There are clients who hire you once, and then there are the ones who become part of your story. Shannon and Mike are the latter.
I first met these two when I photographed their engagement session — two Vanderbilt internal medicine residents who found each other at a medical school open house, went their separate ways, and somehow ended up matched at the same residency program. (You really can't write a better love story than that.) I was lucky enough to be there when they said I do at The Village Chapel and celebrated at The Loveless Barn — one of my all-time favorite Nashville weddings. And now? Now there are four of them.
See Shannon & Mike's wedding here.
We headed to Walton Ferry Arboretum in Hendersonville, TN for their family session on a bright spring morning, and I cannot think of a more perfect location for this crew. Spring mornings are beautiful, but they come with a catch — the light can be harsh and unforgiving early in the day, so we were intentional about where we positioned ourselves, leaning into shaded spots and open shade to keep the images soft and flattering. The grounds gave us plenty of options, open green space, and — crucially — plenty of room to run.
Their youngest was just over a year old and fully in that spectacular stage where everything is fascinating, nothing is predictable, and the best expressions happen in the split second between one adventure and the next. He was absolutely on the move — but he was also deeply skeptical of me the entire session. That face. I laughed through the whole morning. If you flip through this gallery, you'll spot it: equal parts side-eye and pure curiosity, and honestly some of my favorite frames from the entire session.
We worked with the energy rather than against it. Games, movement, and a whole lot of patience got us through it, and the result is a gallery full of images that genuinely look like them — not a posed version of them, but the real, beautiful, busy family they've become.
If you're planning a family session in the Hendersonville or greater Nashville area and you're worried your kids won't cooperate — please reach out. Busy toddlers are kind of my specialty. 😄
Thinking about booking your own family session? I'd love to hear from you. Learn more about Nashville family photography sessions with Erin Allender here.
