R's Second Birthday

Today Baby R turns 2!!!!!!!!!!

One of my most asked about newborn photos is that of the little baby in the monkey hat with the big lips, which is by far still one of my favorites, and I was lucky enough to get to get to see that little booger again just the other day!!! To no surprise he has grown into an incredibly handsome and devilishly stylish young man that I'm sure all the girls at daycare are constantly fighting over! He's still got those lips that Kylie Jenner pays top dollar for too. 

R is Turing 2 going on 16 and pronounced the word sunglasses in the most adorable way, there were way too many syllables for me to even remember how to pronounce it but by golly was it cute!!! In every blog I've ever covered on this family I always gloat about how amazed at how stylish and beautiful this young lady is, despite having a crazy hyper active two year old.  I don't have any kids and have never been as collective mentally or physically she is! Definitely Mom Goals (as all the hip kids say). She's also just an all around kind and wonderful woman and is always such a pleasure to be around. Working with her and R was literally a day at the park, where I've taken some of my most favorite family photos! I even wore my sneakers to this shoot instead of my flats because I was expected to have to chase R down this whole session however he was such a treat and actually ran towards me quite a few times (with large rocks in his hand, not sure if it was a threat or not). I can't get enough of how cute these two were and how much I appreciate them allowing me to once again capture such a special part of their lives! Happy Birthday R, hope you and your family have a great one!!!

Thanks to Mama T again for providing Balloons not once, but twice!!! (they got away from us at some point the first time!) Also big thanks to 100 Acre Boutique for providing me with this adorable little beanie for this guys shoot! I didn't think he could look anymore like a rock star than he already did!!!

Baby DW III Newborn Session

The Saga of the DW family continues with their most recent installment Baby M, who is also my God Son!!! Just going into his birth knowing that made the moment so much more special when I was able to witness his birth and be one of the first few people to hold him! I'm hoping these guys will make another dozen babies because gosh dang they are awfully cute! Big Brother M & Big Sister R wanted so badly to hold M and to help with him however they could it was so cute! Mama & Papa have said that Big Sister R has repeatedly taken M out of his rocker and brought him to one of the, crying, sleeping, whatever! They both want so badly to hold their new baby it makes me hopeful that since I'm waiting so long to have kids if I have them close together they'll be this loving!!!

I so wish I could share some of photos from M's birth. We had waited and waited for what seemed like weeks for M to make his big debut, I had made sure to keep my schedule relatively open so I could leave at a moments notice but of course as soon as I started a newborn session (which typically last 4 hours) I got a call from Mama T that she was in labor... SOMEHOW, I still managed to do the newborn session and drive the hour and a half up to Kentucky to see this little guy come into the world! I even got to cut the cord which was one of the most special moments I've ever gotten to share with a family, or just in general!!! M was also kind enough to be born around 3pm instead of 3am like his big sister! 

Even though he looks like he was awake in a few of the photos I posted he slept like a rock. I don't think I can express enough how hard he slept no matter how much I loved him or changed him or wrapped him he just slept and gave me some of the best faces! I can only imagine what he was dreaming about, it was probably me... or the booby. 

Baby P Cake Smash

This little lady has graduated from the baby plan and oh my goodness she grew about 2 feet from the time we did her family session to the time we did her cake smash!!! She's so long and beautiful just like her sisters, I hate it for Mama J & Papa R! They're going to have it rough with three beautiful little girls... I feel like these little ladies are now my nieces I've gotten so close to all them! They're always so kind, well behaved, and engaging and I look for any excuse to go see them! Anyways, just a few weeks back Baby P had her cake smash and oh my goodness I can not tell you how many images are in their gallery that are just of the cake smash!!! (It's somewhere around 50!) Because there were so many photos I am so in love with just from the CS I'm doing a blog exclusively on this portion of the session and another one for the family! Her Mama & I share a love for all things Shabby & Frilly, which I guess you have to when you have 3 girls, and I loveeee outdoor sessions so this made for a perfect combination! Little Ms. P has so much self control too, we learned from her birthday that she is not a huge fan of icing so I made a nude cake covered in lots of yummy fruit for her! It was still surprising though when she didn't even break into the cake, she spent her session munching on the strawberries and dodging the blueberries. You can tell in some of the photos too where she hit a bitter one an was not pleased but overall she loved it just as much as we did! 

A & T Anniversary Session

As T & A make a quick stop in Nashville after a 20 hour car ride from RI (eclipse traffic!) and we were able to do a really quick session before the rain really started coming down! Literally, as we were leaving it started to pour, we were able to make it to the cars and I was able to make it home, which was about 3 minutes away! I'm happy we didn't do the 25 minute drive to the location we were originally wanting to shoot at because we would have never made it! 

Working on such a short time frame wasn't a problem with these two as interacting with one another came so incredibly easily and the jokes flowed like honey. I would start a pose and they would completely make it there own, which is what every photographer wants in a couple! These two were celebrating 15 years of marriage and I was informed at their wedding they actually ran in jumped in the ocean after the ceremony so this was a bit of a cake walk for them! The session is short and for now the blog is short as we are in the process of helping my brother move!!!

The wonderful woman in the photos is also the owner of SweetSouthernBabies and makes the cutest outfits!!! https://www.etsy.com/shop/SweetSouthernBabies?ref=l2-shopheader-name

C Graduation Photos

I have a huge problem when it comes to photoshoots, I get carried wayyyyyyy too easily, which isn't a bad problem I suppose! For those of you who can't tell I'm a huge fan of bright colors. My whole business palette is just a giant blob of shabby chic inspiration/explosion of florals so when C agreed to shoot at one of my favorite locations and gave my creative control I can not tell you how ecstatic I was!!! I did a session similar to this some time ago but wasn't able to capture the feeling I was wanting the photos to represent. Though the original model did a stupendous job, it turned out that I was missing one key element... a handsome boyfriend to share the excitement and ice cream with! These two played off each other so well and were just so happy in the moment I really didn't have to do anything except try and keep up with them! 

I might have taken like 100 photos in about 3 minutes. Though we spent a good amount of time at another location, shooting other outfits, I am madly in love with these photos because they represent the excitement and dramatic flair I want my photos and business to portray! 

Also, it was an extra special session because it was Panda's first birthday!!! She might have been the best listener and most responsive one year old I've ever worked with ;) 

P Family Session

You don't realize just how long two years has been until you see a family you haven't seen in ages and they have one child running around and another who is just starting to sit up (that you had no clue they even had)! Two years ago I had amazing photo session with Baby C, who is now Big Brother C, and his amazing Mama & Papa! Nashville weather, as much as I love it, I hate it all the same. We had to reschedule twice to do rain and sickness caused by allergies, so the third time was definitely the charm! We did however end up finishing right before it started to storm, the storm that brought all this awful Nashville humidity, & I'm so thankful we had such a beautiful and cool morning to shoot! It's definitely not going to be like that again till fall! 

Baby C had such a big personality, she was well beyond her years and such an incredibly happy  baby!!! She was nothing but smiles (& tongue) her whole session and was reaching for her brother every time he was close enough to grab him. Big Brother C was a little ball of fire & despite what the photos might show he wouldn't sit still! There were so many exciting things going on around us, he was such an adventurer and was so incredibly fearless! (Hence why Baby C was reaching for him, she was trying to get him to hold still so she could get home & take a nap!) I don't know how Mama C & Papa R keep up with them!

To see just how much this family has changed check out BB C's 6 month session with me! Still the cutest pumpkin I think I've ever seen!!! http://www.chelseameadowsphotography.com/blog/2015/11/13/fe2dqbzud2e3tsnywfwfd1jvpu7fya

Ms. Nadie R

Now that I've got a fancy computer where I can actually see what I'm doing I've been going through lots and lots of old files and I have to toot my own horn a bit and say I'm still amazed at some of my old work! It's so easy to be hypercritical of yourself and compare your work to others but stumbling across galleries like this really make me incredibly proud of my work and even more eager for every shoot I have!  One of my most wonderful and imaginative models to date! I look forward to the day I can work with Ms. Nadia again! 

