to include some of the inspiring words that women wrote about each other for the contest, including the winning nominations.

Here is what Katie said about Anna:

“I’d also like to nominate Anna! Mom of two that rocks it as a momma!! She deserves pictures of her adorable family. 💖”

In return, Anna said of Katie:

“Katie is such a sweet friend and awesome mama! She deserves this!”

Anna was also nominated by another friend, Kendall, who said:

“As if being a mom to a three-year-old isn’t exhausting, she has a six-month-old baby girl with special needs. She had to wait 6 long weeks for her to come home. She breastfeeds her round the clock, manages to care for her big brother, works two part-time jobs, one of which is getting up at 4am to teach English as a second language. She takes her new baby to multiple therapies and doctors visits with very little sleep. I’m not sure how she’s managing it all, but somehow she does. She deserves to win this!”

Even though it was my first time meeting her, I would have to agree with Kendall and Katie…Anna is a rock star momma with a beautiful family.  

I also want to share some of the nominations that didn’t win, because these rock star mamas are also deserving of praise.  Here are some, and I will include more in part 2 when I show you Katie’s beautiful family.

lotsofweavers

I nominate @theelizabethtaylor 
She is a giving and kind friend who goes out of her way to help and love others. I know she would greatly appreciate pictures this year with her husband and kids. It would be a great year to mark change and new beginnings. 💕

cborrello4224

Thank you @crystalfreemonphotography for hosting such a meaningful giveaway. Pictures capture a moment in time to be treasured forever. Your talent allows treasured keepsakes. I would like to nominate @amylynncanaday she is kind, considerate, and always goes above and beyond while she herself is suffering from 2 diseases and is praying a doctor in Michigan can help regain her life back.

emilykalisz

I would LOVE to nominate @anothergirlmom ! Not only is she an amazing mother of 4 beautiful girls, but she manages her husband’s business, her work schedule, and ALWAYS remembers when her friends have appointments. She has selflessly driven me to doctor appointments and helped us with our children when we needed assistance. She is one incredible woman!

tinalynnmartini

I would like to nominate @rhondaschmitz!! She is amazing in so many ways❤️! I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone as selfless and loving as Rhonda. I’m continually inspired by her commitment and love for others. She asks nothing in return and gives everything!

acbrinker826

@kendallnewsom my better half, she’s the most selfless friend I know and goes above and beyond to help my family, especially with my sweet Fisher girl. She deserves beautiful pics with her family!

bandteachergirl

I would like to nominate Kellie Olson @nellieisme777 . She is an amazing woman! She is a selfless, single mom that works full time to bring the best out of her students. She loves completely and never gives up on those she loves! This would be a chance for her to see the beauty in herself and her family. #sharethelove

myersfamfive

I would like to nominate @lyndtodd12 She is an amazing mom to a beautiful daughter, twin boys-one with special needs, a full time teacher, and a great friend. She is one of the strongest women I know and is absolutely the kindest. She is constantly thinking of others despite having her hands so full. I feel honored to be her friend. ❤️

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. 

My first real family portrait clients

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I cannot believe it’s been almost four years now since I began on this adventure as a professional family & children photographer.  I was thinking about that during this session because I consider this family to be my first “real”clients.  I had been photographing lots of families before I considered myself a real professional, but they were all close friends who I knew very well.  This family was the first ones who hired me who I didn’t know really well when they had their first session, so that’s why I consider them my first real clients.

It was for a maternity session and included the big sister to be at a session at Harlinsdale farms.  I was nervous about shooting with people I didn’t really know, but I just fell in love with them right away, and not long after that, was blessed to photograph Grayson’s birth. And each year since, I look forward to photographing their family photos.  I talked yesterday about how I had a weekend of shooting my ideal clients, and this is definitely one of my favorites.

Each year I say how easy these two adorable kiddos are to photograph and they were the same way this year.  There is just so much cuteness and they clearly love each other sooooo much. It’s not just the kids though.  I adore mom and dad as well….they are always playful with the kids and we have so much fun just capturing memories. It’s always such an easy session and they are just simply beautiful.

My ideal family portrait clients

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I want to apologize for the large amount of photos in this blog post.  I really am trying to get better about that, but I easily had enough photos from this session for three blog posts, and I had a really hard time choosing.

