The Best Of = Behind the Scenes 2020!

The Best of 2020  |  Behind the Scenes  |  Tiffany + Phillip

Well, we can officially say that Tiffany L. Johnson Photography made it through 2020! After SEVEN years and 140+ weddings… last year completely shook up our entire life and things looked VERY different.

Phillip and I started off the year with big weddings, a trip to Waco, TX, and even hosted our first-ever TLJ COUPLES PARTY in February! We had a great time catching up with former/future couples, meeting their babies, and enjoying a fun night of food, drinks, and games! If you missed seeing our party, click HERE!!!!

The first week in March, we participated in the Walnut Hill Open House, met new vendor friends, took photos for the venue, and saw some of our TLJ Couples there!

Then…. COVID hit NC. It was scary. During March-May we were completely shut down since we weren’t an essential business. I couldn’t even legally photograph outdoor sessions with 1 other person! It was nuts!! During that time, I photographed 2 shoots for my family to stay sane, (see my parents 40^thAnniversary Session HERE!) photographed detail shots for future weddings in our home – and even started a styling mat business that kept me busy during those months!

I’ve always said that we are in the HAPPY BUSINESS, so 2020 was completely heartbreaking to have sad phone conversations with our couples, receive emails full of wedding changes, and help our couples through choosing second (if not THIRD) wedding dates. I’ve never been MORE PROUD of our TLJ Couples as they handled every adversity with love, grace and understanding through every single hurdle. Even with the pandemic, we photographed 16 amazing weddings that ranged from Elopements, to Micro Weddings, and finally to larger weddings when things started to open back up in NC!

I even got to design, plan, and photograph an AMAZING Styled Shoot with the design help of Whitney Davis (of C&D Events) and Kristen Brabble of Kristen Brabble Beauty. After a year of sadness, it was SO fulfilling to make deeper bonds with these incredible women, meet new vendor friends through the process, and step outside my comfort zone. It pushed me to become even BETTER, and the results of Part #1 are posted as a Sneak Peek HERE!!!

We couldn’t host our TLJ Couples as often in our home, so we missed that interaction since it’s such a HUGE part of the wedding process we love! Even so… this year we’ve received so much love and support from our couples and their families. We’ve received texts, emails, handwritten letters, and DMs with the KINDEST words of encouragement, support, and love – just when I needed it the most! I feel SO BLESSED to truly have the best couples (AND their families!) in the entire world. (And I SERIOUSLY mean that!!!!)

*A sappy little shoutout * I truly couldn’t do this job without Phillip. He keeps the sessions + wedding days fun and everyone laughing. Phillip also hangs all the wedding dresses, makes the veil magic, wrangles all the groomsmen, is my gear-carrying workhorse, drives me everywhere, and his “go-with-the-flow” attitude keeps my “focused-timeline-organized” self balanced out. I love you, Phillip! Even if I drive you crazy!!!!

Also, a shoutout to my sisters! My sister Kristy helped me with a Maternity Session (HERE) AND Styled Shoot this year, and my sister Angela not only modeled for me (HERE), helped with a Bridal Session, but also participated in a Styled Shoot (HERE)! I’m so grateful for their help when Phillip can’t be there!

Throughout 2020, we’ve tried to look for the HAPPY things and celebrate them BIG! A few of those happy things are SOOOOO MANY of our couples getting pregnant, having babies, buying new places, building their dream homes, getting new jobs, graduating with degrees, buying fun vehicles, and even getting puppies!!!! Each time we see one of those HAPPY announcements on social media it’s a WIN during 2020!!!!

Anyways… enough of me talking. I hope you all will LOVE seeing these weird/awkward behind the scenes photos of us below!!! Hahaha!!! Enjoy!

P.S. If you liked this blog, check out our other Behind the Scenes blogs from years past!

TLJ Couples Party 2020

Behind the Scenes 2019

Behind the Scenes 2018

Behind the Scenes 2017

Behind the Scenes 2016

Behind the Scenes 2015

 

Here are the two shoots I did of my family in 2020! You can see the real photos HERE and HERE!!!! 

I photographed lots and lots of details at home this year! What a mess HAHA!

 

The typical awkward moment when I’m at the FRONT of the ceremony waiting on the processional… and everyone is STARING RIGHT AT ME. Let me just “look through these photos and pretend like I’m busy” HAHAHA

 

Phillip was a happy boy because he got LOTS of dog snuggles this year!!!! Keep bringing your pets to shoots, Phillip will LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!!!

Soooooo 2020 of that veil right there (below) HA!

 

If you’ve ever wondered how EXCITED I am to stand in the middle of 200 guests who’ve had an open bar for 4 hours and are handed FIRE…. this photo below should explain it!!!! Haha! (Disclaimer: I do love the look of sparklers, they’re just scary!)

 

Phillip’s jobs are varied – sometimes I ask him to move kids toys off the playground so we can use that area for photos… or he has to light candles to help out a planner!

P.S. Note the shower curtain below! It stopped raining long enough for photos, but the ground was a SWIMMING POOL. We did their entire set of portraits in that spot, without moving Rachel at ALL. I’m so proud of us for creating such variety in their set of photos, without moving Rachel! (She had to wear her dress again for her “big wedding” so it was crucial to keep the dress from getting dirty!

Also… Phillip WILL dance at your reception. There’s a 100% chance of that. I’m sorry in advance HAHA!

 

This session was so special to me. I grew up homeschooling with Melody – then photographed her Engagement Session, Bridal Session, Wedding Day, Anniversary Session, her sister Amy’s Engagement, Bridal, and Wedding Day, and then Melody and Colby’s Newborn Session! It was SUCH AN HONOR… and Levi is just the cutest!!!!

Detail photos on the day of! Still just as messy… but really beautiful results I promise! 🙂

HAPPY GIRL WITH FLOWERS!!!!! Send me home with leftover flowers and I’ll love you forever!!! 

 

Here are some photos from our booth at the Walnut Hill Open House!  (photos of us by Fancy This Photography)

I’m SO PROUD of these two for braving their Engagement Session in the RAIN. They embraced it and had the best attitude through the whole session. I think it paid off: Click HERE to see!

Have I told ya’ll lately that Phillip HATES TEST SHOTS? Hahaha can’t wait for ya’ll to see allllllll his not-so-cute faces in this blog! (He still loves me though)

Another “I’m at the front of the church feeling SUPER AWKWARD” face by Tiffany hahaha 

It is SO AWKWARD to wait at the front of the ceremony waiting for the processional to start. Everyone is looking at me… and I’m like hiiiiiiiiiiiiii 🙂

Thanks to my sisters for helping me with shoots!!!!

The many awkward faces of Tiffany…..

When you see a photographer friend randomly when you’re both there for shoots!!!! SO MUCH FUN!

Lots of beach sessions in 202o when they re-opened in NC!!

 

One bouquet I made for an Anniversary Session when everything was shut down!!!

We were able to have SO MANY Newborn Sessions with our couples this year since weddings were rescheduled. It was such a joy!!!

TWO TLJ Brides at one wedding always makes me HAPPY!!!!