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Large Family Photo Session in Franklin, TN

March 1, 2022March 1, 2022Posted in Couples, Family, Little Kids, Portrait Sessions, The Park at Harlinsdale FarmsTagged "crystal freemon photography", cousins, extended family sessions, family, grandparents, Harlinsdale Farms, outdoors, toddlersLeave a comment

When I photograph large family photo sessions, I can’t help but get a little jealous of all the fun that big families seem to have. It’s like a party anytime they get together. I adored this family before I had even met them, thanks to the beautiful things that their dad and grandpa said about them in my client questionnaire.

One of my favorite things is reading what my clients write about their families in that questionnaire. The simple question of “Tell me a little about each of you” can reveal so much. It’s an oddly personal job to capture someone’s portrait, and in a way I can’t quite explain, I like to know something about them before I begin. For example, I knew that the older granddaughter was very serious about taking care of her baby doll. So I definitely wanted to include the doll in photos. And when I saw her squeezing the doll and her cousin at the same time, giving them both all her love, I had to capture that.

The only challenge with such a large group is balancing getting all the different combinations of shots you need and still trying to capture a little of that personality simultaneously. I often leave wishing I could have gotten to know them even better.

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 to book a session from my online calendar. I would love it if you would consider following me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

Fun Family Photo Session in Downtown Columbia

February 21, 2022February 21, 2022Posted in Downtown Columbia, Family, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged "crystal freemon photography", Downtown Columbia, family of 4, family portrait session, Hattie Jane's Creamery, outdoors, playful, preschoolers, toddlers, urban1 Comment

Sweet portrait of brother and sister at family photo session in Downtown Columbia TN

I’m so in love with this family portrait session in downtown Columbia, and it makes me feel like I’ve made a horrible mistake. You see, I love taking pictures around the square in Columbia. It’s never crowded and it has some of the best old abandoned buildings that have beautiful texture and great light.

But I’ve only ever recommended it for Senior sessions. I’ve hesitated to use a downtown setting for my littlest clients because of the streets and traffic. I love to capture children running and playing. So I usually suggest the parks for them so that they have more space to run free.

But when I was chatting with this client about choosing a location, she said that “outdoorsy” settings didn’t feel like a great fit for their family. And above everything else, I want a client’s session to feel authentic to who they are and reflect their personalities. She also said the kids were likely to want to stay pretty close to mom and dad at a session. So I suggested we give downtown Columbia a try.

And I am SOOOOOO glad. I love them, and I hope she does too. These two sweet kids were FANTASTIC. The family was the kind that I immediately felt connected to and loved photographing.

When dad asked if I would take photographs of them getting ice cream at Hattie Jane’s Creamery at the end of the photo session, I thought that was a fantastic idea! Who doesn’t love photos of adorable kids eating delicious ice cream?

Mini Sessions at Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm

November 16, 2021November 16, 2021Posted in Family, Portrait SessionsTagged Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm, family, Maternity, Mini Sessions, Murfreesboro, outdoors, SantaLeave a comment

Country Cove Christmas Tree Farms Mini Sessions

I had a great time this weekend photographing mini sessions at Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm in Murfreesboro. It was a chilly day but the kids did great putting up with the cold. I got to see some of my favorite kiddos and also meet some new friends.

I still keep getting emails from people trying to book Fall family portrait sessions. Unfortunately, it’s way too late for that. But if you need an option for your holiday cards, there are still some openings for Santa photos at Spring Sation Middle School. Nashville Santa and I will be there on December 4 for the SSMS band Holiday Marketplace. All proceeds go to the Spring Station band. (I do also have outdoor Santa minis scheduled, but all of those spots are full.)

Large Family Photo Session at Marcella Vivrette Park

November 9, 2021November 9, 2021Posted in Big Kids, Family, Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, Portrait SessionsTagged cousins, extended family, fall, Franklin Family Photographer, grandparents, Large groups, Marcella Vivrette park, outdoors, siblingsLeave a comment

I’m going to tell y’all a little secret. I don’t usually love large family sessions. Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE that clients want to do them. I think it’s so great to capture that beautiful relationship with extended family. Getting grandparents, cousins, aunts, and uncles together for photos is a great idea.