I first met this beautiful family last year, when they hired me for an extended family session after I had photographed sweet Lily’s preschool graduation photo and I just fell in love with them.  There is just so much love, and joy and togetherness with them that is just beautiful to be around. 

In photography workshops and facebook groups, they talk a lot about finding your ideal clients.  That’s not something I thought about at all before becoming a professional photographer, but I quickly realized how important it is to find clients who are a good fit for my style.  This past weekend, I had three family sessions, and I walked away from them all thinking about how exactly perfect the clients were for me. 

I can’t put into words exactly what makes them so perfect, because a lot of it is just a feeling.  But there are a few things that I know I love to see in clients:

  • They are familiar with my style of work and have come to be because that’s the style that they want, not just because someone recommended me or they found me in a google search (those are all great ways to find me, but my point is that they did look at my photos and made their final choice based upon my work.)
  • They put thought and planning into their wardrobe selection, but also understand that the primary subject of the photos are the people themselves, and have chosen clothing that they are comfortable in and feel themselves in. 
  • They value photos as priceless artifacts of their time together, and after the session, they take the time to print the photos and enjoy them. (I was so excited to hear how this family printed and enjoyed their photos from last Fall!)
  • They aren’t looking for perfectly posed and put together photos, but are interested in capturing real memories of their time together.

I feel so thankful to have so many amazing clients who are not only clients, but who have become friends.  I love being able to see them grow each year ❤️

The best weekend for Family Photos with Fall Color

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First of all, I want to say that any time of year is perfect for a family portrait session. The important thing is to get them done, and to do it regularly, preferably at least once a year as our littles ones grow so fast and are constantly changing.  Beautiful memories can be captured any time of year. I’m now booking January photo sessions, and those can be absolutely beautiful (you just need to dress warmly!)

With that being said, lots of my clients really want that gorgeous fall color, and ask me when they should schedule family portrait sessions to get that color.  I always hesitate to answer because mother nature is unpredictable and I cannot promise you we will get beautiful fall color at all.  Sometimes, an early freeze or drought conditions or other things can put a damper on that beautiful autumn color.  

But I can tell you, after some experience and actual forecasts, when to schedule your session to get the best chance of gorgeous color, and that is the first weekend of November (the last weekend in October is a good second choice).  That’s when our fall colors peak here in Middle Tennessee.  I find a lot of clients who assume it happens a lot earlier than that, and that’s probably because it does up north. Our friends in Michigan saw their autumn peak several weeks ago (and now they are getting snow!). 

This beautiful family portrait session from this weekend is a bit past the peak.  The sessions I did the weekend before had a lot more color, but I can’t share those with you at the clients request (some are surprise Christmas gifts, and we don’t want to ruin the surprise!) But I’m so glad that this family had such a beautiful day! We had actually rescheduled this session from earlier in October because of rain.  Are they not absolutely stunning!  I’ve known this gorgeous family for years, but this is the first time I’ve been able to photograph them.  They were so much fun to capture and I hope they love the photos as much as I do. 

The autumn leaves are going to be gone very soon, so get out and enjoy this absolutely gorgeous color while it lasts!  

A list of things I can (and will) photoshop for you, and a few things I won’t

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This was supposed to be an outdoor session but unfortunately, it started raining right before the session time. As I discuss on my FAQ page, there are several options for you if i should happen to rain for your session time.  Nicole chose to move the session to her home, rather than to reschedule, which is a great option as I love capturing families in their own surroundings.

Another issue that Nicole had was that little Scarlett got a fairly significant boo boo on her chin before the session (isn’t that the way it always happens?), and Nicole was afraid it would show in the photos.

I reassured Nicole that Scarlett’s boo boo wouldn’t be too hard to remove in editing, so not to worry about it.  So I thought this might be a good post to go over what I will and will not edit in family portraits.

What I will photoshop:

  • That random zit that popped up right before your session.
  • The boogers in your two year olds nose (but lets try a Kleenex first please!)
  • The bruise your four year old got riding her bike (or boo boo on her chin).
  • Generally anything “temporary” that isn’t part of what you normally look like.
  • That ugly trashcan in the background that I saw, but knew it was worth it to remove in editing.
  • The horrible bike lane stripe on my favorite path.
  • Minor “wardrobe malfunctions” that result from clothing not laying perfectly because I don’t operate perfectly posed portrait sessions. For example: your bra strap is showing, or maybe your shirt or dress is poofed out in a weird way.

