For me, the reason why I became a photographer is very simple. I didn't grow up with a camera in my hand and huge aspirations of photographing people and things all over the world. It wasn't a dream of mine for years and years.
I probably have some issues with letting go, but photography in many ways helps me to hold on to things I am not ready to forget.
This is why lifestyle photography appeals to me more than any other type of photography. Yes, I love to have pictures on my walls and archived somewhere of my family each year - everyone with a perfect smile on our faces (because that is so realistic - lol). I DO love to see how we have changed (and how I used to think I looked old and big and wrinkly and now I look back and think I must have been crazy!!!) But I really do enjoy seeing what daily life was like - the highs and the lows...the long days, the fun days at the pumpkin patch, the library and the zoo, the family holidays and first and last days of school, the play dates and friend groups, the celebrations and the hard things we trudged through.
For this photo shoot, I was super thankful to be able to spend an hour or so with this family during their evening - the time when dad got home and mom was getting dinner on the table....Technically it was more challenging to me than I anticipated, but I hope at least a part of this will be something they will cherish as the days go by and the seasons change...as legos are replaced by video games and Barbie dolls by hair straighteners...as the family walks to the park become heart to heart talks with your teenager struggling to make good decisions or looking for advice...as the daughter in the dress up dress holding daddy's hand becomes the bride daddy is walking down the aisle.
Here is to remembering some of the sweeter parts of life.
