Wilhoit-Jones Family Session in Elkmont
What could be better? A blended family and overdue pictures of just Mom and Dad - who have been married a little over a year - means a family session is a great idea. Megan contacted me and after some discussion, we decided to head out to the Smokies.
And why not? The Great Smoky Mountains National Park provides a stunning backdrop for a family session. We chose the Elkmont area, doing some images at the troll bridge along the Little River Trail and then heading to the cabins up at Daisytown. You will hear some people refer to a “ghost” or an “abandoned” village in the Smokies, but they are talking about the former summer cabins for wealthy Knoxvillians back before the US government established the national park. Calm down, now, we all know they’re there.
Location Shoots are different from Portrait Sessions. Quite often, the client wants to “have some nice pictures” in a more casual setting, versus having the photographer do a formal study of a subject. However, a Location Shoot presents some challenges, chief among them Nature. Will the day be sunny or overcast? That makes a difference when dealing with colors, and the contrast between shadows and highlights. You will hear people talk of “the golden hour” - but what happens when the golden hour is forecast to have severe thunderstorms and so the shoot has to be moved up to earlier in the day when the sun is high? What if one of the members of the group is a small child who needs their nap? What if it is high heat and humidity that makes hair frizzy or a cold day that makes it difficult to be outdoors?
Of course, a Location Shoot can be done indoors - as an example, an engagement session at Bleak House in Knoxville - but more often than not it is in an outdoor setting. With the family here, the sun was out but so were big, puffy clouds - that meant I would be ready to press the shutter with everyone in place . . . and it would get dark as the cloud temporarily blocked the sun. Keeping people ready while waiting for a cloud to pass sometimes just doesn’t work.
But you know what does? Some laughter, a good attitude, and enjoying the fellowship of being with people doing something fun. Because ultimately, that is what it is all about, to be able to look back at these pictures and smile at the memories of a new family, together in the Smokies.