What a joy it was to meet this trio and the warmth and cheekiness that their love for one another and life exudes! Set in the backdrop of Dari Restaurant (this is becoming a family favorite huh!), the early morning lighting set the bright and fresh edits on part of the set, and the shaded garden foliage allowed for much warmer bold colors, and a select with some jewel toned hues. I just love that I get to do this!  And I am so deeply grateful for every session that I have just to see this at the end. Enjoy! 

And with this in mind, I was asked by this lovely family to do a portrait session for the simple reason of wanting to remember this time, right now, where they are at as a family. It may sound cliche but I truly count this an honor. Set in the lovely garden backdrop of Dari Restaurant in Karen, mom and her two lovely children were true sports entertaining my moving them around to different corners of the garden for just the right mix of frames for them to remember this moment in time. As always, my edits stay true to style of photography: I maintained the bold natural coloring of each frame, with a select few finished with a pink hue for a warmer feel. Of course, the ever loved black and whites as well. Enjoy! And, don't forget to capture your moments in time as well. 

Every person I know who works in this field connects back to a person. Today we honor those people: Many with us in spirit. Many more with us in LIFE. Every single person who has been touched directly or indirectly. Those who research, those who advocate, those who respond in powerful and often unseen ways; those who live in courageous vulnerability to empower others. Every single beautiful, unique, irreplaceable and precious life that connects back to a fight that is worth giving EVERYTHING to and for. I honor you today and everyday.

"Someday, the AIDS crisis will be over. Remember that. And when that day comes, when that day has come and gone, there’ll be people alive on this Earth, gay people and straight people, men and women, black and white, who will hear the story that once there was a terrible disease in this country and all over the world, and that a brave group of people stood up and fought and, in some cases, gave their lives, so that other people might live and be free. So I’m proud to be with my friends today and the people I love, because I think you’re all heroes, and I’m glad to be part of this fight..." 

Vito Russo
Why We Fight
1988

For this set, I maintained the natural and bold colors for the majority of the frames, with a select few finished with a grainy and high-contrasted black and white. Baby, we are SO excited to meet you! Hurry and get here soon! Enjoy.

For this shoot I applied a combination of natural lighting and diffused flash lighting to preserve the integrity of the fresh product. I aimed to capture a diverse mix of wide views and close detailed frames to highlight the barker's skill and attention to detail. We made sure to include customized chalkboard messages as part of the package, which gives a rustic feel that reflects each bite: comforting like home but a professionally memorable finish. Visit Cake Crumble's Facebook page for more information. Enjoy and as Cake Crumble says, "Taste the Happy Moments!"  

From the married couple I met 3 years ago whose love story still moves me today just as profoundly as it did at our first meeting, to the enthusiastic and hopeful entrepreneur whose life continues to be transformed by opportunity and grace in the news of winning a housing lottery from the government. The new mother who joyfully celebrated the birth of her first child after decades of difficulty conceiving; Or the sisters who were reunited across two continents after years of separation and illness. And Lastly, the endless compassion and servant leadership by the organization that serves this particular community, and the hope that is restored through building self-efficacy and resilience physically, emotionally and spiritually: I am consistently moved to tears by the love that is experienced through the most basic of relationship  and connectivity in this one community in Addis.

Please enjoy this photo journey so dear to my heart, which captures moments shared  in the households of some of Addis Ababa most incredible families. My wish is that you feel the warmth and love that I experienced in their presence.  I chose to alternate between natural color and black and white, with a deliberately high-grain and sharper finish for an effect that I feel expresses the beauty of each frame. 

The session involved the whole family, mixing portraits with with the more traditional newborn set-up: We used a variety of backdrops and outfits to capture a diverse set of ideas and styling.  I was also very excited to put to use a set of new props I have accumulated over the last year of knitted goodies to keep baby super warm and extra cuddly-cute! My go-to lenses on this shoot: 50 mm prime and 50mm macro. Enjoy! 

Its actually rare that you get to work with the same family more than once or twice. In this case, I have had the honor to watch this family grow from behind the lens and over the years. The photos were taken at Hells Gate National Park in Kenya. Enjoy and feel the love :) !

Birmingham Fotography - Esther-128