It’s just that having SO many people at a session can make it hard to do what I really love, which is to capture candid moments of connection. Sometimes, just capturing the more posed large group photo along with every combination of smaller families within the larger family can be pretty stressful.

I know what you are thinking – just make the sessions longer. I could, but I find that going much more than an hour has diminishing returns. That’s about the optimal time to keep the kids (and adults) engaged and focused. But also, sometimes it takes clients a while to warm up and become relaxed. This is fine when I’m photographing a family of four, for example. I tend to like the photos at the end the most, once the kids have gotten used to me. At a large family session, there isn’t much time to waste in “warming up.”

But I’ve been photographing this family for several years now, and they are like magic. Somehow, even with so many kids, they make it easy. They are used to me and my style by now, which helps (but also were a great fit, to begin with). I’m always super impressed with their clothing and accessory collection (isn’t this pop of animal print amazing?).

But mostly, I think it’s just that they have fun and I have fun with them. They make me love large family sessions.

Family Portraits at Marcella Vivrette Park

November 4, 2021November 4, 2021Posted in Family, Little Kids, Marcella Vivrette Smith Park, Portrait SessionsTagged fall, family, Marcella Vivrette park, outdoors, siblingsLeave a comment

Family Portrait Session in Marcella Vivrette park

It was a bit chilly for the family portrait session at Marcella Vivrette Park, but these sweet kids were troopers. This was my first time at Marcella Vivrette and I will definitely be back! It was such a pretty spot.

Childhood Portraits at Winstead Park

October 27, 2021October 27, 2021Posted in Big Kids, Portrait Sessions, Winstead Hill ParkTagged "crystal freemon photography", fall, family, Franklin Family Photographer, outdoors, portraits, Winstead Hill ParkLeave a comment

“And one day she discovered that she was fierce, and strong, and full of fire, and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.”
Mark Anthony

Family Portrait Session at Winstead Park – capturing the love & joy of Emerson in photos.

Family Portraits in Franklin TN

October 23, 2021October 23, 2021Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged "crystal freemon photography", extended family, fall, family, grandparents, Large Group, outdoors, portrait photographer, siblingsLeave a comment

I first met this beautiful family two years ago for an extended family portrait session. I was really excited to return and see them again. A lot of people on Instagram have been asking me about this beautiful portrait location. It’s actually the client’s private retreat, and it was a joy to shoot there. So much beauty and lots of love.

And aren’t the clothing choices just fantastic? I love the colors and the textures.

Family of Four at Country Cove Farms

October 22, 2021October 22, 2021Posted in Big Kids, Family, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged Big Kids, brothers, Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm, fall, family, family of 4, outdoorsLeave a comment

Family of Four Session at Country Cove Farms

I just love photographing old friends, and Shelly is one of my oldest. She and I met in college (just a few years ago), and I also had the amazing privilege of photographing Samuel’s birth. It was great to see them at Country Cove Farms for this family session.

I would love to find a place a bit closer for next year that has rows of Christmas trees like this if anyone knows of a place.

Family of 3 Portraits at Country Cove Farm

October 19, 2021October 19, 2021Posted in Family, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged 2021, Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm, fall, girl, outdoorsLeave a comment

Family Portraits at Country Cove Christmas Tree farm with Crystal Freemon Photography

I love this session at Country Cove Christmas Tree Farms in Murfreesboro. The colors Rachel chose are just gorgeous, the light was lovely and Olivia is just the sweetest, most adorable two-year-old. Everyone knows two-year-olds are my favorite age to photograph, and this portrait session was definitely no exception. I mean just look at those eyes. Isn’t she the cutest?

Family Portrait Session in Columbia, TN

October 12, 2021October 12, 2021Posted in Family, Portrait Sessions, Session Locations, Yanahli ParkTagged Columbia, fall, family, outdoors, siblings, Spring Hill TN Family Photographer, Yanahli ParkLeave a comment

I was very excited to find a new portrait session location. I’ve been hiking a lot recently and using the app AllTrails to find spots to go. Somehow I had never heard of Yanahli Park in Columbia, even though it’s only about 20 minutes away from my house. My husband and I checked it out for a hike and I thought it would be perfect for portrait sessions.

