Exploring senior portraits around the country – What does senior portrait mean in your part of the country?
I’ve been using Google Alerts to find posts about “senior portraits”. As I follow the links that show up, it has been interesting to see what senior portrait means to different people and to different parts of the country.
Here in my part of the country a senior portrait is a portrait session for senior high school students that says something about them and that they can share with their friends and family in celebration of their graduation from high school. The seniors use their wallet sized prints to send out with their invitations to graduation parties for their friends and relatives. Parents also love to have images that they can put on display in their homes so that people who visit can see their son or daughter who may now be in college or in the military.
I followed one link for senior portraits in Texas and it was talking about “cap and gown portraits” of every senior in Texas. I don’t see very many cap and gown portraits in this part of the country, but perhaps it is important in Texas. I don’t know…. if you are from Texas, please tell me what you think senior portraits are.
A photographer that I follow in Canada, while doing a seminar in the states ran across some senior portraits that photographer were talking about. After several discussions about the senior portraits they were doing in the USA, he began to introduce the same concept in his community. Now senior portraits a so much more than a yearbook portrait or a cap and gown portrait in his community because he was inspired and took the concept where it had never been seen.
If you Google senior portraits images you will see thumbnails mostly of high school senior portraits, some relaxed and natural, others rather extreme, and still others that are studio head and shoulder portraits. But, then you will also see senior (as in older adults) images of another kind. These are the stock images of elderly individuals relating to one another for advertising retirement communities and such.
I see that people from all over the country visit my web site looking for creative senior portraits and pictures. I enjoy working with students in outdoor lifestyle sessions. I’ve enjoyed working with students that have a horse or dog that is important to them. I’ve also enjoyed just helping students just relax and be themselves in relaxed outdoor settings to capture natural, fun expressions that are who they are.
So, this post is a QUESTION? for you to answer with a comment. If you are a parent of a senior high school student and are considering what kind of portraits you want, tell me what you are looking for in a comment to this blog post. Even if you are not in the market for senior high school portraits, what would you want if you could be a teen ager again? What kind of senior portraits would you like to have. If you are a photographer, what kind of senior portraits do you enjoy creating sessions for for your clients?
Join this discussion, make a comment.
AERC & UMECRA are all about understanding your horse and enjoying the outdoors
Recently I have had several requests for photographs from endurance rides to promote the sport. Photographing endurance rides is pretty fun when the weather is not super hot and humid. What makes it fun is seeing riders enjoying their competitive partners out of beautiful trails in the national forests and state forests of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana (that’s where I do most of my endurance ride photography).
This year I have photographed far fewer endurance rides. Our youngest son is preparing to go to Xavier University as a freshman and our older son is preparing to spend fall semester (Miami University of Ohio) studying in Africa. Usually, I consider photographing rides that my wife Patty chooses to participate in during the spring, summer and fall. However with everything that has been going on, we have missed several that she had hoped to ride. Even so, I wanted to tell you about endurance riding if you are not familiar with it.
On this web site, if you go to PROOFING GALLERIES then click on Trail Events / Endurance & Competitive Trail it will take you to various galleries of endurance and competitive trail rides that I have photographed over the past several years. What you will see is people having a great time out in nature and with their trusted competitive partner (their horse of course). Now if you are out west the experience of endurance riding is completely different because the terrain is completely different. Each region of the country has something different to offer. In Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky we have many rides in national and state forests and many times that means that as a photographer I am looking for clearings and scenic spots to captures images of the riders as they pass by. Sometimes it is close to impossible to shoot at 6am and 7am when many of the rides have their starts so I work with the ride manager to figure out places where I can get to where there will be enough light and all the riders will be passing by. As soon as I have most of the riders photographed I move on to another spot further along the trail to get another chance at each rider. As a photographer there are new challenges with every ride.
This ride started in heavy fog and mist. The early morning sun quickly burned away the fog and the rest of the photographs of this ride turned out great.
This year at Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) in Lexington Kentucky, The World Equestian Games (WEG) will include endurance ride competition.
http://www.kyhorsepark.com/events-competition-info/2010-world-equestrian-games/
There will be endurance riders from all over the globe participating in the challenge of horse and rider of endurance riding.
