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’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.

Yay for Chelsea + Toby.. and for being back on the blogging track!

I met Toby through serving with the Young Life ministry last year. I was totally and completely blessed by the folks I met that semester and Toby was one of them. I could NOT have been more excited when he and Chelsea [his drop dead gorgeous fiance] contacted me about shooting their engagements! I just LOVED their proposal story.. Toby knocked it out of the park and set the bar pretty high for all dudes to follow. Chelsea is very successful in the pageant world here in Tennessee and was giving a speech with crown, sash and all.. when Toby walked down the isle of the auditorium.. jumped up on stage in front of EVERYONE and asked Chelsea to be his bride. It was so neat he chose a moment that was so very special to her and wasn’t afraid to share it with everyone there! Oh gosh.. I just love what I do! These two are so perfect and so much fun to photograph.. here.. see for yourself!!

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It

Pin It
Pin It Pin It Pin It Pin It

Pin It

Pin It
Pin It Pin It Pin It Pin It Pin It Pin It Pin It Pin It

Yay for Katlin + Dustin! I love my job for so many reasons but the best is the people I get to meet through it… like these two. Genuine people. These two aren’t tieing the knot until 2013.. but I sure hope to be there once they do. I love Neyland Stadium engagements, I love sunset lighting and I just love these two.. all in all.. this was one great fun session to edit! Thanks guys for being. so. awesome.

Meet Frank + his lovely lovely fiance Kendra! Kendra and my hubby are friends from way back.. so when Kendra asked me to shoot her wedding David said “oh yeah! She’s a lot of fun!” He was exactly RIGHT and then some! When you meet these two it doesn’t take long to see why they have decided to tie the knot.. there are like peas + carrots, PB + J, you get the idea.. they are perfect for one another. I loved loved loved hanging out with them a few weeks ago and look forward to our Engagements Round II.. in a few weeks. Happy people are so fun to photograph! Here.. see for yourself!
** oh! and the first place we shot [the French Market].. is their favorite date spot! Can’t wait to try it out!]

2 blog posts in 1 day?? craziness!

Meet Haley + Justin! The first time I did.. I knew we were a perfect match of client/photographer/turned friends! Get this.. Haley isn’t just any girl.. she’s the real deal and once Justin realized this he knew he would have to do something off-the-charts-cool to ask her to be his bride… and he did!
You think you’ve heard of a neat story and an incredible engagement? Justin took Haley to the clouds via air balloon, popped the question and became her hero!! High fives all around Justin.. way to set the bar high for great proposals!

On top of having a killer engagement story, this couple is really great. I loved hanging out with them a few weeks ago at the stadium + botanical gardens for their sweet engagement session. I look forward to many more good times with these two including their wedding next year!

Oh my goodnes!! I love Hannah + Tyler! I’m pretty sure these two smiled 100% of the time during their shoot and it’s so contagious! I’m a smiler too so when three smilers end up in the same place we’re bound to be contagious! Smilers, never stop smiling.. no matter how many people tell you how silly you look. Joy is contagious.
Hannah + Tyler have an awesome story that’s near and dear to my heart.. Texas meets Tennessee at Young Life camp! I have a big heart for Young Life for so many reasons.. so many people that fill my heart are a part of this ministry and it taught me lots about my Jesus in my early years. I’m so thankful for it and the people who dedicate their time to high schoolers all around.
I’m so thrilled to be shooting this couples wedding next year and smiling all.. day… long.

I’ve been looking forward to shooting this session since December! That’s when I shot the awesome and beautiful wedding of Tiffany and Evan. Every minute I spend with these two is a memorable one. The older I get the more I realize how important it is to have good, solid, positive folks in your life. These are two of the best. These two are so kind, so genuine and full of life.. I’m thankful to call them friends. You would be lucky to know them too.

This shoot was so much fun! I’ve driven by this mini-golf course for years and thought it would be so much fun to shoot there someday.. over time I forgot about it.. until I received an email from Tasha with the idea to shoot there! My excitement went from 0-10 in seconds. I got even more excited when I drove up on the place and realized it’s been a while since these larger than life characters had received a good paint job. The more run down, the better. It just adds to the humor! We had as much fun laughing at the creatures around the next corner as we did the actual shooting! Spiders, cave-men, king-kong, pirates.. they were all there in attendance! So much fun. Our next stop was the beautiful concord park. I really got to test out some new techniques I’ve been learning from Jose Villa’s new book Fine Art Wedding Photography..  metering for the shadows, hunting perfect light and freedom of the “non-posed” couple. I learned so much and simply adore the product. I can’t wait to shoot the wedding of this sweet sweet couple in a few months. Their love is so many years strong and their love is deep. This makes my job so much more fun. Check it out!!