I have a dresser drawer full of old prints from my childhood (before the digital age) and now most of my photos sit on a hard drive other than the few updated family shots that will be printed and added to frames in our living room. It’s easy to forgot how precious these photos are to us until we start look back and remember when they were taken or maybe when something devastating happens that we didn’t anticipate.
I recently enjoyed the perfect evening on the farm with this adorable family. We soaked up the last golden rays of the day while walking through woods and along grassy paths, along with their dog Knight, a couple farm cats, and a few countless chickens. All one big happy family!
I was unaware that sweet pup Knight was suffering from an eye infection which was possibly terminal. This evening we had together to document the love of this family was so much more precious than I even realized. Before final answers were given as to Knight’s condition he was unexpectedly killed in a road accident shortly after this session. My heart just ached when I heard the news and realized then just how precious the pictures would be to them. Just before I was able to deliver their images the family experienced another hard loss but thankfully I was also able to capture this other “family member” during our session.
I know what I do is important but it is times like this when a family suffers not one but two losses, that I am made so much more aware of how precious their photos will be to them. What seemed like the perfect fall evening turned into one of this families last sweet memories of their dear loved dog. You never know what the future holds but when you have tangible documented memories you can be sure that no matter what happens you will always have those to hold on to. Being a photographer means more to me than ever before as I know that I am preserving family memories so when they are hurting they can have my photographs to help them heal.
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