The Weight & The Honor of Photography

Photography is Vulnerable

I often express what an honor it is to photograph my clients. To be welcomed in to the intimate places of their lives & have the opportunity to give back to them a unique perspective on the life they’re living. Sometimes I feel it in the moment and sometimes I don’t process it all until later when I’m editing or sending out the gallery of photos. But with every photo session, at some point it hits me - the weight & the honor.

Photographing the joy. And the pain. The mixture of experiencing both simultaneously.

It can be heavy & it’s an honor. 

I have photographed overjoyed parents snuggling their newborn baby, just a few short years after grieving the loss of a child. I have photographed women celebrating their bodies after battling cancer - after losing their hair, losing their breasts - their bodies as they once knew them, changed forever. I have photographed strong mothers in the very midst of trying situations - loss, secret abuse, infertility. I have photographed women learning to accept themselves with confidence after years of anorexia & body dysmorphia. 

I have photographed pregnancy announcements that have led to healthy babies and pregnancy announcements that have ended in miscarriage. I have photographed couples that have gone on to get married or grow stronger in their marriages and I have photographed couples whose relationships have ended in unexpected heartache. 

Can you feel the weight? The honor?

Life is so beautiful. But it hurts. Sometimes it hurts so bad. 

And I think it’s actually quite vulnerable to have your photograph taken. Right where you are. In the midst of the mess & the glory. The joy and the pain. The beauty and the brokenness.

Life is anything but ideal. It is anything but perfect.

But I hope to reflect back to you the beauty of this moment. In the midst of the struggles you’re facing. Unaware of what is yet to come, for better or for worse. Hopefully for better!

So Why Should I Have my Photo Taken?

You will never arrive to a moment where your body, your marriage, your kids, your business, or your life as you know is perfect. If you wait for that moment to document it, it will never come. 

Your life and your story is worth documenting right where you are. To remember what was good, what was hard, and that you made it through it all.

You are brave to have your photo taken. To allow this moment of your life to be documented. Yes, it is imperfect, I’m sure. But I bet it is still good. And I bet you are still beautiful. And I know that your story right now matters. You are a work in progress. We all are. But there is beauty in your journey. 

You are brave. And I am honored. Thank you for letting me take your photo.

Document Your Own Story Through Digital Photography

If you want to learn how to document the beauty of your own story through digital photography, my online course, Digital Photography 101, will teach you how to use your camera with intentionality in manual mode. Check it out, here.

Enhance the Photos You’re Taking Every Day with Your Phone

I know that most of your life is documented on your phone and you have a camera roll full of images! These are print-worthy, sweet moments in your life! I’d love to help you make your photos pop with my Lightroom mobile presets that you can use with the free app on your phone. Check them out here.

Book a Photoshoot & Let Me Help You Find the Beauty in Your Story

As imperfect or crazy or messy or wild as the life you’re living right now may feel, it’s important to document who and what matters to you in this moment. And I’d love to do that for you. Contact me to book your session.

Learn More About Editing, Photography, or Printing Your Photos