Hello!! Welcome back for Part Three of the story. Let's chalk up the day delay to holiday preparations, ahem addressing holiday cards, and celebrations. This post is a little longer than the others so grab your coffee and settle in.
So very thankful for the inspiration from my recent obsession with Serial to share this session in five small bite sized posts through Sunday. By the way, have you checked it out yet? No? Good, next week is the "finale" so you have just enough time to binge listen without having to wait for the conclusion.
Don't forget this session is meant to be enjoyed in order so start here with Part One, Part Two and make sure you check back tomorrow for Part Four.
Yesterday I left you with the question of whose door bell is she ringing? Well, it was her own.
Let's talk a little more about this image. You probably glossed over it in Part Two. From a technical perspective it is a very ordinary image; there is nothing that makes it special. But I want you to take another look with my narrative layered on.
Remember, this morning was all about the ordinary. So, when we hit the porch and half the crew was already inside and I'm watching them through the lens she turned to me and said "Sorry she has to do this. Every time."
And I smiled.
This is the stuff I live to capture.
If everyday life is fleeting and unnoticed until it changes then children and their quirks are the same ten fold. All the while you cycle through: a) will I ever have to stop doing x,y,z??? and b) how did I not notice that they no longer need me to x,y,z???
The time that separates the routine and a memory is an instant.
Her obsession with the doorbell will likely continue. BUT there is going to be one day where Stacie will walk in with her from a walk and it will hit her like a ton of bricks - she can reach the doorbell by herself. The days of lifting her up to reach it will disappear and only become a small detail that she may or may not recall in 5 years.
So, I smile because it is now documented.
Yes, from a technical perspective there is nothing that makes this image special. Good thing I am not a technical shooter. I measure the worthiness of an image on three things - real people, real life, real moments because my goal is to document your authentic life. I am searching for the fleeting and my measure of success is creating a time capsule of your life just as it is. And like any good time capsule the items most treasured are the ones that seem the most innocuous in the present.
“He who seeks truth shall find beauty.”
I want to hit the pause button here for just a minute.
It's easy to look at this session and come to the conclusion that the morning was perfect. That the girls were happy, happy, joy, joy for the entire four hours and parenting was a breeze for these guys.
I want you to know that wasn't the case. The girls are two. A stranger was in their home. There were moments of tears and motherhood in motion. And none of it was a surprise to me. In fact, I expected it.
When we met to walk through the session I warned - I shoot through it all.
Why? Because I know there is beauty to be found in the struggle. Beauty that you will never see because in those challenging moments it can feel impossible to see beyond the frustration.
I want to show you the beauty. I want you to see that even though motherhood is difficult you are rocking it even when it might feel like you aren't.