Unlike the photos that I have taken, the World Equestrian Games Endurance competition may have spectators all throughout the 50 miles of trails around and through the Kentucky horse Park. The grounds are beautiful, but present a challenge in that many times the horses can see other riders in wide open fields (very different than the narrow trails through deep forests). In any case it will be great fun to watch for those who have the opportunity to watch.
Here are two web sites where you can learn more about endurance riding and check schedules for rides in your area:
aerc.org is the American Endurance Ride Conference
umecra.com is the Upper Midwest Endurance and Competitive Rides Association
One thing that Patty an I enjoy about endurance riding is that it is really about you and your horse. It’s not about how much money you have, how flashy your clothing is, who your trainer is and how much you spent on your horse. It’s about getting out there, riding your horse regularly for training, and competing with others looking to have a great time on the trail.
Peter DeMott
peter@photosbypdemott.com
http://www.photosbypdemott.com
Senior portraits with horse and dog and even donkey
Friday night I had a great senior portrait session with Ceili (Kay-lee). She wanted some pictures with her horse and some pictures with her dog. As Ceili went to retrieve her horse, we discovered another rather entertaining pasture ornament. It was Cledus the mammoth jack donkey. I had my wife Patty as my assistant for the session. This is a picture of the mammoth jack donkey with my wife Patty. Ceili’s farm is sort of between Middletown Ohio and Oxford Ohio, but for equine portraits (including senior portraits with horses and other equestrian sport photography opportunities, I will travel up to several hours for a session including mid to northern Kentucky, mid to South East Indiana, and mid to South West Ohio)
Since I specialize in photographing horses, I have a little trick in my iphone. I have MP3 files of horses whinnying that I sometimes play to get horses’ ears up or to get their attention. When I played it for the donkey it got his attention, you could see the interest building, several big breaths of air and WOW that donkey can bray. We had to move away and cover our ears it was so loud. He was looking about trying to find where on earth those other horses were and he certainly knew how to make it known where he was.
Ceili was ready with Stormy Jazz and we found a good place where the corn and a barn provided some open shade and a good clean background. Ceili has a great smile.
We took various poses, but at one point I put my camera down to my side and Ceili took a breath and relaxed more. She also reached over and gave her horse a big hug. Fast reflexes and up the camera went and click, click, I got the shot. It seems that in almost every on-location session, there are several spontaneous moments. Keeping your eyes open and being ready for whatever comes your way can lead to some great portraits. Of course you have to know how to set up the poses too. When I do my portrait sessions, I am comfortable with my equipment, my assistant knows what I want from the lighting, so that allows me to focus on my subject (not just camera focus) and be looking for that natural smile and spontaneous moment.
Jean, Ceili’s mom also wanted some relaxed portraits without the horse.
Last we moved to the front yard and took some portraits of Ceili with Nemo. The family has several beautiful german shepherds.
Even though it was very hot, Ceili was able to make a couple changes of clothes and didn’t get too hot. Around here, it has been raining often even with the heat so everything has stayed green. If you want portraits with your horse, please don’t wait and call after everything dries up and turns brown. We may be lucky this summer and have green and pretty all season long. That will also make good for a very colorful fall. Please visit my web site if you want to have your portrait made with your horse at your farm or stable. http://www.photosbypdemott.com . You can also send me an email at peter@photosbypdemott.com or call me at 937-478-6222. For senior (highschool portraits) and for anyone else who loves their horse and wants some great images to remember them by, I come to your farm or stable and will travel some distance if needed (you’ll need to pay a bit more after 25 miles). Hope to hear from you soon. 
Creative senior picture ideas, all you have to do is ask
In my last post I listed several things that I would like to try with seniors in the area. I mentioned portraits with old tractors, old barns with old tools, and other farm scenes. I also asked for help expanding the list of creative senior portrait ideas.
Within hours Jean called me and said, “wait till you see where we want to do our session?” Jean is Ceili’s mom and the senior portrait session was already scheduled for Friday starting at 6pm. First we were going to photograph Ceili (by the way, pronounced Kay-Lee) with her paint horse, then we were going to take some soccer related pictures of her best friend Kim, then we were going to a historic farm to do some portraits, and then to Kim’s relative’s farm for some farm equipment shots.
