Food & Food For Thought

Today is Friday again. Can't believe how fast this 52 week Project is going. I'm participating in a 52 week project with 17 other photographers. We have a theme each week, and post a picture every Friday at 9AM Est.Our theme this week is food.If you are interested in reading more about our themes each week click here.I spent a couple of hours on Saturday while my two youngest boys were napping looking through pictures of this past year. Daddy decided to take my oldest with him fencing since he is starting to outgrow naps.It was an afternoon of reminicsing because our baby just turned one yesterday. His birthday party is today! After this post I'm going to be busy making an owl cake and enchiladas.I stumbled across this picture in my August 2010 folder, and immediately knew if would be my food picture. I never even blogged this picture during that summer. It was a very ordinary summer day on the ranch.The boys and I had a tradition of sitting on the deck and eating popsicles or ice cream cones together. It usually happened mid morning or late afternoon after naptime.It was just an ordinary moment during our day, and one that I treasure now. The more I studied this picture, the more I realized why I love photography.It is also a little representation of my style. I've come to figure out what I love to capture the most. It is the ordinary everyday moments that usually go unnoticed because they are so routine.Our routine with little ones changes contantly. You know how it goes...All the sudden our newborn baby is wearing holes in his footie pajamas because he is crawling everywhere, and then he is one and no longer wears footie pajamas because it just doesn't make sense. He starts walking, and outgrows a morning nap.A little girl who used to sit in mom's lap for a bottle or to nurse mid-morning no longer needs it. She outgrows this morning routine, and only needs a snack of goldfish.There is beauty in the ordinary moments.As time goes by, and our routine changes we are only left with photographs of that precious time. It is so important to document that time.I've heard too often from older relatives that "I know my boys were babies once but I don't remember it!" I want to remember it. The little milestones and changes in my routine. I want my clients to be able to remember it too.It is why I do what I do. It defines my style, and what I love to capture most. I don't want to just capture the stereotypical studio portrait. I want to find the little idiosyncracies about a family or person and document them.The holes in the jeans... the shoes they are wearing... mom feeding her baby girl a bottle at a certain time (just did this on Monday morning!)...or the first newborn nuzzles that quickly fade.As I sat there on Saturday looking through all my images, it was the detail shots and routine moments captured that meant the most to me. This year with every session I want to give my clients something more. I want to show them that their everyday ordinary moments with their family are precious and need to be remembered.I don't want to provide props...I want you to bring something special from home. A special 'night night' blanket or teddy bear that was given to your newborn by his great grandma.During one session last year a thoughtful mom brought along a stuffed animal of Donkey Kong. This stuffed animal held so much meaning for the family because it was an animal that was given to her after her father was killed in a car crash. I was able to capture some images of her little girl playing with Donkey Kong. I just loved it, and it gave those images so much meaning.I will never just offer the stereotypical studio session even if we are indoors. I want my images to be different...I want your experience to be different.I feel like being able to see the ordinary moments as beautiful is what I've taught myself to do. So on this April Fool's Day, I decided to add a little food for thought to my food post.Can't wait to document the details and authentic moments for my clients.If this is something that interests you...If you want something different then a typical studio session. If you want documentation of the details and the moments that are real to you then contact me for a session.All I ask is that you wear pants (at least the adults!) to the session.Hope You Enjoy!Now head over and check out Doniphan, NE child photographer Jessica Richter's blog to see how she interpreted the theme this week!