Ben Finch Photography » Ben Finch

The Maynards {Newborn | Athens, TN}

Ben Finch — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:02:14 +0000

We’re from the same neighborhood. Growing up just down the street from one another, I’ve known Chris since I was in elementary school. Most of my memories of him involve either skateboards or Boy Scout meetings… oh the days! And his sister, Amanda, & I were in the same grade so we’ve been friends for ages.

Well, we’re back living in the same hood again. Just a few short months ago, Chris & his wife, Emily, purchased a house two streets over from ours. They’ve been overhauling the home & have recently moved in just prior to the birth of their first child, Ben. On March 8, 2012 at 1:25am, Ben was born into this world weighing 7.2 lbs at 20″ long.

I was privileged to visit the Maynard’s home last Thursday to pay Ben a visit & to welcome him. Congrats my friends… thanks for the opportunity to photograph your beautiful baby son. And, I can’t wait to put some steaks & burgers on the grill soon!

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I love seeing these little features!

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So happy for you guys! Love this little smirk on Ben’s face.

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Buck & Vicki Wedding {Keith UMC, Athens, TN}

Ben Finch — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:39:06 +0000

By the end of the evening while Vicki’s children were giving toasts, I found myself flooded with emotions. I watched one of my very best friends from childhood, Andrew, speak with joy & tenderness to his mother as she’d just given her hand in marriage to Buck. I’ve known the families of the bride & groom since I was 4 years old. Growing up you’d often find me at Andrew’s house, the Harrod’s, as it served like a second home to me. It seems like some summers, he & I were inseparable. We went on vacations together, visited grandparents together & sometimes fought like brothers. They were good times! And Buck’s sister & her husband, Maxine & Warren, were/are like grandparents to me. We grew up right next door to them & still love them like family. Although they moved across town years ago, my dad regularly attempts to move them back into the neighborhood!

Who would’ve imagined that these two families would unite in marriage? God would see fit that through adversity & the loss of their spouses, that Buck & Vicki find one another. In a sense, it’s a story of redemption. And they are such a wonderful couple. I am so honored to have shared this occasion with these two families. Congrats friends!

Vicki’s children & their families.

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Vicki, the beautiful bride.

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Buck & his children & their families.

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Just prior to the ceremony.

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The ceremony was in a beautiful little chapel at Keith Memorial United Methodist Church in Athens, TN. Pastor Dennie Humphries officiated the ceremony… there’s no telling how many weddings we’ve done together now!

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Love the way they look at one another!

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The reception was held at Vickie’s home; it was fantastic!

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There was plenty of occasion for photos of family & guests. Love this pic of Andrew & his wife, Cara.

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Cake details.

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Buck & Vicki’s children offered toasts to the couple… such a lovely moment.

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The night ended with a congratulations to Buck & Vicki! A warm thanks for allowing me to be a part of such a wonderful occasion.

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2012 Knoxville Addy Awards

Ben Finch — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:00:33 +0000

It’s an evening I’ve begun to eagerly look forward to every year… the Addy Awards Gala. I was again humbled & honored to sit beside some of the most talented designers, writers, developers, innovators (& more) in our region. Collectively, we enjoyed great food & drinks, a killer band, & good banter. It was the 2012 Knoxville Addy Awards, hosted at the Crowne Plaza, an evening of recognizing the most outstanding work in advertising. And for some reason, they let me come… again!

This weekend always marks a landmark for me professionally. This year I was honored to receive 5 awards: 1 Gold Addy for my Fall in TN photograph used for the Department of Tourism Brochure; 1 Silver Addy for the Department of Toursim Brochure; 1 Silver Addy for the cd cover photo for Calling Glory; 1 Silver Addy for a photograph I took while working with an Ad Agency in Knoxville (not pictured); & 1 Bronze Citation of Excellence for the ’11-’12 AACA Arts Guide. Below is a recap of some of the projects. [Below Left photo by BOPP]

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Tara Love Carter {Fashion Maternity | Athens, TN}

Ben Finch — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 12:00:41 +0000

When Tara & I discussed her maternity session, we immediately connected as she explained that she wanted a maternity shoot that reflected her style & love for glamour. I had so many ideas instantly come to mind. Then, she totally caught me off guard when she said that she was a Photography major from Florida State University. Say what? I had no idea. I quickly reminded her that I have no formal training in photography & that I would likely break all the rules in the book. Thankfully, she was game!

This past Wednesday, Tara & her husband, Allen, came by the studio for her maternity session. The Carters are expecting their first child, a little girl to be named Povey Love, due mid-April. Tara spoke with excitement as she talked about this upcoming state of life. And we had a great time in & around the studio. Tara was so patient & I really enjoyed taking our time. And let’s just admit… she rocked it out!!! I’ll refrain from further commentary; they’re pretty much all my favorites!

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The following were taken just outside of the studio in our courtyard… yeah!!!