It sounded great, but I was concerned about fitting it all in. Two sessions (best friends) a horse, a farm, another farm and farm equipment, and dogs too. When I arrived, I was a bit concerned because the horse that we were going to photograph with Ceili was still in the pasture and covered from head to toe in mud. We’ve been having heavy thunder storms almost daily. Lots of rain and lots of mud. After Jean went to get the horse she came back in and we regrouped. The horse was clean yesterday, but after the rains last night he was going to take some work to get cleaned up for photographs. Instead, we will do the horse with Ceili on another day.
Now Kim arrived. Kim and Ceili are best friends and they are both country farm girls. I learned more as the evening progressed. But, while Ceili changed her clothes, we went over to the Edgewood Highschool in Trenton to take some portraits of Kim in her soccer uniform. Here is a link the Edgewood High School Sports: http://www.edgewoodhs.org/sports_activities/index.php?category_id=3613
Senior portraits at a Local Historic Farm Location:
Next we were off to an historic farm nearby. The landscaping was beautiful and there were several great places for pictures. The tree lined drive was first. Since these two are best friends, I asked them if they would hold ands or hang on each other and walk toward me from the end of the drive. “Sure, we can do that.” I said, do whatever you might do as friends. I showed them my son and his best friend on my iPhone. I had done a “best friends” session with Evan and Kyle and I had some of the pictures on my iPhone and so I showed them. It worked out great. Since I am used to working with animals and motion, I set the camera to deal with their motion and sent them down the drive. Okay, now come back toward me and hang on each other.
Best friend Senior Portraits: I’m so pleased that I was able to capture expressions of their relationship
Helping Senior Portrait subjects to strike a pleasing pose
Now for some individual images around the historic farm. With Ceili’s white dress, I thought that the beautiful white fence would look nice. I have portraits from other sessions on my photo galleries on my iPhone and there are some instructions that can help young ladies look their best. For people a good rule of thumb is, “if it bends, bend it.” I showed Ceili a picture of a girl by a fence and said, “can you do that?” I said, “put your weight on the back leg and do that sassy look like this.” I jut my hip to one side and we laugh (I look ridiculous) and then she strikes a lovely pose.
Shade is a good thing for portraits and cloudy days are also helpful. But, at the same time just shade is rather boring, so my son Evan was my assistant for this session and was holding a 52″ silver reflector and directing some light onto my subject. I asked him to feather the light rather than blast her with beam of blinding light directly from the sun. I think it worked out great here.
The reflector also adds a small catch-light in her eyes.
Getting Senior Portraits with natural and comfortable smiles
Both moms and I joked with the girls to get them to relax with more natural smiles. However, I usually have to mention to moms not to be saying things like, “not that smile” or “not like that” as it just makes people tense up. Here the beautiful stone wall and a farm windmill in the background made a lovely setting. With all this landscaping and everything in bloom I set up a standing portrait also.
Creative Senior Portraits for girls that are proud to be farm girls: Portraits about who they are
Now it was time to head to Kim’s relative’s farm for an old barn and some farm equipment and Kim’s dogs too. I thought that Ceili’s mom and Kim’s mom had really come up with some creative ideas since these two are farm girls. They both know how to drive tractors, bail hay, and help around the farm because they just do it to be with each other and have something fun to do. So we arrived at another location and went exploring. The old barn had a great back door and when we opened the big sliding doors, there was a tractor waiting there for us. Even with the heat and humidity, Kim wanted to wear her FFA (Future Farmers of America) jacket for some of the senior pictures.
Here is the tractor we found when we opened the doors of the old barn. Kim’s uncle, I believe, walked over and told me about the barn which was there when he was a child. I was surprised when he said he was in his 70s because he looked more like 50 or 60 to me. He showed me where some of the original siding boards had been replace and where new ones were added. I thought that this barn was perfect for some rustic farm portraits using the side door and the sliding door with the tractor.
Senior Portraits showing the farm crops create a great personal signature for these two students
What else do you find on a farm. Crops of course. This next portrait shows Ceili in the knee high corn with round bails in the background (maybe those are the ones she helped with).
The girls were great in 90 degree heat and humidity at close to 100%. Of course I was drenched with sweat by the end of our time together. Evan, my son was grateful to get into the car and get the air conditioning running again. One thing about location lifestyle photography sessions is that you have to deal with whatever wether brings. This year that has been lots of rain and the flowers and grass are growing and green. A huge storm had passed over just minutes before I was to arrive at the home to meet up with everyone. I’m glad we did not reschedule, because I think this portraits and senior pictures turned out just great.
