A Celebration of Life for My Friend

I gravitate towards kind people.  People who serve and are humble about their abilities gives me motivation to be a better person.  Today's lovely lady is just that, a humble servant. We met at church shortly after we moved into town.  Jennifer is one of the main pianist's there.  She actually wears many hats, but that's the one we see her in most often. Her husband sits across the auditorium and plays trumpet in the orchestra.  If you've ever been to Longview Baptist Temple or watched lbt ministries on YouTube, you've definitely seen both of them using their talents for the Lord.

A year ago Jennifer found out she had thyroid cancer.  As a wife and mom, that's a hard reality to grasp.  Prayer was the first action she took.  Decisions had to be made and of course their were doctor's consultations.  In the end it was decided that surgery was the best option.  Thankfully, the cancer was removed and she's seen a healthy year ever since.  

When Jennifer approached me about photographing her, she came with her humble spirit.  She wanted me to know that the session was to be a gift to her husband, one for her children, and for herself as a cancer survivor.  It was a celebration of life.  We scheduled it shortly after her birthday.  (Now I don't dare tell you how old she is, but I will tell you that you would be wrong if you tried to guess because I look older than she does.  She's got good genes - her skin is fabulous!)

Before all my sessions I talk to my clients about wardrobe, hair, and make-up.  It's important that what you wear compliments the look you're wanting to achieve.  Her husband is a fan of colors, so she chose a yellow top for him.  She prefers to wear dark colors, black being a favorite, so she also brought a black dress.  I always encourage bringing a jacket, cardigan, or change of jewelry to add a little variety.  Pearls are always classy, so that was a must.

There were many visions for this session.  Her husband, I imagine, will proudly display one of her in yellow, on his desk to look at whenever he's thinking of her.  Jennifer wanted a timeless look for a portrait to give to her children.  She has such an image of her grandmother that she cherishes.  Not only that, but she intends to make a CD of her playing the piano, so a cover image was needed.  We were able to accomplish all of these looks in one session.  

While we viewed her images together she said what all my clients say, "I like this one, but I like this one too."  But then, she stopped and humbly stated that it wasn't her being prideful, but that I did a nice job capturing her.  Proverbs 15:13, "A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance..."  It's perfectly wonderful to show our happiness on our faces.  Many times we don't like images of ourselves, but when someone actually guides us into a flattering pose it's easy to appreciate it.

Near the end of the session she mentioned that she hadn't had her portrait taken solely since before she was married.  I imagine there's lots of other lovely ladies that haven't been photographed alone since then.  Back in the day, our grandmothers took the time to dress up, do their hair, and choose a nice outfit to be photographed in alone.  Many of them are heirloom images that are so lovely to look back on.  

If you're one of those ladies that would love to see yourself through someone else's eyes, it would be my pleasure to show you that you are worth it.  Jennifer, I am so happy that you are pleased with your session.  I hope your family looks back on them years from now and appreciates them as much as you appreciate the images you have of your grandmother.

Blessings, 

Zoe

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