Remember to take lots of photos
I have had a hard time with this blog post. I hope it doesn’t come off as rambling because it is going to be more from the heart then my normal posts but please stick with me. Just remember to take lots of photos.
A couple of years ago I went to a photography conference and listened to a lot of great presenters. One story has stuck with me all these years later. The speakers were a husband and wife duo. He had sister who was trying to get her life together and had been sober for 8 months. They had a get together at the house and decided to take a quick family photo together. A coupled days later and the sister relapsed and overdosed. That picture, even though they aren’t dressed in “their Sunday best.” Is printed large and over the fireplace. Photography is about moments; weddings, engagements, graduations and maternity. Those photos that become extra special when someone in them is no longer with us. I know the photos that I have with my Nana mean the most to me because she isn’t with us anymore.
So this brings me back to what I wanted to do with this post. Last month I had the pleasure of photographing a maternity session for an amazing a beautiful young woman. As a father, I tried giving her my “words of wisdom” as a new mother. Those of us that are parents know there are no instruction manuals with kids but there are a million people that have “great advice” for the new parents. Anna Marie is wise beyond her years where she would give me her big smile and nod at my advice, but I knew that she was going to do it her way and that’s ok because she was the mother and was going to be a damn good one.
This past week Anna Marie went into labor. Unfortunately, the baby was born stillborn. This is one of those moments where photography is so important. I know that I am a photographer but when I say this, I say this as a parent, husband and son. Photography is important, it doesn’t need to be with a professional photographer. It can be with your selfie stick while at Disney or even your reflection in a storefront window. For those self-conscious about the way they look and are constantly deleting photos or asking their family members not to take photos of them, photography is important. I can’t stress this enough, remember to take lots of photos.
I want to bring this back to Anna Marie here though. Anna Marie is a young and single mom. She doesn’t have the means to properly bury her daughter. She does have a GoFundMe account if you feel like helping her in her time of need. It can be found here.
Here are some of those memories that she will have forever:
