The Howard Family's 3rd Family Film | Nashville Family Photographer Jennie Pyfferoen
For the 3rd year in a row, I traveled down to Tampa Florida to capture The Howard Family. Since year 1, they have added a baby and their older two have changed tremendously.
This family is among my absolute favorite families to film and photograph. They cherish their films deeply and feel it's very important to bring me down each year to film them. This year, we began at the beach at Fort De Soto State Park and then drove back to their home to capture their typical beach day looks like. It was unbelievable.
After they received their film back, they each wrote a testimonial for me. I wanted to share those with you here.
From Dad:
"When my wife told me three years ago she wanted to book a session with Jennie I wasn’t really sure what to expect, it was more than we had ever invested in photos before. The shoot itself was stress free unlike any other session we’ve booked. When I saw our first film Jennie did for us and the gallery of images it was then that I really understood the meaning behind Jennie’s work and value it holds, truly priceless.
It seems like we blinked, and our babies now have their own personalities and dreams, practically becoming young adults. We treasure the time that we can spend together with them, and it's important for us to capture the joy of those moments. For three years now, Jennie has given us wonderful memories to treasure, and we're excited for her to help us capture more memories for many years to come."
From Mom:
"We've been lucky to have Jennie capture our family three times now, and her films are hands down my favorite things ever to invest in. The latest one is super special to me. She caught our gang of five, around the time it had hit me that our third kiddo would be our last baby. That made Jennie's film extra meaningful because it's the last time she'll catch any of my little ones at the one-year-old stage.
These films are like family treasures. They're not just about us right now; they're about us forever. One day, when it's all that's left, these films will mean everything. I feel so lucky to have these memories, and Jennie has this way of turning our everyday chaotic moments into something magical. Jennie’s offerings are SO much deeper than just family photos, I truly wish everyone could have the experience of watching a film back that Jennie shot of their family. Words cannot even describe it. If you want someone to turn your family moments into pure magic, go with Jennie – you won't regret it."
If you would like for me to film and photograph your family, whether it's local to Nashville or traveling to you, I would be thrilled to chat!
The Bean-Howard Family | October 2023 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
5 Tips for Newborn In-Home Photos | Nashville Family Photographer
Your baby is a Newborn for SEVEN WEEKS!!! That's it! Isn't that wild?!
Keep reading for 5 tips to best capture this time in your family's life.
Being a Nashville Family Filmmaker and Photographer, I would love to talk with you about how I can help freeze time for you.
Having a newborn is one of the MOST precious time in Parenthood. This little person you made and now you get to know them so intimately 🥺
Being invited into a family's home to photograph their life with their newborn is the SUCH a huge Honor. I never take it lightly.
I know they will never get this time back.
# 1 Keep your new baby fed and comfortable
There is no pressure to keep your baby in a perfect mood. The session revolves around what baby needs. If your baby is hungry, you are more than welcome to stop and feed them. I will video and or photograph this for you so you can remember what it was like to feed a tiny newborn 🥹
There is no need to alter their natural rhythms during your session. Just relax and spend time admiring your baby and I will make magic happen 😘
#2 Open the curtains or blinds
I use natural light for the majority of my shoots. If it's too rainy causing it to be too dark in your home, we will reschedule for a brighter day.
#3 Pick Mid Morning
I usually suggest to my clients that we begin around 10 am. It's usually the magic time in the morning where baby is not fussy and tired. Baby will usually give us a good hour to work with. If baby does become fussy, I have no problem putting my camera down and letting you get baby settled. (You can get a similar newborn sweater here)
#4 It doesn't have to be spotless
Every home I have come into during the newborn stage has had some level of mess. Or they stuff it all in the bathroom 🤣
I won't judge you. In fact, I will probably tell you how messy my own home is WITHOUT a newborn 🤣
#5 Wear whatever you want.
I mean, maybe change out of your pajamas 🤣
But wear something cozy, as relaxed as you want. Something somewhat similar to regular daily wear. Muted colors and neutrals work beautifully.
