fall Archives - Crystal Freemon Photography

Senior Girl Photo Session at South 40 Farm

September 27, 2023September 27, 2023Posted in Portrait Sessions, Seniors & Teens, South 40 FarmTagged fall, Franklin TN, Nashville senior photographer, outdoors, senior, Senior Girl, South 40 Farm, Thompson Station TNLeave a comment

Senior Portrait Session at South 40 Farm by Crystal Freemon Photography

I’m getting a little teary-eyed with this one.

This beautiful family was one of my very first supporters in my foray into photography. They were my subjects when I had zero idea what I was doing, but just knew that I enjoyed capturing families in photos and wanted to learn more.

I found this photo from 11 years ago. It was taken when I was the MOMS club amateur photographer and we used to joke about how I would someday shoot senior photos for these kids…and that felt like a million years away.

But that million years went by SO QUICKLY. And now here we are. I have to figure out when to shoot photos of my own senior.

I had been eyeing South 40 Farm for quite some time as a location for sessions but had never been. But when I found out what this Senior was looking for in her photos, I knew it would be a great fit. Plus, it’s so much better for me to shoot at a brand new location with a family I’ve known forever, and who trusts me to recommend a session without having seen photos of other sessions there.

Now I wish I had gone earlier, because I’m in love with this location. I didn’t even get to all the spots I wanted to shoot.

Are you looking for a photographer in Spring Hill, Franklin, and Columbia in Middle Tennessee? I photograph families at all stages, from newborns to seniors. See my website for more information or book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you considered following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Family of Five Photos in Franklin TN

September 25, 2023September 25, 2023Posted in Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, Family, Portrait SessionsTagged creek, fall, Family of 5, franklin, outdoors, siblings, sisters, sunset, TennesseLeave a comment

Family of 5 photo session in Franklin TN

I’m getting to that part in the annual portrait photography busy season where my neck is stiff from editing and I’ve run out of words. It inevitably happens every year. But I’m never lacking in images.

I loved hanging with this beautiful family. These sweet sisters were so much fun to photograph. The sunset and the giggles were my happy place.

Family Pics at Bowie Nature Preserve

September 9, 2023September 9, 2023Posted in Bowie Nature Preserve, Family, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged Bowie Nature Preserve, Fairview, fall, family, family of 4, little kids, outdoors, portraits, siblingsLeave a comment

Family portrait session at Bowie Nature preserve in Fairvview TN

I love seeing families year after year at their annual photo sessions, and these sweet kids are some of my favorites. It was a gorgeous morning at Bowie Nature Preserve in Fairview, and it felt like the kickoff to Fall Portrait Season.

Most weekend spots are gone but I still have some open slots for my Fall Mini Sessions and Santa Minis. There are also some weekday fall sessions left. Don’t wait to book!

🍁 I will be shooting Fall Mini Sessions on October 29th. These are best for smaller families with older kids. If you have toddlers or a large family, I highly recommend a full session. The rain date for the mini-sessions is November 9. If interested, book your spot quickly as these will sell out.

🎅 I am also doing Santa Minis with Nashville Santa on November 19. These will also sell out, so don’t wait to book.

Extended Family Session – Identifying Priorities

November 14, 2022November 14, 2022Posted in Family, Little Kids, Sarah Benson Park, (formerly known as Thompson's Station Park)Tagged "Spring Hill tn", cousins, extended family, fall, family, grandchildren, grandparents, joy, Large groups, outdoorsLeave a comment

Extended family session with Grandparents at Sarah Benson Park

I have a love/hate relationship with extended family sessions. I love being able to capture the love and joy in big family groups. I think it is a fantastic idea to capture all of these beautiful relationships. I especially love photographing grandparents with their grandbabies.

What I do not like is that there is never enough time to do what I want. I carry around a list in my head of all the shots I want to try to get at a family portrait session. This includes things like family standing looking at the camera, family standing hugging, family sitting, individuals of each child looking at the camera, candids of each child, siblings, etc. For a typical family session with 2 or 3 children, there is generally time to get all of those photos and have some time to relax and capture candid fun shots.

But when you bring in a large group with multiple individual families, I’ve learned that prioritization is the key. So on my session intake questions, I ask that clients booking a session for a large group let me know what they most want out of a session. That helps me understand what photographs to focus on because we just can’t normally get to everything I’d love to include. And it’s generally not a matter of just extending the session time, particularly if there are small children (and Dads). I find that people generally lose focus after about an hour so making session times longer doesn’t always help.

Prioritization was definitely important for this session. Even though all five children were under five years old, these kids did an amazing job and were such troopers. But it was so cold. The day before had been in the 70s, but that’s Tennessee weather for you. Rescheduling wasn’t an option because one of the families was visiting from out of town. We ended up having to hurry through and finish earlier than normal because it was so uncomfortable. But thankfully we had already discussed what the priorities were.

