Capturing the ones you love the most -Kelcy of Sweekit Photography

Capturing the ones you love the most

 

Valentine’s Day got me thinking about what I love about my family, friends, kids, and all the things they like to do. Recently, in December, I lost one of the most influential people in my life. My grandpa died at the age of 87 and he had the most amazing life. If I could have half the life he did, I would consider myself blessed. Through the grieving, I realized I had taken some of the most treasured pictures of him… that I didn’t even know I was taking at the time.

 

I think we all getting wrapped up in the moment so many times, and forget to just get out a camera and capture the ‘moments’. The moments may not even be of anything of significance but some day, down the road maybe 5, 10, or 40 years later… you will be able to look back and remember that moment and tell the stories of that day just as if it just happened. The pictures become a great conversational piece of art and they can be handed down for generations.

 

I’m not just talking about getting the family together and taking a posed picture either. I’m talking about capturing the candid moments. Nobody looking at the camera, the kids consumed by their favorite toy, grandpa working on his favorite hobby, Mom making memories with kids in the kitchen… you get it? That is what captures the moment… not the fake posed smiles (although sometimes that has to do too)!

                                      

As my family was preparing the arrangements for my grandpa, I was assigned the official ‘picture lady’. As we sorted through hundreds of pictures, the pictures that had us laughing (and crying) the most, were the funny candid pictures. Those are the pictures that told a story, which showed emotion, and made a connection. I mentioned earlier that half of the time I didn’t even plan on the pictures making such an impact. For example, two years ago, my son was taking his first combine ride with my Dad at the farm. I was taking pictures of him riding in the combine and my grandpa was following behind with his tractor and wagon. My grandpa saw that I had my camera out and waved at me (not planned) and I just happened to take a picture of him. Years later, that is the picture that is printed on a huge canvas and how everybody remembers my grandpa. If you would have known him, you would know he ALWAYS had a smile on his face, he always waved at people while driving with one finger, and the love of his life was Oliver tractors. I coincidentally captured all of those things in one picture without even knowing I was doing it.

 

 

Another example of one of my favorite photos is of my Grandpa returning from the Honor Flight of the Quad Cities. That is one of the things that was on his bucket list to do in life and I am so grateful he had that opportunity. When the soldiers step off the plane, they walk through a crowd with hundreds of people cheering and going crazy. If you have never attended a homecoming of an Honor Flight, I highly suggest you do! Anyways, when my Grandpa saw my Grandma, he became overjoyed with emotion. I somehow took this picture at just the right moment and captured his emotion and love in a way that I would never had remembered if I had not taken a picture.

 

Granted, I understand I have a professional camera but it does not take a professional camera to capture candid moments. I encourage all of you reading this blog to take your camera out this year and just start taking pictures of the ones you love the most and what THEY love to do. Someday (hopefully not any day soon) you will appreciate those pictures.

 

Contributed by Kelcy Hanson of Sweekit Photography.