Safe at home as a family of 4 | Nashville Newborn Photographer

May 12, 2020May 12, 2020Posted in Home Sessions, Newborns & Babies, Portrait SessionsTagged baby boy, big sister, family of 4, home, indoors, nashville newborn photographer, newborn, newborn photography, Spring Hill TN Photographer, toddler1 Comment

I’m not sure there is anything more magical than the first few weeks at home with your newborn baby.

Newborn baby boy in the arms of his daddy in Spring Hill, TN — I also photographed Ellis’s big sister’s newborn portrait session. This was a pose that his parents wanted to recreate from that session.

Mom and Dad taking care of baby while big sister looks on. — I also photographed Ellis’s big sister’s newborn portrait session. This was a pose that his parents wanted to recreate from that session.

Extended Family Portrait Session at the Factory At Franklin

December 2, 2019December 2, 2019Posted in Family, Little Kids, Portrait Sessions, The Factory at FranklinTagged "extended family", "Family of 4", "Franklin tn", Franklin Portrait Photographer, grandparents, indoors, little kids, the factory at franklin, toddlers, winterLeave a comment

This is a family that I photograph pretty regularly, and I feel like they keep getting bad luck when it comes to session weather. I’ve shot a session for them in the rain. They had a session last year that was super hot, and then another where it was bitterly cold. They’ve been troopers through every single session and handled it beautifully each time. But it stinks because I generally feel like the weather cooperates for almost all my sessions – even late winter ones, but this one family keeps taking all the hits.

So of course, yesterday, when I arrived at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms where we were supposed to shoot, it felt WAYYY colder than the 54 degrees my phone said that it was. Then five minutes later my phone read 48 degrees. That’s still generally reasonable for a winter photo session, but the wind was so bitingly cold. I was worried that it would be way too uncomfortable to have fun and enjoy the session.

So when Kate showed up and asked if we could try to move the session to the Factory at Franklin, I completely agreed. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to, as the Factory charges a permit fee and I’d always booked it in advance. But the man at the front desk was nice enough to let us get the permit immediately so we were able to move the portrait session indoors, which was so much better than dealing with the bitter wind.

We were also able to slip outside for brief periods before coming back inside to get warm, and there is this nice corridor that was mostly protected from the wind. So all in all, it worked out well. But I still hope that next time they get a nice pleasant, mild day….it’s their turn.

Learning new things – Indoor Portrait Session in spring hill

August 27, 2019August 27, 2019Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Pets, Portrait SessionsTagged "Family of 4", "home sweet home", "Spring Hill tn", "Spring HIll", 2019, Big Kids, dog, home, indoors, pets, sistersLeave a comment

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.

My journey to flash photography

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.

An indoor portrait session – the perfect time to use what I’ve learned

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.

A chance to get creative

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.

Time is running out to book your 2019 family portrait session

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

10 Tips for Photographing your child’s birthday party

July 22, 2019August 8, 2019Posted in Photography TipsTagged "above all", "Capturing Your Memories", birthday, events, family, franklin, indoors, party, photography, Tips1 Comment

I know not everyone agrees with me, but I’ve always enjoyed throwing birthday parties for my children. They’ve run the gamut between elaborately themed parties that I’ve worked on for months, and more simple ones, and I’ve enjoyed them all. This 10th birthday party of Kayla’s was one of the simple ones. We rented a room at Above All in Franklin. Kayla actually wanted a S’mores Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory as her birthday cake. The mommy’s at the party thought her selection was perfect, but as expected, not all the children agreed. Good thing we also bought a cookie cake for her friends. Photographing your child’s birthday party can be intimidating so today, I want to give you a few tips.

Whether it’s a simple party or an elaborate one, it’s important to capture those memories in photographs so we can enjoy them for years to come. Here are 10 tips for photographing your own child’s birthday party.