Hope to hear from more folks with additional creative ideas for lifestyle senior portrait sessions here in South West Ohio. Peter DeMott Photography, 937-478-6222 or peter@photosbypdemott.com
For more senior portraits from this session click on this link: http://pdemott.smugmug.com
Chicken Chase Pioneer Endurance Ride – Recap and photos 2010
Each year the Chicken Chase Endurance ride is our rite of spring. Patty starts getting excited and tries to ride her horse on the weekends in anticipation of the first Endurance ride of the spring. Trailer gets packed up and ready, etc, etc, etc.
The weather during the ride was great. Many trees were in blossom and the grass in the pastures where we camped was lush and green.
On the first day of the ride, Friday, I was taking pictures of the riders coming into the first vet check. To find a good spot, I climbed a very steep hill for about half a mile and I was able to take pictures of about the first half of the riders when it started raining. I waited it out for a bit and thought it was over, but then there was a bit of a downpour. At that point I covered my camera with my down vest and headed back down the hill.
A link to my pictures from the ride is at the end of this post. Daniel is another photographer that was there, but he was not able to shoot at all on the biggest day which was Saturday. Friday’s ride was tuff with steep hills and longer miles (30 miles and 55 miles) This year the turn out was low however and even on Saturday there were only about 30 25 mile riders and 30 50 mile riders. Normally this ride is well over 100 riders. Hopefully some of these pictures will inspire some of you to come to this well managed ride next year.
One thing that I notice at endurance rides is that in most cases as the people ride by me, they are smiling big. Sometimes they have a look of concern or concentration on their faces because they are trying to anticipate and figure out how their horse is going to respond to me firing off my camera as they ride by. But other than that, everyone is smiling and talking about how beautiful the trails are.
This last trail picture is of my wife Patty on her horse Cocoa. In most cases the horses are at a fast trot or sometimes a canter as they pass by me on the trail. These still pictures do not show you just how fast these folks are booking as they pass by.
In the evenings before the sun went down, I walked around the camp and took various portraits. The ideal light just before sunset provided that soft quality that made for great portrait taking.
It rained some that night, but had stopped by morning and the day was very pretty. Thank goodness it did not rain hard all night long because our tent had about ten drips. Make a note, along with rain gear for my camera, I need to get tent seam sealer and retreat the seams on the rain fly of the ten. I was able to take pictures of almost every rider on Saturday, however it was too nice out. You see when the sun gets bright in the sky it becomes more difficult to find places with even light in the forest. Light becomes patchy with horses running in and out of shadowy and bright areas as they come down the trail.
At the dinner and awards on Saturday evening one rider came to me and asked if I could take some portraits of her dog. Her dog would be going into surgery next week for the removal of some cancer, but he is an oder dog and the cancer would soon have its way with the dog. I said sure and we were able to do some portraits. At first she said, I think just the dog, then I suggested that we do some with her in the portraits too.
LINKS to more pictures from the Chicken Chase Pioneer Endurance ride.
If you participated in this endurance ride, if you know someone who did, please send them here to look at the pictures. Also at the top of the proof page, there is a coupon code listed for 30% off for all orders placed within 30 days of the event. If you have any questions and you would like to talk with me about them, please feel free to give me a call at 937-478-6222
I also have some images posted on facebook. If you go to my business page, you should be able to “tag” pictures with who they are and the pictures will be posted to that person’s wall.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=164475&id=152303558213
Pictures from the camp area by Daniel are available at his web site here: http://www.picturesdanieltook.com/Endurance-Horse-Rides
To learn more about endurance riding as a sport go to the American Endurance Ride Conference web site here http://www.aerc.org and explore.
I also took some video clips at this ride that you can watch here (Just short little video clips to give you a taste of what endurance riding is about):
Last of all, I posted an album of some of my favorite images on my facebook business page. If you go here you are welcome to tag any photos of people you know so that these pictures will go to their wall (just please leave my information on the photos) and I welcome you to become a fan of Peter DeMott Photography if you like.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=164475&id=152303558213
Chicken Chase Endurance Ride in Clark State Forest in Indiana
Beautiful Trails, Great People
Every year in the spring one of the first Endurance rides that Patty goes to is the Chicken Chase Pioneer I,II,III ride. The ride is near Henryville, Indiana and is managed by Amy Whelan. The host for the event is Bill Wilson whose farm is used for the vet checks, for camping and for everything else that goes on. Almost always there are trees in bloom and the trails are wonderful.
