I’ve been doing a lot of courses at my local Apple Store in the past month (I know….. a little on the sad side possibly but it’s getting me out of the house and interacting with real life peoples). One I did recently was a Studio Sessions: Photography one. On the drive up I got to reflecting why I enjoy photography so much.
Looking back on it, it’s capturing those fleeting, stolen moments when no one is looking. Those moments of pure life when people let down their guards and show themselves. When you get someone to pose for a photo, the guard comes up and they lose a little of the spark that makes them special. People force an expression or adopt one of the many poses they have seen supermodels do.
When you see a photo of someone caught unaware, just being themselves it is something magical.
Those candid moments at wedding when the bride and groom are taking their first dance, lost in the moment, just the two of them. No one else in the world matters to them – and to capture that moment forever for them has to be a true honour for the photographer.
That moment of a mother and son playing, the mum not thinking about what other people think but getting on her knees and being a 5 year old for a moment. The love for her son trumping any worry about what people may think.
The guest of honour arriving at a surprise party, suddenly seeing all of the people they love in one room to celebrate them. The pure love and happiness flowing across their face.
These little moments are what make us human – compassionate and emotional.
It’s these moments I love and want to capture, reminding us what is special about life. Yes – the rigid staged group photos are great. But you are capturing a group of people. Capturing that group interacting without worry, making faces and jokes on each other – that is a photo that shows what these people mean to each other.