Baby DW number 3 is almost here!!! This means at any given moment I can be driving up to KY to witness this little monster to make her/his big debut! Lets hope unlike his/her sister, they decide to arrive at a hard noon! Hopefully this isn't the last of the DW children, I know if Mama can help it she'll get two more out of Papa K, because they make the most adorable kids! Check out this beauty rockin one of my maternity dresses & her adorable munchkins (& handsome hubby) giving her some serious love!
E Family Maternity Session
Maternity Sessions might be my favorite... I think I say all sessions might be my favorite, BUT, that's because they are all awesome! Maternity sessions though mean that I will have a little one to snuggle and photograph soon!!! Judging by this handsome Dad and Mom though my next baby is going to be a doll!
Though we had only briefly spoken through sporadic text messages (on my behalf!) it was like meeting old friends and we spent the whole evening telling jokes and me keeping them much longer then necessary! If darkness wasn't creeping up on us these two might have been stuck there an hour or so longer! Mama E made being 8 months pregnant look so easy. She somehow managed to hike trails that I got winded on (but I also get winded rolling out of bed), scale rock walls, and looked like a super model all while doing it! If you were to see her from behind you would never have known she was pregnant, she was all perfectly round belly!
I don't know if I've ever met anyone as organized as I like to think I am. Mama E knew everything she looking for from her session, how to pose, the best spots to shoot, and was willing to wear just about anything I brought! She, much like myself, has a flair for the dramatic! Though I'm always overly excited about any session I have she had me ready to bring half my closet for her to try on before it was over! Surprisingly we ended up being able to narrow it down... Thankfully her husband was just as stylish and photogenic as she was. Unlike his brother who I don't think owns more then 3 shirts, Papa J had a large selection to choose from and made narrowing down outfits that much harder! He looked so good I even made him step aside and let me get a few shots of him by himself! They looked so good I even cut the belly out of a few of the shots and focused exclusively on them!
I already consider these guys more friends then clients and I'm so thankful this awesome couple was able to get to me before Mama C has her little lady. I'm more excited for this session newborn session then I have been in a while because of the AWESOME concept and color scheme these guys have picked out!
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
Little Ms. R Pageant Session
No matter how often you work with a family or how well you think you know them they always seem to have a way of surprising you! That was very much so the case for Ms. R, even though I was literally there when she was born and have worked with her multiple times since then I was taken back how much of a little fireball she was on our private session together! Without her big brother or father around I got to focus exclusively on this little lady for her Pageant photos and she was such an incredible delight. Her personality is much too old for her age, she is so incredibly well behaved, exceptionally smart, and is just all around funny. The hour we spent playing peekaboo to get these beautiful cheeky smiles was by far the best hour of that day! If this little lady gives the judges in Texas just an ounce of the personality she gave me she's going to knock it out of the park!!!
Little Ms. R's floral headband by the super awesome 100AcreBoutique
Baby N Newborn Session
in Newborn, Family Photos
I always talk about how newborns are one of the most challenging sessions I ever have but the most rewarding... well... this little dude was easy peezy lemon squeezie! At almost a month old Baby N definitely had me a little nervous for his session. After about the 10 day period most babies don't want to cooperate nearly as much as we would like and are less likely to sleep or do certain poses... HOWEVER, Baby N slept the majority of his session and preferred being photographed outdoors, which is my favorite place for babies! He loved basking in the sunlight and made me want to exclusively shoot outdoors from now on. His wonderful mama gave me creative control of his session and thankfully she was just as big a fan of bonnets with ears on them as I am! I was finally able to use some props I have never gotten to use before and I couldn't have picked a more handsome guy to break them in! He looked good in almost every color and I made sure to keep him and his mama the whole 4 hours I generally schedule for my newborn sessions!
Mama A and I got along from the get go because we both have such awful senses of humor and we both have the same taste in style. Even though we had only exchanged a few texts I knew I'd love her company and she did not disappoint! When we were discussing what she was going to wear for her session I 'politely pushed' the white gown I had in my inventory that I had yet to use and she thankfully obliged! She rocked her outfit and it matched perfectly with Baby N's knit outfit from Boutique De Marzian!
