Beacon & Bloom Photography

Beacon and Bloom is a new chapter in life, an adventure I hope you will join me on. Well, it’s definitely more than just me.. for God in my life and in my heart, my amazing and loving wife, friends, family and church, with the joy in having this amazing community around me. So join Us on this journey ❤️✝️ Without Him, none of this would be possible at all, so to God be all the glory in everything in life. The name came from a combination of things: If my wife wasn’t working God’s lighthouse, I know I wouldn’t be here. Finding the light in life with God, is a joy and peace beyond words. So the lighthouse and beacon represent that turning point in my life, her and God, and the help I had received in so many ways and continue to live in. The bloom is a combination of the love my wife and I have for each other, our oneness, and our love for florals of all types, getting the opportunity in life to work in a flower shop, and blooming into this chapter of life with God in all that I do. With photography, I’ve been around it most of my life, from point and shoots and Polaroids growing up to my mother working in a studio for some amazing photographers locally in the Sevierville, Pigeon Forge area. I’ve been working on film cameras from 35mm to 4x5s, developing my own film, attempting darkroom prints, and playing with older DSLR’s for about 7 years now. Honestly, I thought I was giving up this side of me with changes in life.. I had felt that I needed to close the door for others that were coming and opening around. So I gave it to God and left it at that. April 2026, after Easter, we started joining the Avenue in Morristown where we live and call it home. I knew with changes in my life, I wanted a church to grow in, the community, and the help I knew I needed in all aspects. It really does take a village sometimes in life, to have community, help, and so much more. I felt welcomed at the Avenue before I even took a step in the door. We started with Growth Track as we continued in the church, wanting to grow in every way and to serve. My wife had an idea of where she would like to with merch and worship teams, but I hadn’t a clue at all. Even if it was the parking lot team or cleaning, I would help wherever needed. They had a photography team… I saw but as I had doubted so much in myself in life, I wasn’t going to take the step, especially with closing that door. Then the Friday before our class where we were able to see which areas to serve in, I felt God bring it to my attention to put in for photography. I had left one of our venues we deliver at often, and the lady running it is an amazing photographer and wonderful role model in life I’ve had, to say the least. I felt this tug, that on Sunday I needed to apply for the Photography team. I have this internal dialogue within myself, often more than I admit (as I talk to myself often haha) but this, as it’s happened once before, was very different. I told God that I didn’t understand at all, that I closed that door as I felt I should have and took the other steps that were lead to me. So I took a deep breath, and knew what to do, that even though I wasn’t doing it in life now, I would put in for it as it was asked of me. Then it happened, “Sometimes it’s not the choice in itself, but the action of seeing if you listen”, in reference to closing one path to go another. So I said, I have tried this route before putting myself out there with photography God and it lead me down a dark road that I felt discouraged so often in, mainly with myself and the self doubt I had, choices made. “But you didn’t do it for Me”. So I took a step, had to figure out how to present to others what I do with photography as I don’t have any socials at all, or online presence anymore. So often a quote from Martin Luther King Jr. pops into my head, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." So the next day on Saturday, I put together my first printed mini portfolio. Made from 24 printed 4x6s at Walmart, glue dots and a portfolio book from Luigi Barbano, who once gave with it an inspirational letter about the joys of physical prints. (Oh, he was very right, seeing it together and in hand, was such a delight.) I’m very thankful to my crafty wife as well, for helping me narrow so many pictures down to 24 to use and present. That Sunday, Lacee and Matt (our amazing hosts in Growth Track to help along), helped us join the teams we wanted to help serve in. I’m so grateful and honored to be on The Avenue’s Photography Team, to do this adventure with photography in my life with God as my focus and in my heart, my wonderful, inspirational wife by my side, our church, the Avenue, which we now call home, and all of our wonderful community made of family and friends. I know I am not Alex Luyckx or Jim Grey, where it comes to amazing blogs and some wonderful, beautiful photography, or many others I can name here. I am me and doing the best I can with what I got. I always figured if I can get it to work out with the older cameras, even though I may have to work on to get functional, then anything was possible. Now I know it’s with God, not anything of man, to make everything possible in life. So here I am listening and learning all I can, taking it one day at a time, with a camera (or three) on me, God in my heart and every decision that make, and I hope that my journey may help someone down the road, even if just one single person. Thank You. Brandon Helton Christian, Husband, Father, Photographer Beacon & Bloom “Capturing Life in His Light”