I went out to the McDonalds’ farm the other day & spent some time capturing this season of life. Although it must’ve been 100 degrees by 9am, we still had a great time running around. Plus, the sunflowers were in season which were the perfect backdrop.

Hunter Benjamin McDonald
William Chase McDonald with dad, Travis.
Travis just completed building a play house for the boys… it’s big-time!
Amy & Travis.
I love this pic… Amy was saying to Chase, “Don’t you dare smile Chase!” This is his tough look… priceless.
So thankful for this family! Love you guys!

A week ago I was fortunate to spend some time at the home of Scottie & Lisa Mayfield with their grandson, Sebastian. Lisa had Sebastian for a few days & wanted to capture this fun stage of Sebastian’s life. Here’s a quick photographic recap of our great time together:

One of Sebastian’s favorite things to do is go for a ride in the stroller up & down the driveway. Isn’t their barn amazing!

At the mention of listening to music, Sebastian’s face lit up! (Below L), Sebastian loves pushing around an old leather “bull” ottoman (Below R).
His favorite place to read… I love how the book is upside down!
I lost count of how many times we ran up & down the hill in the backyard.
The Mayfield’s property is a photographer’s dream.
A love for ice-cream runs in the family! Must be pretty cool to know that you have a lifetime supply ahead of you!
A magazine from 1955 that features Mayfield Farms; the barn is on the cover.
Thanks Lisa & Sebastian! I had a great time!

I knew the first time I met with Shelby’s mom, Janette, that I was going to enjoy this couple. Shelby Mason was raised on a dairy farm in the hills between Athens & Niota, TN, so she’s familiar with hard work & life on the farm. She’s a country girl. And on Saturday, she married a laid-back country boy. Jake Roberts grew up in Phenix City, AL before playing football in college while attending the College of the South, Sewanee. He later began coaching football at Cumberland University where he met Shelby. They couldn’t be any more perfect for one another.

Shelby & Jake, I wish you two the absolute best. Thank you for the opportunity to be your photographer! And, here’s a peak from your wedding day:

We’ll start with a few images from the rehearsal. I don’t usually shoot rehearsals but we were unable to do a pre-wedding shoot so I was more than happy to attend their rehearsal. It was so much fun & allowed me an opportunity to get to know the wedding party ahead of time. Plus, I was able to capture some of the personal touches that go into the rehearsal dinner.

Following the rehearsal at Keith Church, the dinner took place at the Mason Farm; what a fun place!

Shelby was overcome with emotion as her guests formed a circle around she & Jake while her dad offered a blessing over their marriage.
A good friend & musician, JT Tallent, offered his incredible song, “With You.” You can listen to it via YouTube by clicking here.
Guests watched a moving slideshow of Shelby & Jake’s story.
And here’s my favorite part… the wedding day! Shelby’s dress is in a league of its own.

Black’s Florist did an incredible job with the floral arrangements.
I noticed an incredible field just behind the reception site; it served as a perfect portrait location. What a gorgeous bride!
At one point Shelby said, “Am I supposed to be smiling?” I responded, “Shelby, it’s your wedding day! Of course.” She smiled the entire day!!
I am so thrilled by this picture… wow! There are several from this location that are my favorites!
The reception was held at the historic Keith Mansion. There’s hardly a better reception site in town. It’s owned by chef Paul Carideo & wife, Melanie, who are both a pleasure to work alongside. The bridesmaids spent the night prior to the wedding in the bed & breakfast & it’s interior is perfectly fit for portraits.
Love these moments!
These two absolutely light up when around one another… I can’t help but smile watching them interact.
This picture brought tears to my eyes & conjured up such emotion. The Roberts family had a special memorial candle in honor of Jake’s grandfather who recently passed. Alongside the candle was a picture of Jake & his grandfather. Here, Jake’s father pauses to remember his father; in the background, Jake’s mother is consoled by her sister.
What can I say, Shelby’s got a good arm. She overthrew the “single ladies”; it landed on top of the tent.
Decorations Creations provided the centerpieces for the reception. I loved how they floated pics from Shelby & Jake’s engagement session inside the centerpiece. MP Entertainment provided the music… they are always a pleasure to work alongside. Also, John David Boreing & his video team were awesome!
And yes… we danced to the music!
And yes… we photoboothed like crazy! Here are just some of the crazy shots. If you’d like to see all the pics from Shelby & Jake’s photobooth, check out my Facebook page by clicking here. If you “like” BF Photo, you will be notified via FB when we post pics of our recent shoots. As always, a special thanks to the ladies who helped me capture this day, Lillian Prince & Alison Nation, you’re awesome! You must check out Lillian’s awesome coverage here.

If you’d like to pre-register to see all the pictures from Shelby & Jake’s wedding, click here & you’ll be notified when they are available. Hope you enjoyed… there’s so much more!

