{Sisters by chance, friends by choice}

I met Hannah and Violet about 8 years ago when my daughter danced on the same team. Their mother and father and I became close friends and while they only danced together for a short time, I've had the privilege of remaining in their life through friendship and also through photography.

One of my favorite things about photography is being able to document connections. Whether it's with my lens or with each other, it's the best part of my job. We went on an excursion earlier in the year, just me and the girls, and I shot all day long just for fun.

Violet is full of life, and the best part about her is her infectious smile. She is always smiling whenever I see her, though made it known to me during our day that she wanted some 'serious pictures, too'. I did my best to deliver, but first let's just start with this adorable smile. <3

Hannah made me so happy during this shoot. She was so excited about it that she laid out all her clothes days before hand (as did Violet, I should mention) and couldn't wait. That's rare for a teenager sometimes. She's an extremely talented athlete (was just voted most athletic by her peers for the end of the school year- congrats!) and updated my playlist with some songs I'd... well... never heard of before. Some I love and listen to daily, but there's a few I just don't have the heart to take off because she put them there, haha (queue "The Git Up").

Very early into our day, I could tell the girls loved the murals best. We spent most of the day on 12 South and near Charlotte Ave. where all the good ones are. I love examples of that 'connection' shown above... Sometimes the pose can be awesome (left), but the 'in between' moments (right) are even better. I couldn't tell you what they were laughing about here, but I'm glad I was able to freeze time if only for a moment.

The staff at Madewell was amazing. They thought what we were doing was SO much fun, and thought the girls were so adorable, they let us shoot inside the store for quite some time. Violet told me after this segment that she 'felt like a famous person'. Haha. So adorable. She was definitely getting that supermodel look DOWN! Still love her big ol' smile the most, though.

The stark contrast of black and white vs. color here was something I had to share. We took a break and I got them some "Starbucks" (confession: it was really soda, but put in a Starbucks cup for aesthetic purposes ; ) We loved this spot and Violet got a kick out of me having to explain what a growler was....

One of my most favorite spots to shoot at 12 South is right outside Reese Witherspoon's store, Draper James. The colors were perfect for this. Hannah had these gorgeous, creamy neutrals against the bright blue/green and white. STUNNING <3

This photo has taken on a whole new meaning since I took it. Part of a sisterly connection is showing that they don't ALWAYS get along. We saw this cool mural in Nashville and I said wait a minute, 'look the other way'. They were really hot during this part of the shoot and getting hangry so it was an easy sell, haha.

Now I look at this photo and I think about our new 'normal' AKA social distancing. It makes me sad to think about, but still a cool photo nonetheless.

It's gonna be O.K.

What a poignant way to end this post, right? This mural has been a longtime favorite of mine, and I love Hannah's carefree, relaxed expression here. She was having SO much fun. I can't wait to shoot w/ these beauties again soon. I've promised them and I know that Violet probably has her outfits picked out already, if I'm honest ; )

The most important takeaway right now, if you're reading, is that IT'S GOING TO BE O.K. I've had to tell myself this several times this past year, and I keep saying it because I know it to be true. If you're hanging or just hanging by a thread, I hope this post has brought you some joy, and perhaps some hope.

For more information on 'Sister' sessions or connection sessions, I'd love to hear from you! Tentatively booking for May/June now depending on the ever-changing guidelines related to current events.

Thanks for hanging with me. Love y'all. ~xoxo ~Jess