Capturing the Magic and Wonder of Childhood
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.
Oh my goodness, there is so much sweetness in this family portrait session. These girls were so much fun to photograph. And as a bonus, they brought along their family dog. I am always game for families to include their pooches in family photos sessions, but it’s especially fun now that I’ve added my own puppy to my family. Our pets are so important to us and are part of the family, so it makes sense to include them in family pictures.
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.
“Does she realize she looks like a sunflower, ready to rain sunlight on all who look down upon her?”
Simone Elkeles
Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet one-year-old Ada and her family. I was a gorgeous day for a summer family portrait session, and the heat was totally reasonable. Kayla decided to have the photo session at their Spring Hill home, and I’m so glad she did. They have a beautiful backyard that was just right for a family portrait session. And it allowed the family’s sweet pets to get in on the action.
Summer is almost over and now is the time to book your Fall family portrait session. I have recently added fall dates to my calendar. Unlike last year, I’m going to spread the sessions out more and let clients decide on a location (though I will happily help you choose a good fit for your family). You can see open dates and book one now on my online booking calendar. Don’t wait to book yours. These session will sell out.
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.
The hardest part about this extended family portrait session was deciding which pictures to share. For my large group session the day before, the weather was rainy and awful. We made do with a large covered balcony and some indoor shots, but I was very happy when the weather turned gorgeous for this session.
Sometimes clients are hesitant to book a winter session for fear of bad weather, but this session is a perfect example of how, in Middle Tennessee, any month can be wonderful for outdoor family photos. It was truly the perfect day.
To be honest, a lot of times large family portrait sessions aren’t my favorite. I enjoy them, and wholeheartedly believe they are important for capturing priceless memories. My only complaint is that often, because of the number of people being photographed, there isn’t a lot of time for candid, natural moments. You spend so much time getting all the required combinations of people, that there isn’t a lot of time left to run, jump & play with the kids.
But this session was absolutely perfect. The group shots went quickly and the family so fun and relaxed. We had plenty of time to explore and play. I loved the dynamic with this family, from the silly men to the sweet way that Kalei and Reed looked after their baby cousin, Alice.
I hope that they love this portrait session as much as I do and that the photos will be a cherished reminder of a happy Christmas for years to come.
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas making memories.
I am so glad this family chose to have an indoor portrait session this year, as it allowed me to test out new skills I’ve been working on learning. For most of my photography career, I’ve considered myself a natural light photographer. Most of my family portrait sessions are outdoors, but I also love shooting indoor portrait sessions for families and newborns. I’m obsessed with light and love exploring all the ways I can incorporate natural light into my photography.
But sometimes, natural light doesn’t give me what I want. I love using natural light at indoor portrait sessions, given that there are enough windows (and daylight) to allow enough light to enter the rooms. But sometimes, I find that light lacking. I can generally make do with the light available, but sometimes it’s just not the prettiest, and I wish I had more control over the light.
So I set a goal to become more comfortable using a flash, when necessary. It started last summer when I somehow let one of my best friends talk me into photographing her sister’s wedding. (I don’t shoot weddings). I knew that shooting a dark reception would require flash, so I started working on getting better at using one. It was a learning experience and got me more comfortable shooting other dark indoor events, like this Quinceanera.
But at this point, I was only using flash when I had no other choice. I decided it was time to start creating my own light when maybe the natural light was passable, but not the prettiest, like sometimes at indoor sessions. So I’ve been taking an online class on off-camera flash and playing around with using a flash in more circumstances.
This family indoor portrait session was the perfect chance to use some of the things I’d learned. I met this family at their outdoor winter session two years ago, that ended up being one of my favorites of the season. I loved being able to photograph this beautiful family again – this time in their own home. It’s so much fun to have the kids show me their rooms, and get to know another side of them just by exploring their environments.
The living room was a bit dark, so I used off-camera flash for the photos we took in there. Abigail’s room had beautiful window light, so I just used the natural light in her room. But Eliot’s room faced another direction was a bit darker, so I did use the flash in her room. The flash was a great option that allowed me to get some fun action shots of her jumping on her bed. The movement might have been blurry without the flash in the darker room.
I was happy to be able to increase the available light in the house when I wanted to, but the most fun came when we went outside! I was always jealous of wedding photographers who post the fun rain shots with flash because most of my clients postpone their sessions when it rains. (It’s easier to defer family photos than your wedding day). But since this was mostly an indoor session, I was kind of hoping for rain so I could give it a try. The girls were kind enough to go out in the rain with me to get the shot. I wish it had been raining harder, but even the sprinkling gave a fun look to our umbrella shots.
I wanted to get a photo of Eliot riding her bike because that is something she does a lot at home, and I wanted to capture that time for her family. Since it stopped sprinkling, she grabbed the bike for a few shots. Usually, it would have been getting too dark outside for me to get a good picture, particularly of a moving child on a bike. But adding the flash allowed me to not only capture her movement with plenty of light, but it also allowed me to balance the cool, moody clouds in the background.
So I think I will begin to consider flash more as an option, not only for indoor sessions but for fill light or fun effects at outdoor sessions as well. You can still expect most of my shots at outdoor photoshoots to be with natural light, but don’t be surprised if I pull out the flash once in a while.
Speaking of sessions, if you haven’t booked yours for this year but intend to, please don’t wait. There are only a few spots left, and I don’t want you to miss out! I hate turning people away in the fall, but editing a session takes a lot of time, and there are just only so many I can do. You can choose a traditional outdoor photo session, or schedule an indoor portrait session like this one. Book yours today.
Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.
