Sonya at 6 months
Dasha and I worked together many years ago. One of the fun things about revisiting old friendships with a camera in hand, is that you get to step back in awe at all the change that time inevitably brings, while also holding space for the person you once knew.When I announced that I would be offering film sessions to clients, Dasha was one of the very first people to reach out to me.“We had our wedding shot on film,” she told me. “We know it’s worth it.”And just like that, I had their complete trust.When I arrived to her home, she was just as I remembered her- fresh faced, glasses on, comfortable clothes. She didn’t have her hair & makeup done, instead she was standing in the kitchen, asking me how I wanted my egg for breakfast. There was no transition. There was here & Now.And so, we settled in as old friends do, over coffee and small talk, with the baby monitor glowing beside us. “I can’t believe she’s sleeping this long!”, Dasha exclaimed. I had hit some traffic coming into the city and thought for sure I would be walking in to a post-nap cranky baby. Instead, the house was quiet. “My film cameras can be a little loud,” I said. “I can’t put the shutter on silent, like with digital cameras.”“It’s ok! We will just play it by ear, see how it goes.”And just like that, we heard Sonya stir. It was time.
I have no words to describe the joy of the next two hours with Sonya. Thankfully, I don’t need to find them. What you see here is a perfect representation of the immense joy that this little girl brings to this family, this home.When I delivered these to Dasha, I told her this:
