There is something special about sharing a piece of art that you have spent your love and many many hours on. It is even more special when the subject of this piece is someone you love very much.
When I first set out on this adventure of creating pieces depicting each of the Young Women Values, I planned out my images over a period of many, many months. I decided on the various settings: how many I wanted to be taken indoors, how many outdoors. What props I would use and the symbolism they would carry. And while I knew I wanted to have a diverse group of girls, I also knew that one of those girls had to be my youngest sister Chloë.
Chloë has played a very important role in my journey from being JUST a “photographer” to becoming the artist that I am today. She has been my muse from the beginning, and I think throughout all these years I may have convinced her, if only slightly, that she actually enjoys modeling.
In December of 2008, I got my first ever DSLR: a trusty little Nikon D60 that I literally used until the shutter broke several years later (my heart still breaks over all the photos of my family’s English vacation I didn’t get take because of my camera’s untimely demise). Arriving in the mail just a few days before jumping on a plane to meet my family for Christmas vacation, I made sure Chloe was the first person I photographed with my new toy. Of course, these photos are lacking in MANY areas, but I still love them, because they show the entire reason why I love photography: preserving memories.
When I returned home each summer after that, Chloë and I made sure to do a photoshoot, to explore and create. Some years she loved coming out with me and some years I had to force her to come out with me, but as the years went by, our work and time spent together became more and more magical. While the photos may not have always turned out, the memories attached to them were always worth the effort. Having created such a bond, I felt it imperative that I include her in my Daughter’s of the King series.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, one of the most important aspects of this series was incorporating the subjects’ cultures into my pieces. But how do you incorporate the culture of an incredible little girl who has lived in eight different houses in four countries, all before she even turned twelve?
As I thought and puzzled over it, I came to the realization that there was a place my family has always called home, where we could always return to after every adventure: Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Or as we all like to call it, Paradise. This was where the photograph needed to be taken. With the location decided, the day quickly came and, with some miscellaneous lamps from around the house, extensions cords, and all the necessary camera equipment, we made our way to the big hill at the end of Grandpa’s runway. My cousin’s wife Kenna, of Billi Billi Productions, ran around my sister holding up lights here, and flicking skirts there. In the end, we had something I knew was true to the story told in Matthew 5:14-16, which was the pieces inspiration:
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
Reading through these verses, I had envisioned a girl looking appearing to be this candle on the hill, shining for everyone around her to see. I thought of my sister, who has grown into a compassionate young woman and has always been able to be kind and create friendships with anyone she encounters. I knew she would be the perfect representative for this value in particular. With her yellow dress, representing the color for Good Works, and her blonde hair, I knew she would stand out just as a candle would against the darkening sky behind her.
Chloë will always be one of my favorites to shoot, not just because of the sweetness she brings to each photo we create together, but also, and more importantly, because of the friendship and love that has grown between us during our shoots. Keep on shining little one!
** I’d like to thank Robert Cornelius and Stephen Sitton for providing me with some very valuable second opinions and critiques on this piece. You can see their work here and here. I’d also like to thank Kenna with Billi Billi Photography, who ran around flinging skirts and holding lighting equipment like a pro. You can see her work here. I’d be stuck with a significantly less beautiful piece if it weren’t for everyone who helped out, so thank you!**
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