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

Matoka & Jarett Engagment Session

Going on adventures with friends is one of the best parts of being a photographer! As much as I love my many adventures with young Samuel there's just something extra special about going out and sharing in the mischief with equally as awesome people. Matoka & Jarett are always so much fun to be around and I always get some stunning images from all their sessions so when we planned on going to Cummins Falls I thought we would get some drop dead gorgeous images at the waterfall! Well, we got some awesome images but they weren't by the waterfall! None of us had ever been to the area & as beautiful of a drive & walk as it was it was atrocious to navigate. The weather was thankfully beautiful but that just meant the area was packed with people who didn't seem to notice that we were taking pictures. We went out of the way in lots of areas to get photos and not to disturb anyone doing their thing and somehow people still seemed to go out of their way to sit on the same rock or stand in the same area as J & M. The fact that it just so happened to be the one time of year I get sick & I had no voice what so ever didn't help too much! Thankfully Blake was there to make sure everything went as smoothly as possible & I had to use him multiple times to show the two what type of pose I needed them to do. Despite the craziness of the day these two were such good sports & always provide such amazing conversation. They managed to make a crazy day an amazing experience and despite the cluttered setting they still knocked it out of the park! In every photo, posed or not the way they look at each other is the way that all women want their man to look at them (& vice versa). One of the best things from the day was the fact that Matoka was painting her nails as we went, which takes some serious skill!!!

 I can't wait to finish this session up or for their wedding in October!!! 

Jessie & Wes Destination Wedding

As the year comes to an end & I try & catch up with all my blogs I can't help but first share the first of many stylized sessions with one of my old models & her handsome husband! As I say a bit too much, it isn't often that I get the opportunity to shoot for myself, the last time I did was Halloween & the itch hasn't left (thanks for the itch Maya ;D), so when I saw Mrs. Jess was getting married I definitely made some calls & made sure she knew she would be working with me soon! I spent months watching J & W prepare for their wedding online & share sneak peeks of their decorations, attire, etc, & immediately feel in love. I knew I wanted to shoot them before I even knew what I wanted to do.

After weeks of planning & another week of me changing those plans the day finally came for our session! I've never been a morning person but due to sheer excitement I spent the night before waking up every 30 minutes anxiously awaiting the moment I could take the 2 hour car ride to one of the most stunning locations I've ever visited with one of the most amazing couples to shoot some of my best work to date.

I'm notoriously picking days where it's absolutely freezing outside to shoot very important shoots & this day was no exception. Being right by the water, in the shade, & catching every breeze that went by this was by far one of the chillest shoots I've ever done however J & W still managed to look like professional models throughout it all! You can tell just how deeply these two know each other simply by their movement. Every pose & little movement came so naturally to them & they knew what I wanted them to do before I even said it!

Despite all the parkouring we had to do over chilly waters & all the paths we had to navigate this location remains one of the easiest to navigate! (MUCH better than Cummins Falls). I thought Blake & I had it bad carrying camera gear but Jess had it worst wearing flats and having to carry he beautiful dress in between every location. Wes was such a gentleman & helped her every step of the way & they never once complained about being cold (I was doing enough of that!) There was no ledge too steep or no cliff too sketchy for these two!!!

After two hours we finally decided to wrap it up & head home. Jess & Wes having very little sleep themselves fell asleep almost immediately in the back seat & I felt like such a proud parent with her children all snuggled up in the back of the car. I saw in these two beautiful people a young more cool version of Blake & myself. Working with these two was like working with someone you've known all your life & I can't thank them enough for giving us the opportunity to create such magical photos with us!!!

I also want to give a special thanks to my most excellent assistant/dude Blake Smith! I couldn't have done it without you!

This is what I love most about photography. Working with amazing people in a relaxing environment & turning them into the works of art that they are! As many beautiful locations & people as there are in Tennessee there is so much opportunity to capture so much that I'm extending my destination wedding packages to all my wedding clients, old & new! Relive your special day & dress up in your wedding attire, joining me & Blakein a relaxing environment (minus all the hassle & pressure of your big day!) as we frolic through beautiful fields, muddy trails, steep rocks, whatever & where ever it takes to get the perfect location & photos you always dreamed of having!

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.

Candace & Brian

As soon as I mention in a post that I never work with adults anymore (that don't have children accompanying them) I have a week full of happy newly engaged couples! Candace contacted me months back about doing an engagement session with her handsome Fiancé Brian & I was incredibly bummed that she was booking months in advance (even though that makes it much easier for me)! I always love suggesting style, locations, & outfits to clients but Candace knew right off the bat all the details she wanted incorporated into her session & had her outfits picked out & sent to me weeks before! I was eagerly counting down the days till our session & though we had to reschedule due to weather it was well worth the wait! We blew through the first portion of our session in less than 30 minutes.

 I can always tell a lot about a couple based on how smooth our session goes & even though C & B asked to be directed throughout our session it wasn't at all necessary. The two of them worked so well alongside one another & had too much fun  just being around each other & had such difficulty treading through the tall grass that I don't think they even realized they were having their photos taken. Brian had sadly heard most of my jokes but gave me a few new ones to add to my artillery!!! He spent most the session making her (& me!) laugh & everything was just so incredibly genuine that I couldn't stop photographing them.

One of the big things Candace had discussed with me that she wanted incorporated into their session was their love for the outdoors & the two were very eager to tug their new canoe along with them. Though they both informed me that there were two perfectly good seats at either end of the canoe (& apparently that's where you're suppose to sit) I couldn't help but make them pretend they liked each other for a few minutes & made them sit next to each other. Thankfully (but much to my disappointment) the two didn't flip as they went adrift.

It took a weekend of heavy rain to truly bring out all the fall colors we've all been dying to see & we thankfully managed to capture all the vivid colors before the next storm came & blew all the leaves off the trees!

It was nearly impossible trying to narrow down what photos to share from B & C's colorful & romantic engagement session & it's going to hopefully be even harder for them to narrow down what photos to use for their print order!

A big congrats to Candace &  Brian on their engagement. I know they're going to have so many wonderful years together & I'm so thankful you guys allowed me to work with you & I can't wait to see wedding updates in the near future!