toddlers Archives - Crystal Freemon Photography

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?

Family Portrait Session at Montgomery Bell State Park

September 30, 2021September 30, 2021Posted in Little Kids, Portrait SessionsTagged Crystal Freemon Photography, fall, family of 4, joy, lovies, Montgomery Bell State Park, preschoolers, siblings, toddlersLeave a comment

Family Portrait sessions like this one at Montgomery Bell State Park are my happy place. I love it when the babies are old enough to walk and talk and giggle and explore their surroundings. But also they are young enough to be their true authentic selves without worrying about what the look like in photos. This is why toddlers and preschoolers will always be my favorite age to photograph. (Though it’s also still fun to photograph Seniors, who allow for a different kind of creativity since they will do exactly what I tell them to do.)

Fall Family Photo Session in Franklin TN

November 18, 2020November 17, 2020Posted in Family, Little Kids, Portrait Sessions, The Park at Harlinsdale FarmsTagged "The Park at Harlinsdale Farms", 2020, fall, Fall color, Fall in Tennessee, familly portraits, family of 4, Franklin Portrait Photographer, sisters, toddlersLeave a comment

Fall Family Photos in Franklin by Crystal Freemon Photography

On Tuesday, I shot a Senior Portrait Session at the Park at Harlinsdale Farms in Franklin. It was an absolutely perfect fall day. The autumn color was in full glory and all the trees were spectacular. On Sunday, I returned for a family photo session and almost all the leaves were gone.

I did, however, find this one perfect tree that had not lost it’s leave and was a gorgeous red orange color.

There were droves of photographers at the park that afternoon. It is one of the busiest portrait weekends of the year. I arrived early, as I always do, to stake out the location and look around at the light. These two sessions are a perfect example of why I do that. Even though I know this location well, and had been there just a few days before, it looked completely different.

When I found my tree, the light was coming through it in just the right way. I’m obsessed with light and this is one of my favorite kinds. I don’t normally shoot in that direction because there is an ugly parking lot behind the tree. But I figured it was far enough away to not be much of a problem. I knew I wanted to start the family photos at the tree because the light could move and not be at just the right spot if I waited. So I stopped roaming and just stood and staked out my spot like a dog hoping it didn’t get overrun with other photographers before my session started.

The funny thing is, I never saw another photographer go near the tree. It just goes to show that you can have 100 photographers photograph a subject, and everyone of them will see it differently and execute a different vision.

And isn’t this just the most beautiful family? Gah, those giggles are the best.