a little hiatus… followed by a grand return — with purpose.

i have been busy (and sometimes stressed! i won’t sugar-coat it!) the past month…. MUCH busier than i anticipated. for that, i thank my clients! in light of that busy-ness, i also need to thank my husband. through his oh-so-fun wintertime sickness, he’s still been very supportive of my little business endeavor, even when it means time away from him and kelsey. he still tells me, every time i’m bumping out the door like a pack mule with all of my equipment (leaving for a shoot), “you’ll do great! have a good time. i’m proud of you.” i’ve gained quite a few cheerleaders here recently, but he’s the biggest.

i feel that i’ve been doing myself and my work an injustice by not sharing more of this journey. i need to be more diligent in my efforts. i think it will force me to grow more — in myself and my craft. today, i am going to make that commitment. I WILL BLOG TWICE A WEEK. if any of you that take the time to read these blog posts notice that it’s been a few days since i blogged, please harass me about it!

now, for that ‘purpose’ i mentioned in the title….. in searching my heart over the past couple months i’ve come to a couple conclusions.

1. i LOVE being part of a moment. i am deeply humbled to be invited into people’s lives to capture important events.

2. i feel that the minor, seemingly insignificant moments are truly just a important and worthy of documentation as any other life event [exhibit A: charli & her little red berries (aka ‘corns’) below]

3. there are still a lot of events/scenarios i have yet to photograph. i want to expose myself to as many different experiences as i can, photographically. if anyone out there has a reason to have pictures taken — no matter why — consider being my guinea pig. i love learning and growing.

4. and…. are your ready for it…? i think i can safely say (despite what specialty i focus on in the future) that i consider myself to be a ‘lifestyle’ photographer. i may be wrong in my definition, but to me a lifestyle photographer captures the little, playful, seemingly insignificant moments (and important events & milestones!!) in a casual, care-free atmosphere where those being photographed have the room to feel like they can be themselves…. i know every session can’t feel that way, but i hope that with lots of work and practice i can make all of my clients feel that way around me, because i think my BEST work is rendered in that environment.

also, in light of the horrific tragedy in newtown, CT, i must say that i am absolutely justified in wanting to document every moment of my child’s life — and my client’s lives — no matter how small. we are all harshly reminded how quickly those that we love can be taken away from us…. and how important those silly, impromptu, fun images can be. just remember, once captured, those images can never be taken away. personally, i look at all of the photographic documentation of my kelsey, both staged and casual, and i cherish it all. i don’t look at studio portraits any differently than ‘that afternoon running around at the park’ any differently…. other than i know we both had a lot more fun at the park!

and… bringing the focus back:

that being said, i came to the conclusion that i’m on the right path when i received feedback from a recent client and their family. their stated reason for seeking me out for the job and then their response to my work could not have been more complimentary. they said that they wanted to get natural expressions and have fun during the shoot and thought of me first because of the impression my previous work made on them…. and the responses nearly brought tears to my eyes. i was proud of the outcome with charli’s session, but it’s so wonderful to hear it from a client:

‘they’re exactly what I wanted. adorable pictures of a happy, care-free girl being herself!!’

‘you captured charli!’

my goal, attained. my heart, humbled. my purpose, illuminated.

here’s sweet little two-year-old charli and her mom & dad  (and her little red ‘corns’) at the Carillon @ Byrd Park (Richmond). she was a joy to chase around with my camera that sunday afternoon! i couldn’t ask for better clients or sweeter friends. take a look at her adorableness….

this is what i was meant to do with my life. this. right here.