Maybe a pretty person makes a pretty photo. Maybe the outfit or the hair or the colors makes the photo appealing. At first.
In the initial glance at an image, what do you see.
Perhaps there are fun props, quirky poses, something beautiful. Maybe you don’t know why you like the photo. You just do. I’m not really one for fuss. I don’t really like using a lot of props or things in photographs. I like spirit. I thrive on emotion. I love seeing behind the image, what is really in that photo. Because really, there isn’t much chance in any single moment of seeing nothing in life. If you are seeing nothing… it is my humble opinion that you are missing a whole lot.
There is substance in everything. There is a story everywhere, in everything. In every molecule, every moment, there was something before it. Or some path that lead it to right now. You have a story, and many of them. I may not know what it is when I first set out to photograph you, but I’ll see it somewhere along the process. Or I’d like to think that its possible to catch a glimpse of your story in your eyes, in your silence, in your movements on your own and then how you move with your man/lady/child/mother/sister. We are all full of tightly woven sinews, all connecting us together inside ourselves as well as those stories fusing every single one of us all in a closely knit and intricate labyrinth.
I am somehow connected to you. Right now, you reading my watery words… me typing them from my laptop, feet up, reclined… baby wiggling away inside my belly. Listening to nothing but the wind howl through our fireplace, I contemplate what’s behind an image. You, wherever you are, which ever screen you are perched at in whatever part of the world. Reading these words. Maybe there are ten of you. Maybe only one. But somehow, something has brought us together. Be it only in the vast world of cyberspace, for this moment. Our stories have met.
When I look back at a few of these photos from the past, I see what I saw in that moment. In whatever fleeting moment was occuring, I am right back there. What I find most interesting, is to wonder.. what you see? Is it different from what stories I see, or feel or wish to feel. Do you see behind the image? Or is it just a nice photo. Is there anything compelling about it to you? What is it? I’ll likely never know. But I will leave you with a few of the images that I truly love. Mainly because of what lies behind the photo. Maybe you see it too?
I know that I’ve posted a whole lot about little Landon lately… see last two entries, but I just can’t help it!
Here is little Landon at two weeks old, with his mom and dad.
What a love. (Can’t possibly tell you how excited this makes me to meet our little girl! Not long now…)
This one cracks me up… somewhat like..”Yahoo, I made it to the world!” So cute!
Just a little something from an impromptu Sunday session to make you smile on a Monday morning (or a Sunday night, or any day for that matter).
Here is our little friend Landon, (who was supposed to sleep for this session… and of course, didn’t!) just ten days into his life. More to come at a later date!
I thought I knew about babies being born. I thought, “I’ve seen a million episodes of the baby story, I get it”. No actually, I had no idea, and although I’ve now been through 14 hours of labor beside a friend and witnessed a real live birth… I still don’t know the first thing about it.
What I do know, for sure, is… women are amazing. Stacey was in labor for somewhere near 36 hours. We had decided weeks ago that I would be there to photograph the delivery. I was called at 8am on January 14, 2010. I didn’t leave the hospital until after 10pm on the same day. That wasn’t necessarily in the plan, especially being 30 weeks pregnant myself. But I wouldn’t take back a single second of it. If you’ve ever been a part of a ‘baby story’ you’ll know what I mean in saying it is life altering and absolutely incredible. I was also unbelievably honored to be given the kind of immense trust to be aloud into such intimate and emotional moments. This was one of the most rewarding, special, and not to mention beautiful experiences of my life. One more thing, before I leave you with a slideshow of the experience… Midwives are AMAZING. I love my midwife and also Stacey’s. We should all be so lucky to have these insanely gifted women in our lives. Thank you so much to Stacey and Eddie for allowing me to post this slideshow as well.
I am forever changed.
**If you are visiting this post from USA please view video without music.. by clicking HERE.***
The songs are Feels like home by Edwina Hayes and Lullaby by the Dixie Chicks.
If I can ask my amazing clients to share their intimate maternity images on my blog, I suppose, it is only fair, that I ask myself to do the same. With just over two months until we meet our little girl, here we are in our studio, with nothing but a little light and a little clothing.
