Capturing Vanishing Tennessee

Andrea B Denney

Welcome back to Remembrance Record. I’m Andrea, and today, I want to invite you into the quiet corners of rural Tennessee—the places that, honestly, most folks just drive past without a second thought. If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you know I have a bit of an obsession with the overlooked. We’ve talked about barns that refuse to fall, and the silent witness of old structures. But today, I want to dig a little deeper into why I keep coming back to these vanishing barns, those little white churches tucked behind the trees, and the winding back roads that seem to hold their breath as the world changes around them.

Andrea B Denney

I think, for me, it all started with this sense that these places are more than just wood and stone. They’re like—well, they’re like emotional anchors. When everything else feels like it’s moving too fast, these old buildings and empty roads remind me that there’s a story worth holding onto. And, you know, in a world where everything’s getting paved over or torn down, I feel this responsibility to create a visual archive. Not just for me, but for anyone who needs to remember what it felt like to belong somewhere quiet.

Andrea B Denney

I’ll never forget the first time I photographed a forgotten church near Dickson. I was just out for a drive, honestly trying to clear my head, and I spotted this little white building with peeling paint and a bell that hadn’t rung in years. I pulled over—probably a little too quickly, if I’m honest—and just stood there for a minute. The air was so still, and I could almost hear the echoes of old hymns and laughter from church picnics. That moment, standing in the silence, it sparked something in me. I realized I wasn’t just taking a picture—I was remembering, and maybe helping someone else remember, too.

Andrea B Denney

That experience, and so many like it, led me to create what I call the Signature Remembrance Series. It’s not just about snapping a photo and calling it a day. There’s a process—a kind of ritual, really—that I walk through with every client. The first step is what I call Rooted Connection. It’s about deep listening, sitting down with someone and really hearing their story. Sometimes it’s about a family farm, sometimes it’s a childhood home, or even a place that doesn’t exist anymore except in memory.

Andrea B Denney

After that, there’s Quiet Presence. This is where I go out to the site, and I just… I let the place speak. I don’t rush. I don’t try to force a shot. I just wait for that moment when the light and the feeling line up, and I can sense the soul of the place. It’s a little hard to explain, but if you’ve ever just sat in silence and felt a wave of memory wash over you, it’s kind of like that.

Andrea B Denney

The third step is Artful Weaving. This is where I take all those images and stories and start to piece them together—editing, curating, making sure the final collection really reflects what matters most to the client. I had a client not too long ago who wanted to honor her childhood farm. She told me stories about chasing fireflies and the sound of rain on the tin roof. When she saw the finished artwork, she just… she cried. She said it was like holding a piece of her heart in her hands. And, honestly, that’s why I do this. The last step, is Legacy Delivered, just as it sounds it’s the cumulative final Delivery of someone’s life memories either in feeling or in actual photograph of their past. This is not just a photograph but a part of the personal experience of their life that needed to be acknowledged for times and loved ones to come.

Andrea B Denney

I think there’s something really powerful about deep listening and photographic storytelling. It’s not just about preserving a building or a landscape—it’s about preserving a feeling, a legacy. When families see these images, it’s like they’re reminded of who they are and where they come from. And sometimes, that’s exactly what they need, especially when life feels uncertain or when they’re grieving a loss.

Andrea B Denney

I’ve had people tell me that my photographs feel peaceful, or that they bring a sense of healing they didn’t even know they needed. I’m always humbled by that, because, honestly, I’m just trying to capture what’s already there—the quiet, the stillness, the stories that linger in the air. I think that’s why so many clients come to me during times of grief or transition. There’s something about seeing a place you love, or even a place you’ve lost, honored in a photograph that helps you breathe a little easier.

Andrea B Denney

There’s this intersection between creativity and loss that I keep coming back to. Photographing these vanishing places isn’t just about nostalgia—it’s about finding solace, both for me and for the people I work with. When I’m behind the lens, I find a kind of stillness that I can’t get anywhere else. It’s like, for a moment, the world slows down and I can just… be. And I think that’s something we all need, especially when we’re carrying heavy memories or trying to make sense of change.

Andrea B Denney

I guess, looking back on my own journey—from being bedridden for years to becoming a caregiver, and now, finding my way as an artist—stillness has always been my pathway to healing. It’s not always easy, and I definitely don’t have all the answers, but I do know that storytelling, whether through words or images, helps us remember what matters. And maybe, just maybe, it helps us heal a little, too.

Andrea B Denney

That’s all for today’s episode. Thank you for joining me in this quiet remembering. If you’re longing for stillness, or just want to feel something true again, I hope you’ll come back next time and if you’re interested visit us at experience dot andrea be Denney studios dot com to see how our Signature Remembrance Series Experience comes together, and maybe one day we may see your story on The Remembrance Record. Until then, breathe, reflect, and remember.