This session well represents what my heart loves to photographically document: an authentic moment in life. To my dear brother & sister-in-law, I know you guys are “in the trenches” – that every single day you’re pulled in dozens of different directions all at the same time and that you probably juggle loads of guilt and feel like you are constantly inadequately meeting the needs of someone or something (be that spouse, child, friend, parent, client, business, education), despite giving the best effort that you are able to give. Please let these images show you that your intentional choices and your deep love and your best efforts and your faith are totally-completely-awesomely yielding fruit in your five little humans!!! May this simple gift of mine nicely complement C.S. Lewis’ (and bees’) wisdom: “It’s not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.”
Notes from the heart of the photographer: A few days ago I posted the following thoughts on Facebook regarding these images above … “There are about a million gabillion reasons why I don't like to pose -- and I'm not too prideful to admit that one reason is that it's simply not my strength-- but the integral and more important reasons largely boil down to this one big truth for me: I want ... I CRAVE ... authenticity. I want real body language and real expression and real activity and real emotion. I'm passionate about my images really truly looking and feeling like the precious individuals in front of my lens. If there's sibling cuddles, I want those cuddles (and the resulting expressions) to be self-initiated, and not be directed by me. If there's climbing on rocks, I want it to be because you wanted to climb on a rock, and not because I told you to. If you want to show me the mud cake you're so proud of, I want to see it and celebrate it with you. Authenticity captured makes me deeply, soulfully, satisfied.” I don’t need a spotless house. I don’t need stylized, coordinating clothing. I don’t need hair + make-up artfully applied. I don’t need boo-boos to be healed or extra weight to be shed. I just need you to show me your world. And I promise, I will see the beauty.
Techy notes to my geeky fellow photographers: I shot this whole session with my 24-105 f/4 and 35 f/2 lenses, Canon 5dM3 camera. Shot for 2.5 hours and netted nearly 500 keeper images.
