This month I’m hosting Sunflower Mini Sessions at one of my favorite seasonal locations—Smith-Perry Berries. So, I thought it’d only make sense to feature them, especially for anyone who may love the fun seasonal photo opportunities they offer throughout the year!
A portrait session or wedding day is a big deal. Shouldn’t it be fun? And enjoyable? And natural? I think so! That’s why my goal as a photographer is not only to capture memories for my clients, but also create an experience that they’ll never forget. One of the ways I do this is featuring a venue, location, or vendor that I love to photograph or work with on my blog. It’s my hope that the posts serve as a resource for my clients, helping create that unforgettable experience!
It’s safe to say that everyone in Chattanooga knows them (if you don’t, no worries, you do now!). I got to know the friendly owners and the gorgeous property last year. Mr. Bill Perry found me waddling through the wildflower fields scoping out the location for a session. I loved getting to know more about the joint family farm.
In 2017 they started inviting the public to their strawberry fields. From the support they received they partnered with Mary Ellen Locher Foundation. It provides funds for students going to college whose parents have had cancer. How sweet and thoughtful is that?!
Since 2017, things have boomed! They quickly realized how eager the public was to get back to nature. So, Smith-Perry Berries Farm not only has a strawberry season, but also sunflower, sweet corn, pumpkin, and wildflower seasons! This year 25,000+ people visited the sunflower season within a few days of opening! CRAZY!!! I believe they’ve brought back a corn maze this year too!
For a small cost, visitors are invited to pick from the fields or purchase a bucket full of the season’s produce or plant. The owners have been more than accommodating for professional photographers and have been a breeze to work with. They even allow photographers to bring props and pets in the fields. I love that, because it allows me to be creative with the location and make a session unique to that client!
The farm also has partnered with other local vendors to offer a snow cone truck, tractors and hay bales for photo ops, local honey made from bees on the farm (Ooltewah Bee Company), the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office for traffic assistance, souvenir t-shirts, and so much more. This year something especially exciting happened—they opened a new rustic shop that’s decorated with broken pieces of harvesting equipment. Isn’t that so cool?! I love it!
Smith-Perry Berries Farm is a great place for some fun seasonal portrait sessions followed by farm-fun activities. Even if you aren’t up for photos (which I really hope you are!), it’s a great place to enjoy an outdoor adventure or to kick back and appreciate the hard work of harvesting and farming.
If you’re interested in photographing during one of their seasons with me, here’s an idea of each seasons’ timing (depends on when the seeds were planted and weather):
- Strawberries – April
- Sunflowers and wildflowers – mid-July
- Corn – late July
- Pumpkins – late September
Address: 9626 Ooltewah Georgetown Road Ooltewah, Tennessee 37363
Phone: (423) 228-0774
