Crystal K. Martel

Crystal made everything SO fun and relaxed. I felt like I was just hanging out with a friend taking fun photos! I didn't feel like she was "posing" us - it felt really natural and our photos show that! I LOVE all of our wedding day photos especially. We got SO many and she captured so many moments that I had no clue even happened! She was always professional, sweet, fun, & friendly. I wouldn't have traded her or the photos taken for anyone else!

Crystal is high energy (in the best way possible!) and loves to have a good time, while still staying very professional. She took the time to get to know us as a couple & made the every experience fun and relaxing.

Whimsical, fun, & classy describe both Crystal & her photography!

Love, the Listers

Oh my goodness gracious, where do I even begin? We had the absolute BEST experience with Crystal, starting with our adventurous mountain top engagement session, great communication throughout the planning process, and the most amazing wedding day we could have dreamed of. Crystal made us feel relaxed and free to be ourselves. We immediately felt like we had known her for years, and she seemed to fit in perfectly with our families. She made us feel loved, known, and heard throughout the whole process--really dedicated to helping us create and capture such precious memories. I have had so many people ask me about our pictures and say they were some of the most beautiful they have ever seen. Each aspect of our wedding was a community effort and labor of love, and Crystal absolutely captured that AND contributed TO that, helping us to preserve and cherish the best day of our lives. 

We felt like Crystal felt our emotions with us-- sharing in our joy and excitement, remembering loved ones, highlighting little details that were special and important to us (drinking coffee in my grandfather's house before the ceremony, honoring the memory of loved ones that were no longer with us, etc.) . We are so thankful and will never forget her kindness, care, creativity, and the most beautiful images we ever could have hoped for.

Crystal is so fun and laid back, while also incredibly professional and talented. I was worried that taking pictures would feel forced or awkward, but Crystal kept us laughing and entertained. She's the type of person you meet and immediately want to be friends with.

Best day. Forever thankful LOVE times a gazillion. 

Anna + Tim

I could write pages of praise about Crystal & still feel I’ve yet to sufficiently describe the excellence of her talent & beauty of her heart. If there is one thing I would tell any bride & groom to do for their wedding day (or anyone in need of a photographer for that matter) it would be to use Crystal Martel, no question. This lady has a gift that is unparalleled. She captured the day in its most authentic & beautiful light – the joyful smiles & laughter, the quiet & focused moments of anticipation, sweet looks between family members, nuances between old friends & new friends mid-conversation, hilarious moments on the dance floor, precious moments between the bride & groom, & all of those special details with flowers & candlelight. My husband & I both cried when we got our preview gallery (a mere 1 day after the wedding at that). Her creative eye is unlike any I’ve ever witnessed, with the utmost attention to detail & an ability to capture pure magic. Her shots truly take my breath away every single time I look at them, & while, like any bride, I am clearly biased about my own wedding, it is truly her gift that makes every photo stop me in my tracks.

 

In addition to her extraordinary talent, what I equally love, respect, & admire about Crystal is that she is deeply kind, peaceful, compassionate, & full of love. For every staged shot, she directed only with gentleness & grace. She was never bossy or demanding. She is one of those beautiful souls with a calming, grounded presence that makes any & everyone around her feel comfortable & secure. To this day, months after my wedding day, people come up to me to say how incredible she was professionally AND personally.

 

Please do yourself a favor & hire the incredible Crystal Martel! She will bless your soul double time with stunning photos to last a lifetime & a heart of gold to match.

Liz + Aaron Edwards

From the second we booked you to photograph our wedding, you went above and beyond to get to know my Bryan and I(and getting to know you is a BLAST)! 

When our wedding day came, it felt like our friend was there photographing everyone. Not only have we received SO many compliments on our photographs( you are seriously a miracle worker because it DOWN poured all day long), but we had people asking for your name just because you were so fun to be around.

Crystal is outgoing, fabulous, FUN, and someone who takes charge of situations!

We can't wait to book our next session with the pups!

Crystal was the most perfect wedding photographer, ever! When Bobby and I got engaged, a great wedding photographer was priority. My favorite things to look at with my parents, grandparents, friends, etc, is that ONE wedding picture that you know just sums up their special event. I have an image in my head of my grandparent's wedding because of the wedding picture in their living room. I wanted that for Bobby and I. This image is a captured moment with genuine smiles and love; you can feel that moment.

After looking at Crystal's work, and reading about her natural poses, yet attention to detail, I knew she was the one who could capture our "picture." And boy did she ever!

On top of that, we were living in East Tennessee. Crystal worked with us, meeting in the middle at a waterfall to take our engagement pictures. She is young, so she knows the trendy images; she is energetic, so she keeps the shoots fun and kept us smiling; and she is creative. So while I couldn't see where she was going with poses, they turned into some of our favorites. 

I would recommend Crystal to anyone wanting quality photographs you will look at and smile, remember special moments in your life. 

Jessie + Bobby

Crystal is amazing at giving direction. She has this way of telling you to do something that you wouldn’t think to do, but looks amazing on camera. She is fun, easy to work with, and makes you feel so at ease and completely yourself. We are so happy with the photos we have gotten from her because they are always “us”. She catches moments that are real. She brings out all our happiness and our love for one another and it really shows in the photos.

