Telling moments

Moments matter

Ok, so… moments matter. I’ve been in this mode lately of evaluating what is authentic to me and what is not. And of course this rolls over into my everyday job of working with all kinds of images, the majority of which are of weddings. Today I was going over a Big Sky wedding at the Rainbow Ranch Lodge from last spring preparing some images for publication. Authentic moments have been jumping out at me. Moments are fleeting and are existent only for a very brief period of time.

Years ago one of my great mentors told me this: that albeit brief, each moment has a beginning, a middle and an end. And also that in between the end of each moment and the beginning of the next there is this little tiny space. This really set me to thinking. Wow!!! even a brief moment has a beginning, a middle and an end! As I contemplated this I found myself looking for those spaces between moments when I was photographing. Little spaces when my subject was in-between moments and not presenting something to me. Ah ha… maybe I could see and capture something of their real self, something that was more authentic than the human nature of presenting a ‘front’ like a protective shield identity. Yeah, I know it’s pretty ‘out there’, BUT… I think there is something to it.

Here are a collection of images from that wedding that tell me something about moments, and how MOMENTS MATTER. Some are lighthearted, some are quiet, others emotional and some are just down right sweet. Enjoy!

Authentic home wedding

Last week I traveled to my childhood home in Kansas City, Missouri for the wedding of my nephew Lucas Stanley to the love of his life Missy Johnson. The days were filled with spending time with two of my brothers and their families and a long stay at my Grandfather’s farm in Amsterdam Missouri.

The spring air that greeted my waking mind after sleep smelled just as sweet as it did 50 years ago. Memories emerged of happiness and many sublime years of a loving family.

Watching though my lens on the day of the wedding I found something of myself in the faces of those that gathered at this wonderfully authentic and simply beautiful ‘home wedding’ celebration.

Prior to my return flight, my youngest brother Jerry and his wife Karen brought out boxes of images from my Mother’s belongings. It was a treasure that I did not know existed. Century old photos of family, nearly a complete photo history of my family. Among them I found a beautiful wedding portrait of my Grandmother on my father’s side and one of my earliest photos taken with my simple camera and printed in my own little darkroom in the basement. I would have been 7 then. It is a photo of the farm that I stayed at during my visit!
Enjoy…

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LS1_8478_blog — Grandmother Bertha Stanley the youngest of 5 children (front row center)

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LS1_8484_blog — Bertha Stanley’s wedding day portrait

LS1_8516 LS EARLY IMAGE_blg — One of my earliest photos I was able to find. Image of the farm of my beloved Grandpa Earl Locke

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Life Authentic – being present

Images keep appearing from the gallery of my latest photo session with Katie. Just to recap for those that are seeing this for the first time.

POSTED February 15th, 2016

“For some time now, I have been contemplating the value of authenticity in my life and in my passion of image making. Living this great gift of life with cognizance, and the motivation to sort out what is real, what is meaningful; and on the other hand, what is unreal, not authentic and can be dispensed with. Seeking Life Authentic.

Well… I got a message from a client of mine from 2007, asking me if I was interested in a project and she said that “time was of the essence”. The next day we were able to connect. I asked what was going on that was so timely and what is this project. Katie was reaching out for some imaging of her and her sweet family as she is facing the life shaking diagnosis of breast cancer. Katie is 34, married to a fine man and they have two beautiful young daughters.

It’s then, it’s what she told me next that totally turned me on a dime.

She said that this shocking reality of going headlong into treatment and surgery had changed her life and that all of a sudden everything in her life that was not authentic was falling away! I knew from her words that I had found a very important and meaningful task. Time to give!

Here in lies the beginning of a journey in life. A journey that many women face these days and one that I am honored to capture and share, for Katie and her family as well as others that might find beauty, strength and inspiration. Here’s to the VICTORY of Katie over this disease.”

Spending time photographing with Katie last week was full of telling moments, moments of conversation and moments of just seeing and capturing. Katie told me candidly and with her ‘matter of fact’ attitude, “I have never felt so alive!”. It shocked me initially but as I look over these images I get it. Facing such a life threatening experience forces you to live in the present. The present is alive. Not the past, not the future… but NOW.

Here are a few more images, images of Life Authentic – being present!

Life Authentic – portraits of the soul

Life Authentic – ‘ portraits of the soul ‘ seemed to be a fitting title for this blog. Katie and I shot in the studio for about 3 hours today. This is the fourth in a series of images of Katie’s days, weeks and months of her fight again breast cancer. What I see emerging are images which are more and more portraits of her soul. I am proud to know this amazing woman.

I don’t need to use many words here. Maybe one more word…. ‘soulful’!

Life Authentic – loosing the hair

I got a note from my friend Katie saying that it was time to loose the hair. I was out the door Monday afternoon to pay a visit and photograph with Tom and Katie once again. Katie is in chemo therapy at the Bozeman Cancer Center and is quickly loosing her hair. Katie’s Mom was there as well as Katie’s dear friend from high school that is visiting and sharing her support.

I have gotten to understand that there are two priorities when I enter the home. #1. is the protective greeting that I get from their dedicated Labrador ‘Walter’ who shows me all his ferocity, then shortly thereafter warms up for some petting. Good Dog! #2. eldest daughter Elle always wants to show me her most favorite things and tell me what she has been up to… this time is was about her dolls ! it’s very sweet.

40_life-authentic_LS1_5659 — Elle with her dolls

So, as for the hair cutting, I will let my photos tell you more than I could possibly throw down in words. Katie get’s her buzz from Tom and her Mother, then Tom takes the seat and get’s the BUZZ!
This the third installment in this on going project of capturing Katie’s valiant walk down this road of beating breast cancer.

48_life-authentic_LS1_5791 — Check out the Cancer Kick’n boots from Old Gringo Boot Company. They gifted her the boots. Cool!

Tom took the camera and captured a few for me. I wanted a picture with my hero. She is one courageous woman!!! In support I am keeping my head buzzed through her treatment. I know, I know, I didn’t have much hair anyway, but it’s the thought that counts! smiles!

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Life Authentic – A dance for Dad

I was trying to finish my last wedding album of 2015 today when I came back upon these moments at Kristin and Sean’s wedding last October at the Rainbow Ranch Lodge. These images stopped me in my tracks and once again grabbed my heart. There is a powerful ‘story’ in these images as you will see. A story beyond words, a story that you can read in the faces, the tears and the soulful dancing.

The Story about life authentic – A dance for Dad

Shortly after her first dance with Sean, Kristen took the microphone and told the story of how her father left this life quickly and without warning. She spoke eloquently of his virtues and how he loved the west and how he embodied such a giving and loving heart. Then she poignantly expressed her grief that she never had the opportunity to say goodbye and that the next dance was a dance to celebrate his life, and to honor her Daddy. She invited everyone to join in and express their love and joy of life. Then she stepped into the circle of her family and began the celebratory dance for her Dad. Everyone joined in!

I think it was the most moving and authentic thing I have ever experienced at a wedding. Enough said. Here’s to Kristin’s Dad!