Capturing Backyard Moments

My dad was the officiant at our wedding. He has married a select few other couples and likes to brag about his success rate. Part of the deal was meeting with him several times before the wedding. The details of these meetings are kind of a blur, but the conversations were all about the importance of connection. I remember discussing the foundation we were building our lives on. I remember the warmth and closeness that filled our apartment after my dad left for the evening.

On the day of our wedding, my dad spoke to all those who had gathered to support and celebrate us. He told them about those conversations and what he had seen in us during those moments. The way he described it stuck with me. He talked about how people treat their front yards, the part of their home on display to their neighbors. Adorned with colorful flowers and carefully curated details. Then he compared that to the backyard. Lines strung across fence posts to dry laundry, comfortable hand-me-down wicker chairs for reading in, trucks and toys aged by the sun and fog and never really put away. The space behind your home: private, lived-in, loved. My dad said that the conversations we had with him in preparation for our wedding had been like peeking into the backyard of our love. He spoke of the beauty, comfort, and strength he saw.

Now I find that I look for the backyard version of people. I also seek the backyard version of myself, trying to lead with it, instead of carefully curated details. That backyard vibe that is true and lived-in and full of life. Over the course of the last year I have been participating in The Documented Heart, a photo-a-day project that is about far more than taking one photo per day. My favorite photos of this year are less planned and more spontaneous. They create a map of where our roots live. They are the backyard photos of our lives.

I would love to help you capture this type of “backyard” image of your family. Or inspire you to pick up a camera and look through a lens at your everyday moments.

Whatever your situation, I’d be excited to peek into the backyard of your life and capture the beauty I know exists there. Let’s pick a date, there is still time to snag those 2022 family photos!