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Studio Open House Party {Friday, March 23 | 6:30-9pm}

Ben Finch — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:27:25 +0000

IT’S OFFICIAL! We’ve moved into our new space & couldn’t be more excited about this new venture. We have so much we’re thanking God for & are celebrating many new changes coming to Finch Photography… new studio, new “brand identity” to be revealed, new website coming soon, & more. To kick it all off, we’re throwing a studio open house on Friday, March 23rd from 6:30-9pm. Who’s invited? Friends? Yes. Potential Friends? Yes. Family? Yes. Clients? Yes. Potential Clients? Yes. Blog Readers? Yes. Photographers? Yes. Non-Photographers? Yes. Neighbors? Yes. Out of towners? Yes. For crying out loud, you’re all invited!!! All you have to do is mark your calendars & show-up. We’re busy setting the stage for a fun evening of food, drinks, live music?, photo-booth silliness, polaroids, photo gallery & more. We’ll pack into the studio & if weather permits, we’ll also open up the outside courtyard. It’ll be a fun, laid-back atmosphere to come hang with friends, meet new people, meet our team, hear about some of our ideas for the space, & even talk to other wedding/event professionals who are helping me throw the party. Don’t be shy… I’d love to see you!
And guess what else? We’re having a contest. SKIP DOWN AFTER THIS PIC FOR CONTEST DETAILS!

{Below: The Finch crew! One of the first pics in the new studio taken by our Alan & Jenn!}

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CONTEST: In honor of the studio open house, we’re having some super rad t-shirts printed up. You’ll love them… custom designed for the occasion, perfect weight grey v-necks with my favorite medium format camera (Mamiya RZ67) on the front… pics to come! There’s two ways to get your hands on these bad boys. #1: You can purchase one for $18 at the event, or #2: WIN ONE! Here’s the scoop. As you probably well-know by now, Pinterest is incredible! It’s such a wonderful concept & tool; one can easily spend hours on the site. So… I’m always interested in seeing which of my photos that my blog readers love the most & am going to be buying some new canvases for the studio. I need your help & for the photo that gets chosen most often will be featured in the new diggs. How to win? All you have to do is find your favorite Finch Photo pic (or pics… feel free to choose as many as you’d like) from the blog [.net] or website [.com], upload it to Pinterest & link it back to my site {http://benfinchphotography.net}. It can be a wedding image, editorial, family… you name it… if you love it, pin it! From those who uploaded, beginning next week, I’m going to randomly pick a winner every week until the night of the open house. I’ll post the winner each Friday on the Finch Photography Facebook page. And yes, you can be an out of towner to win… I’ll ship to you! Kapish?

ADDRESS: 110 1/2 East Washington Avenue, Athens, TN 37303

Come celebrate with us! We’d be honored for you to be our guests. Shoot me questions if I failed to mention anything! Warm regards.

The Greiners {1-year Portraits & Family Lifestyle, Knoxville, TN}

Ben Finch — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 13:38:27 +0000

“She’s as cute as can be!” was the first thought I had when I saw her. Around a year ago, Avery was warmly welcomed into the Greiner family by dad & mom, John & Megan, as well as her loving big sis & brother, Ansley & Christian. I was privileged to spend some time with this precious little blonde hair girl & her family last Saturday in their Knoxville home. This was my first time to meet the Greiner family, although both of our families are members of Cornerstone Church of Knoxville. I was familiar with them in passing, but now I’m thankful to say that I have some new friends. They were so hospitable & it was a genuine pleasure to get to know them. Plus, I must add, Megan is quite the photo enthusiast. I was blown away with the amount of photographs on the walls of their home… some taken by her & others taken by some photographer friends. Her appreciation for capturing life through photographs really inspired me & further increased my value in this profession. Here’s a peek of some pics of Avery at 1-year old as well as some pics of the whole family… can’t wait to see some of these on those walls!!!

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Avery was happy to show me her room.

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Look at those beautiful eyes!

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Love that cute look on her face.

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With big sis & brother.

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Ansley is a beautiful little lady. She was such a big help & had dozens of ideas of where/how to pose… she may be a future team member of Finch Photography!

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Such an awesome smile! John & Megan said it’s hard to catch Christian with a genuine smile… we made it a goal to make sure it happened!

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It was a beautiful day outside so we took advantage of it.

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And the Greiners seemed like a perfect family for a bed shot.

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A quick wardrobe change!

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Love that look.

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The Medders {Studio Portraits, Athens, TN}

Ben Finch — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:55:31 +0000

The Medders family stopped by the studio a few days ago to celebrate their youngest son’s, Kash, first birthday. Plus, we had an opportunity to also photograph Sarah & Tucker, Christian & Cayla’s older children. We had a great time chasing this little guy around the studio. Kash is 100% all the time yet has tremendous older siblings. It was a pleasure spending time with & getting to know this neat family! Here’s a sneak peek:

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Scottie Mayfield for Congress

Ben Finch — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:00:17 +0000

You may recognize Scottie Mayfield from years of appearances as the face for Mayfield Dairy. His down-to-earth personality & hard-work ethic leave little question as to why he’s been such a model spokesman for the company. Now, after years of consideration, Scottie has been encouraged to run for Congress… & we are very excited! I’m encouraged to lend support to this family as they’ve done so much for our community & I was privileged to photograph his son, Michael’s wedding, this past September. When I heard of his decision to campaign, I was eager to help provide support. Last Tuesday I was privileged to spend some time with Scottie & his wife, Lisa, at their home, photographing for Scottie’s campaign. I appreciated Scottie lending a bit of time & had a great time on the farm.

