My obsession with photography started at a very young age. I spent hours looking at fashion magazines and at first thought it was because I wanted to be a model. After years of working in the entertainment industry, I realized my love of looking at those magazines was really about the photography. Secondly, as an adult, I know how precious it is to have those memories having been part of the foster care system and growing up without photos of myself as a small child. Lifestyle photography really gives me the opportunity to guide candid moments into images by capturing the relationships between those in the photo, otherwise known as love. With children, it’s crazy to think that once they have their photo session done, they’ll never look like that again. In just a few days or months, those little ones are just not as little as they were before.
It’s an honor being able to do what I do. Going into people’s homes and private lives to capture their most precious moments. Sometimes I laugh when the children I’ve been taking pictures of since birth (and sometimes still in the tummy) don’t recognize me until I put my camera to my face! Watching people change and evolve, watching families begin and grow are inspiring to me.
When people invite me into their lives and let me really do what I do, the images they get are THE BEST! One of my favorite shoots happened over the summer at a friends-and-family gathering. Not a birthday party or special event, just folks coming over with the kids for some food, swimming and laughter. I decided to take my 50mm and hang out by the pool where all of the action was. Kids were being thrown into the air and capturing them mid-air became my focus. The faces of the children airborne are priceless, but the faces of the children in line to be thrown are even better! Looking back on these photos reminds me of the end of summer. Remember the feeling you had when you knew this would be the last time you swam for the season? One photo of a girl with goggles on top of her head, no more than 8 years old with look of a queen upon her face, melts me every time I look at it. It’s like getting glimpses into the future sometimes.
If you’re interested in seeing more of my work or booking a session feel free to visit my website.
Tameka Jacobs, Matchstick Creative