I don't think I've ever had family photos of as smoothly as I did with this session. Every newborn session I try and lay out a plan to make the session go as smooth as possible however it all depends on how the babies are when they arrive and generally never goes the way I had intended! For this session we were able to save Mama/son photos till the very end and it's of course when Baby N slept the hardest! Every move came so naturally to Mama A and N just went with whatever she did,I've never had to maneuver a baby as little as I did for this portion of the session, everything just looked amazing. Despite just having a baby too Mama A looked so amazingly beautiful! I actually had her model for me for a few minutes while N slept in his car seat and nearly forgot we were doing a newborn session!!! I could have spent a whole hour just taking photos of her by herself.
I'm about 3/4 done with this gallery and I'm so madly in love with the outdoor photos I def put the studio photos off till the end. I don't think I've ever had such a hard time choosing photos and I feel like I need to redo all my packets now and update it with the photos from this session! I can't wait to show this awesome family their full gallery and I can't wait for more beautiful mama's and babies like this to come my way soon!
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
in Family Photos, Newborn
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!
Moms 29th Birthday
You only turn 29 once (maybe twice) and I can see no better way to commemorate her beauty and youth then in some awesome beach photos! Everyone on the beach watched mom in awe and lots of people took photos! We're pretty sure they thought she was a famous movie star or something to that caliber.
I owe my success and devilishly good looks to this woman and hope that one day I am half as good a mother to my children as she has been to us. This woman inspires me to be better and I'm so lucky to have her there to guide me through all my problems no matter how small they may be! I did however draw the short end on the awesome hair though. At 29 my mom still has the thickest hair I've ever seen and I'm pretty sure every time I brush mine it's all going to fall out.
Happy very late birthday to the most wonderful woman I know!
Baby P 6 month Session
The first BLOGGED session of 2017 is well deserved to be shown first for the excessive cuteness!
It's crazy how fast 6 months goes by when it's not your child! Somehow it's already been 6 months & little Baby P was extra sweet & cuddly for her 6 month session. She was much happier to see me this time around & had thankfully forgotten how much I disturbed her while she slept during her newborn session! After planning for many weeks trying to work around this sweet princess being sick & Nashville's inconsistent weather we finally caught a lovely day in between the rain & wind to shoot on this awesome families beautiful property! We spent the first part of the morning going through the older girls (who are the best mini mommies) closet & my goodness I've never seen such a wardrobe with such exquisite taste! It was easy to see why mama J had such a hard time deciding between outfits. I can't decide what the best part of this family is. How sweet Ms. P is, how social and easy Mama J & Papa R are to get along with, or just how incredibly awesome the R & G are! The older girls, G & R, always acted like they were so happy to see me & have always so social & well behaved anytime I have met them, in ever setting! I always try & squeeze extra time in between photo taking to frolic with them & catch up on the latest gossip ;)
Little Miss G & R were also kind enough to watch their baby sister while I snapped a few photos of Mama J & Papa R together! The two newlyweds looked so great together & photographed so well I could have spent another hour with them just taking couple photos, but we just so happened to shoot on super bowl Sunday & that takes precedence over most things!
Believe it or not the hardest part of this session was getting Ms. P to look at me! There was lots of tasty grass all around to be eaten & having photos taken on game day wasn't exactly what this cutie had in mind! She fell asleep for a portion of the shoot & things became so much easier! You could also tell just how adorable & squishy her cheeks were when they were smushed up against her Mama!
Though Ms. P is halfway through graduating the baby plan I'm always going to be looking for an excuse to work with these little girls & their awesome mama & papa! I've already recruited the little ladies to model some of my handmade dresses for me soon! I'm starting to try & slow down finishing these photos because I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when I finish!!!
Deer headband - Dearest Dreams
Red Headband - Pixie Blossoms
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!!!
Lady N Maternity Session
in Maternity
I think it's still pretty bad that I'm catching up on blogs from last year, but that's okay (is what I keep telling myself!) at least everyone has their photos!
I had a brief visit from my very lovely friend Ms. N late last year & though she was only 4 or so months along in her pregnancy we faked it by eating lots of burritos and double stuffed Oreos before our session. I didn't need to, but I wanted to be there for support.
The beautiful N modeling one of my favorite maternity dresses! Hopefully I get to meet her little lady at some point this year, even if it means I have to go to California!!!
This is the second time I've gotten to shoot N & her little stinker J, who is always so well behaved & so very photogenic! As soon as he saw his mama in her form fitting dress he laughed at her with a huge grin on his face & said 'Your belly is so much bigger!' He was happy to show off his muscles & hold the pumpkin but he was definitely struggling! It was the cutest thing ever! J is going to be an awesome big brother & I'm so happy I got to work with these (3) the short time they were visiting Nashville!
