A Lesson Learned - Life and Photography

Photography - Baby Max

Hey, everyone! I'm Olivia. I've chosen some of my favorite photography to share with you guys, but before you scroll down to see photos of an incredibly cute baby standing in a basket, I want to share a story with you.

About ten years ago I went on a church retreat to Gatlinburg, TN. I knew it was going to be the best week of my life. My little point and shoot camera was at the top of my packing list. These weren't the days when 7th graders had smart phones with high resolution cameras, so I felt pretty special. I toted my camera around, capturing moment after moment, many of them including friends with whom I'd eventually lose touch. On our last day of the trip, I scrolled through the images, cherishing hundreds of tangible memories. As the day faded, I handed the camera to my best friend. It had frozen and she thought she might be able to help. As it happened, she accidentally formatted the camera, losing every photo stored to the memory card.

If you've ever lost photos, that story probably made you cringe. And I won't lie to you, I shed my fair share of tears over them. But I also learned a lesson that saturates my photography pursuits even now. I learned that actually experiencing the moments our lives offer us is infinitely more important than trying to keep each memory on a digital file on our computer.

I shared this story because it helped to define my personal philosophy on life and photography. One reason I love this line of work is because I get to take on the responsibility of capturing beautiful images, while my clients simply get to enjoy their special time! Believe it or not, part of being a wedding and portrait photographer is much more than finding the right angles and pressing the shutter button. It is also offering consultation, positive energy, and emotional support.

I decided to share with you guys a very sweet and creative shoot. It is the perfect example of client trust and problem solving. When this little guy's mom contacted me to do photos for his first year, we decided on a popular overlook for the location, not realizing it would be too crowded to even find a parking spot. Not to fear! We drove around for about 15 minutes before settling on using a tiny patch of trees and a pretty water fountain surrounded by tall rock structures. The resulting images are an example of what can be done with some patience, innovation, good angles, and a very sweet little 1 year old.

 

An Adventurous First Birthday Session

Photography - Baby Max Photography - Baby Max Photography - Baby Max Photography - Balloon Baby Photography - Balloon Baby

 

It took this guy a moment to get comfortable in this makeshift hot air balloon, but it was so much fun to see his face change  from concern to excitement!  We had him perched high on a bolder for these shots. His dad held the back of the basket the whole time; He even swayed it back and forth, which brought out some great laughs and smiles from our subject. I'm so happy I could give this family such fun and whimsical photos to look back on as he grows up. It feels great at the end of each shoot knowing that I have such a great surprise waiting for my clients once processing is finished.

I hope you guys enjoyed taking a look at one of my favorite shoots and I hope to hear from you soon!

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