If Portraits Could Talk
If Portraits Could Talk what would they say about your life right now?
Have you ever looked at a beautiful photograph and thought, what’s the story here?
I am an avid observer of people. I like to get a sense of who they are and what interests them. I enjoy watching the interactions of everyone who will be included in the shoot and based on their engagement I am often moved to place them where the portrait will best tell their story.
For every portrait you see, there is a story behind the scenes. The story of the setting, environment, atmosphere, conversation, and the reason for documenting someone’s life in a particular way, on a particular day. A birth, engagement, graduation, wedding, and anniversary are typically when we are conditioned to take pictures. But there is so much more, there are a million moments and a trillion reasons between and after those milestone events that deserve preservation.
Recently, a dear friend of mine and her husband hired me to take pictures of them for their 44th wedding anniversary. As Carolyn put it, “this year we are starting a new tradition”. She felt that she had all of the “stuff” she could ever use and was not in need of another ring, bracelet or bobble, what she really wanted was to preserve the day in memorable portraits of she and her husband.
It surprises me how people clearly see the value of taking wedding pictures but fail to make the effort to commemorate their anniversaries in the same way. It passing year is a triumph and an accomplishment that deserves to be preserved so that it can be enjoyed and reflected upon by the subjects and their families. Legacy pictures are one of the greatest gifts that one can create for themselves and their families. Think about how you feel when you stumble across a decades-old photo of your family members.
Carolyn also shared that “the older I get the more that I appreciate the value of a photograph that I can hold in my hands. Some of the most valuable things that I possess are photographs. Pictures of my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are on display in my home. These framed gems are treasures that recount my history and tell pieces of my story. My only regret is that I do not have more of them, more of these precious moments that can never be re-lived.”
I understood what Carolyn meant, that is why photography is my creative medium of choice. Creating beautiful legacy portraits now is the doorway to preserving memories that families can enjoy for a lifetime.
At JOY RAHAT we specialize not in weddings, or newborn portraits, but rather in contemporary legacy portraits that in time become priceless family heirlooms.
More about our FAMILY portrait genre and portfolio is here.
