As some of you may know, I ran a little contest on my facebook page offering a free portrait session. What started out as just a fun little post to see if anyone was interested became something much more. All the entrants needed to do was send me a little blurb about what photography means to them. Sounds simple, right? I was a little surprised by how many of the entries really moved me, some making me laugh, many bringing me to tears! Chrissy Daniels’ entry really captivated me. She used to shoot weddings, so she has an understanding and appreciation of photography. At the time of the contest, Chrissy’s father had recently been diagnosed with cancer. She wrote about how she was reliving a lifetime of memories with him through their old photos. Since then, Chrissy’s father has left this world for a better place. I can only imagine how those last weeks of his life were spent. Telling stories. Sharing hugs and kisses. Laughter. Pouring over memories from years gone by. Recalling moments that were captured on film. Flipping through books that were filled with his gorgeous granddaughter, Laila, and all of her “firsts”.
What was meant to be a fun giveaway for my facebook friends suddenly had a deeper meaning connected to it. These photos that I would take of the Daniels family will be preserved forever. The little smile on their beautiful daughter’s face, the crisp fall leaves against the bright blue sky, all memories that will stick with them because they will now have something tangible to bring those moments back to life.
It was a gorgeous autumn day at Southford Falls. With all that this family has endured in the last couple of months, it was a much needed break to get outside, run around, play in the leaves, smile, and just LOVE LIFE!
It was my pleasure to photograph your family. Spending this afternoon with you guys was so wonderful. Thank you for smiling and laughing with me. I’m pretty sure your dad was there laughing with us, too. : )
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