That’s what I call rock & roll! Meredith sported her off-white Chucks while the bridesmaids wore hot-pink all-stars with black laces; they even had their initials embroidered on the heels.
Ain’t no wedding like a Jason & Meredith Crabtree wedding!
The reception was held at Knoxville’s Art Emporium on Gay Street. It’s a great reception location for a small wedding party & the artsy feel really adds to the atmosphere.
I’ll have to go with Sweet Tea… unless the Unsweet tea has lots of sugar in it! You get my point!

For the brides out there planning their wedding or for those who love wedding details, you should check out Nicole’s work at The Plunge Project (http://www.theplungeproject.com & @plungeproject). Her content is excellent as she provides great ideas & explores real-life challenges of today’s brides.

This is Avery… Wendy & Bryan’s oldest little girl. My goodness she is beautiful!

And here is their youngest daughter, Austyn… look at those eyes!
Pictured from L to R: Jennifer (Wendy’s sister) & her husband, Jeff Shadrock, Karen Sheldon (Wendy’s mom), Zane Shadrock (Jennifer & Jeff’s son), Robert Sheldon (Wendy’s father) holding Avery, Bryan & Wendy Ennis with Austyn.
L: Jeff, Jennifer, & Zane Shadrock. R: Beau, Savannah, & Saylor Ennis (this is Bryan’s brother & his beautiful girls).
Wendy & her girls!
Bryan & Austyn. It was a pleasure seeing her around her dad!What a great looking couple!!
Really love this one… this is the life.
Bryan was gracious enough to let everyone play around in his Ferrari… that car is incredible.

Savannah & Saylor are such sweet girls. I’m pretty sure if they lived close by, I’d have two babysitters to call on.
I love the joy in this picture!

And, since every blog post needs a picture, here’s my little man Knox with his Elvis glasses on.

When we bought our house we loved the extra 160 square feet screened-in back porch just off the kitchen. But as I thought about bringing my office home, I knew this space would be ideal. With blazing hot summers & cold winters, I was going to have to close in the space. I began researching & designing the space, gathering materials, begging my Father-in-law & dad to help, & eventually beginning the renovation. We did all the renovation ourselves & saved a ton of money… you wouldn’t believe the final cost. I will spare some of the details but I designed the space to echo my Ben Finch Photography brand. There are a few things missing… I’m saving to add a couch & coffee table, signage, & a large plasma/LCD TV to show clients their session photos. Here it is so far with it’s wonderful natural light pouring in… drum roll please!!

One of the challenges & benefits of moving to such a small space is that it forces you to simplify. Everything in the office serves a purpose now. The suitcases & trunk both house photo equipment & office supplies. The couch & coffee table will serve as a workstation when I have meetings with my designers & photography associates. And I have areas for temporary & permanent filing… it’s an organizational dream!

Leave me a comment below & let me know what you think. If you have any questions about the benefits/challenges of running a business (or two) from home or feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment. Or, if you have any questions for that matter… I’ll be glad to try to answer.

Here are a few pics of the area beforehand as I was measuring for windows. These images remind me of how hard it was to keep the screened-in porch clean… it drove me crazy! Not any more!!

It’s quite odd… does this happen to other people?

About two weeks ago I went to the mailbox & a bird flew out of the newspaper slot. She’s been there for several weeks now & without fail, I forget she’s nested there & she’ll dive bomb me when I collect the mail. I bet the neighbors find it hilarious.

Well… two days ago I realized her little chicks had hatched. Today when I went to the mailbox I took my camera & caught a quick pic of our ‘special delivery.’ Joy isn’t too thrilled, she’s kind of creeped out by birds.

There are at least two in there, but this guy seems to be the most social… love the bird mohawk. Does this qualify as a newborn session?

The closet is indicative of my entire life. Everything is in some sort of order & if it is “out” of order, we’ve got problems folks. Just imagine how my life has changed since we’ve had kids.

But sometimes I think this can be a strength.

I have an obsession with details. In most cases, I immediately see when something is slightly off. Maybe it’s a picture on the wall that isn’t straight, a brochure where the spacing isn’t flush, etc. I could go on & on. No really, I could.

So… all that to say, one of my favorite things about photography is capturing details & expressions. I assisted another photographer this weekend for Matthew & Jessica’s wedding. It was a lovely ceremony & the reception was top-class as details were priority. Congrats Matthew & Jessica!

As Jessica was coming down the aisle for her “first-look” at her man.
Those shoes are straight up rock & roll!
One of the groomsmen, Ben, had the strategy mapped out… it was almost game-time.
It’s game-time!
This little girl was the bride’s niece… love that little expression.
Ahh… very well done!
Here’s the retro-styled getaway golf-cart. What a great day for a wedding!