When you take a picture, it’s often just a click of a shutter and either the person loves it or doesn’t. “Doesn’t “is more common than love, but sometimes it has more of a meaning than we ever thought it would.
About 7 months ago, I was photographing shirts, bibs and other incidentals for a restaurant located in Chicago. We photographed at our home and children and adults were the models. The models were friends of the owner---or regulars at the restaurant. One thing about the models, they were all very attractive and very photogenic. It’s very interesting when you do a shoot like this in your home, especially when you don’t know any of the people who you are photographing.
There were a few standouts from that day; the kids who were modeling everything from bibs to t-shirts to long-sleeve shirts were very well behaved and really cute. There was one girl who had her Mom’s coloring and incredible hair. It was long, curly and she had a presence you could just feel when she came in the room---she was probably 7---but you just knew she was going to photograph very well. Her parents were with her---but unfortunately she was not in the mood to have her picture taken when she first came to our studio. This was going to take work. It did. However, we got some really nice photos of her, and her brother, when it was all over.
The parents were the only ones who had agreed to have their pictures taken; she was black and he was white---a very striking couple. In love, and very proud of their children, you just knew this was the right family for this photo shoot. I took about 6 or 7 pictures of the couple---they came out as I had hoped they would. I think it was the dark coloring of their shirts and the way they just fit together that made this work.
Move ahead 7 months and I received a note from the owner of the restaurant. It read, “Hi Mark, I have a request regarding the photos that you took for my Sweet Maple Cafe web site. If you could call me as soon as possible I would really appreciate it.” I had no idea what she wanted. Now I do.
It turns out the photos I took of this couple were some of the last ever taken of them together; after a six week ordeal, at age 45, the husband died. I was terrified. My fear stemmed from not being sure I actually still had the photos--- thankfully I did---and the pressure these photos put on me to make sure I could deliver them to a grieving family, was one I had never experienced as a photographer.
I never knew this couple, I only took photos; I have sent my condolences to the family along with the disc. (They were also e-mailed, are on an external hard drive and are on my computer---these are important photos, ones that have taken on a completely different meaning after this week.) At this moment in time, these are the most important photos I have ever taken.
The photo above is of the couple---I don’t know their names, all I know is the family is torn apart with such a sudden loss. Life is short, make the most of it---and for me, I will always keep the photos I have taken in a safe place.
Thanks for stopping by.
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