During the last 7 months I have had a lot of time to reflect on my life and my business. There have been days of feeling sad and hopeless due to this pandemic, but what always brings me back to my center is having gratitude. Gratitude for my life, those I care for and my love for photography. I started to really break down why this medium brings me so much joy…it is the power of connection. The connection that exists between me and my subject matter or the connection between those people I am capturing within the frame. When I met Evon I had no idea the profound affect she would have on me and my journey as a photographer.
We met when she was only 2 weeks old and I was captivated from the start. Evon took me back to when I had my babies and becoming a mother for the first time, it was beautiful to witness. Coming from a fine art background I look at these moments as stunning pieces of artwork where every pixel is a stroke of paint. How lucky am I to document this bond and to have the ability to solidify a moment that will never repeat itself again. It was this thought that made me want to look even deeper into the meaning of a photograph.
Evon was now 7 months and changing everyday. I had missed her and could not wait to see her face again. She was crawling and being so much more animated than our first encounter. It was on this day we began to connect for the first time. My mothering side came out and I started speaking to her as if she was my own child. As my pitch went higher her smile widened and our joy was mutual. I looked at her and knew I was at the right place at the right time. I thought about how amazing it was that my dear friend had given me this opportunity to photograph one of the most important people in her life, her baby girl.
Evon was now 1 years old and this time I observed her willingness to be curious without hesitation. Evon reminded me that somewhere along the way I lost my ability to just be okay with questioning the world around me and having fun in the process. I captured her as she threw the block on the ground and immediately looked at her mother for a reaction. She was developing her sense of independence while keeping a watchful eye on mom for approval, it was fun to see her evolution take place from baby to toddler. I could not wait to see what was in store next.
Another year had passed and Evon was 2. She was now familiar with the woman behind the camera and she knew I was not scary, but trustworthy. We had fun this day and being silly was the name of the game. She still kept a curious eye on me, but our connection was getting stronger. I loved seeing how much she had changed over the last year and how her personality was beginning to shine through. She was standing and moving about constantly while observing her surroundings and taking the world in with those inquisitive eyes.
When her father first entered the frame all I thought about was how much I missed my dad and how important these photos would be to Evon later in her life. I also thought about how very few photos there were of me and my dad at this age and having them now would mean EVERYTHING to me. Her father will always play the role of the most important man in her life and knowing that these moments were captured warmed my heart.
October 2020, Evon is now 3 and more lovely than ever. As always I couldn’t wait to see her and take her picture. What I noticed most at this session was her ability to take direction so well. When I asked her to sit somewhere or position herself in a certain way she was wonderful and followed my every lead. She was such a delight and I knew our relationship would continue to grow throughout the years with trust as our bond.
My photographic journey has spanned from photographing babies to the elderly and all the beautifulages in between. Every stage of life has incredible meaning from watching a 1 year old learn to walk to a 99 year old hug his grandchildren. I have seen and heard so much as a photographer, I can’t imagine doing anything else more purposeful. When we take the time to look beyond the photograph we will see the depth that exists in the human experience, but we must be willing to seek.