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!
Q Boys
As fall quickly came to an end I found myself shooting one of the most bittersweet sessions to date. After years of hearing about how wonderful these two little guys were & seeing multiple cell phone photos I finally had the chance to work with N & J, before they moved half way across the country with their parents. They did not disappoint, they were even more handsome in person than in their photos & right away N warmed up to me & showed me his play room as well as other things in his Papa & Nana's house (meanwhile J hid from me & screamed every time I got close!) Once we got to our location though it was a completely different story. While N was more concerned with the most awesome stick that he had found J was definetly a fan of having his photos taken & was such a ham! I ended up getting to carry him around and get lots of kisses, which were very much so appreciated! Check out these handsome little guys & their adorable outfits! Nana A picked out a great theme & location!
Nicole & Drew Anniversary Session
Tennessee has been kind to me with beautiful locations and couples these last few months! After months of talking & waiting for the leaves to change I got to work with the beautiful Ms. Nicole & her handsome boyfriend Drew! These two are celebrating their 4 year anniversary & I was so pleased they chose me to work with them! As little as we spoke before our session, & despite Drew being such a little butt (JK!), it was amazing how well we got along & how quickly the session seemed to go by! We had so much in common & I think we all spent the whole session laughing! I'm going to have to start thinking of excuses for us to work together again & if you check my galleries out regularly (I mean why wouldn't you?) you can see some of their photos are now up in my portfolio!!!
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!
Baby R Cake Smash
Another Baby R graduated from the Baby Plan this month! This pouty lip baby just gets more handsome & is probably the #1 reason I'm so dead set on having a boy when the time comes! (Come on now Blake) I can't think of a better way to start fall than with a session with the most handsome little one year old boy, the most stylish mama, & the most handsome papa! We've had this location planned for more than 6 months & thankfully they had a lovely display out that made an amazing backdrop for our session.
Cake Smashes are probably my most favorite part of the Baby Plan, but they're also the worst because it means I won't get to see my little ones as frequently! Baby R's Beautiful Mama (who I always gloat about how I want to be like whenever I have children) had R's theme picked out early & made the set planning so easy! She knew exactly what she wanted & also made the two blue banners you see in the set, which really made it 10 times better! Looking back now it would have been so boring without them! I normally only share a few photos from the cake smashes but R was just too precious & I couldn't help but showing a ton of them! Baby R was a little grumpy at the last part of the family session & we were thinking for a moment that we were going to have to postpone his cake smash, however, as soon as we brought it out he had a complete attitude change & was willing to tolerate me for the rest of his session! As Papa N cheered him on (in the best 'Dad voice') Baby R kept saying 'Mhhhm' so it must have been a pretty decent cake!
Baby R Cake Smash
So I think it's safe to say that it's time for the DW family to have another baby because, not only are both their children so incredibly perfect but Baby R just graduated the baby plan!!! I had the privilege to see this little lady come into the world, to hold her when she was only a few hours old, & now to see her crawling around with so much personality... I don't know how you parents do it! I get emotional just thinking about it...
Baby R & her awesome family came to visit me for like the 10th time the other week & we had such fun splashing in the water & causing mayhem! I've never had such a relaxed session nor have I seen children so well behaved when there were so many things to get into! We almost had a little accident where R almost fell in the water but Papa K was thankfully there to catch her! I think Mama T & I both screamed...
Can you guess this little ladies Cake Smash theme?
Can you tell M & R are related? They look identical!!! M was soooo good while R ate her cake! He waited for his turn to steal some of the delicious blue icing from her & even let him mama have some! I'll tell you, doing cake smashes on a diet is one of the hardest things I've done... never have I ever had to resist the urge to clean out the icing container while making this cake as I did that night!
T Family Session
Last weeks family came all the way from Ohio!
Ms. A contacted me late last week & we were able to manage a quick and precious 'family reunion' session! Her sister, little doe-eyed brother, parents, & fiance accompanied me on one of the warmest mornings of August & I couldn't be happier with the images! I had only originally had the pleasure of knowing A through in passing & through the grape vine so it was such a pleasure actually getting to spend a little time with her (& who I'm going to now have to recruit to model for me whenever she's available!) & I am so grateful her family gave me the opportunity to work with them during their very short stay in Nashville!
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!