Anthony J. D’Angelo
Confession time – I’m not very good at picking clothing for family photos. I’ve never felt like I was very good at fashion, but I know what I like and what I don’t like to see in family portrait sessions. And I know that several of my friends are REALLY good at picking family session clothing. One of those friends is Christy – I am always so impressed with her wardrobe choices for her family photos, so I asked her how she goes about choosing photos for a session for herself, her husband, and their three adorable little girls. She had some great advice to share:
“I typically start with one outfit I love. One year I loved this purple sweater that Hannah had, it looked great on her. That year purple was our color and everyone else’s outfit was picked to match. Last year I had a floral dress I loved, so I pulled colors out of the dress for each of the girls to wear. I try not to pick more than one or two patterns, or any pattern that is too small or busy. Most of the time we have what we need in our closets already. I usually only buy one or two outfits for a shoot. Old Navy is a great place to get coordinated outfits. They sell lots of solids which always look great in photos! Little touches like matching bows or denim jackets helps tie everything together.”
Here are a few more do’s and don’ts I have for choosing clothing for your family photos:
And didn’t Christy do a fabulous job? They look like they belong on the cover of a magazine.
Bonus before and after editing shot below. Can you find it? I kinda love the before. 😂
Gah, I don’t want to leave this baby. Can she just come home and live with me? (Her mommy says no.)
I’m so glad I was able to spend Thanksgiving with her though. We have so much to be thankful for this year. My brother and his amazing wife are just wonderful parents to this sweet girl, and she has her big canine sister Barley looking out for her. My girls are just head over heels for their new cousin, and I couldn’t help including a few pictures of them with her at the end of this post.
I could take photos of her all day long. Also, I just love her nursery. Deb did such an awesome job decorating it.
Whenever you book a family portrait session with me through my online calendar, I ask that you answer a few questions to help me prepare for the photo session. The only question that is not optional is the names and ages of the people being photographed (because I study the names in advance). I understand that my clients are very busy, so if you don’t have time to give me a detailed description of little Sally’s likes and dislikes, that’s OK. It’s great for me to know that Johnny loves Dinosaurs or Ann’s favorite TV show is Paw Patrol. Those things help me to have conversation starters with the children, and sometimes help to get a genuine smile. But if you don’t have time to put that, it’s OK…I’ll wing it.
I really love knowing why the photo session is important to you. I remember one family who told me about the rough year they’d each had individually, but that they wanted this photo session to show how they were always there for each other in the rough times and the good. I don’t know why knowing these things helps me with a session, but somehow they do. I guess I feel more connected to the family. I’ve always loved the quote, “I don’t shoot what it looks like…I shoot how it feels.” The more I know going into a session, the easier it is to capture the feelings.
But again, I can get away with not knowing these things if you don’t have time to fill out a detailed survey. But there is one thing that I absolutely NEED to know before your family session.
If you have a child who is very shy, I absolutely need to know this in advance. The reason is that when I read that your child is shy, I automatically know I need to approach her differently. While her sister is chatting my head of about school, and vacations, and puppies, I approach her cautiously, quietly, trying not to overwhelm her. I’ll let her get use to me before I really approach her at all. Then I’ll maybe ask her a few quiet questions and feel her out. I might let her see my camera…or whatever it feels like it might take to help her feel more comfortable. I have all of this in my head before the session, because you’ve told me before hand what your little one needs. It didn’t take much to tell me this…just a few words, but it makes all the difference in the world because if I approach her the wrong way, she could get overwhelmed and shut down. And that’s definitely not what I want.
So take a look at the pictures below. Can you tell which one is the shy sister? No? Good.
And I just want to say that all three of these little girls were amazing. I had so much fun with them. They are totally my happy place. So much energy, and wonder and joy. They were just perfect.
I am often asked, sometimes hesitantly, if it’s ok to bring the family dog to a photo session. The answer is always, one million times, yes. Unless your dog is a terrifying, savage beast who is going to maul me, then perhaps not. But for cute, adorable puppies, always yes.
Here are my top 10 reasons to bring your puppy to a photo session:
1. They are adorable.
2 They help to get for real, not fake smiles from your children.
3. Puppy kisses.
4. They are part of the family, so why wouldn’t you?
5. Tiny kids holding puppies is adorable.
6. Tweens & teens holding puppies is adorable.
7. Grown ups holding puppies is adorable.
8. Puppy kisses.
9. Taking the puppy for a walk is a great photo op, and a real moment.
10. Puppy kisses
Elizabeth Yancey is one of the strongest women I’ve known. Exactly one year ago from the date of this session, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Over the past year, I have watched her kick cancer’s butt, all while being an amazing teacher, mother, wife and human being. She is such an example of faith and grace and courage.
I chose the date of the session for her but didn’t know at the time that I had chosen this anniversary. But what an honor it was to be able to capture this milestone for her and to photograph a true survivor.
I had such a fun time photographing the ‘Yancey Clan.’ I always marvel at how beautifully different each sibling in a family can be, and these are four amazing and unique children.
Whenever someone books a session with me, I ask a series of questions. Clients do not have to answer most of them, but it does make it so much easier for me. My goal when I photograph a session is to capture your family in a way that really highlights who they are as individuals and as a family. It really makes it easier on me if I know a little about them before I try to do that. Elizabeth thoughtfully answered each question, and that really gave me an advantage at the session. I knew the kids a little beforehand, but her answers helped me to know how to approach them. I knew that Wylie would be the easy one. I knew that Moses would have to be coaxed out of his fake smile, but that being silly and letting him be active would be a good strategy. I knew not to overwhelm Nonie, as she is shyer than the others so I approached her quietly. I knew Wesley would warm up as the session went on (and boy did she!! Peekaboo!).
But most of all, I knew what these pictures would mean to Elizabeth, as a way to mark this milestone and show that they “not only survived but are thriving.”
