I've been writing this post since March...about time it finally sees some daylight.
I first met Joy in September of 2016 after months of emailing and texting and phone calls to schedule our family photos. I was 5 weeks postpartum, feeling fat and ugly, the opposite of beautiful and struggling in my role of mama to two perfect babies. Her grace and love and understanding are unmatched, and she documented the love I have for my husband and my children in the most natural way. Nothing was forced. Nothing was coerced. It was hot. Henry cried...a lot. Shepherd nursed...a lot. But, somehow, she managed to capture the raw realness of my family.
I'd loved her work for years, but after finally meeting her and seeing her process, I had to work with her. Had to.
Lucky for me, she announced an upcoming workshop in her home outside of Nashville. I begged Tay. We couldn't afford it and we knew it, but I needed it. For my sanity. For my work. For me to feel valued and appreciated; as a mother and a small business owner and photographer. We then got serious about our budget and my Christmas/Valentines/Birthday present was the opportunity to attend her workshop. Taylor, thank you for the sacrifices and hard work to make that dream of mine come true. I know that you'll never read this, but I appreciate you.
I've only ever shared a few photos from our family session with Joy. I don't know why. Maybe a part of me thought if I kept them secret, they would remain sacred and uncritized by the masses. They would remain precious and untouched and for our eyes only. They would be ours. Then I had another thought. They are beautiful. They need to be seen and shared. They capture a time our life when we were barely surviving and adjusting to life as parents to two little boys born one year apart. Our life is in a constant state of crazy, for these photos, we had the opportunity to slow down and embrace the two perfect babies we created.
Thank you Joy. You are a godsend. Your work is stunning. Thank you for these.
Seeing my images (and there are about 200 more!!) only solidified the fact that I needed to attended her workshop.
There's no way to describe how Joy works. Or how she makes you feel. Or how she instantly connects with everyone. Literally, EVERYONE. On a deep and personal level. It's astonishing. She was put on this earth to make gorgeous babies, take ethereal and real photos, and teach women how to embrace their roles as mothers and photographers.
I will not go into workshop details, for it's a private and sacred thing that myself and 13 other woman shared on that farm in Tennessee. It was a moving weekend where we all learned about ourselves, each other, and our future clients. I came back with a renewed hunger for more work, deeper work, work that matters to me and my client. I also came back with a vision of how to better balance work and family.
Joy, thank you for everything. Thank you seems so small and vague for all you've done, but I'm at a loss for how to properly express what you mean to me (and my family) and my work.
While at the workshop, we had two 'sessions' and both were perfect. A little FYI, you don't attend this workshop for Joy to teach you how to use your camera; you should know before you invest. During the sessions, she would shout out her settings for us and we could either trust her judgment and shoot her settings, or follow our guts and keep our settings. I did a little of both. Here are some of my shots:
I'll leave you with these lyrics from Tom Petty...
Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere all bright and new
I have seen no other
Who compares with you
You belong among the wildflowers
You belong in a boat out at sea
You belong with your love on your arm
You belong somewhere you feel free
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