How Do You Find the Magic? Remember, It Won’t Be Like This for Long
Expectation. What dreams are made of. The vision in our minds about how things are going to go - about how they should be. It has taken me a long time to learn to appreciate…the opposite. Yes, you read that correctly…the opposite. For, as Carl Sandburg so eloquently put it, “ Nearly all of the best things in life have been unexpected, unplanned by me.” I know this to be true, and I am finding it more and more every day. Capturing precious moments in my photography has been one way that one of the joys of my life has been my teacher - helping me to appreciate the beauty in the unexpected, the perfection in the imperfect.
My recent session with the Carr family started, of course, with my planning. I had “visions” in my head about shots that I wanted to get of the family. Jessica and I had talked leading up to the session. I knew that four-year-old Finley loved dresses and twirling. I knew that two-year-old Trent was all about anything outdoors. As I so often do, I had a list of very specific ideas, “expecting” (do you see where I am going here?) to go down the list…check…check. However, Finn and Trent weren’t terribly crazy about my ideas and had other plans.
Because I wanted Finn and Trent to be happy for the pictures, I abandoned all of the pictures in my head, and I reassured Chad and Jessica that I wouldn’t be a good photographer of small children if I could not pivot. As I was enlightened that day, have learned many times before (with the youngest gurus), and will be reminded many times again, what resulted from letting go of expectancy was…magic. It was there the second I opened the file and looked at the sun-kissed image of the children sitting on the bench. I knew it when I looked at the picture of Jessie whispering in Finley’s ear, as they were overlooking the lake. There was a magic in the tight shot of Chad giving Trent a kiss with so much love that you can feel it as you look at the picture. Sometimes, with little ones, I just have to chase them or sneak up on them to capture the magic in the moment!
For all parents, take it from a Mom who has been there, “It Won’t Be Like This for Long”. In the words of Darius Rucker:
“He lays down there beside her
Till her eyes are finally closed
And just watching her it breaks his heart
‘Cause he already knows
It won’t be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah, this phase is gonna fly by
He’s trying to hold on
It won’t be like this for long
It won’t be like this for long.”
…and trust this Mom, it won’t. So, treasure every precious, unexpected moment.
Blessings ~
Lisa