What I won’t photoshop:

  • “Can you remove this logo from the shirt I chose to wear?” (I might could depending on the location, print, etc, but if you want it done more than once or twice, I’m going to need to charge extra.) 
  • “Make me look 50 pounds smaller?” (You are beautiful, just the way you are.)
  • “Can you make most of the photo black and white and leave this one part in color?” (I just don’t want to.) 
  • “Can you get the wrinkles out of my husbands dress shirt?” (Usually, no…especially if it’s a print and not a solid color.)

So my general rule to myself when it comes to editing…I want you to look like you, because you are gorgeous.  But if something happened recently that isn’t a part of your normal, let me know and we can probably work on that.

I want to photograph things that are important to your family

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I’m sometimes asked by potential clients about what props that I include in a session, or if there are any props that they should bring.  That’s kind of a complicated question and for me, depends on how you define “props.”

My gut response is that I don’t do props.  But to me, a prop is something fake or staged for a photo.  So what I mean when I say that I don’t include props in a session, is that I don’t show up with a wagon full of cutesy stuff to include in your family photos.  I don’t create an elaborate scene of decor or other items.  I prefer, generally, for people to be the main focus of a photo, and even for my studio type work (like Santa sessions) I prefer the backdrop to be simple and minimal.

However, I do love to include YOUR stuff in photos.  The end result may be the same to someone who just looks at the photos as an outsider, but to me, this is a very important distinction.

One question I ask clients when they book a family session with me, is for them to tell me about some things that are valuable to their family.  The reason I ask this is that I like to include MEANINGFUL objects in family session photos.  Nothing that I bring is going to be meaningful to you.  I could buy a bunch of brand new cute stuffed animals.  But I’d rather include your daughters well loved ones.  I love including books in photos, but only if they are books important to your family.  I do bring some quilts to each session to use if we need them, but if you have one that grandma made, I’d much rather use that.  


I fell in love with this family right away.  I mean, they had me at Harry Potter.  I do believe I could have just shot the entire session while these kids happily read their books.  And I loved that they lived right next to Henry Horton Park.  What an amazing back yard!! This is the place where they take lots of walks together as a family, so it means so much more to look at these photos of them together, because it captures their lives as they really are.  What about you? What are the things (or places) that are really important to your family? Have you ever thought about including them in photos, either your personal photos that you take or ones you’ve hired a professional to take?

No, we aren’t doing photos with Satan…and other reasons I need a copy editor.

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So apparently I invited the “I heart Spring Hill page” to come have photos made with Satan at Spring Station Middle School. 👹

So two things:

We will be doing photos with SANTA 🎅🏻, not Satan 👹.  Satan isn’t very festive. 🎄  (Click the link at the bottom of this blog post to get your tickets now..don’t wait as they are selling out fast.) 

Also, I should not be allowed to type things.  Pictures really are my specialty.  And if pictures are worth a thousand words, then I have millions and billions so I should just quit typing.

It’s not that I can’t spell, it’s that I type quickly as things are coming into my head, and then, even if I re-read it multiple times, I SEE it like it’s correct.  Have you ever seen those tricks of the mind things where they delete all the vowels from a paragraph, but somehow you can read it anyway because your mind subconsciously fills in the blanks?  That’s what I do when I try to edit my own work…I don’t even see the error. I mean, you guys, OF COURSE I meant Santa.  

I’d like to say that was the first time I royally goofed in type, but sadly, it’s not. 

So I actually have a copy editor.  She’s really good at it and bonus…she’s free.  Unfortunately, she’s also 12 and at school all day.  I could wait, and I know I should, but I get so excited to show these beautiful families their photos, and I know that they are usually on pins and needles waiting to see them, that I just can’t make myself wait.

So instead, I ask for your grace and hope that you’ll love me for my photos and not judge me for my typos. And a big shout out to all my amazing people who are kind enough to point it out to me when I invite an entire town to photos with Satan, or who help point out less interesting errors. 

