Nashville Family Photographer | Christmas Themed Photo Shoots… But your REAL life.

Every year, families flock to malls and photography studios for beautiful Christmas photos. Kids with Santa, or just sitting in a Christmas themed setup. Maybe they go to a Christmas Tree Farm and use a setting there, something that captures this idea of “Christmas” in a photo….

But when our kids think back on Christmas time, they won’t think about the photos they had at the mall, the photography studio or in a Christmas Tree Farm… They will think about making hot cocoa and cookies with mom or wrapping Christmas gifts. They will remember decorating the tree and making crafts with Grandma…

So … why not give them those memories? Hire someone like me … a documentary photographer … to capture a few hours of Christmas traditions with your family.

I can film and or photograph you and your family making cookies or decorating the tree. I can even meet you at the Christmas Tree farm that you go to every year and capture you picking out your tree.

They will LOVE looking back on these photos and or video (depending on what you decide to book) and RELIVING their childhood memories. YOU will love looking back on these memories, which I bet are some of your absolute FAVORITE memories from all year!

You might be thinking “yeah, but how much is that going to cost?!”

I get it, you’re probably used to $200 Christmas minis… and I will say, I am definitely not that. Those photographers might make as much as a McDonald’s employee. But what I give my clients… is PRICELESS. and it gives you the biggest return on your investment. It goes beyond checking the box and will become memories you revisit because they mean that much to you. It’s so incredible different. And because we want the most authentic, unposed, unprompted moments to shine through, that takes time.

We have to give more time to allow for the kids to warm up and get into the moment. But then… magic happens. I promise you, it just unfolds. Im a natural and professional at this, I will guarantee you will LOVE how it all comes out. I will prep you and talk to you ahead of time and it will be the easiest session of your life.

This year, do something different. Connect with me and let’s capture your real Christmas Memories. You can see Family Photography Pricing

Nashville Family Filmmaker + Photographer | Why Family Films Are the Next Big Thing in Family Memories

A More Dynamic Way to Preserve Memories

Photos are a great way to capture a moment, but a family film offers something even more dynamic. It allows you to capture not just an image, but the sounds, actions, and emotions that go into creating memories. Life is full of these amazing- but seemingly - mundane moments that we take for granted. Filming your family allows me to show you those little fleeting moments.

Mother wipes toddler’s face.

With advancements in smartphone technology and affordable cameras, families now have thousand of videos and photos on their phone. But where will that be in 15 years? How will we find the nuggets in the piles of files? Like many things, technology gives us a false sense of security, making us think we are capturing our lives all the time. But the permanence is lacking, severely.

Being able to replay memories that actually happened for years to come

Some of my annual clients were children who had parents who took video of their youth and they grew up rewatching those VHS tapes over and over. Back then, we had a few nuggets each year - usually Christmas and vacation - to rewatch. Today, we have all this content but no real way to watch it and it gets lost. We don’t know where the significant nuggets are. The only way around this is to take video with our phone (which means one of us will be taking video and not even in the family video) and then make a video out of it with an app and store it in a place where we can rewatch it. This is hard to sustain for the entirety of the years of raising children. Hiring me makes an intentional practice of having something to hand down.

Dad and Daughter Play Guitar together.

Family Films Can Be Passed Down Through Generations

One of the most magical aspects of family films is their ability to be passed down through generations. Imagine being able to watch a video of your parents or grandparents recounting family stories, traditions, or simply sharing their experiences. A family film becomes a legacy…a living memory that can be enjoyed by not only your children but by future generations.

In the future, your great-grandchildren might be able to watch your family film and feel a connection to you, even though they never had the chance to meet you. The ability to preserve your voice, your expressions, and your memories in such a tangible way is an invaluable gift.

Family films are rapidly becoming a favorite way to preserve, share, and relive family memories. Whether you’re filming a special occasion, capturing everyday moments, or simply bonding over the process of creating something together, these films provide a unique and lasting way to celebrate your family’s story. With the ability to pass them down through generations, family films are not just a passing trend…they are quickly becoming an integral part of family life and tradition. If you want to have your family filmed, please connect with me.

A family hanging out with their goats on their farm in middle Tennessee where they live with their grandparents.

Franklin TN Newborn Photographer | Meaningful Memories

I first met Malary back in 2011, when she hired me to capture her first pregnancy. I instantly fell for her. She's not only stunning, but is kind and warm and loves being pregnant and having babies. She has since had 4 babies and I have been her photographer (and now videographer) for all 4! Her boys are all so well behaved and love "Miss Jennie" - I know her family and I have a bond that will carry on for years. Our sessions have always been fun and amazing, occasionally a tad wild - and they have always been filled with connection and love. She's an ideal client for having a family film and I have been trying to convince her of this for a few years. But it's hard for clients to imagine their families in films. They think they aren't interesting enough, or their kids aren't going to behave. When in reality, I have so many clips of it all that I can pick and choose from, that even if there were moments that weren't ideal, I can just skip those..... Anyway, Im rambling - but for her most recent newborn baby boy, I was able to do a film for them. She now says that she "cant not have films" because she gets it. Mothers and Fathers cant foresee what a film will give them - but once you've had your family filmed, its something you'll want to repeat. There are just too many amazing moments that film and video capture in a unique way compared to photos. (By the way, film sessions also come with photos, so you don't have to choose).Here is their family film, welcoming Asher into their family. Warmly,Jennie

Nashville Maternity Photographer | Malary

Films have a way of capturing a place in time uniquely from images.... Malary has been a client for nearly 10 years. We have captured 4 pregnancies and babies, and years of family photos. This was the first film for her and I was so excited when she had fallen in love with it. I cant wait to create her newborn film as well for her. Nashville had gorgeous weather for our mini film and maternity photography shoot - and the sun was everything!I love the neutral tones with subtle glamorous colors in their wardrobe. Malary Rocks her wardrobes, but I do help all my clients :) The sunset was perfect - my favorite light that evening.

