I haven’t posted in a while. It’s been a long time. It was just a few days ago that the fireworks happening in all parts of the world as we all collectively rung in the new year of 2022… and with a new year comes new opportunities. As I sat down and looked at some of my old photos and old posts from a while ago, I thought to myself that it was finally time to start to come back again and turn back on the pilot light that was my photography passion. You see, COVID really put a damper on that.
This was a very relaxed session with the picking up of leaves, the running through the grass and the obtaining of ice cream. Jenny did not want posed and cheesy photos of her, Paul and her little one so she talked to me about what I offered. I told her about my documentary (candid) approach and she was game.
2 years ago, I documented Cee when he was just a fresh new baby and Eee was taking down schedules of poops. I recall Cee was only a week or so old and so everything was new for everyone.
So then it was really cool to be able to come back again a few years later and see how this little boy had grown up. What a difference a year or two makes.
Capturing life as it happens is such a joy to see. It’s pure smiles and true interaction. A lot of it happens spontaneously and moments go by so quick but people, like Wendy, hire me for these types of photos and they love them.
How do you even begin to encapsulate a year? It’s 365 days of living and being and breathing and it all goes by so fast. As a photographer, the photos I take are not only momentos of the little moments that went by but also memory place holders that let me look back and recall a time in my life: the smells, the sights and even the sounds.
Being a documentary photographer means being a part of people's lives. I've found out over the years that cameras, film, technology and other things really have little to do with a photo... although, of course, you need these items to actually make a photograph. Yet, much of it is about connecting with your fellow human and relating on a personal level. Too many times I find myself hiding behind a camera to take photos only to realize that the best ones I take (at least to me) are ones where I've connected with people.
