I could probably say that I love every season because, as they begin, I'm struck with the beauty of the change. LOVE the fall leaves as they change colors. LOVE the casual atmosphere that comes with long summer evenings. LOVE the brisk air and cozy fires of a good winter. When I lived in Ohio, I was crazy about watching the snow at night as it fell in front of my street lamp.
But it's spring now, and I LOVE spring. The flowers, the budding trees, the way life just sort of picks up and ... regenerates. Last night, as Derrick and I were working on the Easter portrait set I felt that swell in my chest that comes when I see something beautiful. The sun was setting, the golden light was illuminating the grass in my back yard, and there were dragon flies everywhere. (sigh) I wanted to bottle up that moment and keep it on a shelf - only to be taken out at the most stressfull of times.
For me, Shana Rae with Florabella captures those moments so perfectly, so I'm going to give you some spring eye candy of hers here...
That's how I want to feel when I look at my family portraits. It's the emotions of peace, joy, happiness, and heritage all wrapped up into one image that really get to me.
Last week I shot some pictures of my kiddos that have done exactly that. There's a story here, so I'll tell it, and then you can follow the link to see the images.
I got this idea in my head. It was a crazy wonderful idea that hit me as I was driving home one day. There was this field full of tall red clover stretching for as far as I could focus. They'll cut that down soon, I thought to myself. Last year I wanted some photos of that, and by the time I got around to it, they mowed it. (DING! Lightbulb above my head - as I was driving - not a safe thing for me). What if I take my kids out there to shoot this weekend. They don't mow on Sunday's, I'm sure. Who cares that it's on the not-so-great part of town? We'll do it during the early evening when there won't be much traffic. BRILLIANT!!!
The images were coming out beautiful. I could feel the excitement of what we were getting in camera, and I had a location 2 spot just down the road that we were going to hit as we went home. The light was slowly fading, so I loaded the kids in the jeep and packed my camera. Evan, in one of his more helpful moments, decided to turn the car on - but he didn't turn the key all the way. My poor little jeep started to fire... and then went dead.
Dreaded thought - OH NO!!! I'm on the not-so-great side of town... with my children... without a cell phone... and a dead car.
To make a long story a little shorter, my father-in-law became my rescue after a couple of very nice people offered to help. Location 2 didn't happen, but when I look at those pictures - the ones in the clover - my breath catches in my chest and I smile. I'll have them forever... the moments of their personalities that are gorgeous, with the gorgeous light, and the gorgeous field.
Just a thought - if we don't catch our memories in image, they're lost forever, only to be remembered as best we can through the filter of our own minds.
You can see the images from our session here...
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