I met this amazing family through another amazing family I was lucky enough to photograph. This group of people is so much fun and so genuine, I’ve had fun keeping in touch with them through facebook. Kelli (“featured” below) is Laura’s sister, who I was lucky enough to get to know last summer. When I saw Laura’s link to her sister’s blog, I was curious. When I saw that Kelli had been diagnosed with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, my heart stopped. I had learned of TNBC a few years prior and knew how aggressive this form of breast cancer can be. While I can’t cure her and I can’t pay for all of her medical expenses, I can capture her with my camera. Kelli was nice enough to let me do this for her.

I hope these images capture Kelli’s strength and love for life. When she’s having a bad day, I hope she can look at these images of her and her beautiful family and they can put a smile on her face. This is the gift I wish to give to everyone I photograph really. And if I fail at that then I’ve failed as a photographer. Because that is what photography is to me- capturing relationships and personalities (this is why you don’t see too many pictures of nature photography on my blog). Really capturing people for who they are. Although perfect exposure and white balance and all of those technical details are important, they are not what makes a photograph speak to the viewer. You don’t feel exposure in a photograph. Remember this the next time you pick up a camera or are photographed yourself.

Ok, boring part over! Now on to the fun part…

Aren’t they a gorgeous family?

Probably my favorite photograph from the day. Look at those eyes! This quote seemed very appropriate. And exactly my sentiments.

To learn more about TNBC, visit this site. To learn more about Kelli and find out how to help, please visit her blog.