The in betweens

We mark the "important" things on our calendars, like birthdays and weddings. But when I think about my wedding, I don't remember what I ate, or how my flowers looked. I think of the way my sister cried; and how it made me feel like I meant the world to her. Photography is like life in the way we try to arrange things. We pose our lives and photographs to look a certain way. But it's the in-betweens that stay with us. It's the way your friend looked at you because she knew what you were thinking. Or how your dad's eyes smiled in that relaxed way you'd never seen before. It's not to minimize the significance of monumental events; or even to say there's anything wrong with "posing" your life. We need to live with vision and intention. But I bet when we look back, we'll see that our lives were never marked by milestones. But instead by "little" minutes and seconds that moved us. 

*This is my friend Jen and her gorgeous smile. It was taken in-between the posing, and was by far my favorite photo of the day. Edited to add: if you want to see the others, they're here.

Comments

[Kate Inglis]

Oh Maile, I so love this post, and the radiance of your friend, so gracefully captured. Just perfect.

[Andrea Scher]

what a gorgeous post Maile... it's so true, isn't it? My favorite moment when shooting a portrait is right after I tell them to be really really serious (as a joke) then they try and inevitably giggle. Love the in-betweens...

[camerashymomma]

this is what i love most about photography... the memory it leaves me when looking back at photos. oh, it was the time that the lamp fell over! just one second later, or the time that i laughed so hard i peed my pants. those are the thoughts and emotions that get burned into the photo paper for me. and it's sometimes a lucky image that i want to hang on the wall, but really, it's the thought behind it that i want to frame. just like this picture you chose today, it's beautiful and i'm sure the other posed ones were as well, but this is true life.

[Maya]

Maile, I love your photography because you seem to capture those in between moments in life. To me these moments are more beautiful than any posed shot.

[Tracy Garcia - Petite Suites]

Maile...your post brought tears to my eyes, especially the part about your dad's eyes smiling. It made me think of my daddy...his eyes do smile. I am telling you girl...you should be a writer. You have such an amazing way with words!!!Big hugs!!!

[Zoot]

One of my favorite photos from my wedding is one someone snapped with a disposable that had my son, my new husband and I all sitting on a couch with our dress shoes off looking worn out from dancing. I'm sweaty and my hair is down and my dress is dirty - but it's one of the pictures I keep in my mind of that day. Great way to describe those moments.

[Kal Barteski]

Maile - that's why you are magic. You find and catch the inbetween - like the space between breaths. The grace between who we think we are - and who we actually are.

This photo is amazing. My favourite.

[Jo]

Maile - Two things must be said: your words are perfect, and your photograph is amazing. Your friend, she radiates. I wish to know her, just from her laughing smile alone :). What you said about the 'in-betweens' is so right-on, it's so right about life in general. I also have to say, I adore your name. Is it pronounced 'My-leigh" or "May-lee"? Is it Celtic? I have a thing for those names myself ;). Great post! Nice to 'meet' you - (oh, and I found this beautiful site through Lovely Kate's blog).

[tracey]

I love the line of needing 'to live with vision and intention'--I beleive it but you are so right in bringing to mind those unplanned surprises and the unexpected magic that live in the in-between. Very well put and that photo is delicious.

[simply]

I'm not too impressed with my wedding photos...my favorite shots of the day are the candids...people ask me if I do wedding photos all the time and I simply say...only candids...

~simly~

[Kate Mefford from Juxtapose Photography]

Ooooo, girl...you know I loves me some in-betweens! Way to capture that fleeting moment!

[Ursula]

My favorite photo of my husband and I as our "wedding" photos (we eloped and did photos months later) is an inbetween. We're on a bench, he did something to me that is not seen and we're both laughing. It's my absolute favorite.

[Jason Wilson]

Ok…sure…I’m bias. Maile is my sweet wife. But seriously, the woman can rock a photograph! What’s even better is how she makes the subject feel and gets those “in-betweens” more often then not.

[Kate]

Awwww. Jason, you're a keeper. :) Biased maybe, but also totally correct on all counts!

[dana]

Beautiful picture and sentiments. Photography just captures it all. That is why I love it.

[melody]

I am all about the in-betweens...I can't think if one posed photo I have ever taken.

This photo of Jen is ultimate in-between delight.

[stacy]

so gorgeous! i love photographs that are spontaneous too. the posed ones are great but, like you said, it's the moments that happen in-betweem that are the best. great job!

[Emily]

Beautiful, natural photo.

One of my memories of my wedding is my cousin and I upstairs waiting for the ceremony to start. The photographer was up there taking "candids" so we felt like we had to be doing something. My cousin got out this hand cream and started rubbing it into my hands - then we started laughing hysterically because how odd did it look that she was rubbing my hands?

Of course, that photo made the wedding album.

[cardiogirl]

Beautiful photo, beautiful friend. No more words necessary.

[krystyn]

What a FANTASTIC smile! You always capture the best smiles -- I think that says something about your personality as well. ;)