The Wardens: Lifestyle Session

It was in March of 2007 when I moved to Knoxville.  Believe it or not, I had not stepped a foot in Knoxville before this time except once to be in a bikini contest. HA! My manager at the time requested that I participate in this event as a way of "taking one for the team." I remember thinking, "Seriously . . . is there NO ONE else!?" 

The second time I set foot in Knoxville, I was looking for an apartment.  In a matter of days I would be working inside an office downtown between three tiny walls that many "fondly" refer to as a cubicle.

Shoot me.  

This was the furthest I had moved away from home . . . an hour and 12 minutes to be exact.  I missed my family.  I missed my friends.  Simply put, I missed the familiar.  I felt lost and needed to belong somewhere.  My first move was to find a church.  I "tried on" a few but eventually found myself returning to Farragut Christian Church.  It was bigger than the church where my papaw preached but small enough where I didn't feel like a number.  It was there that I found a little bit of my papaw in Jason Warden, the minister of FCC.  Their personalities were alike. The way they preached was similar. More importantly, I left church feeling recharged, a little entertained, yet stumped.  It is my belief that if a minister can not leave me stumped, he's probably only telling me what I want to hear and not what I need to hear.  

Over time, I eventually met Jason's wife Shannon and two charismatic children.  I felt honored when Shannon asked me to take her family's pictures.  She wanted something different than previous sessions she had participated in with other photographers.  Together, we formulated a plan to go hang out downtown for a fun, urban lifestyle session.  It is my hope that through these pictures I am able to return that little sense of home that they once gave me almost 3 years ago. 

We started off in Market Square . . .

made a pit-stop at Coffee and Chocolate . . .

and eventually found ourselves at the far end of Gay Street.  Jason and Shannon have been married 13 years and they still got it ;) 

I just love when people laugh! I can look back at all my clients' laughing pictures and know exactly how they sounded in that moment.  It makes me smile :)

Aren't they CUTE?!

Artsy . . .

Check out this heartbreaker! haha! I love how Shannon layered her clothes!

Her skin is like porcelain!

Several of many expressions this kiddo can make! 

Totally urban, don't you think?!