it’s such a sweet pleasure of mine to share this wedding with you. i met beth through one of my dearest friends a long long time ago during my college days [okay, not that long ago].. hehe.. and i’ve thought so much of her since. beth has such a sweet kind spirit and when i heard she was getting married i was thrilled + couldn’t wait to be a part of her day. everything about this wedding was perfect.. small, sweet + meaningful from start to finish. the ceremony + reception was held at one of my favorite places in my old stopping grounds near Johnson City, TN… The Coffee Company in Elizabethton. i’ve share many great conversations over coffee in that room and now i have another awesome memory to add to the list.

beth + matt are just peanut butter + jelly… and i can’t forget about the most adorable little girl on the planet.. beth’s daughter Callie. oh i just love her.. and through these images.. you will too. perfect couple + perfect December wedding. thanks beth for letting me be a part of it!

2012 is wrapping up to be a jam-packed year for this biz + the Hensley house.. weddings, weddings + more weddings, taking on newborn sessions + birth stories.. travel plans, family plans, lots and lots of house flipping + if you’re down with the Mayan calendar, maybe an apocalypse. Who knows… what I do know is I’m pumped to display this last post of images before it all goes down. My photography has taken such a turn this year and I’m really excited with the direction it’s heading. I’m craving to create something that’s all mine, something different and this is such a challenge. I’m been in constant search over the last few weeks for inspiration and honestly the best place for me to get it, other than Pinterest, is The New York Times.. the photography in those pages is amazing. I love the way they look in print. I’m also LOVING the look of film + newsprint these days [without a real desire to actually SHOOT in film] and am excited to be moving the look in that direction. I’ve been trying it out with the last few sessions… and again in this one.

Meet Abby + Kenneth.. such a great couple with great talent + big dreams. I love big dreamers and watching them being achieved. It encourages me to reach for mine. One reason to follow your dreams and reach for higher goals in your life is that you will inspire others to do the same.. so true… so dream, achieve and encourage those around you to do the same.. it’s contagious!

I looooooove Christmas and have been completely obsessed with Pinterest since I discovered it this summer. Due to this fact.. my Christmas decorating has been a little out of control. Thankfully I found a way I can use it for some good. Kelly Moore [the photography we created The Kelley Moore Bag that I adore] is giving away one of her bags to the most creative Christmas tree. I seriously doubt this tree can be considered the coolest.. but I’m really hoping it is! Since I took a minute to take pictures of the thing.. I thought I could share it with you folks too!! Cheers!

I’ve said it before.. and it still holds true.. Chattanooga is my very favorite place to shoot.. and one of my favorite places to just.. be. There is so much going on + so much for the eye to take in. It’s candy for a visual creative like me.
You can imagine my excitement when I got a call from Jeremy, a Chattanooga native, last spring. He + Courtney are such a fun couple who met in the cutest way possible… in the allergy shot office… there was a needle poke + a flirt + some facebooking.. and boom.. the outcome was the dynamic duo you see here. Jeremy is a rock star and is a part of the band Jordan Hallquist & The Outfit + plays for Rock Point Community Church. And Courtney gives allergy shots among other things. Love it love it!

We bounced around downtown Chatt and then headed to a lakefront property where Courtney grew up. It was neat seeing her light up as the nostalgia set in.. memory after memory came rushing in while walking around the property and I felt like I was there. It’s neat to experience that with someone.. so I took a few pictures of the home and of things she loved because, unfortunately, the new owner will be tearing it down soon. I love to shoot at locations that mean something to the couple.. I feel that the point of an engagement session is to capture who a couple is right at this moment in time.. personalities, flirtation, the sweet stuff.. I want the couple to be able to look back when they are 80 and memories to rush in like they did for Courtney. This was a super cool day and I’m thankful I was able to experience it. Thanks Jeremy + Courtney for making my trip to Chattanooga, once again, amazing.

So we’ve been on this kick of going to estate sales.. we get such a thrill from it! The older the find, the better.. and if it holds some kind of personal touch from the previous owner it might as well be gold. Imagine our excitement when we ran across this map:

I tried to do a little research to find out when it was made.. but the publishing company [print company?]‘s website didn’t give us any hints.. and we kinda gave up after looking there… our guess is the 60′s.. but not only is the map a really cool piece for our vintage style living room.. but it has now taken on a life of it’s own.. check it out

[keep in mind I am NOT a videographer and every time I use my camera as an HD vid.. it stinks.. goal for 2012..]

You wouldn’t believe how many folks ask for newborn sessions. I ADORE new babies and new mommies with all that joy.. but without fail my immediate response is “I would absolutely LOVE to.. but no way” [unless they absolutely forced my hand] I mean.. I am so terrible at it. I feel like I’ve got a good grip on couples.. seniors.. none moving, predictable subjects.. but kids [eh].. newborns [no way]. There is a GIFT that newborn photographers have that I was just not blessed with. The typical newborn photography with the propping and the cute hats and the precious sleeping.. i love it.. but just can’t do it. So, over the last year I’ve turned down far too many session… for the clients sake.

Until now.. I feel like I’ve been looking at the newborn photography I love and trying to copy it.. and failing every time. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out that copying never ever works..

I’ve been going though my WPPI journal from 2011′s show and finding some great insight I had completely forgotten about.. here’s a quote I wrote down from Jesh De Rox that fits perfectly with my new realization

“if you want to make work that moves people, you have to be moved while creating it”

Wow.. this is so true and exactly what I needed to hear. It totally moves me when a mother cuddles her baby.. when the new mom and dad stare at their little bundle over the crib banister.. when they laugh at ever. little. face. he. makes. This is the stuff that moves me and THIS is the stuff that I want to capture. Just today I ran into a friend from high school that is just the cutest little pregnant girl ever. She asked if I’d shoot her newborns and for the first time in a LONG time.. i said yes! Still begrudgingly.. plagued by the insecurity of the newness.. but I still said yes. Partly because I had been begged to shoot another friend’s newborn session last week [even after explaining to her that it's not going to be what she expects].. but she still said yes and I just love what happened next. THIS is my new born photography.. THIS is my style + my art.. now I’m ready to say yes. Thanks to Jordan [the mother below] for forcing my hand and making me say yes.. you did more than you know!

Bring on the babies!!!