I’ve learned as a photographer that you have to be open and ready to receive whatever the Universe hands you when you look through the lens. In photography as in life, it’s all in how you frame it. Sometimes magic happens and when it does, you’ve just got to be present and flow with it. Children have a lot to offer when it comes to teaching us adults how to flow.
Yesterday I drove down to Saco to photograph a 14-year-old Shiba Inu who is a patient of the veterinary practice I’m shooting a calendar for. The woman asked if her three grandchildren could participate in the shoot and of course I said, “sure!” I don’t get to photograph children very often but I really love to when the opportunity presents itself.
I arrived at Connie’s house and met Aiden and Bailey, who are about 7 and 5 years old, a brother and sister. While waiting for the youngest grandchild to arrive, I scouted out the yard for good places to set up the kids and the dog. Meanwhile, Bailey the 5-year-old was running around the yard with the old dog, Sandie, in tow trying to keep up. Her awesome patent-leather shoes were click-click-clicking on the pavement and her purple plaid skirt was flopping in the wind. She was having a blast "just because."
We had some trouble getting 2-year-old Austin to sit for the shots, as he was spent from swimming lessons and tearfully wanted his Mama. That left me with time on my hands, so I just kept shooting the older kids with the dog. I was completely drawn in by Bailey’s deep chocolate eyes and the way her brown bangs fringed them just so from above. She loved posing and was so open and vulnerable and completely free and happy. In between setting up shots in another area of the yard, Bailey decided to pick a few flowers and wanted to hold them for some of the shots. This was terrific. Where did she learn about modeling??
Of course, I was totally encouraging her. I am a bit of a free spirit myself, and I was aware of Bailey’s effect on me. Through her freedom and joy and total lack of inhibition as she danced and ran and posed, I was able to remember my own 5-year-old self. Kids often don’t have a filter like us adults do. That comes later.....through our experiences with betrayal, embarrassment, shame, sadness. We learn and we learn and we learn....to bottle things up, to hesitate, to hold back who we are, what we think, how we want to behave. Bailey had no filter...no cap holding in her exuberant joie de vivre. She was embracing the moment fully. And I, lucky soul, got to share it with her and record some of it with my camera.
It’s good to be reminded that I was once clean and fresh and innocent, uninhibited, trusting and full of joy. That’s a good thing for any old soul, don’t you think? In a time in my life where self-esteem is fleeting, youth is fading and the world can seem to be an unfriendly place, I needed this reminder. I am a grateful woman today, having been reminded by little joyful Bailey to dance a little more, take a chance or two without worrying what people will think, wear awesome shoes on a Saturday morning just because, and embrace every single precious moment and hug the life out of it. Just for today, I will follow my heart without fear, like I did when I was five. Thank you, Bailey with the warmest chocolate eyes. I hope you never lose your joy, sugar. Namaste.
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