Thursday, February 09, 2012

About photography.


I find that as my children grow, it is harder to photograph them. When they were babes like this sweet friend, Vita, their genuine beings just show through. They just are without effort.
Remick still is on the cusp of this age, so earnest about every emotion. And sometimes he'll hold still long enough for a photograph, but still not into the soul like with babies.
And with Makili, there is the camera behavior:

And besides he's just always moving so fast and in so many directions it is impossible to in any way capture what is going on with, his obsession at the moment with learning math, or winning, or drawing in his diary, or "doing homework." How he loves Diego, and learning about animals, and ice skating, always ice skating, asking every morning if we are going to skate today. He can't hold still, even in bed for the moments he is awake before he nods off. He wiggles and squirms, and breaths in your face. But I take pictures sometimes anyway, and sometimes, the texture of his skin and pout of his lips and his disheveled hair make me weak even though I know I'm not capturing "him."
And sometimes in his camera silliness, I see what his real joy looks like in the background and some tiny part of my boy is captured, without any of the complexity of his being and our relationship.
And then there is poor Ege. I just take pictures of him doing laundry:)