One of the things that I am very quickly coming to appreciate about being a photographer is not just the opportunity to bear witness to the important moments in people’s lives, but also being allowed to bear witness to the growth and changes that families go through over time.
All the feelings…
Last year, when I was just starting out, I had the honour of photographing my first baby shower. It was exciting; nerve-wracking; and soul-nourishing, all rolled up into one glorious package. I loved it. It was the best day ever!
Fast forward a year and I’m back at the same home, to photograph that beautiful baby’s first birthday celebrations. It was still exciting, nerve-wracking and soul-nourishing, but for very different reasons.
You see, last year, all those feelings were focused on me.
Not necessarily a bad thing, but stick with me here. I was excited because it was one of my first photoshoots; nervous about not really knowing anyone (besides the friend that allowed me to stalk her family for the day); soul-nourishing in that I was taking a huge step in writing my future. The emotion was very much all about self.
This year it was all about them.
I was excited to finally meet that little (or not-so-little-anymore) baby; see how he has grown; and witness how the excited mother-to-be has blossomed into a wonderful, doting, awesome mother to her little boy.
In the space of a year, I went from photographer at a baby shower to photographer at that little one’s 1st birthday party. Just like that I felt like I had become somewhat of a little part in this family. I don’t think I realised how special this would be to me. Not only because I had been let in to a very private moment in the family’s history, but also because the opportunity to document the growth in this family has allowed me to see how far I’ve come as well.
You see, although I may have known this on some level (because I have been told this) I had never taken the time to reflect on it:
Being a photographer is about being of service to others and by removing myself from the picture (haha) I was able to give the best of myself on the day.
Which leads me to my purpose:
Capturing those special moments for others is invaluable: that cuddle between mother and son; the slipped piece of cake from grandfather to grandson; a shared look between husband and wife… those moments are priceless. The images that I capture help to document the story of my client’s lives. How awesome is that?!
One day this same baby will find these photos, perhaps long after I have left this earth, and he will know that he is loved.
He will see how the family celebrated his long-awaited arrival at the baby shower. The laughter, love and presents (yes, I’m going there!) that were bestowed to him and his parents in the run up to his birth will give him a clue of just how much he is wanted. The joy that radiated from his grandmothers’ and aunts’ faces throughout the day and the sheer number of people that were there to celebrate him will solidify how loved he really is.
In the photos from his 1st birthday party, he will see how his father laughed as he contemplated trying to fit a whole piece of cake in his mouth. He will see the joy in his mother’s face as she lifted him up into the air and nuzzled him. His grandparents sneaking him food will make him laugh and his cousins giving him kisses and cuddles will warm his heart.
I can imagine his own kids clambering up onto his lap to see what he had found, all while giggling and exclaiming; “Why is Grandpa laughing at you?”; “Granny has always been so pretty!”; “Daddy – look at you eating that cake, you don’t let us eat like that!!”.
Now I ask you, with tears in my eyes (literally): how can being a photographer not be the best (and one of the most important) jobs in the world?
Much love,
