Find the Best Photographers in Tennessee

Whitney Fernald was born and raised in East Tennessee and now lives in Sevierville with her husband and two sons, making Whitney Jo Photography a genuinely local option for families visiting or living near Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. A graduate of Gatlinburg-Pittman High School and East Tennessee State University, where she studied Mass Communications and Marketing, Whitney worked in media, banking, and dental before finally pursuing the photography passion she’d held onto since high school. She started Whitney Jo Photography after struggling to find a local family photographer who was responsive and offered packages that actually matched what busy parents needed, and that experience shaped her business model: full sessions for a complete family shoot alongside frequent, shorter seasonal mini sessions at a more accessible price point. Babies and newborns are one of her dedicated gallery categories, sitting alongside maternity and “mommy and me” sessions, so families can book a newborn photographer already practiced at working with very young children and their older siblings. As a mom of two herself, Whitney brings patience to sessions with fussy babies and wiggly toddlers alike — a quality past clients specifically call out, describing her as great with kids and her finished photos as beautiful. 

Ashley Leffew has spent more than five years documenting weddings and family sessions throughout Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains, and in recent years she has expanded that experience into dedicated newborn and baby photography. Ashley lives on a farm just outside Gatlinburg with her husband, Elijah, and their own son, and becoming a mother herself has shaped how she approaches newborn work — she has spoken about how having a baby gave her a deeper appreciation for how quickly that first year passes and for documenting families through it. For newborn and baby clients, Ashley offers her Premier Session, a 45-minute sitting with one outfit change that she describes as ideal for family, maternity, and newborn portraits alike, as well as a more relaxed Dandridge mini session held on her own private farm property, which suits families with a new baby and young children who want a shorter, low-pressure visit. As a permitted photographer in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, she also brings mountain backdrops into newborn and family sessions for clients who want their baby’s earliest portraits to reflect the Smokies setting. Shooting on a Nikon Z6ii with a 35mm lens, Ashley’s style favors natural, unposed connection over stiff formal portraiture, an approach that carries over from her wedding work into how she photographs new families. 

Cindy Carouthers is the photographer and owner behind Affordable Photography, a Maryville-based studio that services families across Knoxville, Nashville, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Cindy built her business around a simple idea: the most memorable moments in life, including the first time you meet your baby, deserve to be captured well without an inflated price tag. Her newborn offerings span several formats to fit different family needs — a full studio session in her Maryville space with twenty-five downloadable digital images, a quicker forty-five-minute all-wrapped mini session, an in-home lifestyle newborn session for a more relaxed, documentary feel, and dedicated Birth Story coverage where Cindy is on call from thirty-eight weeks through delivery to document the day a client’s child arrives. She takes only one birth story client per month so she can be fully available when the call comes. On Google, Affordable Photography holds a 4.1-star rating across thirteen reviews, and past newborn clients specifically mention her patience working with a full house — one review describes being worked in on short notice for newborn pictures and praises how patient Cindy was with two older brothers meeting their new sister. For traveling and local Gatlinburg-area families who want a newborn photographer who also understands maternity, milestone, and birth-story work, Cindy’s range and flexible session formats make her a practical option in the Smokies market. 

Jessy Amador Photography is a West Tennessee portrait business serving Jackson and the surrounding area with family, maternity, milestone and newborn photography, including hospital-based Fresh 48 sessions taken within the first two days of a baby’s life. Jessy has written specifically about her approach to newborn photography, describing a deliberately natural and unposed style: rather than putting babies into stiff, formal positions, she photographs them in poses they already gravitate toward on their own, such as curled against a parent’s chest or wrapped in a blanket mid-sleep. Every session is treated as a custom-tailored experience that starts with a pre-session consultation for planning, and concludes roughly two weeks later with an in-person or virtual reveal and ordering appointment where families choose between digital collections, albums and wall art. That structure gives new parents dedicated guidance through the entire process rather than just a batch of digital files. Jessy also works within days of birth for Fresh 48 documentary-style sessions, capturing a newborn’s first hours in the hospital rather than only later, posed studio portraits. For Jackson-area families who want an unposed, documentary-leaning take on newborn photography rather than a heavily staged studio look, Jessy Amador Photography offers a distinct style within the local market. 