Consider hiring a professional photographer to capture the event. This will allow you to enjoy the party without having to worry about capturing pictures. Plus an experienced photographer will be able to capture moments that you will treasure for a lifetime. If you don’t have the budget for a professional, consider designating a close friend or family member as the event photographer so you can focus on your guests.
If it’s a surprise party, be sure to have guests in location ahead of time so that you can capture some photos of them waiting on the guest of honor. Make sure you know when and where the birthday child will enter the party location so you can capture that first moment of surprise. If there is a performer or entertainer, be sure to be in a position to capture the children’s reactions when they arrive or perform.
Remember to capture little details of the party decor and food. It’s likely you spent lots of time and Pinterest research on all of these little detail so don’t forget to capture them. Some of this can be done before the party begins. (I didn’t spend any time researching this Cheesecake, but I’m glad I have a photo of it anyway. LOL)
Don’t photograph little kids from your grown-up height…get down to their eye level for better images. This isn’t too hard when you are short like me.
But also, think of unique perspectives that will allow for interesting ways to photograph the party. Getting up high or down low can make some fun images.
Make a rule that no one gets cupcakes or cake until you get a group photograph. This is a great way to encourage everyone’s prompt participation. You will love having a picture of all your child’s guests in one shot.
Put some thought into where the birthday child will sit for special moments like blowing out the candles. Think about which seat has the best lighting (light coming in through a window is beautiful). Also, think about where the person taking the pictures will sit or stand so as to be able to get pictures of the birthday girl without being blocked by other photo guests.
If you have a numbered candle, make sure it is facing the photographer and not the child. This may seem picky, but it’s great to have the number readable in the image – especially years from now when the grown child may not remember how old he/she was in the photographs. We didn’t have any numbered candles for Kayla’s S’mores cake, so that wasn’t a concern at this party, but all my friends know I want the number facing me. I’ve taught them well. LOL
Be sure to get a few family pictures. Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the party and forget, but you will appreciate having these milestone pictures of your family each year. If the party is not a surprise, its a good idea to get these family pictures a few minutes before guests start to arrive. Apparently, I didn’t follow my own rule here, so big photographer fail. For some reason, I find that harder to remember to do when we are at a place for the party with a scheduled time, and not at home. So I will have to work on that for next time.
Get into the middle of the action and keep your eyes open for authentic moments. The focus is obviously the guest of honor, but don’t forget to capture reactions from party guests and family members as well.

So that’s it…a few simple tips and you are ready to photograph your child’s birthday party. But if you’d rather leave the photos to a professional, contact me today to schedule an event session for your party.

Baby Evie: Capturing the Uniqueness of Each Family at a newborn portrait session

May 19, 2019August 8, 2019Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Newborns & Babies, Portrait SessionsTagged "crystal freemon photography", "family of 3", 2019, baby, dogs, indoors, Nashville, nursery, pets, photography, portraits, TN1 Comment

Nashville Lifestyle Newborn Photographer

Every client is unique, and it’s important to me to capture that uniqueness in my portrait sessions.

If you’ve ever booked a session with me, and you’re the type of person who actually does read a contract before you signed it, you may have noticed this paragraph in my client agreement:

Each session is as different and unique as the beautiful families being photographed and I do not aim to copy or recreate Pinterest images. Before booking a session with me, I want to make sure that you are familiar with my style, and that my style is what you are wanting for your images.

This statement isn’t just arbitrarily in my contract. It’s there because I want you to understand that our goal with a session is not to recreate some scene that you saw on Pinterest, or even to copy a photo you saw on my website that I took. Our goal is to create images that are as unique and beautiful as your family.

Finding what makes families special and unique is especially fun when I get to photograph clients in their home. Details like a baby’s nursery, knick-knacks or books displayed throughout the house, cherished toys, and a family’s pets are all items that can be photographed that tell part of a family’s story. I look for those types of things as I am photographing. For example, both of Evie’s parents are Chemistry professors at Vanderbilt. So when I saw a set of Science Board Books sitting on the nursery table, I knew I wanted to include one in the photos. Mom and Dad said “Quantum Physics for Babies” was their family favorite, so I asked them to read to baby Evie for a few shots.

Other things I made sure to include in photos were the cat and dog (who Lauren had said were a huge part of the family), a blanket made by Grandma, & the stuffed Bunny Evie got for her first Easter.

And I’m convinced that in 20 years when families look back on these photos, they will be glad to have those details captured instead of someone else’s idea of a pretty Pinterest scene. 😍

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

March 28, 2019August 5, 2019Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Newborns & Babies, Portrait SessionsTagged "crystal freemon photography", "Family of 4", 2019, baby, boy, dogs, family, girl, home, indoors, infant, joy, newborn, pets, photography, portraits, siblings, springLeave a comment

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. ❤️

Be Our Guest: Scarlett’s Beauty & the Beast Birthday Party | Spring Hill TN Photographer

February 26, 2019August 7, 2019Posted in Home Sessions, Parties & EventsTagged "Beaty & the Beast", "crystal freemon photography", "Family of 4", "Spring Hill tn", "Spring HIll", 2019, birthday, events, girl, indoors, party, photography, portraitsLeave a comment

Beauty & the Beast Birthday Party in Spring HIll TN - Event Photography

My longtime client & friend Nicole throws the most magical kids birthday parties. Her attention to detail is superb, and she has a special talent for making everything look amazing.

