“Wait, where’s Noah going?” Scott asked as we were headed out to the backyard to begin the Boling family’s session.
“Oh, brother,” Amy said. “He’s checking the mailbox AGAIN to see if his American Apparel T-shirts have arrived.” Then she whispered knowingly to me, “He starts high school on Monday.”
Ah, I remember those days well. Spending the last couple of the weeks of summer planning out my outfits obsessively and stocking up on fresh new folders and pens in preparation for that mid-August return to school. It’s actually kind of weird, now that I don’t really think about August as “back to school” month anymore. I guess this is the period of life when I’m between being in school myself and having school-age kids. But during our session last Friday, I couldn’t help but remember what it felt like to soak up those last glory days of summer while also getting excited about fall and cooler weather and all the possibility that comes with a fresh start and a new semester at school. Truth be told, I was a teensy bit jealous. :)
I tried my hardest not to embarrass Noah too much (because yeah, I definitely remember what it was like at that age), but he and Katie did an amazing job. All around, the Bolings are just a really fun (and super good-looking, am I right?) family, and I had a blast photographing them at their home. I’ll take this opportunity to once again get on my soapbox and say how much I ADORE at-home family sessions. I know that so many parents are resistant because they don’t think their houses are perfect enough, but honestly, you guys would be surprised. I’m actually much more drawn to the imperfections of a home, because those are what really communicate the uniqueness and character of each family and give the rest of the world a glimpse into their everyday life. If we have a backyard, a sofa, a big bouncy bed, and/or some great windows, we’re golden. And your home is such an integral part of your family dynamic. It’s where all the big stuff happens. Why wouldn’t it be fitting for it to be the perfect setting for your family photographs? Just sayin’. :)
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this preview and fall in love with this sweet family as much as I did!
Thanks again Amy, Scott, Noah, and Katie for inviting me into your home to document a little slice of your life!
Last week I headed up to Franklin, TN to visit and photograph my aunt, uncle, and cousins. I have very fond childhood memories of the Shinnick clan. Every Christmas, when my family would make the trek from Knoxville to Nashville to celebrate (since most of my extended family lives in the area), my brother Seth and I would beg our mom and dad to let us stay in Franklin with our cousins Ellen and Will for an extra few days. We grew up thinking they were so cool, since Ellen was four years older than me, and Will was my age, but three years older than my brother. I’m not quite sure how Ellen tolerated the amount of times I rearranged and organized her room for her. Ha. And Seth would sit and watch Will play his guitar in total awe. Yep, we loved hanging out with the Shinnicks.
As we grew older, I wondered if we would be able to stay as close. But when Ellen married Jeff and they started their adorable little family, I knew they were perfect together. And when I met Caity, Will’s now-wife, for the first time, I felt like we were long-lost sisters. So needless to say, we still very much love spending time with them. Whenever I stay at Caity and Will’s house, she always makes me this cute little bedside basket, which this time had a new set of personalized stationary (her specialty!) and a perfect pair of bright green Ray Ban-style sunglasses. And we always end up swapping stories until late into the night. Caity is the one who initially contacted me about doing a session for the whole Shinnick clan- my Aunt Paula, Uncle Mike, and all the kids and the grandkids, Caroline and Harris. We conspired over emails and I’m so happy with how the whole thing turned out.
I dearly love my family, and I hope you enjoy their so-adorable-you-can’t-even-stand-it photos. :)
Caroline and Harris are so precious. Harris’s facial expressions? Priceless.
I love this next series of Caity and Will.
I mean…. could they be any more good-looking? I mean, HONESTLY.
Oh goodness. I just love daddies and daughters.
This is how you know it’s time to start wrapping up a session:
Love, love, LOVE!
Caity, Will, Jeff, Ellen, Aunt Paula, Uncle Mike, Caroline, and Harris… I love you guys so much! Thanks for such a fun session. :)
Yep, that’s right…. Heidi, Nina, Michael, and Tim are back in my life, and I’m loving it.