Lele & Beane Photography is a newborn-focused photography business run by Sarah Ann Sargent, serving families in Paris and Jackson, Tennessee since 2017. Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and describes her approach to newborn photography as centered on care, calm, and intention — a philosophy shaped by her own experience becoming a mother. Rather than a studio-only setup, Lele & Beane’s signature offering is an in-home newborn session: a relaxed, two-hour visit to the family’s own house that produces a gallery of more than 150 naturally toned, film-like images delivered within two to three weeks. That in-home approach lets newborns stay in a familiar, comfortable environment during the fragile first days after birth, rather than requiring a trip to an unfamiliar studio. The business name itself is personal, drawn from Sarah’s parents’ chosen grandparent nicknames, and reflects a stated focus on family, legacy, and the love that grows with each generation. For Jackson-area parents who want their newborn photographed at home rather than in a studio, and who value a photographer who treats the session as an intimate family milestone rather than a production, Lele & Beane offers a distinct, personal alternative to studio-based newborn photography. 

Megan Shaw has run Megan Shaw Photography from her North Jackson studio inside Casey Jones Village for roughly fourteen years, building a business centered on newborn, family and child milestone sessions. She describes herself as trained in newborn safety and soothing techniques, a detail that matters to parents entrusting a days-old infant to a photographer’s hands for posed portraits. Her newborn galleries include both classic posed sessions — babies curled up in wraps and bonnets on soft, neutral backdrops — and newborn lifestyle sessions that capture a family in the earliest days at home, along with Fresh 48 style sessions. One client testimonial describes her as everything you are looking for in a newborn photographer, specifically praising how safe she made them feel with their baby throughout the shoot. Beyond her home studio, Megan also shoots at outdoor locations across West Tennessee, giving families a choice between a controlled studio newborn session and more natural, on-location portraits as their baby grows. With close to a decade and a half of specialized experience in this specific niche, Megan Shaw Photography is a go-to option for Jackson-area parents who want a photographer whose main focus, rather than a side offering, is newborn and baby photography. 

Kristina Only has been photographing Jackson, Tennessee families since 2005, and newborns are one of the core categories featured on her studio’s website alongside maternity, children and family sessions. Operating out of a storefront studio at 334 West Main Street in downtown Jackson — right next to Hub City Brewing — Kristina previously spent thirteen years working out of the Neely House location before moving her business downtown, giving her a long, continuous presence in the local portrait scene. In addition to her portrait studio work, she has served as a photographer for VIP Magazine in Jackson since 2006, putting her images regularly in front of the local community for nearly two decades. Her newborn galleries favor soft, warm tones and simple styling — swaddled babies in knit wraps against neutral backdrops — a classic, timeless approach rather than heavily trend-driven setups. With more than twenty years in business and a 4.9-star rating built on 21 Google reviews, Only Photography has the kind of long track record that reassures new parents handing over a days-old baby to a photographer for the first time. For Jackson-area families who want a downtown studio option with an established local reputation, Only Photography is a longstanding choice. 

Tracye Pulliam of Tracye’s Photography has built a devoted, decade-plus client base in Jackson, Tennessee for newborn photography as much as for weddings. Her babies-and-children portfolio includes multiple newborn sessions — swaddled infants in soft neutral wraps and knit bonnets, photographed with the same natural-light, minimal-editing style she’s known for across her wedding work. Clients often start with Tracye at an engagement session and return to her years later for their first baby’s newborn photos, a pattern that speaks to the trust she’s built in the West Tennessee photography community. She favors a relaxed, unhurried approach in these sessions, working with available light rather than heavy studio setups or excessive retouching, which gives her newborn images a soft, true-to-life quality rather than an overly staged look. Based in Jackson and close enough to Memphis and Nashville to serve both markets, Tracye brings the same reliability to a two-week-old baby’s first portraits that she brings to a wedding day: showing up prepared, working efficiently so a fragile subject and tired new parents aren’t kept waiting, and delivering images that hold up over time. Her reputation is reflected in a five-star rating across roughly thirty Google reviews, a track record built session by session, family by family, over more than a decade in business. 