It’s so exciting to see how much fun Scarlett has at these parties and to see her grow each year. I always look forward to her events.

When I noticed that Nicole had re-used the tables and teacups from Scarlett’s second birthday party, I knew I had to recreate this photo from three years ago. Are they just adorable?

There were several extraordinary guests at Scarlett’s birthday party, including the Beast (played by Scarlett’s daddy) and Belle. Belle came from Nashville Kid’s Parties (formerly Copy Cats Nashville Kid’s Parties, the same company Nicole hired Strawberry Shortcake from two years ago.) Belle did a wonderful job entertaining the children and and played her part perfectly.

Nicole’s sister made the cake pops, cake, and tea pot and tea cup cookies. Her mom made all the food and flower arrangements. Nicole created the rest of the decor herself, as well as making the chocolate rose lollipops. The hand mirrors came from the Dollar Tree and were Nicole decorated them after seeing inspiration on Pinterest. They were a huge hit as party favors and I personally loved them as a photo prop. The Chiavari chairs were rented from Southern Party Rentals.

I have to say that my favorite part was watching sweet Charlotte play hostess to her friends. She was so sweet in serving them tea, handing out party favors and making sure all her guest had a good time.

Alicia’s Quinceanera Part 2: The Celebration

November 26, 2018August 7, 2019Posted in Parties & Events, Portrait Sessions, Seniors & TeensTagged "crystal freemon photography", "Franklin tn", "Hilton Garden Inn", 2018, events, family, father, formal, girl, grandmother, indoors, joy, lifestyle, mother, photography, portraits2 Comments

As I said in my blog post the other day, I have soooo many pictures of beautiful Alicia’s Quinceanera last week that I decided to split it into two blog posts. The f irst post focused on the formal pictures we did before her celebration at the lovely Homestead Manor. But today I want to share photos from the actual event itself, which was a beautiful celebration of this lovely young woman.

Alicia’s mom Nery did such an amazing job planning this special day for Alicia. It was so perfect down to every last detail. The event was held at the Hilton Garden Inn of Franklin / Cool Springs, TN. The hotel did a fabulous job with the event and no detail was overlooked.

The absolutely stunning cake was made by Pink Blossom Bakery. Isn’t’ it just gorgeous? It tasted as good as it looked.

As I stated in the first blog post, Alicia’s Makeup and hair was done by Kari Flournoy at Nashville Hair & Makeup. She looked stunning.

For entertainment, the DJ for the event was Osborne Studio & Sound, and the grand finale performance was by Sol Azteca Mariachi Band. I LOVED the band.. It was so much fun and all the kids really enjoyed it.

I cannot even tell you how much fun it was to photograph this event. Just being a fly on the wall able to observe these kids having so much fun just enjoying life was truly an honor. And my favorite part was the Mariachi Band at the end…they were absolutely fantastic!

Capturing Christmas Tradition at a home Photo Session

November 20, 2018August 7, 2019Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Portrait Sessions, UncategorizedTagged "crystal freemon photography", 2018, Big Kids, Christmas, family, father, girl, grandparents, Holidays, home, indoors, joy, lifestyle, mother, photography, portraitsLeave a comment

The years pass quickly, and that’s one reason why Whitney wanted a home portrait session to capture her family’s Christmas traditions while Haley is still young. They wanted a session that captured things they do each year around Christmas time, like decorating the tree, making Gingerbread houses, and listening to the Christmas Story and the Night Before Christmas while drinking hot cocoa by the fire.

I mean, how can you not just feel all cozy and filled with the Christmas spirit by looking at these photos? I just love this so much. 🎄❤️

What about you? What kind of memories would you like to capture for your family?

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

November 10, 2018August 7, 2019Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged "crystal freemon photography", "home sweet home", 2018, boy, family, girl, home, indoors, joy, lifestyle, locations, mother, photography, portraits, siblingsLeave a comment

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.

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

September 26, 2018August 8, 2019Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged "crystal freemon photography", "home sweet home", "Spring Hill tn", 2018, boy, family, girl, home, indoors, joy, lifestyle, locations, mother, photography, portraitsLeave 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?

Home…where our story begins | New Home Sweet Home Portrait Sessions

September 25, 2018August 8, 2019Posted in Home Sessions, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged "crystal freemon photography", "home sweet home", 2018, boy, brothers, family, home, indoors, joy, lifestyle, locations, mother, photography, portraitsLeave a comment

It’s no secret that my passion is family photography. I enjoy seniors, newborns & couples photography as well, but families, especially with younger children, are what inspires me.

