This past weekend, I started volunteering with the Middle School ministry at my church here in Knoxville.  Yes, I am that brave.  In all honesty, one thing that helped me not freak out about it (because let's face it, groups of middle school kids are sort of insane) was remembering all the great kids I have photographed over the years.  Individually and in smaller groups, they're awesome!

I remember my tween and teen years being pretty awkward.  So I try really hard to make kids feel comfortable when I am working with them.  If they feel weird, the camera will show it. My greatest measure of success would be for them to look at these pictures in a few years and think to themselves, "I was actually pretty cool/attractive/fun after all!"  And if I could then reply to their thoughts, I would say, "Yes you were, kiddo.  You absolutely were.  I'm just thankful I got to remind you of it."  

So without further ado, here are just a few middle school and high school portraits from recent years:

This girl was so much fun to work with.  I had a hard time choosing my favorite shot of her for this blog post, so I had to go with the most Autumn-y one.  Doesn't this image practically shout FALL PORTRAIT?!  

Here's a shot from a Sweet Sixteen session.  Sometimes having a bit of a barrier between the camera and the subject (in this case, the turquoise chair) can help a shyer person feel more comfortable about sitting for a picture.  Isn't she lovely?

This guy was really sweet and helpful during his family session: as the oldest grandchild in his family he often held or "supervised" one of his younger brothers or cousins, so I think he was more than happy to sit by himself for a minute so we could get his individual portrait!

I'm not sure what it is about seeing this girl's face twice in the shot that makes her look simultaneously sweeter AND more sassy, but I think it really brings out her personality.  And to me, that makes it a great portrait!

She is beautiful inside and out, and sometimes marches to her own beat... do you see it?

Yes, this girl is posing above a drainage pipe that ran under a path.  And yes, that means I was crouched way down on that path to get the shot (which is likely how I was able to capture such a natural smile from her)... but I love the light here, and I love that she was such a trooper!

It was actually easier to elicit genuine expressions from the older siblings in this group photo because they were so entertained by how foolish we (their mom and I) were acting just to keep their little brother's attention!

This young lady was leaving for college a couple months after her family session, so I captured a few images of just her.  In the short time I got to spend with her, I perceived her to be feminine, capable, strong, and sensitive. She survived high school and is heading out to her next adventure!  Doesn't she look ready?

If you're looking for images of your kids that are natural reflections of who they are, contact Jaclyn Paige Photography this week to schedule your family's fall photographs! 

I was born and raised in Maine.  As a child, I loved winter and all the fun that came with it: ice skating, building snow forts and snow men, sledding, having snowball fights, making snow angels... you get the idea.  When I got older and started having to scrape ice off my windshield in the morning, or shovel the walkway, or pay the heating bill, I began to dread winter.  In fact, I would refer to Autumn as The Season of Impending Doom, and couldn't enjoy it because I was so NOT looking forward to winter.  Now that I have lived in Tennessee for nine years, where winters are mild and summers are so, so long (side note, now I call Spring The Season of Impending Doom. I'm never satisfied, apparently), I have come to get excited about Fall: cooler days, crunchy leaves, beautiful foliage, and-- yes please-- Pumpkin Spice everything.  This is also the most popular season for family portraits, which brings me to my reason for this post.  If you're planning to book a Fall session, don't wait!  Here are some family sessions from seasons past to inspire you! 

Contact me through my website HERE, and let's get your session scheduled!

I had a bit of an epiphany yesterday as I was waiting for my two-and-a-half year-old daughter to finish "helping" me put away silverware from the dishwasher.  This activity generally includes her putting at least three different utensils in her smiling mouth throughout the course of the chore and reaching for other items in the drawer that are only fitting in there by the grace of God and my creative cramming skills (like the can opener, chip clips, measuring cups, chop sticks we still haven't learned to use, and a random antique silver spoon with a lobster on the handle).  With each item my daughter likes to ask, "What IS this, Mumma?" as she pulls it from its cozy spot.  The pre-motherhood me was prepared for this moment: the grabbing, the mouth-putting, the asking.  I imagined myself standing there with her, answering her questions, gently guiding her to replace each item ("Now YOU see if you can get it to fit!") and eventually feeling satisfied that the silverware was all in the drawer.  Yesterday, I instead found myself hurrying her along, reminding her a little too quickly and repeatedly to "get the next spoon, put those chopsticks back" in my rush to check off another thing from my to-do list. So, my epiphany was this: I only get a few years of this. These few short preschool years are all I get to spend this much unstructured time with my little girl, to let her linger in play when I'd rather move along, to help her learn about the world around her when it would be easier to do it myself, and to take her on mini-adventures when I otherwise have things on my mind.  Oh my goodness it's not easy, but soon enough life will become increasingly busy and complicated.  I will only have less time with my daughter as she gets older.  I fear I will blink one day and she will be off to college. So I really want to be the mom I imagined myself to be. I want to use these few short years to be fully present with my girl when we're doing something together: reading a book or potty training or putting the silverware away... because these moments and days and years only happen once.

Hey all!  I am working on updating my website a bit, which means I'm going through the thousands of images I have created since my last update and deciding which ones need to be seen.  I am struck by how many wonderful people I have had the chance to work with, and I wanted to start sharing more of these images, just to showcase these folks!  I'm starting with brides.  Here are a bunch of my favorites:

So, which ones are your favorites?  I would love to read your comments (Either here on the blog, or HERE on my Facebook page)!

(Locations, top to bottom: Seven Islands State Park, Crescent Bend, Museum of Appalachia, private residence, Whitestone Country Inn, Rocky Top Main Street Baptist Church, Lighthouse Knoxville, Swimming in the Clouds Cabin, Country Jewell, Beaver Ridge, UMC, The Barn Event Center of the Smokies, Buckberry Creek Lodge, Smoky Mountain cabin, The Lily Barn, Dara's Garden, Norris Tea Room, The Stables in Lafollette.)

I had the joy of photographing this little guy named Buddy for a Special Kids Session.  What a sweet boy!

Buddy was almost all smiles, and had a little mischievous side as well.  You can see it in this shot, which happens to be my favorite:

Buddy is playful and sweet, and he and his siblings were a lot of fun to work with.  It is a true honor to capture the personalities of the people who hire me, whether in weddings or family portrait sessions.  And because I believe that every parent deserves to have photographs of their children that they can be proud of, Special Kids Sessions hold a "special" place in my heart!

Jaclyn Paige Photography is proud to be Tennessee's first and only photographer to be certified by Special Kids Photography of America. Call me at (865) 363-4568 or Contact Me Through My Website to schedule a session for your child.