Hi everyone! Well, it's been a very long time since I have blogged. In fact, I was so bad about blogging that I deactivated it on my website, and It's remained dormant for a few years now. Until today...today I am deciding to dust it off and bring it back to life again!! Woo Hoo!!! :)
Why, you might ask? Well, because Facebook reminded me this morning that on this day, four years ago, I took my favorite picture I've ever taken! So, instead of basically telling the story on Facebook, I thought it was worth blogging about! My favorite picture ever is a picture that truly encompasses everything I strive for in my photography business and in life. It's a picture of my favorite two little boys in our favorite place...our home. I always strive to capture moments that truly tell a story and make your heart smile. This one does that for me. It makes me so happy, and I never get tired of it.
A little bit about the image...we had been out of school for a week because of snow. To say we had cabin fever is putting it lightly! The boys, however, decided to make their own fun and go "sledding on the stairs". It was their idea to wear the helmets! Haha :) Safety first!!
Every time I look at it, I can just hear their squeals and laughter!! :) As much as I love it because it's of my sweet boys, I never dreamed it would impact others literally all over the world like it has! I have been humbled and pretty amazed at the attention this image has received!
It has been published by Palm Press on a birthday card. The greeting that the company chose says, "It's your birthday. Go ahead and break the rules!" The boys were so excited when our samples came in the mail!
Palm Press sells the cards nation-wide at bookstores and gift shops. It was exciting one time when our aunt & uncle sent us a picture from Seaside, Florida! They spotted the boys' card in a bookstore there while they were on vacation! Another time, our cousin who attends Auburn University saw it in a bookstore there!
The most unique, and quite CRAZY thing that has happened since this picture was put on the internet was one time when a tattoo artist from Australia messaged me on Facebook. This picture was in his message!! Where's the "shocked" emoji when I need it??
Yep, you're seeing that right...that is a tattoo of MY BOYS ON A RANDOM STRANGER'S BODY!!!!!! A random stranger in Italy who was traveling to Australia...who saw the picture on Pinterest, and it reminded him of his childhood. I freaked out at first. It made me feel violated and just weird. However, once I let it sink in, and I got the story from the man, I felt better about it...and in some kind of weird way, I was even a little bit honored. After all, the image of my boys brought back a feeling of nostalgia and joy for that man. He and his brother, who had passed away, used to ride down the stairs when they were little. The feelings were so strong that he decided to permanently tattoo it on his body. Pictures are so very powerful. This is an extreme reminder of that! And, I must admit, the tattoo artist did a phenomenal job!
It was also a huge honor for this image to win the CG Pro Prints "Best in Show" Photo Contest. It was one of 9 images chosen (out of over 800 submitted) and was displayed at the WPPI Trade Show in Las Vegas. It was displayed at their booth as a "Statement Piece"...a framed canvas.
It was humbling for it to also win 2nd place in the International Black & White Child Photo Competition in the "Lifestyle" category. To be recognized among such amazing photographers from around the world was such an incredible honor and blessing.
I can't tell you how many times I have seen the image randomly posted on Facebook pages and Instagram pages...with writing on it...as an inspiration piece or a piece that is meant to encourage or brighten someone's day. One that stuck out was an Instagram post from an inspirational page, and it said, "I'm so thankful I had a childhood before technology took over!" Granted, it used to bother me when I would see my images manipulated without my consent. However, I learned to let that go, too. People probably just see it as a "stock photo". I've realized that the main thing is that it makes people smile. It makes them feel something. It reminds them of a great childhood...and that is more important than anything.
Even if this image had only been seen my me and my family, it would still be my favorite picture I've ever taken. However, it makes my heart happy that it has brought so much joy to so many people. I never get tired of seeing it, whether it's my huge canvas that's in our entryway, or on a new Instagram post. It's been 4 years today since this picture was taken. I pray that it continues to bring smiles to faces all over the world!!
And because it made me smile today, I want to share the video that popped up on Facebook this morning! This was taken right before I took the picture! :) To see my wild boys in action, click HERE! :)
Thanks for letting me share my favorite image with you! Just remember...if you're snowed in this winter and have cabin fever, just keep your camera close by! You never know what you might capture...if just might be your favorite picture ever!! :)