Rising Stars: Meet LuAnn Carden

Today we’d like to introduce you to LuAnn Carden.

Hi LuAnn, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
My journey with photography began when I was just 8 years old. At the time, I was living on the island of St. Maarten. My father bought his first Nikon and we began scouting the island for its stunning nature and beautiful sunsets over the Caribbean Sea. I began to look at life through the eye of a lens. Angles, lighting, and color became almost instinctive to me. Today, my love of light and nature still show through my work.

As a young adult, I took courses on photography at a local college in California. It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that wedding photography piqued my interest. I was attending a wedding when the photographer never showed up. The bride was in a panic and knew that my hobby was photography. She asked me if I could get my camera gear and shoot the wedding. I warned her that I was not a wedding photographer, but I would do my best. I instantly fell in love with wedding photography!

I began my business eight years ago in the Nashville area. Today, I mostly do weddings and high school seniors. Four years ago, my husband joined the team as my videographer. Today, we offer both wedding photography and videography through our business as well as a high school senior and family photography. I absolutely love living in middle Tennessee and working with all of the local venues and vendors.

Our main focus is in our local middle Tennessee area, however, we are open to travel anywhere in the U.S. and have done weddings in Arkansas, Alabama, California, Washington and Arizona as well.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our biggest struggle came six and a half years ago when I was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. The treatments and surgeries forced me to take one year off from all photography, and two years off from wedding photography. During that time, I focused on my original love of nature photography. It was very therapeutic for me. I missed my clients and appreciate them even more now.

Today, I am six and a half years cancer-free and am healthier than ever! I feel so blessed every time I shoot a wedding. It does my heart good and feeds my soul as I capture one of life’s most precious days for my beautiful couples.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work is about emotion and passion. Together, with my husband, we create images and videos that capture the emotions of a wedding day. It is always our goal to tell each couple’s love story in a unique, romantic, and sentimental way. We mix artistry with passion and romance. Knowing our couples before their wedding day is important to us. This helps in making sure that our work focuses on them, their love story and it allows for their personalities to shine through.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love Nashville! I moved here from Southern California 14 years ago and wouldn’t change that decision for anything. My favorite thing about Nashville is its people. This city is full of friendly people who are always willing to help. It is a city where hope abounds and dreams come true.

Nashville has a creative vibe from music to museums, yet is still holds a small-town sort of feel in many ways. Festivals and family are both important parts of the Nashville scene as well. There is always something fun to do!

My only complaint can be summed up in two words. July and August! The temperatures with the humidity can be rough some days. Thank God for air-conditioned venues!

Pricing:

• Wedding Photography begins at $2500
• Wedding Video begins at $1500
• Senior Photography begins at $300
• All pricing can be customized for each individuals needs and wants.
• Elopements and Micro Weddings are customized pricing.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: photoandfilmbyluann.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/photoandfilmbyluann/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photoandfilmbyluann
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpcAFEoihINRn6QEmwDf2uQ