My dream is to capture real photos of real people living real life
When I was 19 my dad passed away from cancer.
He fought the disease off and on for twelve years before the Good Lord called him to his heavenly home. I miss my dad so, so much, more so than I can ever put into words. But I am filled with immense comfort and joy knowing that my dad is in Paradise with our Eternal Father. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
About two and a half years later, a friend of mine, Jenny Wiese, who has developed herself into a well-respected wedding and engagement photographer while also farming/ranching full time, made a Facebook post with a picture of her family during harvest. Here’s the part of Jenny’s post that got me thinking:
“I sent a group text yesterday morning saying we were taking a picture. Not for us, but for our children’s, children.”
Her words reminded me about the photos displayed around my childhood home. Here are some of my favorites:
We rarely ever had professional family photos taken, and when we did they really didn’t reflect who we were as a family. We wore clothes we wouldn’t normally wear, went somewhere to take the photos we wouldn’t normally go, and posed in a way that felt unnatural. It just wasn’t us.
And you know what’s missing from a lot of these pictures? My mom. Mom was always the one taking the photos and developing the film and not often the subject of the photos.
My dream is to capture real photos of real people living real life. No fancy outfits that will remain in the closet until the next family pictures. No random places that will probably never be visited again. Just families living life. And while some of these photos may not seem significant today, I promise you the day will come when those pictures mean everything.
My future kids and grandkids will never know their grandfather and great grandfather, but photos like those above will give them a glimpse of the God-fearing, hard-working, family man that he was, all of which are characteristics I hope to pass down to the future generations of my family.
It’s my hope to preserve family history, heritage, and culture as it happens.