Nicole is one of my long-time favorite clients and always up for trying something new, so they were a great first family to photograph at the park. The spot worked great. The only problem is that there were SO MANY MOSQUITOS. I can’t even explain how bad it was. The kids were champs in dealing with it though, so we made it through and they look beautiful.

I always love the clothes choices that Nicole makes and this time was no different. Those colors are absolutely gorgeous!

You guys please let me know if there are other fun spots I’m missing out on!

Behind-the-Scenes: Senior Pics in Downtown Columbia

September 2, 2021September 2, 2021Posted in Downtown Columbia, Portrait Sessions, Seniors & Teens, UncategorizedTagged "crystal freemon photography", behind-the-scenes, Class of 2022, Downtown Columbia, outdoors, Senior Guy, seniors, urbanLeave a comment

Behind the Scenes Senior Pictures in Downtown Columbia TN

It’s always a special treat to photograph Senior Pictures for a family I’ve known forever. So I was really excited when my old friend Ellen booked me for her son Will’s Senior Portrait Session. She wasn’t sure where they wanted to take the pictures but said they loved textures and cool walls. After some discussion, we settled on Downtown Columbia, which is one of my favorites that few people ever pick.

While I was shooting, I didn’t realize that Ellen was taking a few photos of me. She shared them with me, so I thought it might be fun to show you a behind-the-scenes view of a portrait session by sharing her pics side by side with the ones I was taking when she captured me.

I discovered the backside of this strip of buildings the last time I shot in Columbia & wanted to shoot there again. The sky was pretty cool so I got some close-up shots and some wide-angle views. This is not an angle I would use for a grown person, but these young kids can handle it.

I love this big textured wall in Downtown Columbia but wish there weren’t parking spaces right in front of it. It’s a really cool spot to capture a lot of different angles.

I once took photos of a guitar player in front of Variety Record Shop. Since Will plays the Trumpet, I thought it would be fun to photograph him there too.

I just loved how the brown door, trim, and bricks worked with what Will was wearing, and his red hair. The colors were fantastic. Also, you’ll notice I did not include any black & white images in this blog preview. I just couldn’t do it. The colors were too perfect.

This photo, in particular, did a great job of showing how the beauty of a session location really is in the eye of the photographer. This was literally some back alley construction site with garbage all around. But the texture of the stack of bricks, the stone and brick walls, and the ivy growing in the background got my attention. And I thought the colors worked great.

I’m a little obsessed with chasing the sun.

Here we were joking about all the positions photographers find themselves in and how I’m often literally rolling around in the mud. Anything for the shot. It’s a lot more tiring with little kids I’m trying to chase and then diving to the ground. At least the teens follow directions.

I made Will play for me while taking these because authenticity is key. It felt like we were on Bourbon Street. I got a sneak peek of the theme for the Summit High School Marching Band show for this year. I’m not going to give it away, but I am STOKED. I can’t wait to see them perform.

And then here are a few more I don’t have behind-the-scenes shots of, because I am horrible at narrowing down my favorites from a session. Especially one I really enjoyed, like this one.

Thanks so much to Ellen for sharing these pictures with me so I could share a behind-the-scenes perspective of a photo session.

A&E Farm Extended Family Photo Session

June 30, 2021June 30, 2021Posted in Family, Little KidsTagged "crystal freemon photography", A&E Farm, college grove, extended family, Family Portrait Photographer, Four Generations, grandparents, Horses, outdoors, sistersLeave a comment

This beautiful family traveled from all over the country for a vacation together at A&E Farm in College Grove. I had never been to A&E Farm before. It’s such a beautiful place to book for a vacation or small event! I’m sure wonderful memories were made for all four generations visiting together. I am so thankful they asked me to capture some of those moments.

