Senior 2013 | Brittany Scoggins | Gatlinburg, TN

When I first met this young lady it was at her older sister’s wedding. Stephanie married one of my life long friends, Justin, and through her I was introduced to her wonderful family, Brittany included 🙂

Back then she was a short, full of energy, spark of girl, and now she’s morphed into this tall, thin, GORGEOUS, young woman who will graduate next Spring.

She has a seriously infectious smile, and though she may not know it she’s just too easy to photograph.

We were traipsing around the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail up in Gatlinburg, TN, and decided it was a perfect spot to snag some images. We’d just finished shooting her Nephew’s, Hudson, first birthday images, and now it was her turn. She was such a sport for wading in the water a bit for some shots, and for climbing on boulders…in a dress! My kind of gal!

We headed back to their cabin for a wardrobe change and some images in a nearby field I’d passed on my way up that afternoon. You’d never know it by looking at them, but we were for real in almost darkness.

My goal in photography is to take the best images I can with as little non-camera gear as possible.  So, that in mind, I cranked up the settings on my camera, Connie, and had a little “assistance” from the headlights on one of our vehicles 😉 No trickery, nothing fancy, just pure old resourcefulness. Sure sure I’m sure I could’ve done it better with more lights, or more flashes, or strobes, but really when you’re fighting fading light on the side of a winding, two lane, back road you really just don’t have time to set all that up….so the lesson here folks…work what you’ve got, and learn your camera. I’m absolutely THRILLED with how they turned out, and wouldn’t change a thing about them 🙂

After that we headed down in to the small town of Gatlinburg for a few more shots. And truthfully if I had to pick a favorite I’d pick the one of her just striking a pose on the bridge. Completely random, completely her, completely wonderful, OR the literal LAST image I snapped of her and the lollipop!

We walked around a little bit more shooting on a bench, a cool stone wall, and a little time lapse work with the passing cars in the background. On our way back to the car, as usually happens, I see out of the corner of my eye a candy store. And there is where we really ended our session… amid walls of candy and lollipops. Pure Photographic Sweetness 😉 Cheesy I know, but you laughed! Ha!

Thank you Brittany (and Sylvia) for choosing me to capture this special season in your life. It was truly my honor!