Whit Marie Photography is based in Mt. Juliet, TN, and maintains an active newborn photography practice that extends to Franklin and a wide list of surrounding communities, including Belle Meade, Bellevue, Brentwood, Hendersonville, Lebanon, Nolensville, Old Hickory, and Spring Hill. The business specializes specifically in three related newborn-stage services: Fresh 48 photography documenting a baby’s first hours in the hospital, traditional newborn photography in the days following birth, and family sessions that bring older siblings into the frame. This focus on the newborn window rather than a broad mix of photography genres means Franklin families booking with Whit Marie are working with a photographer whose practice is built specifically around infants and postpartum families. The studio commits to responding to booking inquiries within 24 hours, a detail that matters for Fresh 48 clients who often need to confirm a hospital session on short notice after delivery. Whit Marie’s portfolio favors soft, true-to-life newborn portraiture, with an emphasis on capturing the baby’s actual features and the family’s genuine reactions rather than heavily stylized setups. For Franklin-area parents planning ahead for a hospital Fresh 48 session as well as an at-home or studio newborn shoot in the same package, Whit Marie Photography’s newborn-focused specialty is a practical fit. 

Shannon Payne has been photographing newborns and babies across Middle Tennessee since 2009, building one of the most reviewed newborn photography studios in the greater Nashville area. Operating out of Hendersonville, Shannon regularly welcomes families from Franklin for posed and lifestyle newborn sessions, capturing babies typically between five and fourteen days old when they are still sleepy and easy to pose. Her studio is stocked with a large wardrobe of wraps, headbands, and props, and she also offers Fresh 48 sessions for parents who want to document their baby’s very first hours in the hospital. Over more than a decade and a half in business, Shannon has amassed over one hundred Google reviews at a perfect five-star average, a track record that reflects consistency in both her images and her client experience. She keeps regular studio hours Monday through Friday and books newborn sessions well in advance of a family’s due date to ensure availability. Families driving up from Franklin appreciate that Shannon plans sessions around the baby’s needs rather than the clock, building in time for feeding and soothing breaks. Her portfolio spans classic posed newborn portraits, sibling and parent shots, and candid in-studio lifestyle images, giving Franklin families a full range of newborn photography styles to choose from under one roof. 

More Beatty Photography is a fine art family photography studio based directly in Franklin, TN, offering luxury newborn sessions built around natural light and lifestyle posing. The studio’s newborn work is framed around what the photographer describes as capturing the love and connection within a family during the fleeting newborn stage, rather than relying on heavily staged studio backdrops or props. Sessions are offered both in the family’s home and in outdoor settings, giving Franklin parents flexibility in how and where their newborn’s first portraits are captured. The studio’s portfolio favors soft, editorial-style newborn images with an emphasis on natural connection between parents, siblings, and the new baby, positioning it toward families seeking an elevated, fine-art aesthetic rather than traditional posed newborn portraiture. As a Franklin-based studio, More Beatty Photography is positioned to serve local families without requiring travel into Nashville or another surrounding suburb, and the business maintains an active website with a current portfolio and inquiry form for prospective clients. For Franklin parents specifically drawn to a natural-light, fine-art approach to newborn photography delivered by a locally based studio, More Beatty Photography offers that specialty within the city itself. 

Lauren Shannon Photography brings a light and airy, natural-light approach to newborn photography for families in Franklin, Nashville, and Brentwood. Before becoming a photographer, Lauren worked as a NICU nurse, and she describes that background as giving her confidence not only in capturing a new baby beautifully but in handling and posing them safely throughout the session. As a mother of four herself, Lauren built her business around what she calls a full-service family photography experience, guiding clients through wardrobe planning and session prep so Franklin parents can show up and simply enjoy the time with their newborn rather than worrying about logistics. Her portfolio favors soft, natural light over heavy studio setups, resulting in newborn images that feel candid and true to the family rather than overly posed. On Google, Lauren Shannon Photography has earned a perfect 5-star rating across 17 reviews, with the combination of her nursing background and her eye for natural light setting her apart among newborn photographers serving the Franklin market. She offers dedicated newborn sessions alongside maternity and family photography, making her a fit for parents who want continuity of style from bump to baby’s earliest days. 