With that, check out these photos from a session that I so look forward to each year.  Lucky Ladd Farms is one of my favorite places and the Ladd’s are one of my favorite families to photograph. (Check out their website to see lots of pictures of my baby girl, who has been in love with their farm since she was teeny tiny.) 

What exactly is Lifestyle Photography?

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This beautiful family was able to take a last minute opening that I had available, and I am so glad they did.  We had so much fun running and playing in the leaves. 

I thought I might take the opportunity to talk about exactly what it means to shoot lifestyle photography, which is what I consider most of my sessions. To understand lifestyle photography, it helps to understand a few other types of photography.

One type of photography is classic posed portraiture.  These are what you think of when you think of a photographer telling you exactly where to stand, how to hold your chin, elbow, etc.  While I believe there is a time and a place for specific posing, this is not the type of photography that inspires me.  I do, however, try to capture at least a few of these shots throughout a session. 

Another type of photography (one that does inspire me), is documentary photography.  In documentary, the photographer doesn’t give guidance at all, but is merely a fly on the wall capturing what happens as it unfolds. I LOVE documentary.  I love to capture real life moments and emotions.  My birth sessions are documentary, as you can imagine.  In that setting, I am dictating nothing, but just capturing the story that is happening in front of me.  

The problem with using a PURE documentary approach for family sessions is that if I tried to be a fly on the wall and just capture what was happening, it’s likely, at least at first, that your family would stand around awkwardly, not sure what to do with themselves. Probably after enough time passed, they’d forget about me and start going about life, but unless something particularly engaging were happening it may take hours and hours to get a full gallery of images that showed a variety of things. 

So that brings us to lifestyle photography.  Lifestyle photography, for me anyway, is a balance between posed and documentary.  My goal at lifestyle sessions is to capture images as I would at a documentary session, but to hurry things along a bit, and if possible, make them happen in pretty light.  Instead of being a fly on the wall and waiting on your children to play, I’ll suggest they race (on the pretty bridge), play in the leaves, play ring around the roses, or play Simon Says with me.  These are things they might do naturally, but probably not in the span of an hour long photo session unless I asked them to.  

I want to capture real emotion, but instead of waiting on it to happen organically, I might whisper to your kids to go give you a big hug.  I don’t believe that the fact that I asked for it, makes the emotions any less real. It’s a combination of posed and documentary because sometimes I tell you just what to do, sometimes I just suggest an activity and sit back and wait for a moment to happen, and sometimes I act like a documentary photographer and hang back and capture moments that I notice have happened organically without any interference from me.  

This is the combination I find that works best for me at my family sessions, and I think it helps clients to feel more relaxed and natural as well.  As my friend Emily said recently, “my favorites are the posed candids.”What exactly is Lifestyle Photography?This is the combination I find that works best for me at my family sessions, and I think it helps clients to feel more relaxed and natural as well.  As my friend Emily said recently, “my favorites are the posed candids.”

The junk in my trunk

Posted in Aspen Grove Park, Family, Little Kids, Newborns & Babies, Portrait SessionsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I’ve photographed the birth of both of these beautiful babies, and documenting their growth through photographs is truly one of the greatest joys of my job. This is my favorite session so far, probably because this age is my absolute favorite.  For both of them, the world is still so new and interesting and every tiny thing is a wonderful discovery.  I will never ever get tired of photographing toddlers.

Every now and then, there is a photo that stops me in my tracks as I am editing, and the one below of sweet Charlotte running towards her family did that for me in this set.  Have you ever seen anything as beautiful as that overwhelming and enthusiastic love a toddler has for her parents? 

I recently received a really random text from an acquaintance. She said she new it was an odd question, but wanted to know if there was any chance that I had any sparklers…well past July when they were available at stores and fireworks stands. She needed them for a birthday party she was helping to plan.

I told her that of course I had sparklers. I keep them in my trunk. How many do you need?!?

The sparklers had recently come in handy another time too…I was at the birthday party of one of my closest friends four year old, and they had forgotten candles for the cake. I ran to my trunk and brought her sparklers and we lit those as we sang “Happy Birthday” to the guest of honor. In some ways, it was more fun than candles and maybe that will be a thing from now on.

The sparklers led me to think about the other random things I carry in my trunk, so I thought I would list them for you in case you were curious. So here it is – a list of things actually in my trunk this very moment.