Nashville Family Photographer

Cultural Shift?In 2018, more people are seeing that life is short. Raising children is a blurry short time in life. Pregnancy goes slowly and then, its like you wake up 5 years later. You have a hard time remembering all the precious details in between the chaos. If you're having a hard time remembering at 5 years post newborn stage, how will you remember every important moment 20 years later? It wont come in the form of Christmas photos. (By all means, get christmas photos!). But what are we really investing in? We invest in our cars, so they last. We invest in our homes, so they last. We invest in things. But what about the most important thing for the 80 year old us? Memories. We must invest in our memories. I could even turn this conversation into talking about elderly dementia. What if thats us? and Our children could have a film to remember when we remembered?You never know...In 2007, I last saw my mother on my wedding day. Someone that day took video as a last minute offer. I had no idea this was going to matter SO much. So much more than photos. I have video of her walking me down the aisle. This was before having your wedding filmed was a thing. But, images or film, what would I miss about her? It would not come in the form of a posed image. It would be her hands. The veins in them, and how they showed the years of life she had lived. It would be her hearty laugh. I miss the looks she gave, which would only be caught on video. I miss her hugs and kisses. Her words of love. I miss the ways in which she embarrassed me. I miss the way she loved me.I wish I could go back.Im so grateful that at the very least, we have raised our children with instagram and iPhone videos. You don't need fancy cameras to capture our lives. Anything will do. I have so many little clips from even when my oldest was little in 2009. They may never become anything though - whereas a professional live video telling the story of who we are - if we can commit to doing this (investing in it) every year or two - THOSE will be keepsakes we can pass down for generations. I wish I could go back and have captured that type of film and video of our family over the years. During the first years, were so tired and stressed - wondering if were parenting right or the baby is sleeping well or eating well - that we miss the littlest things. We blink and literally six months is gone - POOF. Gone. Never to return. Another birthday comes and we do not even know where the year went. Its a societal cultural issue, that time goes fast. We do more and take on more than any other generation before us. Which also means, we miss out on more. And if both parents are working? It goes by even faster.Lets wrap this up...Life is unpredictable.We have ZERO guarantees of what tomorrow brings.What will we truly miss?The way the 5 year old put his socks on upside down? How he never took life seriously?The way the littlest always had dirt on her feet and hands?The way daddy wrestled with the boys....or maybe how he put her hair in a pony tail everyday.It will be the little things. The movements. They connection between each other, that matters. And how can we capture that?Film. Get yours now.Jennie Pyfferoen Films + Photography from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo. 

Nashville Family Film Photographer | A Day with the Meseck's

Filming this family was such a dream. They really embrace life and have such a deep connection with one another. Capturing them was just plain easy. Their sweet Baby, Willow, slept in half of the shoot HA! But we had so much fun waiting on her to wake up. My favorite parts of this film are when Willow and Mommy are on the swing, when daddy and willow are snuggled together at the end. Also, when they laugh reading the book at the end. They have an amazing property out in Fairview, in williamson county in Tennessee... about 30  minutes outside of Nashville. They have lots of chickens which were so fun to film! Jake (daddy), made the entire play set. They garden and rinse their veggies in the creek - this was all their typical day. When you have land, life is far more interesting! HAHAHA!

Capturing families or babies on film, is a whole other level of capturing memories. There is nothing like it, I promise you! I had ours done a year ago, and what a treasure! I watch it every so often and it really brings me back to what matters most: family. There are quirks and snuggles and movements you just cannot capture in photos.

Please enjoy this beautiful story of the day in the life of the Meseck's!

If you want your family filmed, contact me here! 

Warmly,

Meseck Family Film 2018 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.

Nashville Baby Photographer | Owen's Lifestyle Session + Film

Baby Owen is so loved. His family loves to read to him and rock. They play on the floor and watch their little baby grow daily. This first year always goes by too quickly. Its made up of hard times and happy times, and these little bitty special moments - flashes of time - in between. As the baby becomes more mobile, its almost like time goes exponentially faster. I love capturing this sweet calm between the chaos for families.

If you want your family filmed, contact me here! 

Warmly,

Film:

Owen | 6 Months from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.

Nashville Family Photographer | Avalee's 1 year session

I spent a lovely morning with Avalee and her parents, capturing her in her everyday - playing and snuggling, stealing the remote control, reading a book... you know - typical day in the life of a toddler. I love these sessions, capturing their true spirit. In my opinion, it is what you would really miss. Babies don't keep. and their little personalities have so many little quirks, easily forgotten as the years pass.

If you want your family filmed, contact me here! 

Warmly,