Kristie Lloyd has run her newborn and family photography studio in Franklin, TN since 2013, giving her over a decade of hands-on experience photographing infants. Before turning to photography full time, Kristie worked as a Labor & Delivery nurse, and that clinical background shows in how she safely handles and poses newborns during sessions. She offers both in-studio sessions at her Franklin location and in-home newborn photography for families who prefer to stay close to their own nursery. Her work has been featured in PEOPLE magazine and the Nashville Baby Guide, and she has built a loyal following among Franklin, Brentwood, and Nashville families who return for maternity, newborn, and milestone sessions with each new addition. Kristie’s studio sessions are priced with a $400 session fee, with artwork collections beginning at $800 and full collections starting at $1,500, giving families a clear sense of investment before booking. On Google, she has earned a perfect 5-star rating across 31 reviews, with clients frequently highlighting how calm and unhurried her sessions feel, a direct result of her nursing background and years of newborn-specific experience. For Franklin families who want a photographer who understands infant safety as well as artistry, Kristie Lloyd’s combined medical and creative background is a distinguishing credential in the local market. 

Sweetest Moments Photography is a Knoxville, Tennessee studio led by photographer Hannah Bucklin, offering natural light and lifestyle photography for families at every stage, including a dedicated lifestyle newborn session. The studio’s newborn package is an all-inclusive session lasting up to two hours, held either on location or in the family’s own home, and is typically scheduled within the first two weeks after a baby is born to capture that fleeting newborn stage before it passes.

Sessions can include parents, siblings, and even family pets, reflecting Sweetest Moments’ lifestyle-driven approach that favors documenting real family interaction over heavily posed, studio-only setups. Families receive at least 40 edited high-resolution images delivered in both color and black-and-white, along with an online gallery and print release, giving parents the flexibility to print and share their newborn’s portraits however they choose.

For Knoxville families who want their newborn photographed at home in the earliest, most fragile days after birth — surrounded by older siblings or a family dog rather than a studio backdrop — Sweetest Moments Photography’s lifestyle newborn session is built specifically around that experience, with clear, upfront pricing and a fast turnaround appointment window. 

Jenny Cruger operates a private studio in downtown Franklin, TN, where she has spent more than eleven years specializing in maternity, newborn, and young family photography. Her studio location means Franklin families don’t have to travel outside the city for a dedicated newborn photography experience, and clients from across Nashville, Brentwood, and the wider Middle Tennessee area regularly make the trip to work with her instead. Jenny describes her focus as capturing natural, organic moments of early motherhood, favoring soft, true-to-life posing over heavily staged setups, which gives her newborn galleries a timeless, editorial feel. She maintains an active blog documenting recent sessions, giving prospective clients an up-to-date look at her current style and the newborn wardrobe and props available in her studio. On Google, Jenny Cruger Photography holds a perfect 5-star rating across 25 reviews, with clients frequently describing her as patient, warm, and skilled at working around a newborn’s schedule. Beyond newborn portraits, she also photographs maternity sessions and family field sessions around Franklin, making her a good fit for families who want the same photographer to document their journey from bump to baby’s first year within the same downtown Franklin studio. 

Susannah Raye Photography is a Knoxville-based photographer who has been working behind the camera since 2012, bringing more than a decade of experience to maternity and newborn sessions across East Tennessee. The studio offers both in-home and in-studio lifestyle newborn photography, giving families the choice between the comfort of their own nursery or a dedicated studio setting for their baby’s earliest portraits.

Susannah’s approach favors natural light and relaxed, unposed moments over heavily staged setups, aiming to document how a family actually looks and feels in the days after a baby arrives rather than a manufactured version of it. Client galleries include tender newborn close-ups alongside candid maternity work, showing a photographer equally comfortable capturing the anticipation of pregnancy and the exhaustion-tinged joy of a baby’s first days home.

For Knoxville parents who want their newborn’s earliest portraits taken in their own home without sacrificing professional lighting and composition, or who prefer the flexibility of a studio session, Susannah Raye Photography offers an experienced, lifestyle-driven alternative to more traditional posed newborn photography. With over a decade behind the camera, Susannah brings a practiced, patient hand to sessions with brand-new babies, who can be unpredictable subjects even for seasoned photographers. 