Baby S Newborn Session

Almost 3 years ago, at the start of my newborn career, an awesome couple (& even cooler friends) welcomed their first child into the world and you best believe I jumped at the opportunity to shoot their baby! After hours of planning, because back then it didn't take me weeks to actually plan because I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I welcomed Mitchell & Brittany into my home studio and walked myself right into a whirlwind! I spent some time dying cheesecloth (which has ZERO stretch to it guys, don't believe all those blogs!!!), buying fabrics, the works, excited to use literally every newborn prop I had at the time for her session. I've got to say I psyched myself up for so long, after seeing all these sleepy adorable baby photos online and thinking that that would be the cutest thing ever to add to my portfolio, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Newborns have definitely been one of the most complicated, yet most rewarding, models I have ever worked with. I never imaged how much newborns pee and poop, especially when naked, nor did I think that it would be so hard to get them to sleep for more then 5 minutes! Isn't that what newborns do? Eat, poop, and sleep??? The photos you see online are a dirty lie and make it look so easy!

Now Big sister H was definitely a challenging newborn. Despite being fed and kept up before our session she was literally awake for the whole thing and loved the fur I laid her on so much that she peed on it more then once! She never cried but was the biggest wiggle bug I have ever seen! It was also the first time Papa M had been pooed on and it was an amazingly funny experience. Even though I wasn't nearly as knowledgeable about posing newborns/didn't have all the fancy cute props I have now, I still love the family photos I did from H's newborn session. Mama B & Papa M look so incredibly proud of their beautiful little girl that it doesn't matter her fingers weren't flat, her wrap wasn't smooth, or her arms were literally spelling out YMCA the whole time, the photos are still so sentimental even I can look past all the fine details to see the true beauty of the family.

Fast forward almost 3 years and M & B are welcoming their second beautiful little girl into the world and it wasn't an option for the now 4  to once again visit me! Baby S was just as beautiful as I imagined her and Mama B has a hotter postpartum body than I have on a good day so I was incredibly jealous. She also had more hair then I thought a newborn could have and her mama picked out a beautiful color pallet so I was incredibly excited to piece everything together! Following in her adorable sisters footsteps Baby S was awake for a good chunk of her session and was more interested in why I was moving her around so much then sleeping. Despite being such a wiggle butt we did manage to get her to sleep for a good 15 straight minutes which was all I needed!

Big Sister H amazed me at how well she handled her little sister! I've never seen a sibling so young walk around (or try to at least!) with 'their' baby with such ease as H did! She sat down and proper her upright, cradled her, the works! This little mama is going to be a huge help to her parents! S wasn't too terribly pleased we kept moving her around while she tried to sleep but still managed to look like a gerber model for her family photos!

Purple knit blanket - Baileys Knits

Puple wrap and headbands - Emmy Blue Headbands

Purple Bonnet - Pinkytinks Boutique

Purple and Yellow headband - Pixie Blossoms

White floral headband - Pixie Blossoms

Ivory Headband and wrap - Emmy Blue Headbands

E Family Maternity Session

Talk about a family that's hit the genetic lottery! Some 7 months ago Mrs. E announced she was expecting her second child and I was ecstatic! I knew I just had to buy my time and hopefully I'd be able to see them and though it took till Mama Brittany's 37th week it was well worth the wait! (It also means less time for me to wait till I get to meet Baby S!) Papa Mitchell had contacted me some weeks before our session and we attempted to plan a session for his adorable family in secrecy but it wasn't until Mama B got involved that the whole thing really came together! 

