My father loved photography. I cannot recall a time, growing up, when he did not carry his camera around during our family outings. Photography, for him, was a way to document his work life and our family life. Back then, digital photography was unknown (at least to me) and after every sessions, we would wait patiently, anticipating the moment my father would come back home with the developed and printed photo that immortalized our adventures. We had, and still have, boxes full of photo albums, printed pictures, negatives photos, and slides (yes, I did write slides). Boxes filled with memories that I cherish dearly.
A few month ago, while I was going through the boxes again, I could not help but notice that we had only a few pictures where we were all facing the camera for a posed family portrait. Among hundreds of pictures, I think less than a quarter are posed portraits, while the majority are from everyday moments frozen in time. Our family pictures involved a lot of laughing, playing, dancing, and interacting. Those pictures still have the power to transfer the emotions of that particular moment to me.
My father was very good at capturing the emotion and feelings of his subjects. There is one particular photo where I am facing the camera for what was supposed to be a nice formal portrait that would be displayed in our home. The day that photograph was taken, my siblings and I were very mad because we did not get our wish of going to the swimming pool; so we decided to boycott the photoshoot by displaying our discontent. Obviously, it did not work as we still had our picture taken.
Today when I look at that picture, I laugh every time. I looked bad. But what I like about that picture is that it reminds me, every single time, the feelings and emotions of that moment. I relive that day, I can visualize the amused expression of my father while he was taking the picture. For me the picture of the little angry version of me tells the story of that day. It is a powerful feeling that makes me happy and allow me to reconnect, even for just a moment, with some cherished memories.
I believe photographs are more than frozen images. They are a way to tell a story, to convey emotions and feelings, and, most of all, to relive a particular moment important to us. They are a representation of someone’s personality, what they love, how they feel, and how they connect and interact.
For every image I capture, whether it is of my children and family, or of clients, my goal is to tell a story and capture a moment that will make me, or my clients, feel the same way I feel when I look at the picture of little mad me. Photography gives me the ability to enjoy everyday moments. And if those moments ever slip my mind, all I have to do is look at my photos and relive it all over again. I want a photograph to be an opportunity to pause and enjoy our time as a family or as individuals. This feeling of happiness, I want my family, friends, and clients to share it when looking at their photographs.
You can see more of my work here, and don’t be shy to let me know what you think by sending me a note. It is OK if you don’t 🙂 . You can also see what working with me involves by clicking here. In the meantime, keep enjoying every moment of your days.
Aline.
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