NEW BORN BABY- FAMILY

Family Photography Can Make You Part of the Family

One of the greatest joys of being a photographer is when I feel that I have become part of a family. I had one of those moments recently when I was photographing the beautiful two week old daughter of friends Terrie and Kelly. Terrie shared the lovely story of their lives and how they met, and I hope you will enjoy it, too.

The story begins when Terrie met Kelly in the spring of 1989 while singing at the High School All-State Chorus in Savannah, Georgia. A quick “hi” and “goodbye” was shared then, but they ran into each other again that summer at a University of Georgia music camp. That’s when quick introductions turned into, “I’d like to see you again,” and they exchanged phone numbers.

They dated for a while, but were still young and decided to date other people at some point. Terrie met and married someone else first, while Kelly remained single. Terrie had her first daughter, Julia from that marriage that ended in 2007. She reached out to Kelly to reconnect in 2008, and 3 years later, they were married.

I photographed their wedding in 2011 and recently shot maternity pictures of the growing family. Now that Olivia Evelyn has arrived, the Clarks once again invited me into their lives to experience the joy and fun they share.

The happy parents welcomed me to their home at 7:45 a.m. on a Sunday, despite the obvious exhaustion of caring for a newborn. We moved chairs, set up props and lights before welcoming the baby star to the camera. Olivia had a few moments of tears, but the family of singers quickly soothed her with a variety of tender songs. Considering the talents of her parents, it seems Olivia will be destined for music and the stage someday, too.

There is something so tender about babies, families and their stories. I feel as though I become part of the families I photograph, too. It is so rewarding to share such precious moments, and I wouldn’t trade these experiences for the world.