Up until now, most of my family sessions have been outdoor, lifestyle portrait sessions. I love these for many reasons, most of which is probably the gorgeous natural light of an outdoor session, particularly at golden hour.

But for a while now, I’ve been feeling drawn to encourage clients to also consider another option for family photography. I want to offer in-home lifestyle & documentary sessions. I’ve always felt like the purpose of photography is to capture meaningful moments that a family will cherish always, and what better place to capture these moments than in a family’s home?

I find that many clients are hesitant to schedule sessions in their home because they are so used to seeing outdoor sessions and they don’t know quite what to expect from an at-home session. Here are a few things you can expect from an at-home photo session with me:

* We will be silly and play games, just like at my outdoor sessions, but those games might look a little differently. For example, we may jump on the bed (with your permission), play shadow puppets, or have tickle fights on mom and dad’s bed.

* Instead of awkwardly posing, I will ask that you do some activities together. What these activities are will vary depending on what your family likes to do together. Maybe mom and dad will have coffee on the back porch, while the kids play at their feet. Maybe you’ll make dinner or cookies. Maybe you can play board games or decorate the Christmas tree. The possibilities are endless. The point is that we will try to capture real moments for you…of things your family enjoys doing together.

* Your house doesn’t need to be fancy, or immaculate, or even clean. For real. This is real life and real moments. We are making memories…not caring about whether or not you swept the bathroom. The camera is forgiving and I promise I don’t even notice.

One advantage to home sessions, other than being able to capture memories in the place that you make the most memories, 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 family session?

Breathtakingly Beautiful – with BrandiLee #finnsfanforever

August 5, 2018October 22, 2020Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Portrait Sessions, The Gold Hope ProjectTagged "breathtakingly beautiful", "crystal freemon photography", "Spring Hill tn", 2018, brothers, family, finnfanforlife, home, indoors, joy, photography, portraits, siblings, summer2 Comments

Finn Schafran and his mom Brandilee and his battle with Cancer. #Finnfanforever

“Life is amazing. And then it’s awful. And then it’s amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it’s ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary. That’s just living heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life. And it’s breathtakingly beautiful.” – L.R.Knost

My new photo project:

I did a personal project about three years ago that I called “This is Motherhood” In that project, I asked mothers to allow me to take a simple portrait of them, and then I asked them to tell me about motherhood. I gave them a few prompts or thought starters, but mainly was just looking for some insight or experience they had with motherhood that might mean something to other mothers. I was blown away with what women were willing to share with me. Their stories ranged from funny to heartbreaking, and all of them were honest and inspiring.

For some months now, I’ve felt the desire to do another photo project, but I couldn’t get my mind around what exactly it would be.

I knew that like the first project, I wanted it to be about strong, beautiful women (though not necessarily just mothers.) In my line of work, I see a lot about how women are down on themselves, never feeling “enough”. I have a desire to somehow show them through my lens, that they are enough. Just the way they are.

I also knew I wanted it to be different from the first project in that I didn’t want it to be just a single portrait, but a more of a story telling photo essay for each woman. I wanted it to be set in her own environment doing her own thing. I wanted to show women doing hard things, amazing things, but also ordinary things. I wanted to photograph women living life. Embracing it even.

But I wanted some kind of quote or theme to tie them altogether and I’ve struggled with finding what that would be. For a while, I had settled on “She believed she could, so she did.” I liked that it implies some action…as I wanted to include some activity in the stories, and not just some portrait. But something was bothering me about that quote, and I finally figured out what it was….lots of times, she doesn’t believe that she could. But she does anyway. Because she has to. Many times, women don’t know their own strength. I want my project to show them their strength through the photos, so that quote just didn’t feel right.

Then, as I was browsing the internet, I came across the quote above, and it just felt like exactly what I was looking for. I want to photograph women doing heartbreaking, soul-healing, amazing, awful and ordinary things. I believe there is beauty in every moment…the hard, the wonderful and also the mundane. I want to photograph that beauty.

Breathtakingly Beautiful with BrandiLee

Ok so I didn’t take these photos for my project, but taking them helped me to decide on exactly what it was I wanted my project to be.

