A question I get a lot is: How did you get THAT gig? I will go ahead and answer that one. I have been shooting the Cystic Fibrosis 30 Under 30 of Nashville for the last 9 years. The 2025 class of 30 Under 30 had some amazing humans, and one of them was Mason Borneman. Mason and I had several great interactions during the course of the 2025 CFF Campaign. Mason reached out to me with “a bit of a unique proposal.” He explained that he was looking for a photographer for a scholarship pageant at the beginning of 2026 and wanted to know if I was interested.

I used to watch the pageants that they played on TV with my mom when I was a kid, but this was the extent of my pageant knowledge. But, when I get a new inquiry for a gig I ask myself a couple of questions:

1. Am I available?
2. Do I want to work with these people?

The answer was a resounding YES to both of those questions. I booked with Mason, and looked forward to my first steps into the pageant world at the Miss Music City and Miss Athens of the South Volunteer Scholarship Pageant.

Pageant day, I walked into the venue to greet Mason, get a great hug, and then get to work. Mason was working so hard to make sure everything went smoothly. I quickly noticed that his family (who I met at the CFF Event) were also all there and helping in various ways. I cannot tell you how much joy it brought me to witness this. Mason’s family made sure to support him and come along side him to help in this undertaking of putting on a pageant, and it was a beautiful thing to see.

One after another, so many sash and crown clad females began to file into the venue. I went over to Mason’s Dad, who was posted by the door, and whispered: “I really underestimated how many crowns would be in this room.” It was both of our’s first time at one of these things, so we were able to be perplexed together about all the details we didn’t understand.

One thing was clear, these girls in crowns did seem to all know each other, and it was sweet to see their interactions. The program began in the dark Looby Center Theater and my education began. With every new thing on stage I was learning what these things are like, and the people that run them, and participate in them. I was in awe of the vulnerability of the ladies that chose to compete on that stage. It is an admirable thing to put yourself out there to be judged, and present yourself in this way. It takes a lot of guts and confidence. I really respect them for that.

Four winners were crowned: Miss Athens of the South Teen Volunteer, Miss Music City Teen Volunteer, Miss Athens of the South Volunteer, and Miss Music City Volunteer. The next day, we did Crown Portraits on the portico of the Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine  in 19 degrees, in the shade. These ladies rocked it and held it together so well. I had on many layers, and they had on only their formal gowns for these shots! I was impressed. I have these shooting gloves, that I love, that allows my hands to be covered, but the tips of my pointer finger and thumb to be open to control my camera still and those tips of those fingers were NUMB for a solid hour after that shoot. So cold, but so worth it for these images.

As I edited and delivered the images over the next few days, I got the most kind and wonderful feedback on the images. But, one message from one of the winners was worth sharing here, she wrote:
“Everyone is going nuts over these! Even caught the attention of the national folks…Welcome to Pageant Land, whether you wish to be here or not! 🤣💖💖”

I am honored to be here, and cannot wait for the next one.