Joy

I re-launched this blog back in the winter as part of my creative goals for 2015. Another one of those goals was to blog on a regular basis. Although in recent months I haven't been as consistent, I am pretty proud of how well I did earlier in the year. 

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend time with some friends from church. We discussed the different paths that brought each of us to the church we are a part of and the places we are in life. At some point in the conversation we began talking about Instagram, photography, and blogging. Talking about blogging and photography made me realize how much I missed sharing photos and the stories behind them here on the blog. I know there probably aren't that many people that even read each post, but sharing them is one of the best parts of the process for me. 

When it comes to portraits and weddings, you have an opportunity to capture an array of emotions. Excitement, nerves, fun, and celebration, to name a few. However, i think the emotion that I enjoy capturing the most is pure Joy. Moments of pure joy trump all others and make you forget about the stress, worry, and anxiety that can often accompany the days leading up to a wedding or big event. 

When I see moments like the one with Jennifer below, I am reminded of why I love doing what I get to do. I get to help people remember these moments of anticipation and joy. In this moment, Jennifer was reading a letter and opening a gift that her husband Ryan gave to her just before their ceremony. They didn't want to see each other before the ceremony, so Ryan was standing on the other side of the door. They were both visibly anxious and excited for what was to come in the next few hours, but Ryan kept making Jennifer and everyone else laugh with his signature sense of humor. 

I hope to share more from this day in a post very soon, but for now I just wanted to share this moment. Mainly to remind myself that joy is a gift to be shared.