Franklin, Tennessee Family Photographer | Down on the Farm with The Davidson Family
I had the most beautiful experiencing, filming The Davidson Family one beautiful morning in July. Rain threatened to reschedule our film, but we decided to give it ago. By the time I arrived, the rain was clear and it was a beautiful sunny - and humid - morning. This precious family has had a rough year, being in the hospital a few times, for weeks at time with their baby boy, Mac. The very first date we had set for their film was in March, but it was rescheduled due to hospitalization. When I did get to finally film their family, they had only been back together for a few weeks. With two other children, who are quite young, that was hard on their Family.
It was an honor to film and photograph their family and tell the story of how Jesus is the center of their family. We began the film with communion. I loved when I began to edit this film, how quickly the first clip (2 clips on top of one another) came together, highlighting their family home and farm as well as their family image and lighting the candle for communion. They had the most amazing audio throughout their film, starting with Andy reading the bible for communion, then Brittany praying and then singing. Their audio made this film what it is.
I also wanted to highlight the love their older children have for baby Mac. It was so evident that the children sense more deeply that he is special and loved so much. I was able to hold Mac, which after following Brittany's IG for a year now, was something I had looked forward to. Let me tell you, this baby has the most special soul. You can feel it. I cannot wait to see what he grows into! What God has planned for him!
I hope you enjoy their beautiful family film and their photographs. I cannot wait to film them again next year!
Contact me here for your own film!
Franklin Birth Videographer + Photographer | Erin's Birth Story
The sun was shining so brightly. It was around lunch time, when my dear client, Erin, texted me it was time to head her way. A Baby would be born!I arrived at 12:30. The sun was coming into her bedroom, where baby would enter the world. It was a truly beautiful sight.The midwife and her nurse assistant were there, already tending to mom's needs. Haven Birth and Wellness is an amazing Home birth midwifery practice out of Franklin, Tennessee. About 10 years ago, Lauren (the lead midwife and starter of Haven) was my midwife at Vanderbilt when I had my son. She was so amazing. I hope someday to film a birth that she is the attending midwife at.Shortly after I arrived, Erin's doula, Dani, came. Dani (Motheringarrows on ig) brought such a peaceful presence with her. The environment was already pretty peaceful. But Dani was this quiet calm spirit. It was amazing observing her in her element. My favorite part was when she prayed over Erin during labor.The first part of Erin's birth journey had some emotions, fear and anxiety trying to take hold. I loved capturing her tears and her voice as she voices her fears and thoughts. In my opinion, this is just par for the course. Bringing a baby into the world is a place of vulnerability. It is my opinion that the best births come from women who are able to fully let go and embrace all of their vulnerability. So, working through the emotions is part of how we arrive at delivering the baby.Erin's husband was amazing. Between contractions, he would whisper to her. I don't have the audio in a way that actually gives us what was said. and, I kind of like that its a secret between the two of them. In the film, I will have that audio and that conversation - and we don't know what is said. But they do. and they will remember. It is truly such a beautiful moment between husband and wife.Erin's labor starts to intensify. You can sense her fear and then as she works through each contraction, you can sense her letting go and submitting fully. With Jesus and her birth team, Erin feels fully supported in her journey of bringing her baby boy into the world.Dani wrote in her instagram story the most beautiful perfect wording to describe this stage of birth for Erin (and many mothers). "The end. The part where you really come to the end of yourself. I told one of the midwives yesterday that there's a whole mindset in the birth world that 'you got this' ... and the reality is... you can't... NOT alone. God designs birth to break us...to break the complete end of ourselves. We find HIM in this place, if we choose to look up and fix our eyes. I think that's why I have always treasured birth, found it so utterly profound and beautiful. It's because as we lose ourselves, and find HIM and he swoops right in and holds us and helps us get our babies here."I hope Dani writes more about her introspection into the birth space. She has profound intelligence into the depth of birth.Erin was breathtaking and a warrior in her birth. That sweet baby came into the world, both shoulders simultaneously coming at brute force (poor Erin, but she did it!) all 8 lbs of this precious boy.Thank you for reading. If you want to inquire about birth videography and photography in the Nashville area, contact me here. P.S. Erin wore this beautiful night gown from free people in cream during her early labor and in navy after baby was born. 
Nashville Tennessee Family Photographer | Jackson's First Birthday
I was honored to film and photograph a First birthday in June. I have not yet captured a birthday. It was really great getting to do something new! The large family and friend gathering was so simple and sweet. The people were kind and just filled with love and gratitude. My favorite kind of people!!!
They held the birthday at one of the Grandparent's homes which happened to be nestled on a lake in Gallatin, TN. They were tucked away from the main lake and had their own dock. I loved observing the grandparent's making the food and all of the attendees love on Jackson. The weather was hot - June in the south! and the balloons kept popping as a result ?? but Lauren (momma) rolled with it.
