For the love of photography

Photography isn't just for me, it's for you.

You might have asked yourself why there are so many photographers around and why it seems to be every third woman's passion. You might find yourself wayyyy overwhelmed by the sheer amount of available photographers, with their different styles, different locations, and mainly, different prices. If this was you, you weren’t alone. My husband isn’t a fan of pictures (I joke that he isn’t unless he’s holding a fish, deer, turkey, or any type of game animal he’s successfully hunted) so it’s pretty ironic that he married someone who absolutely loves pictures! I guess the middle ground here is that I don’t love being in front of the camera, I love being behind it. And I always have. I’ve always been that one at family events or out with friends that tried to make sure pictures get taken, but if I even received a little push back or a “Oh honey, don’t take a picture of me, I don’t like the way I look” I’d stop, not wanting to make the person uncomfortable.  

Then my world was rocked to its very core. My daddy passed away in 2011 and lemme tell you right now, I legitimately thought that would never, ever, ever happen. As we were trying to locate pictures for the funeral home to show at the funeral, I realized there were next to zero pictures of Daddy. Yeah, we had some that his mother had from when he was a child, but very few of him as an adult. And even less with us-his family. 

It was then that my love for photography began to change its course. No longer did I only love taking pictures, my heart loved the bittersweet truth that eventually, pictures are all we have left of someone once they're gone. As the years passed, I met my now husband, fell in love, and got married.  While unpacking things from my “growing up” room at my parents’ home to store in the home I now shared with my husband, I ended up coming across a couple pictures of my Daddy and me!! Do you understand the absolute joy I felt coming across those pictures?? I was elated! And one of those pictures happened to be the very last one taken of Daddy, as it was the Christmas before he passed away in March.  It is a picture of him and me, standing in the doorway of my grandmother’s home.  We’re both trying not to smile but failing to do so. I’m looking at someone on the right with a camera, he’s looking somewhere off to the left and the person actually taking the picture  was standing in front of us. So, the last picture I have of me and my Daddy is a blurry, slightly out of focus, noone-looking-at-the-camera picture. But you know what, I have treasured that photo since then. It’s burned into my mind.

On that same note, once my now husband and I started dating and even now, I try to make sure to have pictures at family events.  Especially as our parents and grandparents age.  My husband’s grandmother was his “person” and I knew that, so I made extra sure to get pictures of her…and that wasn’t easy because that sweet woman DID NOT LIKE pictures at all.  And frankly, I got on my husband’s nerves doing it. But after she passed, he told me “thank you” for making sure those pictures were taken. He now has those memories with her that he can cherish forever. 

I say all that to say this…take the picture! Be IN the pictures. Don’t always be the one behind the camera. You’ve got insecurities? I would bet money that you are the only one to see your “flaws”. Girl, you are gorgeous! My goal as your photographer is to make you love yourself in these pictures. I want to make sure that you have memories documented for years to come. And if any of those pictures happened to be the last ones with someone, i want them to be as perfect as can be. I would never in a million years wish the loss of a loved one on anyone, but God chooses his Angels often times before we’re ready to let them go. But He also allows us time to build up a reservoir of memories of them.

Pictured above are 4 of the handful of photos I have with my Daddy. The one I talked about early isn't pictured here, and that's because I'm being a little selfish with that one. There's a part of me that feels like if I'm the only one who's seen it, it's like I have something special I can still share with Daddy. Weird, I know. Maybe one day I will be strong enough to share it with y'all!