Photography has introduced me to some amazing people over the years. Roger + Shawn, who are located in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee are definitely two of those people. Shawn’s daughter-in-law reached out to me about taking their photos. After learning more about her in-laws, I knew I needed to travel to Lawrenceburg to tell their story, see their country home and meet their fur family. Roger + Shawn have four dogs, a coop full of chickens and one cat. However, only two dogs and one chicken were polite enough to earn a spot in the photos.

How they met…

Roger + Shawn officially met at Shawn’s parent’s home in California, but they didn’t see each other again until Shawn’s best friend got married a year later. A week after seeing each other at the wedding, they attended a drag race together. Unknown to Shawn, Roger got in line to race, with Shawn in the car. She tried to get out of the car, but the light turned green and it was pedal to the metal. Unfortunately, Roger’s Vega could only do 60mph on a 1/4 mile straight away. They would date a year and four months before getting married in California. Roger + Shawn would raise a son and daughter.

Lawrenceburg, Tennessee

Upon retirement, they moved to Colville, Washington and stayed for ten years. Once in Washington, they ended up working for the same school. Shawn would head the cafeteria and Roger was a custodian. Roger said he’d often walk next to Shawn in the hallways and jokingly ask to carry her books. Shawn’s face would turn all shades of red. In 2019, they decided to be closer to their son and family and made the move to Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Lawrenceburg is known as “Amish Country” and they really enjoy all their Amish neighbors. The Amish remind them that a simple life is a good life.

Shawn’s creative ability to sew beautiful quilts encouraged me to travel to their home. I really wanted to photograph and document her craft for future generations. My grandma taught me how to sew and it’s a creative outlet I greatly enjoy. We spent part of their session focusing on Shawn’s sewing and quilts. Since photographing Roger + Shawn, I’ve been back to visit with a quilt of my own that needed some work. Shawn showed me a technique for fixing some quilt mishaps. I feel blessed that I was so welcomed into their home and lives.