For this session, the most important thing the family wanted was a large group shot with everyone. Secondly, they wanted to focus on the grandchildren together with their grandparents. After that, I was able to get some other photos before everyone became too cold to continue. I am really glad I knew ahead of time what was most important to them. So if you are booking a photo session with lots of people, it’s a good idea to be clear about what you want most out of the session.

These beautiful children had me smiling the moment they got out of the car. I am so happy I got to capture this big, beautiful family.

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.

Senior Photo Session at Henry Horton

November 11, 2022November 11, 2022Posted in Seniors & TeensTagged Class of 2023, fall, Henry Horton State Park, Middle Tennessee Senior Photographer, outdoors, River, senior, Senior Girl, Senior Portraits, seniors, Spring Hill, Summit High SchoolLeave a comment

Middle Tennessee Senior Photographer at Henry Horton State Park

I loved shooting this Senior Portrait Session. The lovely young woman is the daughter of an old friend, and it was great to catch up with them both.

I also love that she chose Henry Horton Park for her location. I think Henry Horton is an excellent spot for photos in general. She chose the spot because she hikes here frequently. I always love it when seniors select a location that is meaningful to them.

One of the most important things to me is that my clients see themselves in their photos. From location to wardrobe, I want your portrait session to feel authentic.

I recently had a family with young children who told me that they aren’t “outdoorsy” in the least. I don’t normally do urban sessions with my littlest clients because they generally like wide-open spaces to roam around. But for this family, that didn’t feel authentic. So we did a session in downtown Columbia and it turned out great.

Sometimes I have clients who feel they need to dress a certain way because that’s what they see on Pinterest or whatever. I give clients some guidelines about choosing a wardrobe, but my number one rule is that you be yourself. If you hate dresses, why would you wear one for your photo session? But if you never get to wear dresses but they make you feel fabulous, then let’s do that.

Every one of my clients is beautiful and unique. I hope to create a space where they are able to be themselves so I can capture that.

Fall Family Photo Session in Spring Hill TN

October 31, 2022October 31, 2022Posted in Family, Sarah Benson Park, (formerly known as Thompson's Station Park)Tagged "Spring Hill tn", autumn, fall, Fall color, family, outdoors, Sarah Benson Park, siblings, Thompson Station TNLeave a comment

I’m sure you all know by now that Fall is my favorite season. How could it not be? I love the gorgeous fall color, the pleasant temperature, and meeting lovely families for their fall portrait sessions.

One thing I wanted to note about this family portrait session was the playground photos. Sometimes I shoot at local parks that also have playgrounds. For some little ones, this can be a problem because they immediately want to go to the playground instead of doing photos. This is especially true if the park is somewhere they already frequent and if the kids are quite young. It’s just too much for them to understand we have to do photos before playtime. In those cases, I’ve had parents decide that a location without a playground is better for their session.

But if the children are a little older, like these cuties in this family session, it can work out quite well. Little brother saw the playground and wanted to go. I told him if he managed to give me some time to focus on photos first, we could all go to the playground together. I happen to love playground photos. They are a fun way to get candid photos of kids in their own element. So if we are able to use it as an incentive, then I’m all for it.

The swings are my favorite. Is there anything that symbolizes the carfree wonder of childhood like a swing?

Senior Girl Photo Session in Franklin TN

October 25, 2022October 25, 2022Posted in Seniors & TeensTagged Class of 2023, fall, Gentry Farms, Independence High School, outdoors, portraits, senior, Senior GirlLeave a comment

It is always such a joy to spend time with these seniors and get to know them at their portrait sessions. It’s such a special (though stressful) time in their lives. To me, a Senior Portrait session is a time to take a moment to a deep breath and appreciate this time.

This young woman was a joy to photograph. And I just love the variety this location provided us. (Note: In case you recognize this location, it is not available for portrait sessions normally but is the property of family members of this client.)

Fall Family Portrait Session in Nashville

October 24, 2022October 24, 2022Posted in Family, Little KidsTagged fall, family, joyful, little kids, Nashville Family Photographer, outdoors, siblingsLeave a comment

One of my favorite things about my job is being able to see repeat clients at their family portrait sessions each year. They say that childhood goes by in the blink of an eye. That truth is especially apparent when you only see them once or twice a year.

These are two of my favorite little ones that I’ve been photographing for several years now. I love photographing all ages of children, but this session hits my sweet spot. My absolute favorite time to photograph children is between 2 and 4, and both of these cuties meet that criteria. There is just so much wonder in kids that age that particularly inspires me. They are true to themselves, always live in the moment, and are in awe of the world around them. Would it be weird to say that I want to be a two-year-old when I grow up?