Lindsay, Sue, Reggie & Zeke

Family

Nov. 4

What an honour it is to have strangers trust me with taking their pictures. Sue and Lindsay entrusted me with their memories and invited me into their lives for an afternoon. The half-day session was a great way to introduce us all to each other while capturing specific segments of their lives.

Their boys, Reggie and Zeke, warmed up to me and the camera soon after I arrived. This sometimes takes a while for kids to let their guards down with complete strangers yielding cameras and following them around. I like to give them time to lead this process before bombarding them.

Sue and Lindsay are really organized! They have an amazing sense that kids benefit from knowing what’s happening in their lives. It was inspiring to see how effective it was for their family.

Reggie was sweet and sensitive, while Zeke wanted to be independent. Following them around the house for playtime and a snack gave me a better sense of how to photograph them when we all went outside.

What I really loved about this session for my own personal growth was being a lot more purposeful in my shooting style. I slowed down, waiting for stories to unfold, holding my camera to my face for spontaneous moments. It felt like I stretched myself to get closer to the action in moments that I would normally shy away or stand back.

This session gave me the opportunity to meet some new and photograph amazing humans. And to learn new things on the job that have stayed with me on my family documentary photography journey.