  • Sparklers
  • 6 quilts in various colors
  • A bubble machine
  • Bubble Juice
  • An extra camera bag with camera (not my main camera…I carry that inside)
  • A lightstand
  • Some bottles of water
  • A lighter
  • Some smoke bombs
  • Three clear umbrellas
  • Sophie the Giraffe
  • Yummy Earth Suckers
  • Organic Bug Spray
  • For Real Bug Spray
  • A Tide Stain Remover Pen
  • Wet Ones Wipes
  • Rain Ponchos
  • Sun Screen

Sometimes, I don’t use anything in my trunk, but I like knowing it’s there if I do need it.  For this session, I pulled out the umbrella, though we didn’t need it thankfully as the rain stopped just before we started, and lots and lots of bug spray.  I also stuck a poncho in my bag just in case I had to protect my camera from the rain.  And of course, the suckers came out after the session.

What about you? What do you have in your trunk?  Is there anything in mine that you are surprised about?  Anything you think I’m missing? 

Mom was there too

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Lisa said something in her questionnaire when she booked me that really struck a cord with me. 

“I have almost no pictures of myself with my children that aren’t selfies since I am always the one behind the camera. That’s usually how it works though, right?” 

Yes, that is how it usually works, and it sucks. I’m so glad that we were able to get Lisa on the other side of the camera with her beautiful family. It’s hard, and as moms we have SOOOO many reasons why we don’t have enough photos of ourselves, but it is so important to our children that we get in the pictures too. In the years to come, the photos we give to our children are such a gift, but they don’t just want to see photos of themselves…they want to see mom (and dad!) in the pictures too.  

I just love taking photos of mothers with their babies, and this session was no exception. This group was such a joy to capture and made my job so easy. 

And can we just talk about the clothing choices for a minute?  I love the color tones so much. The burgundy and the blues against the backdrop of the green trees was just perfection.

So moms, what’s keeping you from getting in front of the camera?

What the world needs is more dancing in the kitchen. Nashville Lifestyle Portrait Session.

Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment
Brother & Sister reading book by flashlight at a home Lifestyle Portrait Session in Spring Hill, TN

I saw that phrase written in a meme recently and it spoke to me.  I love a good dance in the kitchen.  My husband…not so much, but he humors me.  To me, it’s one of those things that reminds us to savor the mundane…those little moments at home that don’t seem very grand. Aren’t those really are the ones that matter, and that we cherish for years to come?  At a lifestyle portrait session, those are the moments I want to capture.

The days are long but the years are short.

Things change so quickly as we are raising little ones, and before you know it, some things that seemed so much a part of your daily life that you didn’t even notice them, are suddenly gone. At my house, there is not a playroom anymore.  There is no swing set in the back yard.  My children bathe themselves and read to themselves at bedtime. I don’t remember the exact time when many of these changed, but gradually, they did change.  I look back to photos of when they were smaller and am so thankful that I have those mementos of days gone by.  

Seeing the possibilities.

That is one thing I love about doing these home sessions for families. I look at these photos and imagine all the possibilities they hold in bringing back the past, years from now.

10 years from now, will Renae’s family look at these photos and think about how that was the first year Coen played the violin, which he later grew to master and love?  Or will they remember it as that time Coen tried the violin before he found what he really loved?

Maybe Coen and Peri will look at these photos and fondly remember the photo of mom and dad’s wedding day that was hanging over their bed for years.  Will they giggle about when Peri was obsessed with Fancy Nancy and the giant caterpillar and Coen (and Mommy) was obsessed with Harry Potter? 

Will Peri look around the kitchen and smile at the “Happy Fall” chalk sign? Or remember the kitchen table that the family shared so many meals on before it was traded in for something new?  

These are the things that can’t be captured at a park.  

The home session advantage.

One advantage to home lifestyle portrait sessions is that we don’t have to worry about weather or sunlight.  My outdoor lifestyle sessions are all booked up for October & November, but I have been able to add some at-home session dates to the November calendar for weekdays where the early sunset doesn’t allow for outdoor sessions.  You can book one of these spots now on my calendar. These sessions would be a perfect time to decorate the Christmas tree, make some Gingerbread Houses, and just create beautiful memories of your family together capture forever by the camera.

So what do you think? Would you be up for an at home lifestyle portrait session?