Check out his Facebook page to join in on the campaign, click here. Here’s one of my favorites from our shoot… hopefully we’ll see more as the campaign progresses!

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Evelyn Rose Atkins {Newborn Session | Huntsville, AL}

Ben Finch — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:00:10 +0000

This past weekend seemed like a whirlwind. Last thing I recall was sitting in my office at about 11 am on Friday trying to send a few remaining emails while also getting a few projects in enough order so that I could be gone for the weekend. A good friend of mine & rockstar photographer (literally… John Legend & Matisyahu to name two!), Mary Margaret Chambliss, emailed me a few weeks back to see if I’d be up for a weekend in Birmingham helping her photograph a wedding. I met MM a few years back at a photographer conference & we hit it off & have kept in touch since. And since I rarely get the opportunity to assist a wedding, I thought it would be a good experience, a reminder even of why I love what I do. It certainly was.

Joy’s parents were kind to keep our kids & we enjoyed two nights away in Birmingham. It was truly fantastic & I can’t tell you how much I enjoy date nights with my bride. Friday night we had a quiet dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, followed by brunch the next morning at one of my new favorite diggs… Another Broken Egg Cafe in Mountain Brook. A few hours later, Mary Margaret & I rocked the wedding at Canterbury Methodist, followed by a beautiful reception at the Mountain Brook Club. And congrats to MaryeBeasley & Richard… you guys know how to throw a party!!!

The next morning I woke up completely exhausted from all the activity (getting in at 2am does that to an old guy). Yet I had an idea of what the afternoon held & was eager to visit a friend I’ve known for years. I drove up to Huntsville & was greeted by the Atkins family. Eric & I went to high school together & we’ve kept in touch since. He happens to be one of the smartest guys I know & has become quite famous on #Instagram… I’m slightly jealous. He’s a great guy & has a genuine love for the Lord. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he’s an Alabama fan! I met his wife, Erin, when they were dating & was reminded how he clearly married up! Ha.

Erin & Eric invited me to come photograph their beautiful new daughter, Evelyn Rose. I was honored & had such a fantastic time photographing & catching up with friends. And, EV is so beautiful! When I arrived, she was nestled in her crib, sound asleep.

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One of my favorites.

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Look at all that hair!

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This may be my favorite of her by herself.

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Beautiful little features.

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TIny toes.

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Eric was absolutely thrilled about his new girl!

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Love that.

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Congrats my friends. I was honored to visit & photograph this season of your lives.

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Andy & Meghan Wedding {Cornerstone Church of Knoxville | Hilton Downtown, Knoxville, TN}

Ben Finch — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 12:00:46 +0000

It’s what happens when you’re single & have people in your life who know you intently & love you deeply. Eventually they work behind the scenes to set you up on a date. Sometimes this can be good… really good!!! Such is the case for Andy & Meghan. Courtesy of their church caregroup leaders, Dave & Krista, Andy & Meghan got to know one another in their small group & via many games of ping-pong!

Andy was right when describing Meghan’s “energetic” & “spunky” personality. Before you know it you feel like you’ve known her forever as she has a way of connecting with others. And the same is the case for Andy. He’s a genuine guy… caring & interested in others. There’s no question why these two make such a great pair.

On a trip to Charleston, Andy took Meghan to visit a lighthouse… “it actually turned out to be a metal skinny building,” she joked. Admittedly, Andy was a bit disappointed as his expectations were thwarted. Yet, sitting on the beach, enjoying one another as they watched the sun set, all seemed right in the world. Andy asked Meghan’s hand in marriage… “yes!”

… which leads us to their beautiful wedding. Andy & Meghan were wed at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville (which is also our church… hooray!). Outside it was a bit wet, windy & cold, yet we were able to work around it & I can’t imagine having a better time. I think you’ll love their day.

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Meghan’s personality is so radiant & easily communicates in her photographs.

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Beautiful.

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And her ladies were such sports as they fought through the cold & wet weather.

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(R) When her father saw her for the first time in her dress.

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The fellas getting ready.

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You never know what you’re going to get into with a groom & his guys. This was no exception… good times!

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Andy preparing a gift for his bride.

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The details… just prior to the beginning of the ceremony.

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The incredible designer, Natalie Clayman, provided the design details. Her work was featured at the reception as well.

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It’s time.

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Love this reaction!

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The reception was held at The Hilton, downtown Knoxville. Due to the early sunset, we faced a dark sky yet braved the cold & had a great time using the city lights as our backdrop before heading to the reception.

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Love these!

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We headed to the reception & spent a few moments in their beautiful lobby.

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The reception was beautiful.

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This crew knew how to party!

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Congrats friends! You’re wedding day was wonderful; thank you for the opportunity & privilege to share this occasion with you.

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