I first met BrandiLee last October, when I photographed a family portrait session for them. Last week, a friend of Brandi’s contacted me. She told me that Brandi had been selected by The Mom’s We Love Club as their featured mom for August. The Moms We Love Club is an Instagram account dedicated to loving on struggling moms through spreading awareness, prayer and fundraising. For the feature, they needed lifestyle images of BrandiLee at home. I was happy to have the honor of shooting for such a great cause, so we picked a time and I showed up to photograph real life. Brandilee will be featured at The Moms We Love club starting August 9, so please follow the page, and share the posts when you see them.

As far as strong women go, I’m not sure I know any stronger than BrandiLee, though I’m positive she didn’t plan for life to be that way and that she often feels that she is not strong enough to deal with what life has dealt her. I cannot even begin to do her story justice, but please, please go read about this precious family on their GoFundme page, and if you are lead, consider making a donation.

The quote struck me so when I read it, because honestly, editing these photos took my breath away.

What struck me the most was the joy.

And first let me say that I know it’s not all joy. I don’t want to minimize in any way the horrible heartbreak this family deals with on a daily basis. I cannot even imagine. I know there must be anger, and tears and so much pain.

But also, there were giggles, and hugs and helping mama make tortilla sandwiches, and licking the butter off the knife. And funny snap chat videos, and being excited when Daddy gets home. And asking for more watermelon. And snuggling with brother on the couch. And bedtime kisses.

All in the Frame – Lifestyle Newborn Photo Session

March 14, 2018August 22, 2019Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Newborns & Babies, Portrait SessionsTagged "crystal freemon photography", "Family of 4", 2018, baby, franklin, home, indoors, kids, newbornLeave a comment

“A new baby is like the beginning of all things – wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities.” – Eda L. LeShan

When I first took the leap to being a professional photography, I honestly dreaded newborn sessions. I felt like I had found my style and my passion in family photography, especially with young children. I prided myself on capturing real, candid moments. I loved directly families into the beautiful light, and capturing what unfolded between them.

Most newborn photography I had seen at that time was so different than what I loved to do. It was beautiful, but very posed, with lots of bean bags, and props. I thought that’s what I had to do too…that that’s what it meant to photograph a newborn.

Thankfully, I started educating myself and following lots of other photographers and found that there is definitely more than one style of newborn photography, and I could absolutely bring what I loved about family photography into a newborn session. Step one was dropping any expectations of forced posing (especially when there are big siblings involved) and to focus on capturing that connection between family members, which is what I love to do.

And what other amazing time to capture that beautiful love and connection than during baby’s first days at home? It is seriously such a magical time that goes by amazingly fast, like a dream. What an honor to be able to freeze time in a sense in those early moments that define a family. It is so special for me to be brought into these moments of my clients lives, and to see their family grow. I was there for the birth of both of these beautiful children and I can’t tell you what it means to me to have a job that allows me to be part of something like that.

My favorite newborn sessions are when there is a big brother or sister involved. This brings a sort of beautiful chaos to the session that I actually love so much. One piece of advice I had read when I began to study lifestyle newborn photography was to go with the flow, and to just get them all in the frame and see what happens.

You can see both of those concepts in action in these photos. It’s generally impossible to get a 15 month old to pose for anything. But just like in a family session, we go with the flow and find things she likes to do to keep her happy and occupied I capture these moments between the family. (Notice the sprinkles on baby brothers belly to capture her interest? LOL)

These are the type of images that mean the most to me as a mother, so I hope that I am able to capture images that are meaningful to my clients.

Have you booked your family portrait session yet? There are only a few spots left for spring, so don’t wait to book your session.

Cozy winter moments with a family of four home session

December 11, 2017August 27, 2019Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Newborns & Babies, UncategorizedTagged "chapel hill tn", 2017, baby, Christmas, family, home, indoors, kids, outdoors, siblings, toddlerLeave a comment

Y’all, I think I survived the busy season. It was busy, but beautiful and I just absolutely love all the wonderful families I’ve met and photographed over the past few months, and throughout 2017. While there is no more opportunity for Christmas photos, I am still taking orders for custom photo books for past clients, that make great gifts for the holidays. I’m also booking January – June of next year on my online booking calendar.

Please don’t let winter scare you away from scheduling family portraits. Just look at this beautiful family I met yesterday in Chapel Hill at their family home. It was just a gorgeous piece of property with the sun shining just right through the trees on this chilly winter evening. I wanted to take these sweet boys home with me. Gillan was so much fun showing me around his land and playing hide and seek with me. I just adore the way three year olds are so in love with exploring the world around them. And he is obviously such an amazing big brother to little Tucker. And oh my gosh…baby Tucker! Just look at those adorable cheeks and that smile. What perfect little boys.