Franklin Tennessee Newborn Photographer | Welcoming Baby #3
This family ... is just absolutely precious. They have 2 girls and on their 3rd pregnancy, had a baby boy. Typically when I am at newborn or family photography sessions, kiddos are slow to warm up to me. I give them their space and just let them decide how we engage. I also want to be somewhat of a fly on the wall. These girls were SUPER into me right away - which I absolutely loved! Problem is, if I overly engage with them early on, their session won't show their typical life! So I kinda have to kindly ignore for a bit. Finally at the end of our shoot, I was able to sit with their oldest daughter and she initiated snuggles. I happily obliged. Their girls were seriously the most precious.
Mom only wanted images on the internet without their faces. (man, there were some amazing shots I cannot share!).
3 Things I LOVED about this session:
#1 how super excited their older daughters were to have a little brother.
#2 Dad and I had a lot in common (mom too!) Dad and I are both cross fitters, that's ALWAYS fun!!
#3 How laid back the entire vibe was. They just felt like they had fully surrendered to the sweet chaos of their little family.
If you would like a newborn session, I would LOVE to chat with you!!! Contact me here!
Stephanie's Glowing Pregnancy | Franklin Tennessee Maternity Photographer
I had so much fun capturing Stephanie's bump at her home in Franklin recently. We grabbed some garments from her closet and got down to business.
I love photographing pregnant women for their maternity sessions. I love doing them in their homes, where its their own cozy space. Capturing the love they and their husband have for one another as they anticipate new life entering the world.
I enjoy getting their reactions when I send their gallery, how much they love the photos and will cherish them forever.
My 3 Favorite Memories from this session ...
#1 I called her husband Eric (his name is Andrew).... I sometimes get so in the zone in sessions that names just leave my brain. I just see photos and composition and lighting and at one point I asked her if she wanted to get Eric, and she replied "sure" and I realized and said "wait, that's not his name" and we both laughed. We told Andrew about this when he came in and I then asked him to pose like Eric would and we all got a good laugh. We are all human and if you want the most zoned in creative from me, I just might mess up your name 😂
#2 Hanging out with Stephanie and Andrew. They are both SO fun and we are all very like minded on various topics. So I genuinely could have stayed for hours! It took me a solid 20 minutes to leave because we would just nose dive into a conversation. I love how this job of mine brings me to people like them and I gain friendships from clients.
#3 Seeing them look at one another, hold one another so easily. You can see how much love and admiration Andrew has for Stephanie - particularly when she is carrying their first born 🥺
I can't wait until I film their home birth VERY soon! I will link back to that blog post so you can watch their birth video!
If you would like a maternity session at your home, let's talk!
The Cauthen Family | Franklin, Tennessee Family Photographer
I first "met" Audrey when she entered my giveaway on instagram. She commented... "This is amazing!!! We would LOVE this family shoot because we’ve prayed for God to grow our family for nearly a decade and after lots of fertility issues and miscarriages, our second miracle baby just turned one! We are so blessed and intentional not to miss out on the beauty of this super chaotic season, and this shoot would be SUCH a gift in remembering all of the good, the bad, the sweet, & the loud forever and ever! Couldn’t think of a better gift!"
I remember reading her comment and hoping she would win. She did not, unfortunately, but I did offer anyone who entered the giveaway, a discounted session and she booked it! Finally, it's December and we had her family photo shoot. Documenting them in this season, that they love to read I spy books with their oldest, Audrey is still nursing her youngest, Daddy and their oldest wrestling... it was all so so much fun. I am so glad they love their photos.
My 3 favorite things about this shoot are:
#1 How much these two LOVE their kids. I know all parents love their kids, but when a family has had loss like they have, its on another level. I captured that in this image:
#2 The vibe of these sisters. Sometimes, big helps little (and little hates it)... sometimes big sister helps little sister and she loves it! and sometimes, they're mad at each other 😂
#3 Capturing the intense love and passion between mom and dad. It was SO evident the entire time, these two are REALLY into one another! They had a photo of them together in high school and later met as adults and married. Truly, such a cool couple.
