Winter Wind
Present. The winter wind makes you present. You are acutely aware of it's presence. You can feel it as it drops your core temperature, makes your hair swirl and conducts a symphony of motion with the trees, grasses and the snow that has already landed on the ground. It isn't one of those events that you might miss. When you feel it, you know it. It literally breathes life into the world like a giant exhaling from atop the nearest peak.
While the spring winds are usually greeted with smiles, the winter wind's reputation is more of a surly, grumpy one. There seems to be an awful lot of winter wind blowing around the world lately and we were met with it's presence (okay actually it quite literally almost knocked me over when I stepped out onto the trail with my camera). Here we were. It was time for a lovely family who had taken the time to make time for a lovely day together in the mountains to discuss an alternative location.
I had it all in that moment. I had us at a beautiful location. I had a family who exudes beauty, kindness, fun, joy and love. I had them here standing in front of me, bracing against those 40mph+ winds and I had to talk to them about how our friend the wind was really trying to put a damper on this experience. Things like this happen and I'm here to tell you it's OKAY! Life happens. Expectations are made and reality can become wind shears all around us, and at us. It can sneak up on you and when you turn your back to it, WHAM it shifts and greets you right in the face yet again. But, this family, this LOVELY, WONDERFUL, FUN, AUTHENTIC family, didn't turn and run or spit into the wind (that would be a not so great choice), they went with it. They knew it would eventually pass at least somewhat and they knew that they wanted to face this together. So we brainstormed, we problem solved and we absolutely sat in our cars while doing so because come on....that wind.
We decided to try a different location, one with very different views, a very different environment but one that was lovely for providing some shelter and a different perspective. I can honestly say that I loved, loved, LOVED this session. I loved seeing the family come together, choose to be together and work together as a team to enjoy their time together as I captured some memories. I had a lot of ideas of how these fabulous twin teenagers, their parents and their fluffy pup Louie would act but I was blown away (yup) by how resplendent they were. These sisters were dazzling and sparkling with their energy, their light and their authenticity. They wanted to be there. They wanted photos together, seriously they did! I felt like I had won a contest, the lotto, a vacation with this family. They were so patient and kind even when I kept saying, just one more photo (which I said at least 10 times). Honestly I loved photographing them all so much, the challenge was in putting my camera away.
Alas, they finally convinced me to do so and the wind, it calmed down just bit more. And I wanted to get just one more shot in that moment but I was thankful for what these girls and their whole family had taught me. The wind will blow, sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes in a warm hug but you can't choose when or where. You can choose how to embrace the wind and the experiences life throws at you and sometimes when you persevere together, you can find beautiful moments in the chaos and the calm. I am SO thankful that they chose me to capture their memories and these moments and I love that today the sun is shining and that wind...it seems to be taking a restful nap.
