Tim + Brooke Downtown JC

I am very lucky in the fact that I get to do something I am so very passionate about while capturing passion for others. I start these blogs with high hopes of words of grandeur but always feel like my words fall short of the story I am trying to unfold for anyone reading. Thats because its not often, my story to tell so coming from me just doest’t feel right to me. My work and my vision that I infuse with these stories are a different tale all together. I don’t want to write here and tell you the love story between Tim and Brooke, but rather know that when you see these images below that you can not deny the way he looks at his soon to be wife, and how she lights up when he takes her by the hand. I always feel my visuals are my way of speaking the best that’s typically why I keep my entries so short. I want to respect the narrative of the story I am blessed to capture and record.

Brooke and I have be friends for a little while now and I was delighted when her sister emailed me to ask about my availability and especially when she stated I was Brookes first choice. This is why I get so excited to work with people. When I can get past my own doubts, I can see the world a little differently and then I can not help but create. With all the nonsense that 2020 has delivered on a sliver platter, I am so grateful that love wins. I am so glad that among the hurt in our world, that we can still find these pockets to of wonder to hold on to and to fuel our hope for a better future.

Brooke and Tim live 2 hours away and we planned this session several times but weather and pandemics spoiled our plans a few times, but I am confident that only happened to make this day so spectacular as a result.

The Things That are Left -

“The world made me cold. You made me water. One day we’ll be clouds.”

Iain S. Thomas

Different Approach

I just finished up prom season here in East Tennesee and moved right into wedding season. I'm writing this as a part confession, part growth.  I will start with the confessing. I hate prom season.  I did in the past is a better way to word that. I found myself feeling that prom season was something I was expected to do but often found myself feeling constrained by it.  Young adults dressing up in clothing they would usually not wear,  wearing flowers that make their movement cumbersome, and some of them are together but others are not. The latter also present's it's own issues in posing and making them comfortable. I don't feel that I charge enough for the service I offer but I also know these prom photos may turn into senior portrait session's and I can't get enough of those! So this year I made a point to myself. I made it a goal to find a better way to shoot prom. I promised myself, that I would provide something different for my clients, and I'm glad to say I crushed that goal like a boss. What did I do differently you may ask?
 
Ok so if you have ever read any of my blogs, or any of my Instagram post's ( come on are you still not following me? Really? Go on then. www.instagram.com/jeremy.gouge )  you may know that I love portraiture. I love all lighting and finding the light in every situation.  So I took some time to myself and decided that prom pictures are simply high fashion portraits. Then it clicked! Approach these sessions like I would a fashion session. I didn't concentrate on the clothing the same way but I wanted to shoot every couple as I would a model. I took this approach to every prom session I booked, and hope every gallery expressed my new method. I hope this new technique was evident in the final products. I hope that we made Prom memorable and unique. I had the extreme pleasure of working with new people, returning clients, and made future clients as well. One client was eager to book again, the moment she saw the first sneak peak. This is what makes what I do worth every second.  I'm not flooding this post with images, flip back to my Prom Season is bringing heat blog or my IG ( because you actually went and followed me right? ) to get a glimpse at those. I'm simply writing this to remind anyone else that reads it, there is always another way, a different approach, but always stay true to who you are. I hope everyone has an amazing Holiday Weekend.
J