Scores of individuals/couples/families/organizations/teams come to us for annual photo updates.

It’s cool to see folks year-after-year and collaborate on updated images .

We often joke that if we never met another new client, we’d be fully booked with delighted prior clients. That’s a wonderful situation to experience as a business owner.

Annual photo sessions to visually document the ongoing changes of life…. Such a fantastic tradition, and I’m delighted to offer a camera, smile and bit of creative experience.

I’m often asked if photographers know when they’ve shot a great image.

We do.

I took this photograph during a recent senior picture session, and told the young woman immediately that she’d still love the image each time she sees it as her life unfolds. There’s an….. everything….. to the picture. I shot maybe 10 more images before we wrapped up the session, but I knew the defining moment was this.

Such a celebration of a life at a crossroad, but with more belief than doubt.

I deeply, deeply appreciate living in a period of human history in which photography exists. Beautiful captured images enhance our shared experience of being alive.

As I wrote in my last post, it’s always fun — and always interesting — to momentarily take your lens off of the primary focal point, and, instead, focus on another aspect of the scene.

Here, the bride-and-groom listening to the congratulatory speeches at their reception. I took the key shot, too — parents offering a toast to the couple — but love the corollary image even more.

The longer you practice photography (or any other art form, of course), the more comfortable you grow in veering off the primary roadway. The dirt paths are awfully fascinating, and the results are rewarding to share with clients.

We only get one.

One life. One opportunity to experience each day. One place to be at any given moment.

Were I given a “Two”, I’d love to be able to stand a couple feet away from where I’m actually photographing someone/something, and to shoot it toward the perspective of someone/something who’s not the primary focal point of a scene. I adore this type of photography (though it’s clearly not what I’m supposed to be doing full-time!).

My eyes dance with delight, though, any time I can get a quick “look over here” moment with non-primary subjects while also highlighting the primary subject. These magical visual moments are such a reward to see, experience and share.

Simple joys are wonderful joys.

Josh told his mother-in-law, following our long shoot on their wedding day, that he felt as if we were long-lost brothers. I felt the exact same. Wonderful young man. Wonderful young woman. I’m rooting for them.

#BestCareerEver

The photograph on the dashboard, taken years ago

Turned around backwards so the windshield shows

Every streetlight revels the picture in reverse

Still, it’s so much clearer.

(the incomparable) Michael Stipe

There’s not a day goes by that we don’t get to experience others feeling joy about their lives.

To me, that’s an extension of healthy diet, exercise, sleep and reduced stress…. Being in the midst of joy daily is a metaphorical vitamin boost. I’m enhanced because you’re joyful and I’m in your presence.

I’m experiencing your joy, and am also joyful that I can give you back meaningful images.

It’s an uplifting, rare, profound shared experience, day-after-day-after-day….

I’m aware every single day that I’m as lucky as a guy can possibly be.