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“I hope this isn’t weird. I just wanted to tell you that what you do is so important. My son never smiles in photos and he’s smiling in these. Please keep doing what you do.”

Those were some of the first things that Courtney ever said to me when she called me, out of the blue, after receiving her son’s school photos from the Montessori school that I work with every year.

THAT, my friends, is an ideal client. From then on Courtney and I connected and talked of being creatives and the joy and struggles of those gifts. She’s an amazing human for so many reasons, not the least of which is that she simply cannot do fluff talk and gets right to the hearts of things. She hears you, she’s honest, she’s raw, vulnerable, full of faith and ridiculously talented and passionate. She would fit right in with the coolest art scenes of NYC, but instead navigates suburban life outside Nashville, TN.

When she said she wanted to do a personal brand photoshoot, I was practically jumping up and down. After the planning session we had (that I have with all my On Fire clients), I could barely contain myself. I was beyond stoked for this brand shoot.

Her art is dark, deep, soulful; it makes you a little uncomfortable - and that’s the way Courtney wants it. She wants you to feel moved out of your comfort zone, but also so in love with the paintings that you must have them on your wall. I knew this is what I wanted for our shoot. I wanted to make the majority of our shots a little off - maybe the horizon would be a little crooked or I’d miss getting a foot in the frame or the composition would be not quite right. Something so that the viewer would go, “Hmm…there’s something off about this.”

Her brand photography shoot also needed to be moody, have a touch of angst, struggle, and passion. In short, it needed to match her brand dead on so that the images would serve as award-winning supporting actors in the story of her artwork.

She was my first personal brand photoshoot that was an artist/painter, and I have since done 2 more, and I am in love. Artists allow me to bring out my own artistry even further, and each has her own unique style, and creating inside of that is just the coolest.

So, this is some of her shoot. To see how she’s doing an UNBELIEVABLE job using her brand photos & incorporating her own photos of her work and other photos from her phone, check out her Instagram.

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Evie and her house were a magical delight!  Her mom had mentioned she had a few vintage items that she wanted to use for the shoot - a dress, a hat box - but, whoa, was I in for an awesome surprise when I got there!  I've written about the treasures I find in other people's homes, and this house was no exception.  EVERYTHING had a vintage look and I wanted all of it in the photos!  She even had an old typewriter that I am kicking myself for not using in a single shot. Her whole house was a nod to the vintage feel, and I immediately knew what kind of post-process look I wanted to give both the color and b&w.  That's one of the main reasons I love shooting in people's homes.  I get a vibe of who they are and their tastes and I can tailor my editing to that - and know that whatever they choose to display on their walls and shelves will go perfectly.

The first look we did was sweet Evie in - get this - her grandmother's Christening gown.  Isn't that so precious?  And once I saw her vintage-looking crib, I knew we needed to start in front of it.  As we were shooting, I noticed one of the ties on the crib was untied, but I didn't want to tie it up just yet.  I mentioned it after we took a few more.  Her mom told me that the older brother comes in all time and unties it!  I loved that!  Now there's just a little hint of her brother in the photos with her. :)

Next we took a little break from all the lace and bows and diaper-covered it out in her oh-so-sweet crib.  These are two of my most favorite shots.  I find them so endearing - and her blue eyes are to die for.

And, yes, I did mention "hat box" up above, and here it is!  Again, her grandmother's hat box and her grandmother's fancy patent leather shoes.  She found them yummy - I don't know a single 6 month old that wouldn't at least try a bite!  Oh, I was so in love with all the little treasures Evie's mommy had for me!

Although this shoot was about Evie turning the big half-year, her mommy wanted some photos of just the two of them.  And, really, what mom doesn't want some nice shots of her and her kids? We're never in photos because, generally, we ARE the memory keepers of our families. Because of that, I never mind when a mommy wants to jump in for a few.  I wanted to capture the special bond between these two - a mommy and her youngest, only daughter.

Ah, and then this sweetness happened.  Perfect ending to a lovely shoot.  Happy 6 Months, Baby Evie!