Kailee Riches has spent over a decade photographing newborns for families across Nashville, Franklin, and Brentwood, building a practice centered entirely around relaxed, in-home sessions rather than a traditional studio. Before establishing her photography business in Tennessee, Kailee worked as a postpartum doula, and she has personally documented more than sixty births as a birth photographer, giving her an unusually deep well of hands-on newborn experience compared to many photographers who come to the specialty from a purely artistic background. Her in-home approach means Franklin families get to skip the drive to a studio entirely, with Kailee arriving at their house to photograph the baby in familiar surroundings, often incorporating the nursery, favorite blankets, and the family’s own bed or rocking chair into the images. This natural, unposed style has become her signature, producing newborn galleries that read more like documentary storytelling than formal portraiture. Her doula background also means she is comfortable navigating a newborn’s feeding and sleep needs without rushing a session, which many postpartum families find reassuring in the first days after birth. For Franklin parents who want an experienced, at-home newborn photographer with real birth-work credentials, Kailee Riches offers a distinct alternative to studio-based sessions. 

Just Another Mom Photography is led by photographer Tracy Hibben and describes itself as East Tennessee’s premier maternity, newborn, senior, and sports photographer, serving Knoxville, Oak Ridge, and the surrounding areas. The studio’s newborn sessions focus on the delicate first days of a baby’s life, using soft wraps, gentle posing, and careful attention to safety to create portraits families can hold onto for a lifetime.

Beyond newborn photography, Just Another Mom Photography maintains an active, varied practice that includes maternity and sports photography, giving the studio broad experience across the many milestones a growing family moves through — from pregnancy, to a baby’s first portraits, to years later capturing a child on the field or court. That range shows in a studio setup built to handle everything from a two-week-old newborn’s sensitive skin and sleep needs to a teenager’s senior portraits.

For Knoxville and Oak Ridge families who want a newborn photographer they can return to for years of milestones afterward, Just Another Mom Photography offers continuity along with newborn-specific expertise. Studio sessions are built around the baby’s schedule and comfort first, with props, wraps, and setups tailored to each newborn who comes through the door. 

Dolly DeLong Photography serves newborn and family clients throughout Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, and Middle Tennessee, with a business built on both in-home lifestyle sessions and studio work. Dolly picked up her first camera as a gift from her grandparents in 2006 and went on to turn photography into a full-time career in 2018, giving her newborn portfolio the benefit of years of technical refinement. For Franklin families, she offers Franklin TN Newborn Portraits at Home, bringing the session directly into the family’s nursery and living spaces so the baby is photographed in familiar, comfortable surroundings rather than a studio backdrop. She has also documented newborn sessions at Studio Ivoire in the Franklin area for families who prefer a dedicated studio setting instead. Dolly’s approach emphasizes timeless, editorial-feeling images over trend-driven poses, and her galleries often include candid interactions between the baby and siblings or parents alongside more traditional posed portraits. She actively promotes booking for upcoming family sessions and maintains an educational side to her business, teaching other photographers, which speaks to a level of technical credibility behind her client-facing newborn work. Franklin parents who want the flexibility of choosing between an at-home or studio newborn session with the same photographer will find that option with Dolly DeLong Photography. 

Knox Family Photo is a Knoxville, Tennessee photography studio led by photographer Kayla, offering newborn, maternity, family, and milestone sessions with a story-driven, natural approach. Newborn sessions are available both in-home and in the studio’s own White Room Studio, a natural light space located in West Knoxville between Kingston Pike and Parkside Drive, which allows families to book a session at any time of year regardless of the weather outside.

Rather than relying on elaborate props and staged poses, Knox Family Photo’s newborn work focuses on quiet, authentic gestures — a parent’s hand cradling a tiny head, a baby’s sleeping expression — aimed at capturing genuine moments instead of a manufactured look. That approach carries through the studio’s active blog, where recent client sessions are regularly featured, showing an ongoing, current practice rather than a stagnant portfolio.

For Knoxville parents who want the option of a natural-light studio session without weather concerns, or who prefer the comfort of a newborn session shot at home, Knox Family Photo offers both paths under one roof. Families can reach the studio directly by phone to check current availability for newborn sessions.