Capturing the Magic and Wonder of Childhood
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.
I just love this family portrait session in Downtown Columbia with one of my oldest and dearest clients. That’s not a surprise though because this family is always without fail one of my favorite sessions of the year. These kiddos bring an energy that I just adore, and we always have fun.
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.
It was so good to see this family again, after our last family photo session four or five years ago. These twin sisters were so easy to photograph. The family wanted a more urban setting for their session, so we chose to meet in Downtown Columbia.
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.
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?
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.
I really love photographing senior portrait sessions in downtown Columbia. There are so many fun buildings and textures, and it’s generally less crowded than downtown Franklin. It was thankfully much warmer than my maternity photo session on Friday. It was a beautiful afternoon getting to know Ethan and his mom.
While we were walking around taking photos, I was saying that I really need to explore more of the fun restaurants in Columbia. What are some of your favorites?
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.
This was a really fun senior photo session in Downtown Franklin. I wasn’t sure if we were going to get rained out. But by afternoon, the clouds cleared out and the weather was pretty near perfect.
I so enjoyed getting to know Kate and her mom during this downtown Columbia Senior Portrait Session on Sunday. I feel like her mom and I should have known each other already as it seems we have been on the edge of each other’s circles for years.
Downtown Columbia has become one of my favorite spots for Senior Pictures. There are just so many fun walls and textures, which is what Kate was looking for in her photos. Downtown Franklin is another fun spot for a downtown look but is often more crowded.
If you need me, I’ll be editing. It’s the busy season. ❤
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.
OK I know I’ve chosen too many preview pictures for this fun teen photo session in Downtown Columbia. Narrowing down my selection is never something I excel at and it’s even worse when it’s for the child of one of my best friends who I’ve known for most of their life.
I’ve found that parents typically have a big gap in photos of their kids when it comes to the teen years. We take lots of photos of our little ones, but it gets so much harder as they age. For one thing, teens can be very reluctant to let their parents take everyday pictures of them. But here is a secret: getting dressed up and having a professional photographer take photos of you and your friends is much more enticing than letting mom and dad do it.
(Full disclosure: My own teens usually do NOT want me to take their photos, but I’ve never had any trouble with other people’s teens. Go figure.)
I am so pleased with how these turned out. Michelle suggested the session as a way to celebrate Sam’s 15th birthday. Sam was given the freedom to decide what to wear and what friends to include in the session. I love photographing friendships at any age and loved watching the group interact with each other. We really had a great time roaming around Downtown Columbia. I hope Sam loves the photos as much as I do.
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.
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 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.
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.
I really can’t imagine what it must be like to be a senior during this pandemic. My heart breaks for them and all the experiences they have missed out on. Those lost memories are not trivial things. My sincere hope for the class of 2020 is that they are able to find some happiness in their day to day lives while maintaining hope for the future. I am confident that these young men and women will become the most resilient and resourceful generation yet. I have great confidence in them and can’t wait to see what their futures hold.
There are sooooo many things that go into creating photos at a portrait session. Equipment is just a very small part of that. I always hesitate a little to share too much about what equipment I use, but beginning photographers can put too much stock into that, thinking if they go out and buy the right thing, that their photos will look like they want, which is not at all the case.
With that being said, what equipment a photographer uses, and in particular what kind of lenses, does really contribute to her overall style. So I thought I’d take a moment to tell you about my favorite lens.
My favorite lens in my bag is a Nikon AF S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G Fixed Lens with Auto-focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras. I love the look of this lens. It’s a prime lens, which is generally all I shoot with.
There are two main types of lenses: zoom lenses and prime lenses.
If you have a entry level DSLR, then the lens that came with it (which we often refer to as the “kit lens”) is probably a zoom lens.
Zoom lenses provide ease in mobility…you can zoom in and out from where you stand. Prime lenses do not zoom to move in and out – you have to move your feet. However, the benefit in using this type of lens is that a detailed and sharper image is produced. The focus is quicker with this type of lens and will allow more light in your camera.
I absolutely love the creamy backgrounds I can get with this lens. It’s super sharp, fast, and the 85 mm focal length is perfect for flattering portraits.
If you’ve had a portrait session with me, you’ll notice that I switch lenses A LOT. That’s because I do generally only photograph with prime lenses. If I’m shooting with my 85 mm, and your toddler comes to close to me, then I’ll be photographing their nose hairs and not much else. I can’t zoom out with my lens, since it’s not a zoom lens. So I either have to back up, or switch lenses. Also, I want to give you a variety of images for your gallery so I don’t always use the same lens. For example, if I want a wide photograph that takes in the entire scene, I’ll switch to my 20 mm lens that will include a lot more of the background in the photo than my 85 mm would. Here is are two photos taken from relatively the same spot.
The first is with my 85 mm and the second is with my 20 mm. You can clearly see the difference. Notice how with the 20 mm, you can see a wide view of the town in the background that you can’t see with the 85mm. I also stepped a lot closer to Gabe to get the second shot with the 20 mm lens.
My 85 mm is by far not the most expensive lens out there, but it isn’t the cheapest either, and not what I recommend (yet) for those trying to learn photographer. But I DO usually recommend that new photographers consider a prime lens. But instead of an 85 mm, i recommend the much less expensive, 50 mm (sometimes called a “nifty 50” or a 35 mm. Either of these will be a good overall lens that will perform way better in lower light than your kit lens. Are you into photography? What’s your favorite lens? If you are interested in learning more about photography, ask me about my photography workshop for moms.
One thing I love about shooting Senior Portrait sessions, is that I am able to use my favorite 85 mm lens a lot more than I can at a family session with little kids, because I have more control over my subjects, who generally stand where I tell them to (unlike an energetic two year old.) I also love that Senior Sessions allow me to play with creative backgrounds and framing more than I typically can with younger kids.
I have to brag a little on the guys I’ve photographed lately for Senior photos. They’ve done an amazing job, Gabe included. It’s no secret that the guys are normally having these photos done just because mama wants them, but that hasn’t stopped the guys I’ve photographed lately from doing a fabulous job. Their mama’s should be very happy & proud of their young men.
