On the lives we live, and the moments we decide to capture

As a photographer, I have had the privilege of crossing paths with many sorts of people. I have seen people uniting in marriage, families welcoming a new member, and even parents remembering a child who might no longer be in their lives. To all these, I have been but a silent witness who captures but a brief moment of a lifetime of work. To the marriages I’ve shot, what is 5 hours of a wedding compared to the years of work they did on their relationship? The families I have worked with for 30 minutes have a history of more than 20 years in the making. Nevertheless, my job as their photographer remains to preserve who they are in that instant—new parents, new spouses, etc; and yet, I must also hint at their history. Indeed, what is a picture without history? Just another postcard you buy at an antique shop.

As a photographer, I make an effort to get to know my clients, as much as they will allow me to. Some see it as the initial small talk, but for me, it is a complex dance, which will allow me to capture essence beyond the surface. How much more meaning does a photo acquire, when beyond the pregnancy announcement is years of infertility and uncertainty finally coming to an end. How much more beautiful does a bride become, when you know she thought she’d never marry. It is their history that adds value to the photos I create.

The moments we choose to capture—weddings, births, birthdays—are the culmination of years of effort, pain, and uncertainty. We never really know when the next photoshoot will be. What we do know, is what our aspirations are—what we yearn for. Every photo starts with a whisper of opportunity. As a photographer I will always be waiting at the finish line to celebrate and capture your images—just know I care as much about the history, as I do about the result.