My Journey

My latest thoughts on my photography journey. After I came back from Colorado I yearned to define which direction I was headed with my career. I love capturing families and all the shoots inbetween...but, I feel like I have been posing more of my clients rather than interacting with them. I feel like I am suppose to make a difference in people's lives with my photography. But, when I focus on the posing and trying to get that "perfect" portrait, I feel like I missed the boat on the shoot. I will use my latest shoot as an example of what I am feeling lately. I love that I was able to get everyone looking in the first two shots...that is what we set out to do and that is what I got in quite a few of the shots after a 2 hour shoot. But, what I am craving with my photography lately is the realness...the moments that matter. I want to see into their soul for a moment. I want to catch some smiles, some laughter, and maybe even some tears. I know that these are the moments that matter because that is what drew me to photos in the first place. I love to capture a scared look on my kid's face, a nervous look on the first day of school, or a pout because one of them is throwing a fit in front of the camera. We don't necessarily look back at the "perfect" pictures and have memories of bliss, but rather, we may remember mommy yelling at us, or the photographer being silly, or the stress of wearing the outfit that you hated. I get that those are the feelings that are involved in picture days sometimes, but I want to bring more to the shoot. I want to give the kids memories of their amazing families playing together or snuggling. That is where my journey is taking me this month and hopefully for years to come.

This is the realness that I am talking about. A moment that the little sister looks up to her big sister in admiration and for direction on what she is suppose to be doing. She might look back on this picture as the day she looked at her sister and thought she was the most beautiful person on the planet. I wish someone could have captured the days when I would stare at my older sisters as they put on their make-up each morning...because I would be able to look back and see what my face looked like when I thought I was looking at goddesses:)
Or this moment when all the kids are looking at Daddy like he is the funnest guy in the whole world. That they will remember when they all played together....and you know what they say about a family that plays together.....THEY STAY TOGETHER! So hear is to the REAL moments...that I may capture them through Heaven's Eye so you're able to hold onto them forever.