I think the thing I have always loved most about photographs is the story they tell.  Photos share stories of holidays, vacations and family of course, but they also tell a deeper story.  I believe a portrait tells the story that someone was loved deeply enough by another person that an image was made for that person to cherish.

My grandfather was a storyteller.  Boy, was he!!  He told the same ones over and over, but that didn’t matter to me.  I loved to listen to his tales of football and preaching.  I’m pretty sure not ALL of his stories were completely true.  At the very least they were greatly exaggerated, but I hung on his every word.  My favorite story was actually a song, ‘The Preacher and the bear.”  I used to think the song was about him (my grandpa was a preacher for more than 50 years).  When I remember my grandfather I think of his stories.  I like to think that I inherited a little bit of that special storytelling talent in the form of photography.  When I am editing through a session or wedding sometimes I come upon a photo and get a bit choked up thinking that sometime in the future someone is going to see this photo and it will be very special to them.  Maybe, I will tell them the story of their grandmother’s wedding day or how their great grandfather looked when he laughed.  I am so blessed that people allow me into their lives to capture these precious, fleeting moments for them!

So on this Sunday afternoon I am looking through some photos that we took yesterday (on a location scouting trip for an upcoming engagement session) and came across this one that I had to share.

Mia played model for us as we tested out one particular location.  She was SOOOO not into having her photo taken yesterday.  After every shutter click she would sigh and ask “Can I be done yet?”.  The story I see in this photo is that Mia is growing up before my eyes….quickly.  I haven’t taken all that many photos of her in the past year because we have been so busy, but this one showed me how swiftly time flies.  I will cherish it because she will never again look exactly like she did yesterday, exasperated with how long I was making her model for me.

What story could you be telling?