Cardwell Family Newborn | Knoxville Newborn Photographer

There’s nothing I love more than walking away from a session feeling like I just took a peek at normal life for a family and getting to share that back with them, showing them all the beauty in that time. Please know that I am not saying perfection, because we all know that our days hold the whole gamut of emotions and feelings, messes, mundane chores and exhaustion. But seeing the beauty and especially the blessings even there, and reflecting it back through photographs to you, is what it’s all about for me. Sharing a beautiful morning with the Cardwell family and their newest baby girl today, where all those things I mentioned were happening at the same time. Here is the result.

If you are interested in sharing a morning or afternoon with me and creating together with your family, I would love to chat. Contact me here and let’s get your session scheduled.

Johnson Family Maternity | Knoxville, TN Family Photographer

I got to spend the morning with this family on the brink of a big change for them, the arrival of their 4th baby. Those days feel so filled with anticipation and energy, or lack thereof. ha! As mama of 4 myself, I felt the rush of preparation but also the strong and steady tug to sit and savor things just as they are before the page is turned towards the new chapter of our family. And THAT was where this family was on this cool late summer morning. Slow and simple, taking in the time together as a family of 5. Ready to receive the next new blessing. <3 Congrats sweet Johnson Family, it’s been a blessing to witness your family grow. <3

Baird Motherhood | Knoxville Family Photographer

Perhaps the reason you are drawn to flowers is not only for their outer beauty, but because they remind you beautiful things will bloom after the longest seasons of waiting. -Morgan Harper Nichols

I met Kelcy almost 2 years ago when I photographed her family at home and I got to catch up with her and her boys this Spring for a motherhood session. We had the most relaxed time together and I loved getting to see her in her element loving her sweet children. I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. <3

Fay Family | Knoxville Family Photographer

This session made me fall in love with extended family sessions. There is no need for them to be stiff or stuffy. Just come as you are. Since the start of this year, I’ve lost 2 of my grandparents so sessions like these seem to hit me right in the feels as the images I have of them has increased in value to me by infinity. It’s really the most important thing I have left from them. I hope these are as treasured as my images with my family are to me. An evening with this family is time well spent. I’m so glad I’ve seen Matt and Danielle’s journey since the start of their family and I loved that he surprised her with this session for Christmas when they were at home in Tennessee visiting family for the holidays. If you want treasured memories like these of you and your loved ones, send me an email, there’s nothing more I’d love than document this time for you.

Cleveland Newborn | Knoxville Newborn Photographer

It’s a wild world out there right now and so much has changed since the last time I blogged. I’ve thought about how to share my work during this time. I’ve wanted to share how I’m struggling because I feel that there is so much power in not feeling alone in the ways that we struggle, but I haven’t wanted to be a discouragement. I’ve wanted to encourage all you mamas that now find yourselves homeschooling your children so suddenly, wanted to tell you that it will all be fine and to extend yourself SO much grace during these days and everyday, as I have to remind myself often, but I didn’t want to be just another voice offering advice in a time when everyone seems to be giving their advice. I do want to share all of these things with you, in time but right now, I just want to remind you of the beauties of home. When we are in the absolute thick of it, which we all are right now, I'll be the first to admit, our lenses get fogged up quickly. It’s a hard job what we’re all doing, some days it feels impossible so we need some reminders for ourselves. I am at home with our children every day and we homeschooled even before this happened, but I still need a reminder (often) about these beautiful and precious days. I need to be reminded to forgive one another(including myself), to have patience with my little ones, to let things be messy, to put on a show when I need a break, to step away from a lesson that is bringing frustration and read a book, to make a meal together and do my besssssst not to get frustrated(lol), to sit down and build a hot wheels track with my 5 year old rather than scroll social media, to choose joy even when I don’t feel like it and to call a friend and cry if I need to. After a week that held so many emotions, last night I lay in bed and scrolled through my camera roll while looking at old photos of my kids and felt the need to remind myself of all these things. God’s grace is new for us every single day mamas and now more than ever, I am clinging to that and I hope you are too.

Grace to you.

xo Bethany

And speaking of reminders of the beauty of home, I’m sharing the Cleveland family with you today that I photographed last month. My time with them was precious and even then, a breath of fresh air for me. I arrived and daddy was wearing their newborn as he sipped his coffee and cuddled their toddler on the couch. It felt like a beautifully simple but sacred time in the life of a family and I was so glad I got to be there for a small piece of it.

Johnson Family | Knoxville Family Photographer

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” -G.K. Chesterton

Bessom Family at home on the farm | Knoxville Family Photographer

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” -Abraham Lincoln

I have photographed this family for years and each time is special but this time was even more so. That’s because I got to photograph them on their new farm. I’ve seen and heard them dreaming about this since we met and to see them in this space that’s been talked and dreamed about for so long was so beautiful to me. I love that they are seeking a life for their family where their days are filled with homesteading, farm chores, chickens and goats and long walks to the fire pit, watching sunsets on the pond and most importantly, each other. I hope you love these photos of the Bessom family at home on their farm as much as I do.

