Why Photographs Matter

In December, I delivered a gallery for one of my families that shot a Day in the Life and immediately got a text back from the client who said “I would pay a thousand dollars for this photo.” It was a close up black and white image of her and her young daughter, and in that one look, you could see so much about their relationship and their personalities. It was a really simple black and white photograph. But to her, it meant so much more than that.

If I had to choose my favorite photo on earth it would be this one. In all its blurry, imperfect glory. It was taken seconds after the birth of our second son, and it holds meaning for me for literally hundreds of reasons. This moment in particular was one of the most powerful experiences of my life. His birth was so quiet, yet powerful. This moment, more than any other, changed everything about my life. When I came home from the hospital, I cried to my husband that I was sad and scared that the best moment of my life just came and went, right there in that hospital room. It’s a weird feeling to think that the greatest moment of your life is behind you. It’s even weirder to see that all these years later, it might actually be just a little true.

Most times, the photos that we love the most, with the greatest meanings behind them are far from perfect or award winning. And why they’re important says a lot about who we are, the people we love, and who were were at that particular moment when the shutter clicked. Of the thousands of photos I have, these are a small collection of ones that are of the most importance to me, in chronological order.

My grandparents kiss at their wedding. 1954