This month we are so happy to be shining our photographer spotlight on Crystal of Crystal Freemon Photography. Crystal is an engineer turned family photographer, obsessed with chasing light and capturing real moments. She lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee (just outside of Nashville) with her husband and two daughters, ages 12 and 10. She believes family portrait sessions should be fun. She’s a hockey mom, Nashville Predators fan & loves the county fair. Crystal photographs everything from maternity to seniors, but her passion is family photography. She loves being able to give families, especially moms, photos that really mean something to them.
How would you describe your photography? I’m fascinated by the way young children and toddlers see the world…the way that every little thing is a wonder to them, and just being outside is an adventure. I try to capture that wonder in my photography. I love bold, colorful images of families interacting with each other. I’m obsessed with light, and particularly love backlit images. I encourage families to have fun at our photo shoots and to think of them more like playdates than photo sessions. We run, jump and play and create wonderful memories together. Creating a relaxing, pleasant experience for my clients is just as important to me as the final product.
What made you want to join The Gold Hope Project as a volunteer? I’ve had the honor of working with a few childhood cancer fighters on my own before I signed up as a Gold Hope volunteer. My little friends Arya, Katelyn and Finn have been such an inspiration to me that I knew I wanted to be able to photograph more heroes like them. I love that the Gold Hope Project offers this gift to families who are going through so much, all while raising awareness and money to fight this awful disease.
My buddy Finn was an amazing little 3 year old who completely touched my heart and recently got his wings after a long fight with Rhabdomyosarcoma. The faith and strength with which his family fought this battle has been an inspiration to me, and to our entire community. While I am heartbroken, I feel blessed to have known this super hero for even a brief time. If I can give just a little something to other kids like Finn and their families, then I want to do that.
What is your favorite thing about being a Gold Hope photographer? I like feeling like there is something I can do for these families, even if it is something small. But more than anything, I think these kids have taught me so much. They have been through more in their short years than most of us will ever endure, yet they still possess that beautiful wonder of childhood, and an ability to live in the moment that we seem to lose as we get older. They inspire me to appreciate each day and to really see the beauty in the world around us.
Has working with children with cancer changed anything in your life? The problems in our world can be so overwhelming, it can be easy to assume that we are helpless to do anything about them. Before working with these kids, I often felt that way. I recently watched a Ted Talk by Mark Bezos called “A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter.” The story he tells shows that even though we can’t all perform a grand heroic act, we can all do small things that make a difference. I can’t cure cancer, but I can give the gift of beautiful memories to these families. I can get the shoes, as the Ted Talk puts it. And in doing so, I get so much more back in return. These kids and their families show so much strength, love, faith and even joy. You can’t help but be changed by that.
What is one thing you hope the families you photograph for the project can take away from this experience? I hope that they can find a few moments of joy, leaving behind the burdens and stresses of fighting cancer. At my recent Gold Hope Session, the mom talked about how little Kelly had spent so much of her young life at the hospital and how much fun she had at our outdoor session playing in the leaves and exploring. I’m so glad they were able to take a break from all the worries and just enjoy their beautiful little girl. I hope that when they look at the photos, that it brings them back to those happy memories and gives them hope of more beautiful moments in the future.
Be sure to follow Crystal online! Facebook | Instagram
A big thank you to Crystal for choosing to give back with us. Want to follow her lead? Apply to be a volunteer photographer here.