Project Runway is one of those few shows that I will drop everything to watch. (My Sundays will literally need to be cleared once the new seasons of Dexter and Mad Men begin, though.) I’ve been watching it since it first came on the air, and it’s SO good that my mom and I managed to get my dad AND Jamie roped in… although I’m not entirely convinced that Heidi doesn’t have something to do with that. ;) I don’t follow a lot of reality competition shows, but I will say that I love seeing how creative types who are passionate about what they do perform under pressure. I mean, I wouldn’t last five seconds in that sort of competitive environment, so I totally respect people who aren’t afraid to put their work out there, even when it’s not its best, to be judged by some of the most important and influential people in the industry.
And then there’s also the drama in the sewing room to look forward to every season. I mean, who else was infuriated by Gretchen’s win over Mondo after all the awful things she said and did last season? I know I, for one, was shaking my fist at the TV screen.
My new favorite part of watching PR is reading the commentary by Tom and Lorenzo afterward. My friend Carrie turned me on to this fabulous duo, and their writing is hysterical (and a little PG-13, FYI) and most of the time dead-on. I now obsessively read their blog daily to stay up on red carpet fashion. I’ve learned so much about the horrors of the “silly putty pump” from them. Thank you, TLo.
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It seems like Emma Stone is quickly becoming Hollywood’s It Girl, and for good reason. I have a penchant for red-headed comediennes which began with all the I Love Lucy reruns I watched growing up, and Emma is no exception. She’s got everything a girl could want: good looks, a crazy awesome sense of humor, and talent, all while maintaining a relatable, down-to-earth kind of persona. She’s the ultimate girl next door… the one who every girl wants to be and every guy wants to be with. Her performance in Superbad was stellar, so I was stoked when she got a leading lady role in Easy A and proved that funny girls can totally carry a film on their own (see also: Bridesmaids). Last Friday I saw Crazy, Stupid, Love. and it reminded me of just how much I love her and how I can’t wait to see her in The Help and next year’s The Amazing Spider-Man. Also, have you seen all the fantastic editorials she’s been in this summer? I just adore her in colorful, bold, vintage-inspired looks and siren red lipstick. Let’s just all say a prayer that she doesn’t go down the Lindsay-Lohan-post-Mean-Girls-genius path. To lose another crazy talented redheaded girl to all of Hollywood’s horrors would just be downright depressing.
I first discovered Paper Source four years ago while researching DIY invitations for our wedding. I kept hearing over and over that they had the best selection of paper products, particularly envelopes, and when I saw my signature colors- “chartreuse” and “pool”- I fell in love. After I started my business, I turned to them to help me carry quality branding over into my packaging and presentation, and they’ve yet to let me down. I’ve always ordered online, which can be a bit frustrating sometimes when you can’t see or touch the products in person or when they’re out of stock of an item you really need, so when I heard they were opening a Nashville location, I did a little happy dance. Coincidentally, I was there last week to photograph and visit with my aunt, uncle, and cousins who live in Franklin.While we were eating breakfast at Loveless Cafe Friday morning, my cousin Caity, who is an incredibly talented stationary designer (and whose work I photographed while there, but more on that later), got a call from one of her friends letting her know that Paper Source was opening THAT DAY. We both squealed excitedly. Not kidding. I was planning to get back on the road to Birmingham after we ate, but after hearing that, I had to make a pitstop, so we headed over and checked it out. And yes, I spent probably too much money stocking up on paper goods that will probably last me from here to next year. :)
On that note, happy Monday, everyone! Hope you have a most excellent week. :)
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melissa m - HOW DO YOU DO IT?! you are able to make anyone and everyone look like featured models in a magazine! i love these photos and can’t even pick a favorite! each time i scrolled down they just kept amazing me! you’re the best, mrs. trinker.
Jenn Valluzzo - Love in home sessions - they’re definitely my favorite! Nice work in the full sun! Awesome shoot!
Amy Boling - Morgan- Thank you so much for the awesome session!! I knew you would do an amazing job and you did not disappoint! You are very talented! thanks again!
Maxine - Morgan, fabalous job of capturing the beauty of my daughter and her family. I love looking at the picures. Maxine Dail
Ohio Wedding Photography - So beautiful!Fabulous pictures!
Kathleen Frank - Love, love, love! I just keep scrolling through them over and over again. And that last photo… freakin’ dynamite!