The Best Birthday Gift for Moms with Adult Children

Why This Franklin, TN Family Photo Session Meant So Much

When the Cooper family showed up for their session, it was 25 degrees. Freezing wind, red noses, the whole deal. But they came—layered up, huddling between takes, and trusting me to make it quick—because this session meant something.

It was a birthday gift.

Dad had been asking her what she wanted, and after a few “I don’t knows,” she finally said:
“I want a photo session.”

Not a new sweater. Not a fancy dinner. Not something to unwrap and forget about a week later.

Just time with the people she loves most.
Captured. Remembered. Framed forever.

This kind of gift doesn’t come in a box—but it’s the one that gets treasured the most.

What made it even more meaningful?
Their two boys, both in their 20s, made the time to show up for her. We captured the full family, the brothers together, mom with her boys… and then—just the two of them. Mom and Dad.

She told me afterward they hadn’t had professional photos of just the two of them since their wedding day!

And even though it had been decades since those wedding portraits, they stepped into that moment like they’d done this before. I guided and directed, of course—but honestly? They already knew how to show up for each other.

It was simple. Natural. So easy to photograph.

And it made me think about something I’ve seen over and over again:

For a lot of families, the next “real” professional photos don’t happen until a wedding.

That’s often the next time grown kids are photographed with their parents—and the only time some couples are captured together again after their own wedding.

I want to help change that.
I want to break that pattern.

Because this mama?
She’s going to cherish these.

Not just for how they look—but for what they represent.
A season before the nest empties.
A birthday celebrated.
A gift she didn’t just open—but lived.

We photographed this session at beautiful Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tennessee—one of my favorite places to shoot. It’s wide and open, full of light, and even had a Christmas tree set up, so we grabbed a few cozy, traditional shots there too.

But honestly?
The setting didn’t matter as much as the story.
And the cold didn’t stop them from being fully present in it.

These are the kinds of sessions I want more families to say yes to.

Not just because they make beautiful portraits—
but because they remind us to pause.
To gather.
To document the season before it shifts.

If you’ve ever found yourself unsure what to give, consider this your quiet nudge:
Photographs are a gift that only becomes more meaningful with time.
Not just something to unwrap—but something to return to, again and again.
P.S. I have gift cards available for moments just like this.

You don’t have to wait for a wedding.
You don’t have to wait for “someday.”
You’re allowed to celebrate your right-now.

If this made you think of someone you love—or a season you don’t want to forget—I’d be honored to help you photograph it.
You can reach out here to schedule a session or gift a meaningful experience to someone you love.
Either way, it’s a moment worth remembering.