If you want to capture your real life, reach out to me!
Real life with the McGowan Family | Nashville TN Family Photographer + Filmmaker
I spent a few hours capturing The McGowan Family back in August. It was truly special. Capturing their nighttime routine of playing in the street, dinner and prayers, reading and their silly bedtime routine! I have never seen a bedtime routine like this before 😂I loved watching them parent two littles. One, just walking and a sweet toddler boy who loves trains. I loved capturing dad wrangling two dogs and two kids, while one melted down... is it mean if I laughed and photographed it simultaneously? 😂 As a parent of older kids, I find this much more amusing now 😂I adored watching dad skate board down the road in front of their house ... Dads are amusing to capture with their kids... they typically act like gigantic big kids 😂I felt so honored to capture these memories for mom. The memories she knows she will miss one day as they grow older. The toddler was about to get a big boy room, she wanted their family captured right before that big change. 🥺Enjoy their film and some photos from their session! If you are interested in films, reach out to me and we can chat more!
The McGowan Family | August 2023 from Jennie Pyfferoen on Vimeo.
Family photography sessions with BIG KIDS | with Nashville, Tennessee Family Filmmaker + Photographer Jennie Pyfferoen
It seems somewhere in the middle of elementary school, families stop getting photos done. I think it's because the culture of family photos is to bribe kids once a year to cooperate for family photos in clothes that are uncomfortable and at a location where they would rather play and get dirty, rather than sit and play smiley happy family.
It doesn't have to be this way.
That's what I love about in-home family sessions. They can be SO much more relaxed and fun. No one has to be forced to do anything! There is another way!
Jax, age 10, and his father chop wood during their Day in the Life Family Photography session.
Jax and one of his many chickens.
Big kids still play like little kids. Let their joy be captured.
Jax went into his chicken coop and loved on his favorite chickens.
Jax and his dad look at rocks and crawdads in the creek. and skip rocks together often. I wanted to capture their favorite memories together as father and son.
If you would love your real life documented, reach out to me here!
Is an In-Home Session Right for me? | with Nashville, Tennessee Family Videographer + Photographer Jennie Pyfferoen
With documentary photography becoming increasingly popular, clients may wonder if an in-home day in the life session or outdoor sunset session is right for their family.
#1 You won't have to worry about a crowded park.
Often times, during peak photography season, local parks and nature parks are packed with photographers. Having your session at home allows for that worry to go away. You can rest assured that the environment will be sacred to you and you will have a wide variety of spaces to engage with your family during your film or photo shoot.
#2 Your children will be relaxed.
Because you are doing the session in your home, your children will be in their comfortable home environment. Which allows for them to relax rather than feel "on" which leads to easier candid moments of just being together. My goal is to capture your connection to each other and that happens more easily in your own home!
#3 You love your home.
Yes, the outdoors and beautiful fall leaves can be beautiful. But none of that beats the place you had your babies, built a life, and raised a family. Your home holds so many wonderful memories of your life. It deserves to be apart of your story.
#4 You don't have the stress of getting everyone to a location.
Bringing kids to a location (filled with grass and dirt) can be stressful. You have to pack bags and make sure you bring plenty of snacks and bug spray. You have to get them there and keep them clean. (for in home shoots, we welcome the mess). It can be extra stressful doing all of this between naps and feeding schedules. Being in your own home allows for more flexibility.
#5 You live out in the country.
Let me come to you! I travel for sessions frequently, so I am happy to travel to you. If it's over 90 mins of a drive, I do charge a travel fee. But it's worth it to be able to stay home in your cozy environment and just be with your family. There is nothing more peaceful or enjoyable. Plus, the results in your film and or photos will be evident!
If you are considering an in-home photography session or a family film, I would LOVE to chat with you!
