Photography Mentoring in Knoxville

The moment IS the perfection.

As photographers, I think we sometimes get so caught up in creating the “perfect” photograph.

We’re thinking about the lighting, the composition, the background, the angle. We’re moving people into better positions, fixing dresses, adjusting hands, and looking for all the little things that might make a photograph better.

And listen, those things matter. They’re part of our job.

But sometimes, the best thing we can do is get out of the way.

Because the moments I find myself coming back to aren’t necessarily the ones where everything was perfectly placed.

They’re the ones where someone is laughing so hard their face is completely scrunched up. Where a groom is crying before he can even get a word out. Where a bride throws her arms in the air without thinking twice. Where people are yelling, cheering, hugging, and completely forgetting there’s a camera in the room.

The hair might be out of place. Someone might be blocking part of the frame. The lighting might not be ideal. And someone’s expression might not be what we’d traditionally consider flattering.

But the moment? The moment IS perfect.

I think there’s a lot of pressure in wedding photography to create beautiful images. And I love creating beautiful images. But I also think we need to remember that a photograph doesn’t have to be technically perfect to be meaningful.

Sometimes the photograph is good because of everything happening in it, not because of how we photographed it.

And sometimes our job is simply to recognize that something worth remembering is happening right in front of us.

That’s the stuff I want people to have 20 years from now.
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#knoxvillephotographer #knoxvilleweddingphotographer #smokymountainweddingphotographer #tennesseewedding #makingmoments

Oh, the light that we had for this Cades Cove elopement.

We started at the Wildlife Overlook and almost completed the loop twice. And honestly, when the light is this good, it’s hard to call it a day. There’s always another stretch of road, another view, or another spot that makes me want to say, “Okay, just a few more.”

That’s one of my favorite things about photographing in Cades Cove. Even in places I’ve photographed plenty of times, the light gives me something different to work with. The same field or mountain view can look completely different from one visit to the next.

John and Kayla, thank you for spending so much time exploring the Cove with me. Nearly two trips around the loop, and I still could have kept going.
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#smokieselopementphotographer #smokieselopement #mountainelopement #cadescoveelopement #cadescoveelopementphotographer

A moment for those black and white images through the years.

Side note: I truly ran out of tags for everyone 🖤
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#knoxvilleweddingphotographer #smokymountainweddingphotographer #gatlinburgweddingphotographer #tennesseeweddingphotographer #knoxvillewedding

Same venue.
Different weddings.
Every. Single. Time.

These are all weddings I photographed at @thetrilliumvenue this year. Same stunning Mountain View’s. Same photographer. And yet, not a single wedding looked or felt like another.

Different couples.
Different personalities.
Different colors, flowers, fashion, and traditions. Different weather, lighting, and seasons.

Some days were bright and sunny. Others were cloudy, moody, or rainy. Some celebrations were intimate and quiet. Others were one big party.

And that’s what I love about photographing weddings, even at a venue I’ve worked at countless times.

A wedding venue might provide the setting, but the people are what make the DAY. Their relationships, their decisions, their energy, and all the little moments that happen along the way.

I could photograph another hundred weddings at The Trillium and still walk away with a hundred different stories.

Same place. Never the same wedding.

And that’s exactly how it should be 🧡 #knoxvillephotographer #knoxvilleweddingphotographer #smokymountainphotographer #thetrilliumvenue #trilliumvenuewedding

My last wedding at @thetrilliumvenue for the year was another delightful day on the mountains. Congratulations to Gina and Chris. It was so wonderful to celebrate with you 🫶🏻
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Photographer: @erinm_photography | Second Photographer: @danielleevansphoto | Venue: @thetrilliumvenue | Planner: @idoweddings.kenzie @idoweddings.savannahk @idoweddings.avery | HMUA: @theeffortlessbeauty | Dress: @ivoryandbeau | Suit: @menswearhouse | Videographer: @studiomotionfilms | Floral: @vintage_floral_designs | Catering: @deadendbbqetn | DJ: @stephengoffentertainment | Transport: @elite_event_services | Bartending: @muddleandgarnishbarco | Photobooth: @knox360events
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#thetrilliumvenue #thetrilliumvenuewedding #smokymountainwedding #smokieswedding #knoxvilleweddingphotographer