The hardest part of this session was not only trying to decide which of my maternity dresses Mama B would wear (the answer was all of them!) but letting this adorable family leave! Big Sister H was such a cute little ham and you can tell she's used to having her photos taken on a regular basis! Even when the chilly wind would blow H would just throw on the biggest smile as soon as I lifted my camera. She's super excited to meet her little sister and is going to be such a great little helper to her parents! 

Halloween Session with MC

HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y'ALL!!!

It's been ages since I've been able to do a 'stylized' session & ever since I've started making dresses it's all I've wanted to do, so it only seemed fit that I dragged one of my favorite little ghouls to the graveyard with me to frolic. Don't worry, we didn't forget our tooth brushes!  

Normally my sessions last hours, simply because we spend so much time talking and making awful jokes, but somehow Maya & I managed to knock out this spooky session in an hour & a half, even with my knee slappers! I don't think I've met anyone equally as funny or so much like me & I always love working with Maya for this very reason (she also knocks it out of the park every session too but, that's beside the point). I could literally spend all day with this beautiful woman & not get sick of her or her crazy antics!

We spent the better part of the morning drinking (what I thought was) bad coffee from Mc Donald's & glairing at passing cars while we dramatically danced & prayed as we ran through the cemetery. Maya thankfully was carrying enough good juju that we both felt safe. We were accompanied by Jeffery & Jeffery's less important friend who's name I don't remember (who I picked up from Michael's just an hour before our session). Even though Halloween just seemed to slip by my this year but I am so incredibly thankful that I had the opportunity to engage in some level of Spooky before the day passed!

K Senior Session

What do you do when you're given the opportunity to work with an incredibly gorgeous, kind, and funny young lady? You make her work with you for two hours.

After weeks of talking with Ms. K's mother the day finally arrived where I would get to meet these beautiful ladies! Though these two are not Nashville natives they were able to introduce me to multiple amazing locations downtown , and though I normally avoid downtown like the plague (fear of crowds) it was well worth the trip! I feel like had K and myself been in high school at the same time she would definitely be a girl I would have wanted to be friends with. She was so kind, smart, but more importantly incredibly funny, and seemed to understand all my sporadic hand motions and directions, even though I didn't know what I was doing half the time! Ms. K was so incredibly classy it only seemed appropriate to incorporate the beautiful architecture of Union Station into her session! It was incredibly hard to narrow down my personal favorites and it's going to be even harder trying not to incorporate all of her photos into my galleries!
 

Jessica & John Engagement Session

After months & months of talking & trying to meet fellow photographer Jessica E we finally spent a morning together (doing what you ask? Why) taking photos of course! Jess is a talented photographer located in Pegram whom I had spoken to on several occasions about meeting, working together, & all that jazz, BUT, something always came up & it just never happened. However, this lovely mama of two recently got engaged to her handsome now fiance John & it seemed like the best time to finally get together! Meeting Jess was well worth the wait though! She was just as kind & considerate as she I thought she'd be & twice as pretty!

To my surprise (& of course pleasure) J & E brought along their youngest son D, who almost stole the show from his mama & papa! He was so photogenic it was hard not to include him in more photos, you could tell he was accustom to having a camera in this face!

Though their older son couldn't be there for the session Jessica still managed to include him in their photos!

It was so nice not only getting to meet Jess for the first time, but to also have a fellow photographer as a model! Her & John made the session go by too quickly & made my job a piece of cake! We were sadly finished so much sooner than I expected(Even though thy had a little one with them!) but now I get to look forward to working with these two again come wedding day! I'll be sure to bring the blanket John made so much for of during our shoot

Bre & Drew Maternity Session

This Evening Mama Bre finally gave birth to her little lady!!!! I've tried to keep from harassing her all day but I am over the moon that Baby C has finally made her big debut & it seems that Momma & Baby are doing just fine!!! (Which means I'll get to see her within the week) In honor of Baby C's birth, today seems as good a day as ever to share Bre's maternity photos! Though we did our session some time ago we were holding out for another day to add to her gallery, but sadly time just didn't seem to be on our side, especially with this lady working her butt of almost every day! We shot at an amazing location at sunset that  Bre & Drew's maternity session took place at sunset, which gave us some beautiful lighting at an amazing location (even though we were horrified every time a car drove over the bridge!)