Christmas Mini Sessions #2 at Country Cove Farm

November 10, 2020November 10, 2020Posted in Big Kids, Family, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged 2020, Christmas, Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm, family, Holiday Mini Sessions, Murfreesboro, Nashville Family Photographer, outdoorsLeave a comment

Family Portrait Mini Sessions at Country Cove Christmas Tree Farm by Crystal Freemon Photography

During my last holiday marathon mini portrait session at Country Cove Christmas Farms in Murfreesboro, I wrote about how to decide if Mini Sessions are right for your family photos. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to photograph four more beautiful families who were all a great fit for a shorter portrait session.

To be honest, I was a little less excited about this second Mini Session today because of the time of day I needed to book the farm. I am passionate about magic hour lighting for portrait sessions. That’s the hour before sunset. My last Christmas Tree farm session was in the evening around magic hour. But because I waited too long to book, I wasn’t able to find another evening session that worked. So this one was in the morning. But it actually turned out to be wonderful. The sunlight was just coming through the tall trees on the farm and led to lovely lighting. And the weather was gorgeous…though my clients may have argued they were quite hot in their winter clothing.

This was the last of my Mini-Sessions for this year, and my family sessions are pretty much all full. But I do have one more opportunity for photos to tell you about.

I did not plan on doing Santa sessions this year because of the pandemic. But Nashville Santa and I have both gotten a lot of requests from people to find some way to make it happen. So we have put together a Santa Mini Session for Friday, December 4. The kids are doing asynchronous learning that day, so they can take a quick break to do photos.

SAFETY IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. It will be a little different this year as kids will not be sitting on Santa’s lap. They will either stand next to Santa or sit on a stool next to Santa. I’ll be masked. You may choose whether you’d like Santa to be masked. The session is outdoors only so if there is rain we will make an attempt to reschedule but may have to cancel.

Sessions are 15 minutes long, so if you want to get a quick family shot in too, there should be time.

Teachers & First Responders: Please use coupon code “THANKS” for 20% off your Santa Session. (Please share a teacher or first responder who might be interested.)

You can book your 15 minute Santa Session on my website. Spots are limited, so don’t wait.

Spring Hill TN Fall Family Portrait Session

October 19, 2020October 19, 2020Posted in Chapmans Retreat Walking Trail, Family, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged blue, brothers, Chapman's Retreat Walking Trail, CRES, fall, family of 4, Nashville Family Photographer, outdoors, Spring Hill TN PhotographerLeave a comment

Spring Hill TN Family Photographer, Fall 2020

I wrote an entire blog post just a few days ago, and I think that is my limit for this very busy week. So for this beautiful family portrait session in Spring Hill, I think I will let the photos speak for themselves. These sweet boys are getting so big. Happy fifth birthday, Ty!

Are you following me on Instagram? That’s a great place to keep up to date on future openings. I have a couple spots left for my Holiday Family Mini Sessions. Or are you looking for a senior photographer? Either way, you can book a session directly from my online booking calendar, or contact me if you have questions.

My Adventures in Video | Nashville Family Photographer

October 1, 2020October 2, 2020Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Newborns & Babies, Portrait SessionsTagged 2020, baby, baby boy, fall, family of 4, home, Nashville Family Photographer, outdoors, pets, siblings, toddler girl, videoLeave a comment

Nashville Family Photographer - family of four

When Ashley first contacted me about this at-home family portrait session, she said that she had found me just by googling Nashville Family Photographer, and liked the work on my website. But she wanted to know if I could shoot a session at their home. My answer was “absolutely”! I love photographing families in places that mean something to them.

Ashely wanted a daytime session that would work for baby Jack’s schedule. Her back yard was the perfect spot and offered plenty of shade for a morning session. The trees were absolutely gorgeous and I fell in love with Emilia’s tree swing. It looked like something you would find in a fairy garden.

So for a while, I’ve wanted to try adding video to my services, but I don’t have much experience in doing it. For some time, I’d wanted to try to add a few videos to a session, but needed to find the right opportunity. First, I didn’t want to feel like I was in a race with the light, and since this was a daytime session, I felt I had a little more wiggle room on the time, so I could take a little extra time at each spot to get the photos I normally would, and then take a video or two.

Second, I needed it to be a small family with young children. I have done a few bigger families and extended sessions lately and definitely didn’t feel confident adding something extra to those. But with a small family, there is usually more time during a session since there are not lots of combinations of people to include in the shots. I wanted young children because those sessions are just naturally more active and a good fit for capturing movement.

