A Top Five Knox Stars Nominee, and a Thank You I Didn't See Coming

Some news landed in my inbox recently that made me stop and read it twice.

Hux and Mae Photography has been named a top five nominee in the 2026 Knox Stars Community's Choice readers' poll, in both the New Business and Photographer categories. For a small, family-named photography venture in East Tennessee, that is a genuine honor, and one I did not expect.

To Whoever Nominated Me, Thank You

I don't know if it was one person or a handful of you, but someone took a moment out of their day to put this little business forward. That kind of quiet support is the whole reason Hux and Mae exists, so before anything else, I want to say thank you.

Recognition like this is never really about the name on the ballot. It's about the families who let me into their real, unpolished moments, and who trusted me to hold onto those moments for them. This nomination belongs to you as much as it does to this venture.

The Story Behind Hux and Mae

Hux and Mae is named after my two children, and it started as something closer to a passion project than a business plan. My days are mostly spent helping lead Asen Marketing and keeping up with two young kids, but this work is where I get to slow down and do the thing I love most.

Serving the greater Knoxville area and the Tri-Cities region of East Tennessee, Hux and Mae is built around one simple idea. Photos should look like real life. Not stiff, not overly staged, just honest.

That's where the tagline comes from: photos for real life.

What Visual Storytelling Really Means

There's a difference between a photo that documents a day and a photo that tells a story. I'm always chasing the second kind.

The belly laugh in the middle of a family session. The way a toddler reaches for a parent's hand without thinking about it. The ordinary, in-between beauty that we tend to rush past. Those are the frames that families come back to years later, and those are the ones I care most about capturing.

When I photograph a family, a couple, or a milestone here in East Tennessee, my goal is to give you something you'll want to pass down. Images your children, and maybe their children, get to hold onto for generations.

How You Can Help

The Knox Stars Community's Choice Awards celebrate the best businesses and organizations in the area, and this is the voting round, where the public chooses among the top nominees named during the nomination round. If Hux and Mae has meant something to you, whether you've had a session, followed along, or simply liked the work from afar, I'd be so grateful for your vote.

A few things worth knowing:

Voting is quick. On the ballot, you can find Hux and Mae in two places: under Shopping Category > New Business, and under Services - People Category > Photographer. Click "VOTE" in each, then complete a short one-time registration on your first visit.

You can vote once a day. There's no final submit button, so votes are recorded as you enter them, and you're welcome to come back daily using the "Already Entered" login.

If you vote in 25 or more categories, you're automatically entered to win a $250 gift card. So while you're there, it's worth supporting the other local businesses you love too.

Every share helps more local families and individuals discover this kind of storytelling. The more people who know this work is here, the more real-life moments get preserved for the people who love them.

You can find the current voting link here.

One More Thank You

Being recognized in your own community feels different than any other kind of recognition. Knoxville and East Tennessee are home, and getting to tell the stories of the families and individuals who live here is a privilege I don't take lightly.

Thank you for being part of this. Truly.

If you've been thinking about booking a session, or you'd like to learn more about how I work, I'd love to hear from you. Reach out through the contact page or explore recent work in the portfolio.