April 16, 17, and 18th 2010 Chicken Chase Endurance Ride
This year my wife and daughter plan to participate in all three days of the event. As a rider you can choose whatever you want to participate in, one day, two days, or all three days, this is assuming that your horse is sound and able to complete each day. Endurance is a true team sport in that it is up to the horse and the rider to pace themselves such that when the horse arrives at several vet checks along the way it can pass the various tests to proceed. If the horse is out of shape and worked too hard the vet can “pull” the horse and the ride miles will not count. If something happens on trail and the horse becomes lame, he is pulled from the event.
Endurance riding is a great time
Here are some photographs from the Top of the Rock endurance ride at the same venue from last year. I want you to notice that all these riders look like they are having a blast. That is one thing about endurance riding and other trail events. Everyone seems to have a grand time participating in this sport. For more information about endurance riding go tohttp://aerc.org and explore the site. To see a listing of the competitions throughout the country and the world click on “competition” then “schedule” on the site.
These are still photographs, but understand that these folks are tooling down these trails either at a fast trot or sometimes at canter. I try to warn them I am there so that their horses don’t get surprised and spook, but as they come on by I have to move off the trail and get out of the way as they rumble by.
Funny thing is, if the rider is totally exhausted and running on empty, there is not someone telling them then need to pull from the event (if someone is experiencing heat exhaustion or something like that, of course that gets noticed and people step in). Most rides have limited distance rides of 25 miles, and 50 mile events, and in some cases 100 mile events are scheduled at a ride.
This year another photographer named Daniel will be shooting on Friday and Sunday and I will be shooting and selling images from Saturday. I plan to shoot for stock photos on Friday and I am going to experiment with video clips as well. I’m excited to post them here on my blog so that people interested in this sport can see more of what it is about. I will also be able to put the clips on my Smugmug proofing site for purchase via download and you can then embed them on your site, share them on facebook and load them on Youtube for your friends and family to see. This should be great fun and an interesting experiment.
Equestrian Trail Event Photography
My goal as the photographer for the ride on Saturday is to try to capture trail photos of every rider in the 25s and 50s as they pass me on trail. Sometimes this is difficult because riders will pass me in bunches of 3 to 5 riders such that some riders are blocked by the lead rider and then zip by. If I can get to two places where both the 25s and the 50s pass by sometimes I can get two shots of most riders giving them more images to purchase. After shooting all morning I have the images processed into 4x6s for sale at the event that evening and when I get home I process the images onto my web site so people can purchase 5x7s, 8x10s and larger prints, shirts, mousepads, and other items.
Come and See What Endurance Sport is All About
You are welcome to come an watch an event if you are not sure if you want to participate and some rides have novice or fun rides for beginners. Riders are more than willing to help you along and show you the ropes if you are a new participant. Don’t be shy, but also it is important that you NOT join up with the very competitive front runners who have very fit horses and lots of experience. If you try to keep up with these folks on a horse with little or no training you will have a bad experience. Many riders like to hold back and start slow so that they can enjoy the event and pace their horse to finish. These would be good people to stay with at your first couple or rides until you know how they run and so that you can get both you and your horse into shape for this type of event.
To Finish is to Win
There is an old slogan that used to be mentioned lots, ” To finish is to win”. Any newbe should have this in their mind on there first several events. Endurance riders know how to have a great time competing. The challenge of knowing your horse, navigating the trails, and enjoying the ride make for great fun for everyone involved.
At the vet checks and back in camp, I do the best I can to make some candid portraits of horse and rider pairs. If you see me at your ride, please ask for portraits like this if you would like one. I’m already there, so I don’t charge extra to take the portraits. I may have you move into better light or to an area with a nicer background, but for a portrait like this it is a very small price to pay.
After a long ride, it’s time for a tender touch and a long nap.
