the perfect compliment

A few days ago I ran into one of my favorite little people ever.  His name is Charlie, and he is a super cool kid.  He's the kind of kid that you just know is on his way to being a super cool adult.  Charlie paid me the best kind of compliment, the kind that makes me happy that I do what I do.  Charlie's family had just received the prints from our photo session, and Charlie looked at me with those giant, magical eyes and said, "We really really 'likeded' our pictures."  Ahhhhhh

 

Charlie's family is a photographer's dream.  We met at a spot that meant a great deal to them, a place holding memories and special times, and it was fun for them to share the space with me.  Having time to allow them to 'show me around' and explore with the family gave us the luxury of photos in many different spaces with many different moods.





















                                                                     








It is meaningful for me when I know that I am creating art that is appealing to clients, pieces that they will want to look at time and time again.  Part of being able to do that depends on subjects that are willing to loosen up and allow me to casually press the shutter as we talk together and enjoy the time.











My buddy Charlie will be a big brother in a few months.  I'm thankful that when I look back at these images, I see a family of three savoring the last of this phase and quietly awaiting the new one to come.  I like how these photos tell that story, that they can look back at these in years to come and remember the way they felt on this day.

    


Consider your own photos and think about the ones that you tend to look at over and over.  Chances are good that you were also enjoying the moment the photo was taken.  Chances are good that you and your family or friends were happy or thankful or in the middle of something really fun.  We are much more likely to love our photographs when we loved taking them.  Those are the images that we can see in our mind's eye, even when we're away from home.  Those are the photos that tell a story, that capture a feeling, that press pause on a moment in time that we want to hold always.

    Thanks for the awesome compliment, Charlie.  I 'likeded' taking your picture, too!

To view the complete session, visit the gallery.