Nutshell
What type of photographer are you? I get asked that question all of the time. Of course, the easy answer is that I'm a family photographer(primarily), but, if I'm honest, that answer doesn't truly seem complete. I photograph all sorts of things, but...at the end of the day...what am I drawn to? I think that my clients would tell you that their galleries are often humorous(I always show ridiculous outtakes and anything that makes me chuckle...even if it is no where near 'perfect') and filled with the unexpected(I like it when a bunch of elements magically line up in such a way to capture a bizarre little moment in time)...but that they also shed a tear or two. Because, I am drawn to images where you see little snippets of love in amongst the chaos. I am a pretty mushy mom. My kids are forced to receive my cuddles and hugs and I am secretly pleased that Jack is such a cuddly boy(even at 11 years old). Some of my favourite images from our family sessions over the years are ones of us cuddling up ;) Sooooo...scattered amongst the humour and the moments is the love. And, that in a nutshell, is the type of photographer I think I have become.
Some mama love from this weekend. In other news, I love photographing in the snow. Have I said that before? It is so pretty.
~ Dana
Perfection
I have pretty much stopped blogging entire family sessions. Mostly due to time constraints if I'm totally honest. Today, I'm making an exception. This is the family of a photographer in northern California whom I recently visited and had the privilege to capture the love and the chaos that makes her family tick. I have known the lovely Jennifer Chaney for quite a long time now. We both met early on in our careers. And, it was lovely to finally have the opportunity to document her family for her. So, here's the truth. This is the time of year where I see many family images come through my Facebook feed. Some of them are 'good' and some of them are 'bad', but they are almost all striving towards this ideal that simply doesn't exist in my house. This ideal of perfect matching clothes, clean faces, and beautiful backdrop. This is simply not perfect to me. We never look put together in my house--true story--so I have no desire to have photographs of us looking like that. To me...they are not representative of our life at all. That said, I actually think that there is a greater beauty in my real life than this make-believe-Pinterest-perfect ideal. And, that is always what I am trying to capture through my lens.
Perfection according to me. I like to think that this is something I offer to my clients. Because right now, there are dishes in my sink. Our living room has been turned into a temporary dog pen. We recently acquired a puppy and this is meant to be some sort of training--goodness knows if we are doing it right, but my living room is currently uninhabitable. We didn't rake up the leaves before the snow fell. I do not plan my meals in advance. I wish I did. Our wine rack is filled with mail and children's art work. No matter how many times we ask the kids to put their backpacks away in a certain manner, it is NEVER quite done right. And, the idea of getting organized for the Christmas 'holidays' seems overwhelming to me(I put 'holidays' in quotations because there is nothing restful about it for me...to me a 'holiday' is getting on a plane and going to a beach). But, at the end of the day, when the dance classes are finished and the homework is done...and there are a few moments of quiet...I sometimes glance over to see my daughter cuddling with my husband and I think about how lucky I am. I think about how perfect that moment is. And, when I go to see my clients, those are moments I try to capture for them.
Will you see their outfits on Pinterest? No.
Are there any details I took photographs of so that the session might be featured on some random photography blog? No.
Is there a moment or two(or ten) that I was able to witness that made my heart skip a beat? Yes.
So, here it is...this is what perfection looks like for me. At my clients home...the mom broke her foot the moment after I stepped off the plane to come see them. The dad had a cold. The kids were...well...a bit cranky. Was it perfect at their house that day? I guess it depends on who you ask.
So, if your version of perfection looks something like this then I would love to have the opportunity to document it for you. Show up as your beautifully imperfect selves and let me see your version of perfection.
~ Dana
