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"Do you have any children?" I am asked this question on a regular basis. My response is usually "No. But I have three fur babies (referring to my cats). Does that count?"
I am 30 years old and feel my maternal clock ticking, especially every time that I photograph an adorable child. I photograph newborns, toddlers, school aged children...I am basically surrounded by kids all the time. I love their innocence, their honesty and their energy. They are untouched by the harshness that the world can throw at us. There is such beauty in their purity and the way that they seem to view the world.
The day that my good friend Christina found out that she was expecting her second child, she phoned me right away. Her excitement was contagious! She asked if I would photograph the birth of her baby. and without hesitation I said, "Yes. Definitely!" It was later that the realities of this request really started to sink in. I had never witnessed the actual birth of a child. I had watched TLC's "A Baby Story" with fascination from time to time, but that was the closest that I had ever come to witnessing the miracle of life. I knew that I was in for an experience that I would never forget.
In the months leading up to the due date, Christina and I discussed the logistics of my presence during the birth. We decided that during the birth I would position myself next to Christina and photograph everything from her bedside. We both agreed that I would document the moments and emotions surrounding the birth of her baby, not the "actual" birth.
On the big day, I received the call that I had been preparing for. It was go time! I met Christina and her husband, Tim, at the hospital and began to document the birth of their child. It took a little while for things to really get going but once everything was underway I was busy snapping away with my camera.
I feel like I do not have the right words to describe what it was like to be present for the birth of a child. Watching "A Baby Story" does not even begin to come close to the real thing. One minute there were six of us in the room and the next second there were seven. It was the most amazing thing that I have ever witnessed. The air in the room was thick with so many different emotions and everything seemed to be happening at warp speed. I had to remind myself a few times to keep shooting! I was in such awe of everything that was happening. I wiped tears away from behind my camera as I witnessed Tim's tears at the first sight of his new daughter. I smiled as I captured images of this brand new life with her parents.
I am so glad that I was able to document such an extraordinary event for Christina and Tim. I will never forget the moment that baby Clara came into this world. Being present for such an amazing moment has reminded me of the beauty that life has to offer.
Love Patricia
First let me start by saying that I was thrilled with the response to our 2009 Wedding Photography Giveaway. This is the second year that we held this contest and I hope that it continues to grow each year. As an entrepreneur, I have watched my business grow with the help of so many individuals and I look forward to a future that allows me to continue to pursue my passions in life. It feels wonderful to be able to "pay it forward" and give a deserving couple the gift of wedding photography.
Thank you so much to everyone that sent in their stories and took part in this contest. Each story was touching and unique...which made our job choosing one lucky couple that much harder! Our panel of judges definitely had their work cut out for them :)
It gives me great pleasure to offer a big congratulations to Erin Smiley and Darrell Fardy! They are the lucky winners of the "Wedding Photography Giveaway"!
This is what Erin wrote:
" Dear Patricia,
I started to write you a letter to tell you about mine and Darrell’s modern romance, complete with how we met via computer and how we survived the loss of his job when the mill shut down in Miramichi, and how after a lot of stress and struggle and “what ifs?” we wound up engaged and happy, living back home in Nova Scotia. Instead, I decided to just tell you who we are:
We are Erin Smiley and Darrell Fardy.
We believe our surnames sound very silly together.
We believe, even when blindsided, that we are writing our own story.
We believe marriage still has a role in the modern world and that we would like to be role models.
We believe in being more silly than serious if it won’t cause trouble, and sometimes when it will.
We believe in unexpected angles; nothing is black and white.
We believe that weddings are an adventure, not a well-oiled machine.
We believe that friends are family.
We believe in getting married in a place that has wound itself around our lives like a vine-- or perhaps we have wound our lives around the place.
We believe we met for a reason and that, in ways both magnanimous and miniscule, we are better people because of each other.
We believe that we can’t afford our house, but that it is perfect for us.
We believe in sharing our home with at least one dog and two cats.
We believe in having children, even when the world seems precarious – because the future needs good people and we are up for the challenge.
We believe in the primal power of music and in drunkenly dancing on each other’s toes.
And finally,
We believe in having one wedding picture in which we are both smiling and no one has googley eyes or a crooked tie—one that we both agree is breathtaking and captures the excitement and emotion of the day—one that we can blow up and place over our sofa and stare at every day, sighing with happiness.
Patricia, we’ve seen your work and are both entranced by your eye for detail. Money is tight, as it is for us all, and we know we will not be able to afford the photography package of our dreams. If you would help us create a special heirloom for our future family, we will be over the moon.
Yours Truly,
Erin Smiley and Darrell Fardy "
Erin and Darrell are getting married on August 15th in Wallace Bay, NS. They are renting a tent and having the reception and ceremony on the lawn of Erin's family's farmhouse, where she spent the majority of her childhood summers.
The photo that Erin sent to us was taken a year ago on the eve of her move to Nova Scotia and the end of 6 long months of living in separate provinces.
I am soooo looking forward to photographing Erin and Darrell's wedding!! They have also won an engagement photo session with yours truly, Erin's wedding day makeup will be provided by Lina Hussain of Lina Hussain Makeup Artistry and her hair will be styled by Christina Sands of Endless Beauty.
Congratulations guys and I can't wait to meet you!!!
Patricia