If you’d love for me to capture your family at home where you’re comfortable and you and your kids let your guard down. Where all the beauty of the mundane and real living take place, I would love for us to talk about a session together this year. You can drop me a line here and we can chat!

Byrd Family | Knoxville Family Photographer

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you. -Neruda

The beautiful Byrd Family together in Knoxville at the end of summer. <3

Montgomery Family | Knoxville Family Photographer

The simplest of days, the sweetest moments. Nothing fancy or fussy which is exactly how it should be. A morning at home with the Montgomery Family. <3

McCarthy Family >>> Knoxville Family Photographer

Trying to get myself back in the swing of blogging because I have had so many amazing family sessions this year. So I’m gonna start by sharing this one. I met this family at home and hung out with them there followed by a walk at their farm. It was a sweet and slow evening and just really the most beautiful thing you can imagine. Enjoy.

April 10 on 10 | Knoxville Family Photographer

Hi friends! It’s been a while since I hopped in on our 10 on 10 blog circle and I wanted to share some of our every day images from this past month. As always, I can’t quite get it down to 10 images so I’m sharing a few extra. Be sure to make your way around the circle and visit Kalajoki Lifestyle Photographer Noemi’s post next.

Steelman Family | Knoxville Family Photographer

“You are so much sunshine in every square inch.” -Walt Whitman

Lushbaugh Family | Knoxville, TN Family Photographer

“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful.” -Laura Ingalls Wilder

Meek Family | Knoxville Newborn Photographer

I’m completely in love with this session for lots of reasons but mostly because my time with this beautiful family was so natural and honest. Kids playing all around, making coffee, practicing piano while mama fed the baby, warming up supper as I finished up. Just a beautiful piece of their story captured on an early spring afternoon. Congrats Meek family. It was a blessing to photograph you guys.

Baird Family | Knoxville Family Photographer

“I have, as it were, my own sun and moon and stars, and a little world all to myself.” -Henry David Thoreau

The Baird Family at home on their land. In their own little sweet world. <3

The Shields Family >>> Knoxville Family Photographer

Sometimes it’ just so fun to do something different! So when my client came to me wanting a super simplistic session done all on one wall in their home on film, I was pumped for the challenge. I love that she wanted me to just let things flow naturally and to just capture the kids exactly as is. The best I tell ya.

The Bessom Family >>> Knoxville Family Photographer

“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.” -L.M. Montgomery

The sweet Bessom Family in fall.

Kicklighter Family >>> Knoxville Family Photographer

I am so happy I got to catch up with the Kicklighter family this fall and photograph them in downtown Knoxville since it’s been a while since our last session together. Gianna is a super talented photographer herself, check her out here, and she and Pat are sweet friends of ours. It has been such a blessing to see them grow into incredible parents to little Norah. Love you guys so much Kicks! Blessings!

The Japp Family >>> Knoxville Family Photographer

This family. I first met them almost 2 years ago, you can read more about that here. I got to catch up with them this fall and photograph them in their home on film. I found a family that was changed from the first time I’d met them. They’ve clung tightly to each other and to the Lord in such time of uncertainty and it’s been woven into their family. Jenn (who also happens to be an incredibly talented photographer) has truly been an encouragement to me and such an example of faithfulness in the midst of trials. She recently messaged me this scripture and encouragement and I want to share it with you.

“Your bolts and gates shall be iron and bronze AND AS YOUR DAYS, SO SHALL YOUR STRENGTH BE.” Deuteronomy 33:25

“I’m so built up by the idea of God giving us the strength that today requires. Don’t look ahead for tomorrow. Don’t try to draw strength and energy and creativity for a month from now or grace and help for a situation that “could happen.” Grace for today. In copious amounts. Praying this for you today and for me!'“

Pressing in >>> Shields Family >>> Knoxville Family Photographer

Ya'll. This is worth your time. This is my very best friend. We have lived a lot of life together. We've been through good and bad, ups and downs and all the in betweens. She's been a constant source of encouragement in my journey through motherhood. A few months ago we met up at a park to let our children play and I was sharing with her about how overwhelmed I felt during this season, and how dry I felt spiritually. She offered up these words to me as the Lord had been revealing this to her heart during a similar season. It ministered to me so much that I asked her to write it down so that I could share it with some images I've taken of her family this past year. I hope it encourages your heart today to "press in" even in seasons that are filled with trials, sleepless nights, overwhelming joy and tears. I'm praying for you mama's that in these times, we press in to Him. 

Crystal writes......

Some girls dream of the day they get to marry the man of their dreams and immediately start having babies. The first part was true for me. And while I knew I would become a mother someday, the latter was nowhere on my radar. I probably took 15 pregnancy tests the first few years of our marriage because I was TERRIFIED of getting pregnant. Alas, a few years went by, and God was drawing out a very intense desire in me to be a mom. When we welcomed our first son, Shepherd, I was hooked. So in love. I just knew God had called me to be a mom and raise my kids. So since He called me to do this, it was going to be easy right??

