Life Authentic – being present

Images keep appearing from the gallery of my latest photo session with Katie. Just to recap for those that are seeing this for the first time.

POSTED February 15th, 2016

“For some time now, I have been contemplating the value of authenticity in my life and in my passion of image making. Living this great gift of life with cognizance, and the motivation to sort out what is real, what is meaningful; and on the other hand, what is unreal, not authentic and can be dispensed with. Seeking Life Authentic.

Well… I got a message from a client of mine from 2007, asking me if I was interested in a project and she said that “time was of the essence”. The next day we were able to connect. I asked what was going on that was so timely and what is this project. Katie was reaching out for some imaging of her and her sweet family as she is facing the life shaking diagnosis of breast cancer. Katie is 34, married to a fine man and they have two beautiful young daughters.

It’s then, it’s what she told me next that totally turned me on a dime.

She said that this shocking reality of going headlong into treatment and surgery had changed her life and that all of a sudden everything in her life that was not authentic was falling away! I knew from her words that I had found a very important and meaningful task. Time to give!

Here in lies the beginning of a journey in life. A journey that many women face these days and one that I am honored to capture and share, for Katie and her family as well as others that might find beauty, strength and inspiration. Here’s to the VICTORY of Katie over this disease.”

Spending time photographing with Katie last week was full of telling moments, moments of conversation and moments of just seeing and capturing. Katie told me candidly and with her ‘matter of fact’ attitude, “I have never felt so alive!”.  It shocked me initially but as I look over these images I get it.  Facing such a life threatening experience forces you to live in the present.  The present is alive.  Not the past, not the future… but NOW.

Here are a few more images, images of Life Authentic – being present!