Our Legacy in Photos

This is my great-aunt Sallie Myrtle Cook, born in 1896. I have just begun to start researching my family tree and I came across this photo of my great-aunt which I found online.  When I saw this photo for the first time, it hit me just how important old photos of any kind can be.  I myself have hundreds of old family photos going back to probably the 1930s, but nothing earlier.  Suddenly, the need to preserve my family photos is more important than ever.  We are lucky that being in the 21st century, it's easier than ever to do.  Still, I'm thankful to those family members before me who kept those old shoeboxes full of old photographs. 

How about you?  Do you have shoeboxes full of old photos tucked away in a closet somewhere or yellowing in an old photo album?  Have any thoughts of what you may do with them? Who knows, maybe one day someone will find one of your old photos when researching their family tree!

Encouraging Words

The day I received these little "I Love You" cards in the mail, I was out the door and leaving them at all kinds of different places.  The day I took this picture, my husband and I had gone to lunch.  As we were leaving I quickly slipped one into the holder and then quickly took a picture.  I love to keep a little photo momento for myself.  I so enjoy leaving little cards or notes for others to find.  I find myself wondering about the person who finds my card.  Did it bring a smile to their face? Did they maybe take it and pass it on to someone else?  If I don't have a card, sometimes I'll leave a little hand written note which works just as well.  Either way, hopefully I've made someone smile. 

Want some cards of your own to leave for someone to find? The ladies over at Kind Over Matter have some gorgeous free, downloadable quotation cards that you can print out.  Print some up, tuck them in your purse or camera bag.  If you decide to leave one somewhere, take a picture and share with us.  We'd love to see the joy you're spreading, too! 

 ("I Love You" cards available here)

Life Lessons

This is my third year photographing the kids at my son's elementary school as they learn and rehearse for their annual school musical.  My goal is to capture, in candid shots, the joy the children get from doing this and to share it in a slideshow for their friends and families to see on the night of their performance.  It's no secret that I love to photograph children.  Out of the hundreds of photos I get to take of these kids, there's always one or two shots that reach right inside of me and give my heart a squeeze.  I am amazed at how comfortable these kids are in their own skin, not worrying about what anyone thinks or if their outfit for the day matches perfectly or not.  As an adult, I can't remember when I last felt like that.  It's those shots that are little lessons in my life, courtesy of another beautiful child.

How about you? Do you have that one shot that has captured your heart? Do share!

Perfectly Imperfect

She wore the too big dress and too big shoes for a project her mom and I were working on and she managed to hobble outside so I could take her picture.  She really hadn't been in the mood to do it and it was obvious.  She could barely stand in the shoes so we decided to let her sit.  It took both of us to gather up the folds of tule and satin so she could sit down and once she sat, we stepped back and had to laugh.  Her expression was priceless and the shot was too good to pass up.  Was it the look we had originally intended? Not at all, but it worked.  It was the perfectly imperfect shot and in my experience those shots usually end up being my favorite.

What about you? Do you have a perfectly imperfect shot? If you do, please share.  We'd love to see it. 

obsessions.

Obsessions (noun):the domination of one's thoughts or feelings by a persistent idea, image, desire, etc.

I have a beautiful tree right in my yard that changes with the seasons and brings me great pleasure.  In the autumn as the tree begins to shed its orange and red leaves, a whole new world opens up to me.  The tree is just outside of my balcony and I'm able to sit quietly in my patio chair and observe the world of the gorgeous finches that grace the tree.  I have to admit: I've become obsessed with these birds.  They entrance me with their expressions, as if they're watching me watching them.  I've never really paid much attention to them before but now, I can't get enough of them.  Even more so, I cannot take enough photos of these little guys.  I'm now known in my house as "The Bird Lady". 

What about you? Is there something that you love to photograph over and over again? Please share...because I don't want to be the only one with an obsession!