Whenever I photograph families, I try to imagine them before that day, that month, that year.... I try to think of the husband and wife as two little kids who only dreamed that they might grow up and fall in love, much less become parents to their own children someday. Sometimes I can think of them that way.... I can see them as who they were and not who they became. And I think it is that moment, right then, when I get the best pictures. I think that there are moments, in photographing families, when parents stop feeling like they were always parents, with a million things to do and places to be. They forget about all of life's responsibilities and troubles and they have this moment where they realize that they actually did it. They grew up. It really happened. Sometimes, I think that, if you watch carefully, you can pinpoint the exact second when a person realizes that they got everything that they ever wanted. And that moment is beautiful, if you can see it. With that said, on rare occasions, I get to photograph someone that I don't have to imagine as a child because I can still remember it so vividly.
Whitney is one of those rare instances. A once-in-a-lifetime kind of friend that you get to see and know through all of life's big moments.... from school projects and dances, to first loves and summer jobs, to engagements and weddings... and even births. I don't have to wonder about anything with Whitney. When I look at her, I cannot see her in any other way than everything that she ever was and still is all rolled up into one.
And, even if I hadn't known Whitney for going on two decades, and Taylor since before he said "I do...." Even if I hadn't been lucky enough to watch their love grow and bloom into a family of four and wasn't blessed in calling them my friends.... Even then, I would think that they are possibly the nicest people that I have ever met. And again and again, I believe that I could easily catch that beautiful moment of realization in them. Because the Fields seem to notice and acknowledge many times throughout a day how lucky they have been and continue to be... even when things don't go perfectly... even in the moments that take them off guard.
Taylor is the epitome of a father and husband. He is smart, strong, protective and brave. Whitney is the most natural wife and mother I have ever seen, handling any and every moment with humor and grace. Together, they are an amazing couple and parenting team. Will is sweet, quirky, bright, well-behaved and, basically, the apple of my eye. The Fields have continuously and patiently agreed to be my photographic guinea pigs, happy to let me get up in their respective grills with every new wacky idea I come up with and, despite the fact that they have possibly missed their true calling as some sort of group supermodel, they are genuinely cool, fun, and down-to-earth.
Since I know that I will be photographing their newest edition, Benjamin, in a few days or weeks, I thought that I should probably go ahead and put these pictures up from a pumpkin-filled last October. Let's take a look back at when Benjie was still in the belly, shall we? I love you, Mr. & Mrs. Field (and your little boys, too!!!).... xoxo
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