Our family has grown to a party of 6 these days. And while I have no idea what I am doing when it comes to tailoring these 4 sweet souls, God has been so good and gentle in giving me wisdom. This season of raising children is a tad bit hard at the moment. Okay, it’s really hard. God took me out of the yuckiest, joyless mud pit several years ago, when He was guiding me through scripture about JOY. JOY was my banner raised high for years. Oh how my heart changed! Last summer, I could tell the Holy Spirit was leading my sail into a new season and some uncertain waters.

Life is hard. Period. We are not promised an easy life. We aren’t used to having to get dirty in the trenches. So what do we do when we feel the storms are too big or trials unbearable. 

We PRESS IN. 

The Lord put those two words on my heart and I immediately went digging into scripture. He lead me to Mark 5: 24-29

24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

My eyes would draw back to those words “came in the press behind.” 

Why did she come up BEHIND him? Why was there such a huge crowd around Jesus? How hard was it for her to get to Jesus?

So let me set the stage for you. Jesus was doing miracle after miracle. He had just healed a man that had been possessed by a legion of demons. Before that he had calmed a raging storm just by saying the words “Peace! Be still!”

Mark 4:41 “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Jesus steps off the boat and was surrounded by a crowd and immediately a ruler of the synagogue falls at His feet, begging Him to come to his home and heal his daughter who is sick to the point of death. 

The original Greek definition for crowd here means “troops of people gathered together without order.” I imagine total chaos. It’s like a huge celebrity of our time in the midst of a crowd with NO body guards. 

Also, the Greek definition for thronged means “to compress, to press hard upon all sides.” 

Jesus not only is surrounded by this large, out of order crowd. They are pressing in on him. Hard! On every side of Him. No doubt everyone was trying to touch him and tell him what miracle they needed him to perform. I can’t imagine the desperation of this synagogue ruler as he was leading, almost dragging and pulling on Jesus in the direction of his home.

So then enters this “woman with a discharge of blood for 12 years”...

I gave a lot of thought about her. God had put her on my mind for days. Scripture tells us she had heard the reports about Jesus.  Did she travel to see him? How far?  We know she had to do some type of travel since she had been ostracized from the community to an area where ceremonially and socially “unclean” people were. 

In Levitus 15 it tells us that when it was a “woman’s time of the month” per se, she was considered ceremonially unclean. You could not be touched by anyone during your uncleanliness for 7 days! Yikes! All your clothes, linens and everything you had sat on had to be washed. If anyone, DID touch you, even on accident, they were considered unclean for an entire day and had to wash all thier clothes and go take a bath. Which, for those days, was a big deal to have to do all that. No washer and dryers!  

There were also “extra man made laws” that society had made her do. She had to be divorced from her husband, she couldn’t live in her home, and she was shunned from all her friends and family. TWELVE years of this no less. The sad part, it wasn’t anything she could help. And God knows she tried over and over and over to find a cure.  

Mark 5: 26

“and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse.”

Breaks my heart. 

NO HUMAN TOUCH FOR 12 YEARS. I can’t imagine the hopelessness and loneliness she must have felt. 

I see her waking up and getting out of her “unclean” bed and putting on her “unclean” clothes and walking out of her “unclean” community, and thinking, “maybe, just maybe this Jesus guy will heal me and I won’t have to come back here EVER.” Off she went, head and face covered.

I wish I had a picture of her seeing Jesus for the first time. She saw Him and instantly knew He was worth the risk. Risking the possibility of death. She knew she would have to TOUCH all those people in the crowd to get to Him. “What if they see me? What if they find out I am ceremonially unclean and realize all they have to do to be considered clean again? They’ll kill me!” Times were much different in those days. The crowd could have very well taken matters into their own hands. 

But she risked it all to get to Jesus. 

Verse 27 tells us she came in “from behind.” I meditated on this part of the verse for a while. I’m sure she thought,” I can’t let Him see me. I’ll just touch the bottom of his robe and be on my way.” We don’t know how she got through the crowd. But I had such a vivid picture of her taking a deep breath, covering herself and head up really good one last time, and getting on the dirty ground and crawling her way through the crowd. 

Getting stepped on. Getting hurt. Getting dirty. 

Then…she stretches her arm and fingers out as painful as it would have been, and HE ANSWERED.  She risked all. She fought. She believed. She PRESSED IN. 

So here I am, sometimes feeling like I’m blindly navigating my way through mothering. Homeschooling. Wife-ing. But God is teaching me that if I PRESS IN, He will answer. He heals my soul of despair. He calms my anxious heart. Listen Mama. There will be times God will call you to do something that seems totally impossible. It will LOOK impossible. You might get dirty. It will take RISK. I’m not sure what that is for you. For me, its raising my children in HIM and continuing to serve others, my husband, and handle the trials and storms that come sweeping in from time to time. So this is me. This is where I am. Feeling the need to PRESS IN to Him, no matter what it takes. Sometimes it won't be easy. Sometimes it's messy, and painful and exhausting, but keep reaching out to Him. Take heart mamas, PRESS IN to our sweet Jesus and He will ANSWER and He will give you rest.