Storytelling
Being contacted by a wide range of people has made photo sessions really interesting because I really don’t know what to expect until I arrive. It kind of feels like Christmas! It has been so good to get the creative juices going! Most homes have a limited amount of space and yard, so we have to utilize what is closest to us. I actually find this more beautiful and unique because it helps tell each of the student’s stories so well. I have the privilege of capturing an amazing moment in time for them, especially in such a crazy and unprecedented one as right now.
I loved that this young lady wore her cowgirl boots with her dress and that she was game to climb up, gown and all, into her Dad’s truck for photos. A girl after my own heart. We talked about horses and my inner cowgirl was beginning to miss my days on the farm. We had a lot of fun!
After this session I thought I’d make a post to let people know what I was doing with the grads, as I thought it was a neat idea and wanted to help out other local families if at all possible. I shared the post on Facebook and went to sleep early, which never happens lol! The next morning I got up and I had quite a few messages on my FB page inbox and thought that was pretty neat. Then I saw that it had reached over 8k people overnight. That has never happened to me before! I may get possibly a hundred viewers reached and then I get that never ending pop up about how to “boost my post to have it reach 1k plus people per day.” I had breakfast and then I saw more messages coming in. Needless to say, within a week my post had reached over 53k people “organically” and had over 12k engagements. I kept thinking, “what in the world is going on?”
My inbox began flooding with messages from parents sharing what their kids were going through and the grief and stress everyone had been facing. So many were concerned for the mental health of their children and hoping to find a way to bring a little bit of joy to their lives again. I was not prepared for the flood of inquiries and beautiful discussions I was able to have.
I have been humbled and in awe as I am riding this wave. There is so much need for hope and joy in people’s lives right now and somehow, people are reaching out to me, this tiny strand in this tapestry called life. I am so so grateful to get to know each of the students and their families one by one and to hear how they react to their stories being told through photos. .
