Sometimes when I can’t sleep or when I’m having a hard day – I’ll go through the photos on my iPhone. I’ll look through recent photos or some from years prior. I glance through our wedding photos, or our photos from vacations, or even photos from holiday gatherings with friends and family.
I will see photos from the hospital room where I said goodbye to my grandpa. I will see photos of different hospital rooms where I held my best friends’ babies on the day they were born. Photos of Thanksgiving turkey. Photos of cups of coffee from a cafe in California. Photos of me snuggled up to Kyle on a beach in Maui.
As a photographer, I sometimes forget the power of a photograph to brighten a day, to bring back a memory long forgotten or even sometimes – to bring up emotions that I didn’t realize I had.
I am reminded of those beautiful memories when i see the photo. Of our time in Ireland. Or the time in our life when we were first married and every new thing was a “first”. And I am also reminded of some of the tough moments that have happened – and that even when it felt like those tough moments would last forever, I always made it through.
Life can have REALLY hard moments. Or even days. Or even seasons. It can feel heavy. We can find ourselves searching to find joy when our days feel long, difficult, monotonous, or even hopeless.
But then you might glance at your phone background and see a photo of your smiling kids and remember their first time seeing the snow. Or you see a photo in a frame of your parents and see that you really do look like a perfect combination of both of them put together in one person. You see your husband and remember the butterflies you felt when you first saw him, and again during that sweet first look on your wedding day.
My friend Brianna put it perfectly when she said :
“A photo session captures a moment – in love with a spouse, or holding the hand of a tiny precious human, or a family all grown but closer than ever. When that moment is captured, it’s no longer passing, but forever – and you get to revisit it any time you want…It’s a reminder that life is still good.”-Brianna Wood
| I get it – getting in front of the camera can be hard. When life is busy, or money is tight, or even if you are dealing with feeling insecure about your body or appearance. Being photographed can feel like the LAST thing you want to do or have time for. But here’s the deal – you deserve to have beautiful memories captured. I know it takes work to get everyone dressed and to the same place for a photo session – but it is seriously something you will be so grateful you did. We had a wildly busy 2019 and we needed a BREAK. We booked a last minute vacation to Maui & even though we were only 3 weeks away from our trip – I booked a photographer for a sunrise photo session. These images are something that I am so glad that I have – to not only remember this season of our lives and this trip – but also to look back upon and remember all that 2019 brought into our lives. We accomplished a lot together, but making time to rest and refresh together was the highlight of our year. These photos serve as a reminder to me to prioritize our relationship and marriage – even in seasons where the schedule is crazy. What a gift. I am so grateful for the friends who have trusted me to photograph some of the best and brightest seasons of their lives, and others who have trusted me to photograph the hardest seasons as well. It’s not about everyone in the photo being perfect – it’s about the memories that the photos will remind you of. The good, the hard, the bright & shiny, and the not-so-much. So if it’s been a while since you’ve stepped in front of the camera, can I challenge you to do that this year? Whether you hire a professional photographer and choose new outfits, or ask a friend to take a photo of your family at a BBQ. You will be so glad you did. |
Your life is beautiful & it is worth remembering,
Kels
These Images are from our photo shoot in Maui by Hannah McFall Photography – highly recommend if you are looking for a photographer while on vacation in Maui! She was a dream to work with!
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