Owen...such a handsome little guy!  :)

The day I had the privilege to photograph Owen and his family is one session that will always hold a special place in my heart.  Not only were they returning clients, but they are clients who have known me for several years.  Although it had been close to over a year since I last saw this little guy he greeted me with a hug that melted my heart!  I was filled with so much joy that day and all the little moments that the future held.  Later in the session when I had asked Owen to hold his mother's hand and walk with her, he decided he wanted to hold my hand instead.  Clever little guy; let's hold the photographer's hand so she can't take photos. ;) Luckily he decided to hold my left hand instead of my right. :)  I informed him that I would hold his hand and walk with him under one condition; that he look up at the camera and give me a big smile.  Having a fixed lens on my camera at the time I knew it would be a very close shot but as it turned out, it was well worth it!  The above photo is what I captured in that moment.  My absolute favorite one of the day! :)  Little did I know at the time that this photo would be the one to snap me back into reality and give me hope for the future.

Last week I was overwhelmed by the worst physical and emotional pain I have ever had in my life.  I was forced to take the week off from retail leaving me extra time to work on my photography.  For the first couple days I didn't want to do anything, go anywhere, see or talk to anyone.  Nothing could prepare me for the emptiness I felt after the pain subsided.  I fought through the tears and forced myself to start sorting through the photos I captured.  Just like every session, it was difficult to pick out the very best ones for the final images. Paralyzed by emotions of happiness from seeing the smiles on my clients faces and then sadness from the thoughts of the events of earlier that week, I found myself taking a break walking away from the computer every 10 minutes to wipe away the tears.  When I came across this photo I couldn't help but smile.  When I captured the image, I thought for sure it wouldn't turn out.  I was thrilled to see the image turn out better than I imagined.  I was overcome by pure happiness and relief.  I had hope again.  Everything would be okay.  This is life.  Take time to enjoy the little moments that make your heart smile.  This moment is one that will forever make my heart smile. :)