I can't even begin to tell you how excited it makes me that I'll be starting off 2016 with a newborn session, I've already seen a few photos of Baby C & I'm already trying to color match all my props & accessories for when her Mama, Papa, & brother come to visit me. This small family has already been so wonderful to work with & nothing but wonderful to me that hopefully you'll be seeing these guys more than once over 2016! Happy Birthday Baby C & congrats to Mama Bre & Papa Drew! (Also big brother E)

See you guys soon!

Claire & Doug

Writing a blog is like writing an essay in school, in so many ways... Not just that you have to have an intro, a body, & conclusion, & you have to somehow captivate your audience, but also that I hate to do it. Especially when it's a blog about someone I'm not that fond of. I mean at all.  

Just kidding...

Hey ya'll, it's Doug & Claire Bear! California's don't say ya'll but Claire has been in the south long enough & says it. I was just as excited as everyone else to see that these two got engaged & I patiently waited to be asked to do their photos! If not for their wedding than to at least do their engagement photos! I had awkward encounters with Claire over the last 3 or 4 years, & she's always been someone I know I can text for a good laugh! We have so many stupid stories between one another & I knew that any man willing to put up with her must be some guy! Turns out, I kind of knew the guy! Small world isn't it? Her handsome hubby to be used to skate with my older brother Jonathan & he seriously doesn't look like he's changed in the last ten or so years!

When these two FINALLY contacted me about doing their photos I kindly invited myself to their home & spent the morning playing with their dog, trying to make their cat love me, & oh yeah, taking their photos.

Even though these two photographed beautifully it was hard to compare to Baxtor, who stole the spotlight from his Mama & Papa during out session!

I'm sure you're wondering why a butt picture made the cut... if you weren't before, you are now.

One of the things I've discovered over the last few years is that it doesn't really matter how long two people have been together... when you know you've found the person you want to be with the rest of your life, you know. Just being around these two for a short amount of time would make you think they were a couple that had been together for years. They already know how to make one another so happy & have pretty much pushed all the boundaries in just how weird you can be around one another.  I couldn't think of a more considering or kind man for Claire & I wish them the best with their future together, even though they obviously don't need it.

The only advice I can give to you is to put a limit on how many pets you have... but if one just casually walks up to your door, by all means let it in.

Ash & Ruch

All of you parents know that once Baby comes along it's all about them! Mom & Dad get put on the back burner, it's a sad fact but we all know it's true... SO! It was incredibly nice to get to meet Mama Ash & Papa Ruch before their cutie pie to be comes along! This couple was so incredibly kind & interesting & it was so easy to carry on a conversation with them! We basically held an ongoing conversation throughout our session.

Ruch, being the smart husband he is, sent me to Ash to talk about all the details of their session & Ash knew way before we even spoke what she wanted to do for their family photos & I was so thrilled to put all her brilliant ideas into play! These two were such wonderful models for their maternity session & were up for just about anything, including climbing a very questionable ladder to get up onto an even more questionable platform!

Despite my ridiculous fear of The Grudge Girl, who resides in any dark corner of the earth, I sucked it up & went inside an incredibly creepy (but beautiful) barn & didn't die. I still refuse to go into any attic ever, for anything other than Christmas decorations.

Despite the storms a few days prior (taking off most of the leaves we were hoping for) & our original location being unavailable we had an amazingly colorful & creative (thanks to Auntie & her adorable props) session!!! 

I love meeting families at the beginning. I love watching two people become parents & I love that they allow me to experience & document a small portion of that first year as a family. Though they still have what seems like forever till their little guy is here I feel like I'm once again going to be constantly checking FB watching for baby updates way earlier than necessary! Congrats again to the interesting couple & I can't wait to see you two again!