Meet Min, he is 93 years old and has changed my life forever.
The warm afternoon light illuminated his peaceful spirit.
It was almost a year ago I photographed a very special client on her wedding day and it just so happened to be on my anniversary as well. After her wedding the bride told me about someone very near and dear to her heart, her Great Uncle Min. As our conversation developed I shared with her my love for capturing the older generation and she was intrigued. By the end of our chat she wanted to me to photograph Min, it felt right for both of us. Months had passed and with some friendly reminders we finally chose a date to make this shoot happen and we were both very excited.
A special connection.
Christina told me prior to the photo shoot that Min didn’t really understand the point of these photos, nothing special was going on so why do it? It was at that moment I realized this is how most people would feel. Unless there is a special event or significant “thing” happening why would anyone be interested. I knew the idea of a “day in the life” of someone we love is important and should be captured…so that is what we did.
A moment rarely seen, just walking and holding hands together.
As I started documenting these two my heart filled with joy. Spending time with someone you love IS the special moment, there is nothing more significant than that. I asked them to just walk together in Min’s backyard and the smiles immediately followed. As I looked through my lens I was seeing years of time pass before me from when Christina was a little girl until now and how Min had always been her guiding light. He was not able to attend her wedding, it would of been too much for him so having this intimate time with her Great Uncle was all she wanted.
One of his favorite things to do.
Once we came inside I asked Min what he enjoyed doing at home. He looked at me and said, “I love doing crossword puzzles in my chair.” I could tell by his expression he was surprised I wanted to capture something that seemed so ordinary, but as soon as he sat down with his puzzle in hand his face lit up. As he started to put pencil to paper something happened, Molly entered the scene. His trusted companion felt the familiarity of this moment and came over to the couch and sat across from him, it was magical. The love between a man and his dog filled the living room and I was overcome with emotion. This is Min’s life and I had a ringside seat, what a gift!
The moment of truth.
As our time together was concluding I asked Min to come outside one last time to take a few more shots in front of his home. He was gracious and kind the entire time and was an absolute delight to be around. My hope was that he enjoyed the experience and maybe even saw the value in it. As this last image was taken Min looked at me and said, “You made me feel important.” I will never forget this statement for the rest of my life.
What started off as something very ordinary turned into something extraordinary and this is something worth remembering and sharing. I can’t say enough about how much I love doing this work…it is why I am here. When you discover something that is bigger than yourself you feel it in your bones. I am grateful every time I get to experience this kind of moment with another human being, making someone else feel important is the most beautiful thing there is in this life.