Through my years of photography, I've been learning that sometimes a session with a client may be so much more than just capturing a special moment or getting cute new photos. A few times, I have gotten a glimpse into the personal lives of my clients to see how my photography played a part in their story.
My first photoshoot at the North Georgia State Fair was with my friend Jessica in 2018. I had only had my DSLR camera for about 8 months. We had such a fun time playing around the with the colors from the lights and the reflections we got in her glasses. We had such a great time and we were so in love with those photos.
Then in 2021, we got to go back and do another shoot together. I was just so excited to be creative and have fun with her again. On the drive there, we started chatting about what kind of photos we wanted to get. She had mentioned wanting to get some photos of her eating cotton candy and I was totally down for that. Then she shared a little story that changed my perspective on photography forever.
When we had done that first photoshoot all those years ago, she had really been struggling with food and her health. She was later diagnosed with IBS and learned through lots of inner healing that she had been struggling with disordered eating that often stemmed from anxiety. She talked about how now she had, had so much healing and understanding about herself and her relationship with food. We realize that this was a moment in her healing journey that we were about to be able to photograph and celebrate.
It made me realize that there can be so much going on internally with the people I photograph. That without even knowing, I had gotten to be a part of this healing journey for her. I realized that God often orchestrates things behind the scnees. Just by me wanting to be creative and have fun time with my friend, I got to be a part of something so much bigger.
I am so thankful to have been a part of that experience with Jessica. And I hope it can serve as a reminder to all of us who step behind the camera that we might be part of a bigger story without even knowing it.