Tag: groups

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!

Christmas Memories – Giant Extended Family Session

Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Newborns & Babies, Parties & Events, Portrait Sessions, Seniors & TeensTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

Merry Christmas everyone! This beautiful family isn’t able to get together often since some of them live in different parts of the country. Since they were all in town for their Christmas celebration, they wanted to be able to capture those memories in photographs, and I am so glad they did. It was such an honor to be a part of such love and laughter. I felt so at home with them that I could have easily slipped in and pretended to be another sibling. It was so much fun.

We had hoped to be able to take at least some of the photos outside, but the weather didn’t cooperate. But with the help of a large covered deck and a gorgeous red umbrella, we made it work.

I hope that the photos mean something special to them and that they can be treasured for years to come.

And I hope all of you have a very wonderful holiday season filled with lots of magical moments, laughter and love.

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.