This post will appear on my web site: http://www.photosbypdemott.com It will also appear on my facebook personal page and my facebook fan page along with a post on twitter. I am a portrait photographer in the Dayton, Ohio area specializing in on-location portraits of seniors, families and children. I also have a specialty in equine (horse) photography and will come to your farm or stable for your session. If you like my style I encourage you to follow me in any or all the above mentioned areas. If you are a photographer, I enjoy networking with other photographers both professional and amateur.
Kristen’s senior portrait session Animoto Video
Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.
I just remembered that this embedded video will not show up when this goes over to facebook. Here is the LINK to the YouTube video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA2__fOMahQ
In addition, this is a LOW RESOLUTION Animoto video slide show. I have decided that anything that I provide as a commercial for sale item will require me to purchase their HIGH RESOLUTION version of this programing system which gives HD quality imaging.
This post will appear on my web site: http://www.photosbypdemott.com It will also appear on my facebook personal page and my facebook fan page along with a post on twitter. I am a portrait photographer in the Dayton, Ohio area specializing in on-location portraits of seniors, families and children. I also have a specialty in equine (horse) photography and will come to your farm or stable for your session. If you like my style I encourage you to follow me in any or all the above mentioned areas. If you are a photographer, I enjoy networking with other photographers both professional and amateur.
Peter DeMott Photography in Dayton, Ohio specializing in on-location environmental portraits
Trails End Equestrian Center Barn Door Mini Sessions at DLSC show
These are a couple young ladies that I hope will become the subjects of some of my senior portrait sessions with horses. These are from mini barn door sessions that I took while at the horse show at the Trails End Equestrian Center which is a couple miles down the road from my home.
It’s fun to get professional portraits of kids with horses. At these shows and stables, kids can enjoy horses in a very controlled environment that is fairly safe. Kid’s, children and horses, with great smiles, you can’t beat that.
Sometimes I shoot the local horse shows in the DLSC (Dayton Local Show Circuit). Here are the participating farms:
http://www.trailsend.biz/dlscorgs.html
and the schedule of shows
http://www.trailsend.biz/dlscshows.html
Participating Farms and Stables Listed here. Come and join the fun.
Dancing Horse Farm – Lebanon – 513-933-0343
Greenstone Stables – Germantown – 937-859-1835
The Riding Center – Xenia – 937-767-9087
Shelby Farm – Centerville – 937-886-9230
Stillwater Pony Club – Beavercreek – 937-426-9443
Trails End Equestrian Center – Dayton -937-835-5062
Wetherbrook Farm – Waynesville – 937-885-6328
Whitehouse Stables – Sidney – 937-492-3831
This post will appear on my web site: http://www.photosbypdemott.com It will also appear on my facebook personal page and my facebook fan page along with a post ontwitter. I am a portrait photographer in the Dayton, Ohio area specializing in on-location portraits of seniors, families and children. I also have a specialty in equine (horse) photography and will come to your farm or stable for your session. If you like my style I encourage you to follow me in any or all the above mentioned areas. If you are a photographer, I enjoy networking with other photographers both professional and amateur.
Inspiration for the spring and summer horse show season in the Dayton area
How about we change gears and just get excited for the spring and summer riding season here in the Dayton area. I went through some horse show pictures from a dressage show at Weatherbrook Farm in Waynesville. This leopard spotted horse caught my attention. These were from 2008 in July.
I’ll bet you cannot wait.
This post will appear on my web site: http://www.photosbypdemott.com It will also appear on my facebook personal page and my facebook fan page along with a post ontwitter. I am a portrait photographer in the Dayton, Ohio area specializing in on-location portraits of seniors, families and children. I also have a specialty in equine (horse) photography and will come to your farm or stable for your session. If you like my style I encourage you to follow me in any or all the above mentioned areas. If you are a photographer, I enjoy networking with other photographers both professional and amateur.
Someone I love died and I only have (fill in the blank) pictures to remember them by
This might be controversial blog post, it is one of those elephant in the room discussions with great importance
When I am with my professional photographer friends, this topic comes up from time to time.
I grew up with photography. My mom used to take pictures all the time and we even did the home movie thing, but as a photographer there are so many stories that I have and that I encounter of how important portraits and connections with people can be. At the same time I see so many people minimize photography. They put off having portraits made. They put things off until it is too late.
