Let me share with you a story, one that gives me goosebumps and brings me to tears every time! It’s a story another photographer told me around 10 months ago, and I’ll honestly never forget it, and it cannot emphasise how important our jobs as photographers truly are.
A client arrived for her newborn session, completely worn out. No hair done, no makeup, sick stains on her shirt, sleep-deprived - she was in the thick of the first stages of motherhood. She was adamant she didn’t want to be in any photos. “I look awful,” she said, "My hair is a mess, and I've got no makeup on!". She just wanted her little baby photographed.
But the photographer gently encouraged her - “Hop in for just one,” she said. Eventually, the mum agreed, reluctantly stepping in for a quick shot then hurried out again.
The session ended, the photos were edited… but the mum never responded. A couple of weeks passed. Then a month. After fourteen weeks from the date of her newborn session, the mum finally reached out. Her message broke the photographer’s heart.
Her newborn baby had passed away.
She said she doesn't have the strength to look at the photos - the grief was still too heavy. The photographer replied with deep compassion and told her, “Whenever you’re ready, they’ll be here, waiting for you.”
Several months later, the mum found the courage to view her baby's beautiful gallery. And do you know which photo she clung to with all her heart?
The one where she was cradling her daughter. The one she almost didn’t have taken.
She didn’t care that her hair wasn't perfect. She didn’t care about the lack of makeup.
That photo was her everything. It was the only image she had of herself holding her precious tiny baby.
So always have at least one photo of you all, together, as a family. Because you never know what tomorrow might bring!
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This story will forever stay with me and is a constant reminder of exactly why I will encourage you to get in that photo!
Because it’s never just about the photos. It’s about the love, the bond, the fleeting moments we often take for granted. Moments that can be here today… and gone tomorrow.
So if I ask you to step into the frame - just for one quick photo - please know it’s not about being the perfect size, having the perfect hair or makeup. It’s coming from my heart - I never want you to miss the chance to be in that moment with your family.
