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"Three Family Stories - "How One Woman's Love For Her Family Caused Her To Stop And Save One Family Memento On Her Way Out Of Her Burning House" and "Uncle Bill" and "The Family Cat Was An Important Family Member..." These
Are TRUE Stories -
Just like stories from 9/11 or New Orleans/Biloxi, MS after Hurricane Katrina, these stories are meaningful to those who went through them. I want to tell you three true stories - and each actually brings me to tears every time I tell it. These are heart-felt and emotional and demonstrate how important our families are to us. About 12 years ago, a friend was asked to photograph a wedding. Sometimes it's the first time the entire family has been together in years. And, the couple is probably at their absolute happiest on this day. The bride's name was Sharon, and she and her family were so wonderful. The wedding was perfect. The photographs turned out perfectly. Sharon even called the day after she received her albums to say thanks for helping to make her wedding such a wonderful success, and for creating such cherished memories for her and her family to keep forever. Now,
Fast-Forward Two And A Half Years... Two and a half years of wedded bliss later, Sharon and her husband had a beautiful home in a nice area. They had decorated the home just the way they liked it. They had even adorned some of their tables and shelves with family heirlooms that had been handed down from parents and grandparents. Then, one of the things we fear most happened... ....a terrible fire started, and began to burn their home and possessions to the ground. Fortunately, Everyone Got Out Of The House All Right - Thank Goodness For Smoke Alarms - But What Happened On The Way Out May Startle You. Just imagine standing outside your house, watching it, and all your cherished memories, consumed in flames. I don't suppose any of us can really know what that feels like, unless we've actually been through it, and I'm glad I haven't been. As Sharon ran through her burning house, trying to get to safety, a thought ran through her mind. She was running past all of these wonderful memories she'd spent a lifetime lovingly collecting and she knew she had time to save one of these items - but only one. She would only have the time to safely grab one thing as she and her husband ran to safety. Passing Family Heirlooms And Meaningful Trinkets Collected Over Lifetimes, What She Chose To Clutch To Her Heart And Rescue From The Fire Makes Me So Proud I Could Just Burst. Running to safety, without giving it any real thought, Sharon grabbed the albums containing her wedding photographs. Holding those albums to her chest, and protecting them almost like a child, she ran from the flame-engulfed home. I found out about this myself some time after the tragedy. By the end of the story, I was in tears, feeling her pain and grateful that she had such wonderful images to help her keep her memories. She Knew That She Could Have New Albums Made, But THESE VERY ALBUMS Were So Important To Her, She Couldn't Bear The Thought Of Them Being Destroyed. That very story sums up the reason I became a photographer. Creating photographs that mean that much to people - I can't imagine anything that would make me feel more fulfilled as an artist. Sharon Realized That The One Thing That Can Never Be Replaced - That We MUST Hold On To - Are The Memories We Share With Those We Love. And another one: A Tragic Story Of Uncle Bill, And What It Means For You. Let me take a moment to tell you this story as well. Several years ago I had photographed a wedding for a friend's nephew. I had watched him grow up through some family troubles into one of the nicest young men you could meet. Through hard work and perseverance he was a real winner, and he found such a beautiful young woman to join him in a life together. They are a lovely couple and enjoy each other and their young daughter. One day this friend asks me to join the couple at a family gathering for "Uncle Bill's" 90th birthday party. "We loved what you did for Gary and Tracey's Wedding and we hope you can share this important occasion with us." The couple was there with their daughter and so were so many of the relatives they love, even some from California who didn't want to miss the festivities. He Was The Center of Attention Even At 90 Years Of Age The party was filled with family stories, laughter, joy, and one of the largest birthday cakes I have ever seen... and the center of attention was Uncle Bill. He was sure to speak with all the relatives who had gathered for his special day: spend time catching up, chat at the dining room table where gifts were piled up, or comment about children of children he hadn't even met before. Two weeks later I received a call that Uncle Bill had died. He had been frail and had, after all, just celebrated his 90th birthday, but this came as a shock. He was gentle, tender, and loved the couple's infant daughter. Memories Live On Because People's Lives Are So Important "Your photographs of that family gathering are all we have left of Uncle Bill," I was told... and we started to cry. "And now that the funeral is over and the out-of-town relatives have seen the beauty in the images you captured of Uncle Bill, we need more. We all loved him so, and your images showed all the emotions, love, tenderness, and family relationships that matter most to our lives. I wanted you to know how grateful we are. Thank you so much for the love and care you put into everything you do." And there it was: the reason why I became a photographer and why I concentrate on the joys and emotions of families at their happiest times in life so that even through our tears we can remember the joy of those fleeting moments. She had put into words what I had not been able to say for my entire career. You See How Emotional Family Photography Can Make Your Images Absolutely PRICELESS? And one more story (I could go on for hours, but I know you have other things to do today!). Family Portraits are ALWAYS created for a reason. A reason why they need to be created right now. It's easy to understand why wedding images are created - the reason is the wedding. And Bat/Bar Mitzvah images are created just at the time the young person is celebrating a rite-of-passage. The same is true for Family Portraits. Oh, sure... some reasons are large, some less important... but to the family IN the portraits, the reasons are all important. The Cat Was An Important Member Of The Family... And The Cat Was Dying The Dee family was well-known to me. I knew all of them from around the area. One son had been in some images I created at the local high school... and his drumming for the band was legendary. And the other one had given his talents to a local church when he designed their website, and I helped orchestrate their activities. The call came in that now was the time for their Family Portrait. Both boys would be home for a short while... but more importantly, the cat was not doing well and the Dee family wasn't sure how long the cat would live. You know how they felt: the cat was a member of their family. The boys grew up knowing the gentle purr and the soft fur. And while the boys were home, and before the cat died, Mom wanted to gather the family for a Family Portrait in their living room. One more time when the whole family (the WHOLE family) would be there. The Photography Session Was Upbeat And Lots Of Fun My Design Consultant, Cheryl, and I arrived in plenty of time to set up. Mom Dee knows fashion, color, harmony, design (I could go on), and she and Cheryl hit it off in conversation. I was glad to see the boys again, and Dad Dee was his usual happy guy, wanting to cooperate and have a beautiful image for the family's wall. The cat even cooperated - well, sort of. The photography session was soon over and we left. The Cat Had Been Sicker Than I Thought Before the Dee's could view the finished portraits, the cat died. Now these images were even more important to the Dee family because all of them were vital and active in the wall portrait they selected. There's always a reason for the timing of a Family Portrait - many are for much happier reasons, but they are all heart-felt reasons. What is YOUR reason? Time Is Moving Quickly, None Of Us Can Afford To Waste It. It's Important To Act Now While The Idea Is Fresh In Your Mind
Life is so terribly short. But, at the same time, life is such a
wonderful gift. And the memories we keep of these moments
with our family will last forever. CLICK HERE to email me or call me on the phone to chat (no cost, no obligation) about how you can have photographs created that will mean this much to you...
Saving
Family Memories Through Photography...
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