Ashley

It's been really great working with Crystal! I had never had photos taken by a professional photographer before and I'll be honest, I was really nervous at the idea of a photo shoot but it was really fun! She has such a great personality and brings so much light into the room. We were super comfortable and my fiancée and I could really just be ourselves and have fun.

Logan

One of the reasons I love Crystal, and love working with Crystal, is because she is up for an adventure anytime and anywhere. Being in the creative industry, you aspire to stay inspired all the time. Crystal had a brilliant idea to do a styled photoshoot, also my very first styled shoot, at Cummins Falls, and it is an experience I will never forget! I showed up with buckets of flowers that weighed a ton, and the rest of our crew had wardrobe, bags, and backpacks full of beautiful things to play with. About 30 minutes in I realized this shoot was going to be a labor of love, but the location was breathtaking - so, I was all in. Crystal had us climbing into caverns and waterfalls, because she will never settle for less than a perfect shot, and that's why she is brilliant at what she does. At the end of the day I had some pretty epic and hilarious stories. I had felt like I had known Crystal for years, because she just makes you feel so comfortable, and the girl can make you laugh. We left and felt like we had really pulled off something that we would be proud of. I was right, too. Crystal's pictures were so beautiful and captured the whole day even more perfectly than I remembered. She is spontaneous, full of life, and she throws herself into the beautiful and imperfect moments. She can capture people and details better than anyone. I'm proud to call her my friend and one of the best in the business.

Caroline Jones, Nashville Floral Designer

You are a magician. A camera magician. That is my review, in a nutshell.

Genevieve

I'm usually the guy behind the camera, so I was a bit nervous about having my picture taken. Crystal put me at ease and did it all with a smile, even while freezing her fingers off in the cold. She was committed to getting the best shots and carried herself with the perfect balance of fun and professionalism. We could not be happier with the pictures we got back, and it just gets us more excited for our wedding day to do it again!

Mike 

I have had the privilege of working with Crystal on many occasions - for our engagement photos, bridal portraits, wedding and family shoots. On every single occasion she has brought something bright, new, and unique to the table. You have seen all over her website her eye for creativity, but it is really something you need to experience in person. One instance I can think of was when I had my hair done for my bridal portraits. I loved it, and it looked great; however, the hair extension that I had ordered had not come in yet and my short hair, in a wispy bun, did not look as full as had intended for the shoot. This put me in a panic. Crystal literally pulled out a blonde hair extension, used my curling iron, and created a beautiful up-do. It totally enhanced what I had already done and made it look incredibly beautiful and natural. No matter what kind of shoot you are doing, Crystal always has a creative knack for "bringing" thinks to the table - either props, clothing, furniture. You definitely get the unique edge that you are looking for.

Kristen Clifford

Crystal's talents go far beyond her actual photography. My wife and I don't love to be in front of a camera, but she was able to make both of us feel comfortable and have fun on our engagement shoot. It went so well that we also hired her to shoot our wedding halfway across the country. Her ability to work well with our big wedding party and both of our families gave us huge peace of mind on a normally stressful day. She constantly goes the extra mile and exceeds expectations!

Drew Johnson

From out engagement shoot and wedding day, to our one year anniversary photos and beyond, Crystal is definitely a family favorite. Everything this girl does is done with excellence. Not only is she so real and down to earth, but she has a way of making you feel so comfortable in front of the lens. Crystal is amazing at both directing and styling and has such an eye for beautiful photographs. She captures raw emotion and not just 'pictures.' We will forever treasure our photos taken by her and we have grown to love her dearly.

Jordana Nicholson

Crystal Martel has been one of my favorite photographers to work with. We had a last minute shoot come together with photos that have received nothing but praise! She has a way of taking control on a very professional and artistic level that I haven't seen in many photographers. She captured exactly what I wanted, and more! I most definitely recommend Crystal to anyone looking to have photos done on a fast, genuine, and professional level. She made my experience worth every penny!

Cody Clark, Nashville Producer/Writer

I have worked with Crystal on several occasions, all of which she was an outstanding photographer, director, and designer. Although styling and design aren't specialities she promotes, she is far more than a photographer and has a creative eye for small details that make the end result of a photo perfect. 

Crystal has the ability and personality to awaken your inner model to get you comfortable in front of the lens, something that has never come "natural" to me. She was constantly making me laugh, encouraging me, and also directing me to enjoy the moment! 

She is timely and professional with the after-shoot process as well, with editing and getting the images ready for use. I highly recommend working with Crystal.

Mckel Hill, Nutrition Stripped/Nashville Food Blogger

Crystal Martel is a talented, creative, and innovative photographer.  My husband and I have loved using her over the past five years for multiple occasions.  In the last year she has captured our most cherished memories including maternity, baby shower, new born, and a family photo shoot.  She even came to the hospital when our little one was born!  She was professional, comfortable, and respectful while there and now we have professional pictures of our son as early as day one.  Crystal exudes creativity.  You can count on her ideas to be fresh and cutting edge.  When she meets with clients for consultations, she #1 listens to her clients’ desires, #2 comes prepared with ideas and #3 is ready to brainstorm.  Crystal is empowered by innovation and knows how to make any setting a successful photo shoot.  She knows what needs to be done for lighting, she smartly executes the best angles, and knows what will and won’t work.  Her experience includes working outdoors, indoors, on the beach, in the snowy mountains, at waterfalls, and more!  She wants the best shots and travels, even hikes to the locations to get them!