Birthday parties are not something I can take on regularly - since Families are my primary client and my main passion. But this was really fun. If you are interested in a family film, please contact me here.
Jackson Patterson 1st Birthday from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
Franklin, Tennessee Newborn Photographer | Why you should have a family film during baby's first year
You have a newborn for ALL OF 7 WEEKS.
Your baby is an infant for all of 51 WEEKS.
Then, that's it .... you move on to toddlerhood, which seems to go even faster.
There is nothing like that first year. The nursing and feedings, the cuddles. Their newborn skin and the little coos they make. Their smell....
It's the MOST precious time of the entire parenting journey. Simultaneously it is the most fleeting as well as the hardest to remember...
Here is one of my earlier newborn films...And This is a more recent newborn film (sweet single mama)Later in the first year....These mommas continue to tell me HOW incredibly precious these films are to them as their babies grow.... None of them regret their films and are SO glad they have it to go back to. Mama's and daddies are SO exhausted that first year. I was there... TWICE... and even with a good sleeper, you are still tired, because you have someone to take care of 24/7. It is the most exhausting time in parenthood.When I interview moms who have passed this stage and hired photographers for milestone sessions and simultaneously had their phone to take video etc, they say they find themselves revisiting their phone video more than anything. to see their babies move and walk and crawl in a video and hear the sound of their laugh... they say its priceless. The issue with phone video is that over time, it gets lost.Download my client guide and let's get your newborn or baby (and family) film and photography session booked, so when you look back, you have the memories where you want them.xoxo
Nashville, Tennessee family photographer | Common Activities during Family Film Sessions
I wanted to share a few common activities families do during their film. and I also wanted to share a BIG tip for the most successful films!
The FIVE most common activities are:
- Reading. Reading is this sweet special moment between parents and their children. It is common in my client's homes and allows for good audio that captures nostalgic moments from my client's lives as they are right now. In their lives, they are reading a lot. or an older child is learning to read and so that makes just such precious audio. It is also a good way to bring everyone together in one space. which allows for good connection and photos. You can see The Swope Family Film Here.
2. Rough Housing. Rough housing is another common theme I see often in films. Its something dad usually does and is easy for him - it comes naturally to him and it encompasses dad's connection with his kids. In addition, we get some really beautiful audio usually of kids' squeals and laughter. Dad probably says something about "gonna get you" which is something the kids will hear again years from now rewatching the film and it will bring them right back to those wonderful moments with Dad. See The Kessenger's Film here!
3. Dancing. Dancing is THE BEST. Assuming, it represents your family in real life! That IS the goal - capturing who YOU are as a family. But dancing really brings out some fun video. I cant usually use the audio much because it clashes with the music but it makes really great images and the video shows your connection with your kids and each other really well. All four of these images came from a dancing portion of their film! See The Richardson Family Film here!
4. Baking or Cooking. Many times, parents say they bake with their kids and want that in the film. It is yet another great option for families, because it can encompass your typical routine, while showing the connection you share. It can also... get silly and make for some really fun video and photography! See The Richardson Family Film Here!
5. Snuggling and cuddling! (Nursing too!) Many kiddos love snuggling and or nursing - and I hate to repeat myself but .... - it is just so sweet! They won't snuggle and or nurse forever. It is such a special thing being able to fit them into your arms and snuggle them. My oldest is going on 13 and I haven't been able to snuggle him in a few years. He is now 5'7" and MUCH taller than me. It is simultaneously cool and heart breaking. I hug him all the time and sometimes he holds my hand - and that's pretty special. (Okay, I think I got off topic going down my own memory lane!). Here are some snap shots of snuggles at some sessions.
Okay for THE BIG SECRET TO A SUCCESSFUL FILM!
It isn't much about what you do. THE BEST Films are of families just focusing on spending time with their kids. Its an amazing opportunity to unplug for a few hours and connect with your favorite people. Plus, you will get a film and photos that can remind you of what is most important!
Are you curious about having a family film done or documentary photography in your home? Holler at me.
Nashville, TN Family Photographer | What is a documentary photo session?
A documentary session is a photography session where I spend 1-1.5 hours with your family, photographing your normal life. Now, I don't just show up and shoot whatever - that would probably not work well. We use a questionnaire to gain an idea of what your favorite moments are right now in your season of motherhood and parenting. So whether its filled with the exhaustion of having a newborn and nursing a lot or you're chasing a toddler around - we are going to get some really amazing, story telling, raw, real life moments on camera. And YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THEM.
