Saturday, July 21, 2012

Seniors 2013 - Anna

I've said it many a time, and I'm sure I will again - doing senior pictures for someone I remember from their stroller days is kind of weird and makes me feel old.  Her parents have been friends with mine for as long as I can remember and we would go hang out at their house and go to fairs and such when I was a kid.  Anna's sister and I even did college tours together.  It was nice to get to see them again - this was another house call, which are much more fun.  People are more relaxed in their own space and since my studio is portable, I'm all for it.

It was raining off and on yesterday, so when I got to Anna's house, we decided to do the outdoors part first while it wasn't raining.  Luckily it held off and the overcast sky gave us nice soft lighting!  We went to a park a couple minutes from the house, brought their puppy and a few props and took a bunch of pictures!


 Anna likes photography too!  She said it was weird being on the other side of the camera but I think she did a pretty good job at it.






After the park, we went back to their house and set up my Alien Bees.  Instead of using one of my backdrops, we took a frame off this red wall and used it as a background instead.  I love the color!  Also love the huge grins big sister Kelsey helped me get!



Thursday, July 19, 2012

Sweet Stories Make Me Cry

As many of you know, I volunteer for Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, providing free photography services to those who have or are about to lose their child.  It's very difficult, but very rewarding and I come across similar situations occasionally at my day job with Bella Baby Photography, which is where this story takes place.

A few weeks ago was the most difficult session I've had to date.  I won't provide details, but my heart goes out to the family.  I spent nearly an hour taking photographs of the baby with her mother and siblings and even took her outside at her mom's request.  Today, a social worker came up to me at work and thanked me again for taking pictures.  She said that a couple days later, the mom came back to the hospital and showed her a memory book she had made from the photos I took, and that she had used some in a collage at the baby's viewing.

I choked up and nearly started crying right there in the hallway at work.  To know that they were touched and helped by the images I took, that they have those tangible memories to cherish, that's all I need.  I saw a father post a couple images of his daughter on facebook and it's so touching.  Another family is still occasionally in contact with me, two years later.  It's not quite something I can be happy about, because the situation is overwhelmingly sad, but I'm glad to help these people, these families who can never take their child home.

Do what you can for people.  If someone needs and deserves your help and you can provide it, do so.  It makes the world a better place.