NYC Family photographer discusses a little something from the heart.
Why bother? Why not do something easier? Why stay up until 3 am to finish an edit? The answer is as simple as it is complex. As an event photographer, whether it’s a wedding, birthday party, or corporate get-together, I’m often faced with people who simply don’t want me there. These are guests who do not want to be photographed. However, the assignment needs to be captured, needs to be documented, I move on and hope that the rest of the party will be different. If this was a one-time deal, it wouldn’t matter, but with multiple assignments a week, with similar feedback, one must wonder – Why to Bother?! Like many things in life, it takes a few bad apples, a rather small minority to put a bad taste in the mouth.
I had a conversation with a fellow NYC family photographer and he reminded me of a Bar Mitzvah I photographed on his behalf for his clients. He then went on to tell me: one of the client’s family members passed away not too long ago, and while there, paying his respects, they were passing around pictures, pictures from that Bar Mitzvah that I photographed, pictures of their loved one, reminiscing and remembering the happy times.
After our talk, I opened up my wedding album. Slowly looking through it, got to the family page, and realized that some people are missing… some weren’t born yet, but the others were taken. At that moment, I was surrounded by feelings of sadness and somewhat happy. On one hand, I was sad that they weren’t here to see my kids, and to celebrate the life I am in now but at the same moment, I was very happy to see them smile and be joyful.
Why bother? Why not do something easier? Why stay up until 3 am to finish an edit?
This is what photographers do: we use light to draw a picture, we capture moments, and we freeze time in hopes that the moments captured will influence the viewer and further bring joy and happiness.
~~ In Memory of Friends and Family Who aren’t with us.
