A new mom and dad captured alone at the end of a recent session to photography their first child, a beautiful little girl.
When I uploaded these to my computer they made me pause. They still do today and I find myself being drawn back to look at them time and time again. In my mind I’ve entitled them “In love”.
Sometimes the families I photograph do more than simply invite me into their lives for a few hours (which is incredible in and of itself). Sometimes they teach me, or remind me, something about life, and particularly about life with kids. This couple was one of those families.
When we finished taking baby pictures they asked me to take a few of just them together. I’ve done so before but it’s always, always been on my suggestion, and more often than not couples beg off saying they only want “baby pictures”, or “family pictures”
But here’s the lesson they reminded me of: they were a “family” before baby. And it’s so important to support and recognize and take time for that first family of two. It is the pillar that supports everything else that comes later. Yet it is often all too easy to neglect that first family, to focus only on the now larger one.
This couple seems to get that. And I love that they asked me to take pictures of just the two of them.
They are so obviously in love. That love is real and tangible and is all at once so quiet and also the biggest thing in the room and I, a stranger to them both and their relationship can feel it still weeks later.
They have a strong pillar. May we all. And may we all remember to nurture it in the chaos of life with kids.
