The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life.
-Richard Bach
I had the pleasure of photographing my cousin and her beautiful family this past Fall. She offered to be a guest blogger which made me feel *very* cool! Here are her words about the power of photography and her favorite photographs from our time together.
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I have my strengths as a mother but “capturing the moment” is not one of them. My sister calls herself “Auntie Paparazzi” because she has taken it upon herself to make up for my shortcomings in this area. Also, my babysitter may take more pictures of the kids than I do. So definitely not a strength.
I admired mothers who get their little ones to photographers on a regular basis but never felt a huge desire to do the same. That began to change when I saw the photos that my amazing cousin was taking. The photos she posted on her blog were so impressive--she has a way of capturing children and all their joy and beauty and sweetness. I catch glimpses of these qualities in my own children and lately it has occurred to me that their sweet little faces are changing and growing and one day I was going to miss those little faces. With Chelsea’s encouragement I became one of those mothers ready to capture the moment.
I had no idea what an impact these pictures were going to have on me until they were in front of me.
I could see in these pictures how much I love my children.
Sometimes when I look at my children I see a to-do list. Their noses need to be wiped, traces of their lunch linger on their cheeks, their chapped lips need lotion, their pants are too short, they should be wearing hats, etc.
Or I look at my children and think of all the mistakes I’m making--the veggies they aren’t eating, the classes I don’t sign them up for, the TV they watch too much.
Or worse, I look right through them as I hustle them through their lives--get in the car! put your jacket on! brush your teeth! come on, we have to go!
But in these pictures, I see how loved they are. I see their beautiful, healthy faces. I see how they love to play and explore. I see their curiosity and intelligence. I see the affection they have for each other. I see joy.
And I see that these children have everything they need. They are experiencing a childhood filled with love.
These photos show me my children are beautiful. They are healthy and confident. They are strong and loved.
And I did that. All those decisions I make, all the great ideas and horrible mistakes--this is the outcome. And I can live with that. :)
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Thank you, sweet cousin. I will treasure your words always. xox