Photographer recounts the tragic loss of his father when he was a small child and the ONE photo he has of them together
I’m going to borrow the story of another photographer whom I respect to illustrate what I am talking about. In this short video Dane Sanders explains the importance of the one single 2″x2″ photo he has of his father and himself together before his father died tragically in an automobile accident. I think of the news each night when I think of his story in this short video introduction. Every night it seems there are fatalities from automobile accidents. As an outside sales person, I have more than once avoided a serious accident thinking that had I been in my car 40 seconds earlier that morning, perhaps I might have ended up in the hospital or worse.
Sometimes I feel that this is the elephant in the room for photographers. We want portraits and enduring moments recorded by photography because we love the people in our lives. We cannot say lets have a portrait made because you might die. If I had a story like Dane’s I could just share that, but in my case I have to share from my experiences as a photographer in relation to other people’s stories. People we love die and it is important that we use every moment available to express our love and live life to the fullest. But, when they are gone photographs are the things that can bring back the precious memories of the moments that made up our relationship. Pictures and portraits become so very valuable. In Dane’s case above, there was just ONE 2×2 inch PHOTOGRAPH of him with his father. This is one of the reasons he decided to become a photographer. He explains that for his own family, his wife and children, he has hundreds and hundreds of photographs of the intimate moments of their lives, the lives of the people he loves. He does not want his family (his wife and children) to have the same experience that he had growing up. And he sees being a photographer as a gift to others in that he can preserve the precious moments in their lives.
Young man reluctant to have his portrait taken at the edge of death in ICU
I was scheduled to make some portraits of a reluctant son. Having his portrait made was not his priority list and was not something he wanted to do. But, his mom insisted and I was scheduled to meet up with this young man for a portrait session. On the day that I was going to take the portraits he ended up in the hospital with serious complications from an common illness (usually just requires rest and antibiotics). I figured I would be taking portraits the following weekend, only this young man ended up in ICU at the brink of death for something like 3-4 weeks. He was so close to death on several occasions and we prayed often for him and his family often. God does answer prayer and after many close calls and a surgery which involved an incision down the center of his stomach, he has fully recovered and will be marrying soon. I took a family portrait of this family that shows such wonderful connections, now more than ever I think.
Husband calls: My wife and the mother of my children is terminally ill with cancer
In another case, I was called by someone to take family and individual portraits of him with his wife and children. We scheduled the session the very next day. The following week might be too late. I found it to be such a honor to capture the connections in this family, capturing significant enduring moments that showed the chemistry of their relationships. These portraits will be in honored places in the homes of each child and this husband for the rest of their lives.
My wife’s mother is seriously ill
On a more personal tack, I have been asked by my wife to gather together pictures and portraits that I have taken during family times over the years. Patty’s mom is ill with lung cancer. Patty is making frequent trips to Cleveland to spend precious moments with her mom. Her mother has been in and out of ICU several times over the past weeks and months. From one day to the next, we don’t know if Donna will be with us for another day or for many weeks or for many more months.
And it is not just people that have significant places in our lives
Several years ago at a horse trail event (an AERC endurance ride) a beloved horse stepped on a long sharp stick while trotting on the trail, it raised up and poked a hole in the stomach of the horse. The horse was taken immediately to OSU veterinary hospital, but since the stick had ruptured the intestine wall, infection had set in so fast that nothing could be done to save the horse. Searching through various events that I had taken pictures for, we were able to find several photographs that the owner eagerly purchased in memory of this charished companion. Up until that point she had no significant pictures of her with her horse.
Last of all, it is important to have your portraits printed for display
In TV commercials I see the the national guard helping families who have experienced disasters. In this one commercial a soldier picks up a photo album which survived and was found and hands it to a mother and child. The mother wipes it off and holds it to her chest. Yet many people only have their pictures and portraits stored on computer that have hard drives that will some day fail. In the case of the mother and child, they had lost their home, but they were able to salvage a precious photo album of important times in their lives.
Help others to preserve precious moments by creating enduring photographs and portraits of those they love
Discuss this elephant in the room. Your comments from your own experiences can encourage others to print out those pictures, to have those portraits taken, and to preserve enduring moments of their precious relationships with photographs and portraits. Perhaps you are a photographer with many stories or perhaps the story is like Dane’s and it is about your own family, your own husband – wife – father – sister – brother – friend.
Your turn….
