View Through the Lens

Innocence
Fort Worth, TX

"Father asked us, "What was God's noblest work?" Anna said, "Men", but I said "Babies". Men are often bad, but babies never are."
Louisa May Alcott

During a recent photo shoot of a newborn, the best of my emotions moved me. As I shot each frame, the same feelings which overwhelmed me at the birth of my own daughter, came back to me. They were vivid and heretical towards my own beliefs. The infant in front of me was perfect in every way and guileless. There were no noticeable flaws just miniature perfections from nose to toes.

Guileless
Fort Worth, TX

Each frame reminded me of those thoughts that I held nearly twenty-nine years ago in the wee hours of the morning. I recognized the fact that the perfection of a child has value. For those who hold a judeochristian beliefs, it stands to reason that value comes not in our unworthiness but rather in our worthiness. The perfection of birth should in fact reinforce those beliefs of intrinsic value and our self-worth within this universe.

We sacrifice our lives for things that truly have value and meaning to us. As I took this frame and similar frames, I shared them with both the mother and grandmother of the newborn. My eyes teared up as I showed them what I captured. As I peered through the lens  again I was reminded of  those feelings I felt as a father twenty-nine years ago. "Oh my God, she's perfect."

Each one of us has value. We are born perfect and with significant redemption value. Its absurd to think otherwise. Personally, I know that I would never subject myself to hardship for anything or anyone that has no value.

As photographers, we are challenged to capture with integrity; as humans we are challenged to reveal emotions and feelings. My images, fine art and commerce, act as communication conduits, channels used to convey the experience of my senses.