Parents don't even realize what they are not having captured until it's there. It is so easy to fall in love with trendy photographs on instagram and facebook. But what I have seen in my 12 years photographing clients, is that the best most beautifully posed photograph doesnt.hold.a.candle to a meaningful photograph. Meaningful means that it speaks to your SOUL. It brings so much MORE emotion out of you seeing the photo. Let's be honest, I don't send over to my clients 150 absolutely perfect photos. Some are absolutely perfect. perfect lighting, composition, moment etc. But some - some are just okay in terms of photography perfection. But you know what? They are meaningful. and meaningful trumps perfect, ever single time.
I will always aim to get the BEST shots for my clients, but I will never be so full of myself that I deny them precious images because they wont win a competition.
Parents are getting to the later stages of parenting and saying "I wish I had more photos of our everyday life" and instead they have these beautifully posed Christmas Card Fall Photographs from every year. And those - those are meaningful. But we need to be sure to capture our everyday for the sake of remembering and encapsulating our legacy.
Book your family documentary session by downloading my client guide and inquiring here!
Nashville, TN Family Photographer | my top 5 client testimonials
Being invited into a family's home to capture them not only for photography but also videography is something I cherish deeply. I am so honored to be able to bear witness to a family's most vulnerable moments. I wish I could tell you every family film was absolutely peaceful and easy and just a walk in the park! And for some families, it is! most have a mix of moments ranging from boisterous to hilarious! Some are quite calm and sweet and some feel like absolute chaos (to the family - Im not bothered by any of it!). But every single one turns out an amazing film. Why? Because I don't need a lot of clips to make the film. I also can't use most of what I shoot to make a 3-5 minute film! I also have a trained eye and know where the best moments are. I can predict them most times and am ready to film it! But regardless of what happens during your session, I'm there calm and poised.
You see, None of it phases me. I see it all as beautiful life. and Life is truly filled with all range of emotions and behaviors and moods. It is what makes life so amazing! Below I wanted to share my top 5 Reviews from previous Film Clients! But first, here are 2 images showing a huge range of interactions during a film.
OOPS! I did SIX! I am just SO in love with this gig of family photography and film making. I truly cherish EVERY client. Giving them this treasure is an enormous gift. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this year unfolds.
If you are thinking about hiring me to capture your family, you can download my family photography and film client guide to learn more here!
Franklin , TN Family Photographer | What is A family film?
A family film is the ultimate way to capture your life together as a family as it is right now.
I spend a few hours with your family, alternating between video and photos. From these video clips, I will create a 3-5 minute cinematic film, or home movie, of your family. Kind of like wedding videography, but for families!
Think about how many video clips you have on your phone that you haven’t done anything with.
Probably more than you can count right?
When you book a family film with me, you are making sure that your memories aren’t lost forever in an old phone that you can’t turn on anymore. Or deep in the cloud with the hundreds of thousands of photos, videos, and screenshots you captured over the years.
Your film becomes the thing that you treasure most.
The video that you rewatch over and over together as a family. Preserving not just your children’s expressions and laughter, but your interactions and connections with them as a parent as well.
It’s the most priceless gift you’ll ever give your kids.
Back before we had phones, many families made homemade movies. We had these VHS tapes or whatever object and watched our family memories play on the screen. We would sit together and replay these videos, laughing and crying and telling stories amidst the nostalgia. It would help solidify those memories into our brains. We could replay a family member's facial expressions and laughter to our heart's content.
Despite having a device on us 24/7 and even taking videos and photos and posting them on social media for the world to see, we have ironically lost our intentionality when it comes to preserving these memories. Back in the day, when we took video, we didn't do it daily and super frequently. It was usually a special occasion, like our yearly trip to the lake or Christmas etc. This helped it become a permanent object in our home. It was also easier to do something with the videos, because we just ejected the tape and put it in it's special place.
So what can we do in the modern time period to bridge the gap between the way we did things and the way we do things now? Because what we are doing now is not ideal. How can we show our kids their lives growing up if we don't do something with our videos we take? We can't sit them down daily and watch our memories pop up on Facebook.
One way to make sure in 10, 20, 30 years we have true video to show our family, is to hire someone like me to capture your family every year. I will spend 2-3 hours filming and photographing your family. The entire session is custom to what your family normally does, to what memories are important to you. Each year, your film changes, and your family has changed. And you know that no matter what happens with phones or social media, you'll have videos to cherish and show for years to come.
I know there are 364 days left in the year I won't be with you to video, and you will want to use that device. So what can you do? The best thing you can do is sit down once a month and do something with your memories on your device. I use http://artifactuprising.com and print yearly albums from the images I post on Instagram. Each album is labeled by year.
But what about video? I have one friend who uses an app called 1 second everyday. Each month she makes a video of her family's month from videos on her phone.
If you are ready to book, click here!
If you live in the Franklin or Nashville, Tennessee area and want a film, I would be HONORED to capture your family. I also travel for films a handful of times a year, so if you do not live near me, feel free to inquire! I also offer documentary family photography - if you are not ready for a film or if I am booked for films.