One of Those Images

 

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Every once in a while I get one of those images that just fall into my lap.  It is like I am shooting, thinking, creating, and then all of a sudden I see something that realize that it has a lot more depth than just surface level.  This is one of those images.  I had the pleasure of spending the day with Mr. Cosman and of all the images that I shot of him that day, this one speaks to his life.  He is always going against the grain, climbing hills, and pressing on.

Teach Your Kids to Play

I think one of the most profound ideas in child rearing was actually taught to me by my father.  Every little interaction with them from the day that they are born we teaching them how the world works, what love is, and what is important.  Playing is no exception.  Although my boys naturally play, I find that I have the ability to push what they think playing is, by showing them that they can do more.

This picture you see is a perfect example of what I am talking about.  It has been raining here a lot lately!  In seeing all the rain on our dead end road, I wanted my boys to experience the same joy that I had as a kid playing in the mud and water.  So naturally, I take them out and they have no idea what to do, because rain is not an everyday occurrence here.  “You mean you want us to get dirty?”… “Yes boys I want you to go have fun!!”  But you see even, after saying that they still just walked around in the water with their boots on.  I had to take it a step further, I had to get in the water with them… run around and chase them… get them riled up… and even splash them.  Once they saw this the inhibitions were let down and the floodgates of fun were opened.

We as parents have to rekindle that spark we once had when we were kids.  No, it does not feel the same… imagination bursting with emotion and the pure joy of play… but the joy that we receive, when we see our kids begin to experience what we once had, brings a faint glimmer of it back.

Images That Tell A Story

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I find myself drawn more and more to images that are deep with story.  What do I mean by that?  Take this image for example.  The more you look at this image, the more you end up seeing.  I shot this on a missions trip to an orphanage in Guatemala, but it doesn’t really matter where it was shot because the story that is embedded into it has a life of its own.

And in fact, if you look, you have three different stories taking place in one image. This is what makes it so rich.   You will notice the boys playing Uno on the bench, who are obviously enjoying the challenge and having a good time, with one of them possibly cheating.  There is the mother figure sitting on the bench and resting and enjoying the evening… maybe even dreaming about a life for the kids.  And then finally you have the little boys crouched in the corner, playing with leaves or bugs, curious about the world and life in it.   Put these three stories into an environment that makes you wonder where they are, and how they live, and you have an image that tells a story for years to come.

 

Amazing Promotion!!!

That is right everyone… we are running an awesome promotion!!  I got a crazy idea (which is normal) and decided to create a promotion that include me traveling out to the winner (anywhere in the US) and shooting a day long Life Session with them.

If you want to enter CLICK ON THE PICTURE!!!

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