Summer has come to a close, vacations have ended, and a new stage of life is settling upon us with the new school year. It is a good time to pause and consider all the milestones that are worth commemorating.
Very recently during a consultation with a new member of our photography family, we were discussing this very thing! It had been five years since their last family session so I asked, "What did those portraits mean to you so many years ago?" Far beyond the paper picture, they shared stories about the new stages of a young family, the significance of their favorite location by the sea, a major life change, and a fresh start in a new home halfway across the country. Not only that, the photography experience itself became a memorable family activity they all were able to share in the midst of this special time.
(Now, did you notice 90% of their answer had nothing to do with a photograph?)
As I listened to their story, I realized this family really gets it! I learned that the new portraits we would be creating together this October will represent their sense of home in the Northwest and the milestone of one child becoming a young woman while the other is immersed in boyhood adventures. It will be a connection to all the new experiences they are currently sharing in as a family.
They understand that these aren’t just photos, but emotional connections to meaningful life events that exist as the center of their family’s identity. They are a visual representation of the bonds they have with one another. Each one is a story told on the walls throughout their home and shared with anyone who will stop and listen.
If this is the photography experience you are looking for, this is what we are passionate about doing. In the digital age, anyone can take nice pictures, but not everyone can provide genuine care. We know the responsibility we have in telling people's stories which is why we are about focusing on the personal connection and understanding we have with each person we photograph. When we provide photography, we are creating emotional anchor points to memories you can always return to. We are telling your personal story.
-JMB