So anyway, I didn’t tell the family I was shooting video because I wasn’t sure how it would turn out or if I would even include it. But I played around with them today and think they turned out OK. I definitely want to practice more and maybe eventually add this on as an additional option for clients.

Are these not the cutest kids ever? The session was so much fun and I love reliving that fun through the videos. Emelia’s laugh is just the most beautiful music.

In case the video moved to quickly for you, here are some of the images in my usual format:

Family of 3 Summer Photo Session | Spring Hill Baby Photographer

August 3, 2020August 3, 2020Posted in Family, Home Sessions, Newborns & Babies, Portrait SessionsTagged baby, cat, dog, family of 3, Lifestyle family photos, love, outdoors, pets, Spring Hill TN Photographer, summerLeave a comment

“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.

Summer Family Portrait Session by the Creek | Spring Hill, TN Photographer

July 27, 2020July 27, 2020Posted in Big Kids, Family, Little Kids, Portrait Sessions, Seniors & TeensTagged boys, cousins, creek, extended family, outdoors, sisters, Spring Hill TN Photographer, summer, TeensLeave a comment

“Then followed that beautiful season… Summer…. Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape. Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I had so much fun at this family portrait session in Spring Hill last night. There is something about summer photos that I find magical, despite the heat. I think the quote from Longfellow above sums up why….I love the magical light and the wonder of childhood that you don’t get in the other seasons.

Backyard Portrait Session with Grandparents | Franklin Family Photographer

June 24, 2020June 24, 2020Posted in Big Kids, Family, Home Sessions, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged "extended family", cousins, family, Franklin Portrait Photographer, grandparents, outdoors, pool, siblings, summerLeave a comment

Little boy sliding on pool slide in Nashville

Memories are being made in this backyard. Summer fun with cousins splashing in the pool, jumping on the trampoline, and creating art with chalk…is there anything better? I love being able to photograph families in locations that are special to them, and this home is certainly special and full of love.

It’s been five years since I first photographed this beautiful family as they gathered together for summer fun. I last photographed them around this time three years ago. It was so great to see them again and see how much the kids had grown.

Just like at their very first family session, we started out with more formal portraits, but then let the kids play in the back yard as I shot fun lifestyle pictures. Then they got to change to have fun in the pool. I even brought my GoPro along for a few underwater shots.

Birthdays in the time of Pandemics

March 27, 2020March 27, 2020Posted in Big Kids, Family, Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged 2020, birthday, boy, brothers, coronavirus, family, front porch photos, Magic Hour, milestones, Nashville Family Photographer, outdoors, pandemic, social distancing, Spring Hill TN Photographer1 Comment

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!

Love and Portrait Sessions in the time of Coronavirus

March 14, 2020March 14, 2020Posted in Family, Little Kids, Portrait Sessions, The Park at Harlinsdale Farms, UncategorizedTagged "Family of 4", "The Park at Harlinsdale Farms", 2020, barns, brothers, family, little kids, Nashville Family Photographer, outdoors, spring, toddlersLeave a comment

Wow, what a week. I hope that you are all finding some peace, love and toilet paper in this time of coronavirus, and above all, staying safe and healthy.

I know you have already received emails from every business you’ve ever associated with on how they are handling things during this time of quarantine, so I’m going to refrain from sending emails on my thoughts. But I will outline them here in case you have a session coming up and are wondering what will happen.

For my portrait sessions, these are generally done in outdoor parks or in clients home where close contact with other people is minimum. I do plan to take extra care in changing the way I do sessions temporarily in that I will rely on my words to guide you into position rather than touching you or your children to move you into the position I would like. This goes for newborn photo sessions as well.

But, if for any reason you are uncomfortable proceeding with a session at this time, please know that I will allow you to reschedule for any date in the future. Please just shoot me an email and let me know and we can postpone your family portrait session until things have settled down.

I was happen to get out into the sunshine and photograph this beautiful family of four at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin this week. Little Chase just turned two, which is my favorite age of children to photograph. Look at that adorable smile!