What’s your favorite family photos? Let me take a guess….It’s the one of your cousin fake smiling for the Christmas card, right? Probably not. No, your favorite photo is the one of your baby sister, her face illuminated with joy after flinging mashed potatoes at the dog. It’s the faded photo of your mom in her teenage years, annoyed that her little brother had the audacity to come in her room. It’s that one your mom took on graduation day, and Dad (who said, “I won’t cry”), is overcome with pride, giving you the ultimate bear hug. These are the images you keep close at heart. These are the honest images.
An honest portrait will make you laugh out loud, swell with pride, long for the old days, even sob with grief or lash out in anger. Portraits are so effective at establishing an emotional connection because we see ourselves. For instance…Old Yeller. We have no real life relationship with Yeller, yet even the manliest of men tear up when the boy is forced to put the dog down. Why? He is the audience surrogate. We feel his pain, his loss; we’re mimicking his emotions because they feel honest to us. Here’s some less tear-jerking examples. Take a look at an engagement photo and you’ll feel warm, hopeful and confident in a bright future. What about a senior portrait? Pride in knowledge, excitement for new career paths, maybe even nostalgia for the work poured into that diploma.
When you get down to it, we’re all capable of so many brash, loud emotions. There’s plenty of subtlety to read in our faces, as well. As a portrait photographer, I’m in a constant search for any genuine expression. Our faces tell our stories, and I think it’s incredible that my images will resonate with your family for generations.
Sincerely,
Braden Blue