Recently, I was asked to photograph a beautiful little girl who is really shy. Her mom was a bit hesitant to schedule a session because her daughter is hard to photograph. She explained that she had yet to smile in any professional pictures. I reassured the mom that I would work with her daughter to keep her happy and relaxed. I made a point to learn about her daughter's favorite color, her favorite toys, the things that make her nervous, and the things that make her happy.

With the information I gained from this conversation, I created a session tailored to make this little girl at ease. I decided to hold the session in her home where she was most comfortable. When I arrived, I began to build a relationship of trust and had her show me all of her favorite toys. I attempted to dazzle her with my knowledge of princesses and my love of the color pink. Before I took a single picture, we were friends. I knew that 'Lovey' the lion was important to her, so I asked if I could take some pictures of him and her eyes lit up. I was able to get many wonderful shots of that sweet little girl that day. We had a fun time together and yes, she even smiled!

As with all of my clients, I put the best photographs from the session in an online proofing gallery which included a slideshow. I was so excited to share them with her mom, I called her immediately and had her view the site that very moment. I could hear the slideshow start in the background and then suddenly the line went dead. Did she just hang up on me?! I was more than a little confused, so I was thrilled when she called me back a few minutes later. She apologized and explained that she had started to cry and needed to hang up so as not to embarass herself. She was beyond thrilled with the pictures and was excited that the expressions she loved most were finally captured forever.

This is why I love being a photographer. Working with families and helping them to capture the moments they love best is such a blessing. I am so grateful to be part of it.