Im a relational guy. I love building relationships with folks. A client only has that title and distinction when they first contact me. Once the conversation starts, we grow to acquaintances and then when the shoot finishes, we are friends. It is my goal that I am not just your wedding photographer of take photos of your family once, but that I am your personal photographer. Im want to be the guy you think of when you need Christmas card photos, maternity photos, wedding and vow renewal photos and so much more.
October 22, 2016, LeKeisha and Zachary got married. It was a sweet church wedding in a small town in East Tennessee. The colors were bold, the ceremony religious (but not overbearing) and the occasion joyful and fun! A month earlier, on September 23rd, Autumn Rose and Mate’ got married in Seymour, Tennessee. It was a small wedding with one heck of a party as the reception at their apartment clubhouse! There was dancing, there was alcohol, and I do not know how many people (including Mate’) remember much of the reception (enter plug here for hiring me as your awesome photographer so you can look back and see how crazy you actually got during your reception).
Lets fast forward to early January 2019. I get a message on my Fyke Photography Facebook page from Autumn. Bless her heart, she starts off by reminding me that I shot her wedding. I remember every shoot it do, especially weddings! After the initial congratulations, I asked when she was due. She informed me that her lil girl is due April 23. So we set up our shoot and then start talking about baby names, props, life and whatnot. I kid you not, that same day, I get a message from LeKeisha on Snapchat (yup, this dude has a Snapchat! Add me!) She wrote me to confirm her maternity shoot for February! Her little boy is due April 22, right around Easter (which is April 21). After all the calendaring got worked out, Autumn’s shoot was scheduled on the same day and location as LeKeisha! Autumn’s shoot was first, followed by Keisha’s.
So I meet Autumn and Mate’ at the Quarry at noon. Its February in Knoxville so it should have been very cold, but it was in the upper 40’s low 50’s so it was warm. It was wet and gloomy though. Personally, I think those are the best conditions for portraits. Now, some things to know about Autumn and Mate’. Autumn is from Iowa. She is a country girl. She can hold her own and is up for anything. Mate’, well he is from Europe and dresses the part. He is Mr. GQ and I called him that many times during their wedding. He owns up to it and loves it. Their shoot went great! It was awesome to see them and catch up while we were goofing off and having fun taking photos. Towards the end, I asked Autumn “Are you afraid to get wet?” Her eyes got big, looked at me with fear, but then said “Im game!” This made my heart happy 🙂 She had fun in the water and loved that it made her ankle swelling go down (the water was pretty chilly). After the shoot, Mate’ helped me dry Autumn’s feet off and they rode off, not feeling like they had been at a photo shoot, but rather hanging out with an old friend.
LeKeisha and Zachary arrived early and relaxed in their warm car as they waited for their session to start. One thing ya gotta know about Keisha, she is full of joy and happiness and has a contagious, bubbly personality! She and Zachary were and are a hoot! I hadn’t seen them since the wedding day (just like I hadn’t seen Autumn and Mate’), but we picked up right where we left off. I think there was more laughter and b-roll from their session than there was serious and posed portraits. And ya know what, those typically are the better photos because they are real! They show true love and emotion. Keisha saw Autumn getting out of the water and when I saw here she told me “Umm…I’m not going in there.” I laughed and told her she didn’t have to.
These two shoots were back to back. They were the same day at the same location. But they were totally different sessions! They are different families with different personalities. However, they do have a lot of commonalities. They were married only one month apart, they got pregnant around the same time, they are due within 24 hours of each other and they are both saturated in love. Both couples love their spouse more than ever. That love has already infiltrated the life of their upcoming arrivals. This is the first child for each couple and I know both of these kiddos will have amazing lives and will be loved so much! I cannot wait to document their lives for many years to come.
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