East Tennessee Family Portraits: Creating Heirloom Artwork That Lasts a Lifetime

When the D. family first contacted me to schedule their family portrait session, they shared that they hadn’t had a professional family portrait taken in many years, about fifteen years, when their three children were still little. A lot of life had been lived in that time, and now a big milestone that would change their family forever was upon them, their oldest son had graduated high school and was preparing to leave for college. Now was the time to capture their family.

During their in-person consultation I had the honor of viewing those cherished portraits of their little children hanging on their walls and also of meeting their nearly grown teenagers. There was something sacred about it and seeing the then and now in front of me made the purpose of what we were about to do feel more weighty.

The D. family decided they wanted two specific images, a recreation of the childhood portrait to hang beside the one from fifteen years ago, and a full family portrait to preserve this moment in time.

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Summer Family Session in East Tennessee

It was a warm summer evening in East Tennessee when I met the D. family for their portrait session. We chose a location that had special meaning to the family and offered something truly special for this part of the country, a mountain view! The mountains served as the backdrop and it provided the D. family's portraits with a grandeur and sense of place that elevates the images from "nice photos" to genuine heirloom artwork.

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Family of Five portrait

Why This Session Mattered

The D. family came to me with a specific vision: they wanted a portrait of their teenage children and a portrait of the whole family they could hang in their home to remember this season of life. They wanted professionally finished artwork that would become part of the fabric of their family's story.

That vision felt especially significant because of where they were in life. With their oldest heading off to college just weeks after the session, we were photographing the last summer they'd all be under the same roof together, at least in the way they'd been for the past eighteen years. It's one of those quiet, bittersweet passages that families don't always mark the way they should.

In the end, we created two finished artwork pieces for their home and also printed some smaller sized gift prints for them to share and enjoy. The family portrait lives in the heart of their home, where they can see it every day and remember this season. The portrait of the teenagers lives on the wall near the portrait of them as children, a sweet juxtaposition of memories, telling the story of their family.

Life Happens Fast. Capturing This Moment Matters.

Families change faster than we expect. Before we know it our children are grown and leaving for college. The family you are right now, in this season, at these ages, with these people all in one place, will never exist in exactly this form again. This moment, right now, is precious.

A portrait session isn't about perfect smiles and coordinated outfits. It's about making sure that ten, twenty, thirty years from now, you have a tangible, authentic record of how much you loved each other.

The D. family understood this and their portraits will speak for themselves for generations to come.

INTERESTED IN A FAMILY SESSION? LEARN MORE

If you're looking for a Farragut, Knoxville, and East Tennessee family photographer who will make your session as fun and easy as possible, I would love to hear from you!

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