Derek Halkett Photography is a Knoxville based Wedding Photographer with over 9 years and 350 weddings of experience behind him. I am licensed and insured to photograph weddings in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and have photographed destination weddings in Italy, Mexico, all of New England and several states along the eastern seaboard. My work has been featured by some of the industry’s top publications including Bridal Beauty Magazine, Style Me Pretty, Newport Wedding Magazine, the Knot, NorthShore Magazine, The Pink Bride Magazine, The Inspired Bride and several other publications. I am a featured vendor on WeddingWire and am a preferred vendor at several of the top wedding venues in the Knoxville area and throughout New England.
Although I am based in Knoxville, Tennessee, I grew up in a town not far from Boston. I moved to Tennessee in the summer of 2016, so my wife could attend Medical School. We are blessed with two amazing children, Aubrey and Jacob, who are my everything. We have a Golden Retriever named Cooper and a cat named Patches, to top off the family crew.
THE BORING RESUME STUFF
In my pre photographer life, I spent 13 years working State and Local Law Enforcement and 7 years as an Investigator and Supervisor in Child Protective Services and am still a Licensed Social Worker. I have Bachelor Degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice and am a University of Massachusetts Alum with a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice. A Type 1 for all of you Enneagram fanatics. The Reformer, said to have a tremendous attention to detail, highly organized, responsible, always striving to make order out of chaos are just a few of the traits defined by a Type 1. All of these traits have served me quite well over the years and help me navigate stressful time constrained wedding days with relative ease.
HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU END UP IN PHOTOGRAPHY
I stumbled into photography when I purchased my first real camera around the time my daughter was born and it quickly grew into an obsession and career. This journey started nine years ago and I have had the honor of photographing over 300 weddings since I started this amazing journey. My wedding travels frequently bring me to locations throughout the southeast as well as all of the New England States. I enjoy traveling and have done destination wedding work in Italy, Mexico and other locations across the eastern coastline.
MY PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE
Over the years my style of photography has evolved and has become much more focused on the emotion and connection that my couples have for one another. My attempt is always to create beautiful images that capture moments and interactions that are often fleeting and lost. I am constantly looking for creative compositions that play with both natural and artificial light. I prefer dramatic imagery that enhances candid moments with play in the shadows and blacks. If I pose a couple, it is with purpose and intention. My couples trust me and my vision and even more, my ability to navigate the complexity of a wedding day. Couples have often said that they were drawn to my work because the imagery spoke to them and my vision and style is unique. I pride myself in being able to create images where most cannot envision one being taken, often times in challenging locations under the tight time constraints of a wedding day.
ALL THE BRAGGY STUFF
My work has been featured by some of the industry’s top publications including Bridal Beauty Magazine, Style Me Pretty, Newport Wedding Magazine, the Knot, NorthShore Magazine, The Pink Bride Magazine, The Inspired Bride and several other publications. I am a featured vendor on WeddingWire and am a preferred vendor at several of the top wedding venues in the Knoxville area and throughout New England. I am the creator of Aspire Photography Workshops, which offers several professional photography workshops and mentor-ships to aspiring photographers annually.
Thanks again for stopping by and I hope to have the opportunity to work with you on your special day. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me.
Recommended by 100% of couples
20 User photos
Melisa · Married on 07/30/2016
We met Derek last year when my now brother and sister- in law got married. We were in the wedding party and Derek was their photographer. Being engaged and planning my own wedding I paid close attention to photography. Right away I was able to notice Derek's professionalism, talent and attention to detail. While looking for photographers for my wedding that took place on 7/30/2016 I kept referencing the work I have seen of other photographers to the work Derek did and there was no comparisson. I knew I wanted Derek to capture our special day. From the first encounter about our wedding day to the very last moment of our wedding day Derek has been friendly, very approachable, honest, patient and nothing but accommodating. We had some difficulty with scheduling our engagement shoot due to my schedule and weather but Derek didn't disappoint again. He was understanding and accommodating. During the engagement shoot I was once again reassured that I made the right choice. The photographs were available very fast and they are breath taking. There were many things to worry about for the day of the wedding but photography wasn't one of them. Derek was there, punctual and ready to capture our special day. He made sure he captured all the special moments and I felt very comfortable speaking to him as if I had known him for a very long time. I could keep writing all the wonderful things about Derek's work but his photographs speak for themselves. My husband and I are so thrilled we chose Derek as our photographer. We love our photos and so does everyone else who has seen them. I have extraordinary photographs that reflect my extraordinary day forever and that is all thanks to his talent and his magic touch with photography. We can't thank him enough.
Sent on 08/14/2016
Raven · Married on 05/04/2019
Beautiful images
Derek was amazing to work with - from our engagement session to our ceremony and reception. He captured our day beautifully and had our gallery (over 1000 photos) back to us within a week! Despite a rainy day and uncooperative cloud cover, he created some unbelievable shots that are truly impressive. If you're looking for gorgeous, dramatic images, Derek is the photographer for you.
Sent on 05/12/2019
kristine · Married on 12/01/2018
Amazing work!
Derek was very personable, detail-oriented, and responsive to requests. I booked a destination wedding so I did not meet any vendors aside from the caterer during the food tasting. Derek was on the preferred vendor list that my wedding planner sent over so I did some research to look at reviews and to see his work. I was immediately impressed and submitted a request to have Derek photograph my wedding. We kept in contact during the months leading up to the wedding and set up a timeline for the day of so he knew where to be and when. He was very easy going, has an eye for detail, and took time capturing all the perfect moments using the best lighting, props, and scenery. The pictures turned out amazing and I can't thank him enough for the work he did!
Sent on 12/12/2018
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9 Endorsements
Derek contacted me recently about coordinating a stylized photography shoot at our venue, Ramble Creek, and he was exceptional to work with in every way. The end results were impeccably beautiful. He's very personable and accessibly artistic. They way he uses natural light has such a whimsical and dreamy result without looking unreal. He's just that good. If you are looking for fantastic wedding photos you need to contact Derek. There's a reason he was a Wedding Wire Couples' Choice Award winner. Call him soon, his calendar fills up quickly.
Absolutely stunning wedding photos! We hope to see more of your work at The Lily Barn.
Derek Halkett is a professional photographer with a great eye for pictures! He knows how to use the spaces available & takes advantage of every photographic location. Derek is very familiar with all the best spots for pictures @ Blissful Meadows Golf Club, he even got married here! Derek works great with the couples and makes them feel very relaxed & it shows in his photo's. I highly recommend Derek Halkett as your photographer :-)
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