A Day with the Weavers – Cornwall Family Photographer
I may be a Cornwall family photographer, but I do love the chance to travel. This wonderful family live in Denver, where I spent a few days alongside Lauren Kamenitz last week learning from Kirsten Lewis.
Some of you may recall that I went to Denver last year – I wrote about it here while waiting to board my plane last year. I was terrified. I wanted to learn SO badly. I feared being confronted by truths harsher than I could take. This year, I was in pretty much the opposite state of mind. I was anxious, but in a positive way. I wanted some harsh truths so that I could grow as a photographer.
Part of the mentorship included a day-long family session. Most of my documentary sessions currently last 1.5-3 hours so, initially, the thought of spending 8 hours with a single family was intimidating. Then I remembered that I’m a wedding photographer and 8 hours is nothing. :P Enter the Weavers: Crosby, Delilah, and Rachael. Oh, and Champ – my photobombing buddy for the day.
When I arrived, Delilah headed for the couch and hid in plain sight; Crosby gave me an ENORMOUS grin. Assuming that Crosby was going to be my entertainment for the day would’ve been so easy. Nose streaming, chubby little legs doing the funniest quick-step march when he’s excited… He’s adorable. And yet, I found Delilah so interesting. Luckily for me, there was no need to make choices about who I’m focusing on, so I just kept watching (and shooting).
Our day was simple: a visit to a local bookstore for story time, home for lunch, backyard playtime, nap, more playtime, dinner. Sound familiar? That’s the awesome part – there’s nothing exceptional. They read some books, ate some food, had a sleep, rode some bikes, wore some bowls on their heads, hung from the fridge and got stung by a couple of wasps (whoops). The entire session focuses on the characters in the story, not the plot.
Here’s what interesting about this family: there’s independence; there’s freedom of expression and the support to learn how to do so. Sound familiar? Quite possibly. But watching it all in action is fascinating. Crosby oozes animation and cuddles and exploration and eagerness (and he’s teething, so sometimes he just plain oozes :P). His current favourite activity seems to be dropping food on the floor for Champ. What really captured my attention was Delilah’s body language. It hides nothing. It was painfully obvious when she felt overwhelmed by a crowd of kids. When she concentrates, her left arm kicks out behind her. She can go from completely placid to raging in a split second (or the length of a gust of wind).
Rachael has patience galore and a sense of humour to go with it. I never tire of watching parents get out and play with their kids. She chased Delilah around the yard, pushed the kids on their bikes, helped with painting projects and sprinkler management and poop scooping. And she introduced me to Palisade peaches, which are the size of my face. :)
I felt sad knowing that I had to leave this family and won’t likely cross paths with them again because they live so far away. Rachael is my kind of person. And her kids, well – I hope the photos tell that story all on their own.
Rachael, thank you so much for being so willing to host me for the day! My time with your family is a day I won’t soon forget.
I’m Ang – a documentary family photographer in Cornwall, Ontario. My passion is capturing light and photographing natural moments in life as they happen. I capture memories that you’ll cherish once your children are too big to curl into your lap for cuddles and the house seems oddly quiet at night. I love getting in amongst the bedlam at home to document the perfectly imperfect realities of daily life. Please explore more of www.momentusstudio.com to see more examples of my take on Cornwall children’s photography.
