MEET YOUR SMOKY MOUNTAIN AND EAST TENNESSEE PHOTOGRAPHER
Hey there, I'm Claire!
I’m the photographer behind Appalachian Lens, based near Chattanooga and serving East Tennessee and North Georgia. I’m drawn to beautiful light, rich color, and the kind of moments you feel more than you see—the soft ones, the joyful ones, and the perfectly imperfect ones in between.
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My approach is relaxed and intuitive. I’ll guide you when it’s helpful, step back when the moment needs space, and always create room for real connection to unfold. Whether I’m photographing a growing family, an intimate elopement in the Smoky Mountains, or a brand that needs a creative eye in Chattanooga, my goal is the same: photo galleries that feel natural, elevated, and unmistakably you.
A Little About How I Got Here
Photography has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I picked up a camera in 5th grade. and by camera I mean a disposable film (what can I say, it was the 90's), got my first digital camera a few years later, flirted with photography school ever so briefly when I graduated High School , and then—like many creative dreams—life nudged it to the back burner for a good while.
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But passions don’t disappear. They wait.
Over ten years later I was aimlessly scrolling through Facebook Marketplace and saw a camera that was screaming my name. I don't quite know why. I still loved photography and would take plenty of photos with my phone, but I hadn't even thought of picking up a camera again. I got it as soon as I could and I realized this wasn’t something I used to love—it was something that had quietly grown with me.
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Around the same time, I felt the weight of what was missing. I would see photos of friends and strangers who got to cherish their memories in a way that I can't and neither will generations to come.
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I was married in a small, meaningful ceremony… without a photographer. No photos of the way the sunlight fell directly on us in our small church, or the tears that I didn't expect to see in my husband's eyes. The same was true for my pregnancy and intimate home birth—deeply personal moments that passed without being documented.​
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I’m here to convince you not to think twice and to help you capture those special, unrepeatable moments. You’ll never regret preserving them, but you might regret letting them slip by.
WHEN I'M NOT behind the lens
You’ll probably find me:
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In the garden with my family
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Experimenting in the kitchen
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Hunting for hidden food gems
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Or driving aimlessly through the mountains (getting lost is absolutely a hobby)
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO work together
Think calm, intentional, and surprisingly fun.
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I believe the best photographs come from trust, comfort, and connection—not rigid posing or forced moments. Your session will feel easy, unrushed, and thoughtfully guided, with space for real emotion and natural movement.
The result? Images that feel lived-in and timeless—photos you don’t just scroll past, but choose to print, frame, and come back to year after year.
LET'S TELL YOUR story
I’d be honored to walk alongside you and document this season—whether it’s loud and joyful, quiet and tender, or somewhere beautifully in between.
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These moments won’t last forever.
Your photographs can.