UNEXPECTED
Danielle was not expecting to need to tell a story
until one fateful day in August 2023.
We weren't expecting the perfect client to come to us
so quickly after starting our business, so out of the blue.
And none of us were expecting God to move in such
a healing way through our collaboration.
Read on...
Unusual
We heard from Danielle via email in January 2024. She said she had an "unusual request" - a photo shoot geared towards her grief but NOT her grief.
Intrigued, especially because she is our age and was going through a tragic loss, we reached out to her quickly. Our own losses gave us an immediate empathy for her and her family.
Unbearable
Danielle's husband died on a business trip, far away from home. His wife and kids were devastated. This was traumatic.
A 27-year marriage
abruptly changed.
Three young adults lost their Dad.
Danielle told us they were obviously all still going through a lot, still in shock, and all still
really missing him.
Understood
After some reading and self-reflection, and with the help of friends and family, Danielle discovered a motivational saying: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain". This saying really rung a bell with her. She was learning that grief has no timeline but also
that it doesn't always look like you thought it would.
Uncommon
Danielle was feeling the ups and downs of loss but was coming out with tons of strength - also known as Post Traumatic Growth. She knew she had a lot of life left to live, so she was gonna live it! She told us she couldn't NOT embrace what was happening to her - she'd always lived for everyone else and was now choosing to do what she needed to do for herself.
Unicolor
She was envisioning a session with a monochromatic setting during a rainstorm.
To be captured fully embracing her storm and the rain of her grief
but finding renewed life in spite of it -
dancing her way into the next chapter of her life.
We were UNDENIABLY ON BOARD IMMEDIATELY!
We've mentioned before that we (Joye and Debby) study the Bible together, and during this timeframe
we were immersed in a daily chronological reading ...
as the months progressed and we developed our process for making this shoot meet all of Danielle's needs,
we entered into a time in Psalms.
We clung to this Scripture to help us hold onto the vision for her session:
Psalm 30
v 5b weeping may stay for the night,
but rejoicing comes in the morning.
v11 You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
v 12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.
NIV
unPREDICTABLE
We have developed a process for gathering information and collaborating
to make sure your photo session is a complete success.
We hold an initial phone call, then an "in-person" FaceTime meeting,
send a contract and print release, then provide a Style Guide, a questionnaire
and full list of proposed poses and props for your session for your approval.
This shoot was no exception, HOWEVER the little element of
"WHEN IS IT GOING TO RAIN IN KNOXVILLE?" came into play as well.
Danielle was so accommodating to let us research weather patterns in April,
Because, after all, April showers bring may flowers.
When we finally had a week in mind, we put it in the books.
UNSEASONABLE
Fast forward to a particularly rainy first part of April but also ridiculously cold for tennessee.
We scouted downtown Knoxville and landed on Krutch Park, with its leaf-heavy trees, large open grassy area and gorgeous, unique works of art.
We found some nice surprises
(the fractured wall, the huge boulder at the creek, the light pole with
The Tennessee Theatre perfectly showing in the background).
Not to mention one particular tree-lined street
we had in mind for a very special end shot.
Unexpected 2.0
As we made our plans for her shoot, we had no idea poor Danielle would almost freeze to death that day!
Ok, so that's a little melodramatic, but you get the point!!
Wearing a thin, white, button-down, long shirt and black leggings,
Danielle was the picture of a quintessential classy lady.
We wanted to throw a beautiful black see-through material over her for effect
in front of the main gate at Krutch Park,
but goodness gracious when it landed on the concrete in the rain
it soaked up the rain and soaked her through to the bone -
within the first 20 minutes of our shoot!*
Ever the trooper, she dug in and allowed us to continue shooting
at all NINE different locations within the park.
*we learned a lot that day
We think it was worth it (and we know for a fact she did too)...
Unbound
Danielle was bound by grief and tied up in emotions when she learned of her husband's death. But she has been able to walk free of the bondage of grief, symbolized in these first images of our session.
Unfamiliar
One of the hardest moments of the day came when our photographer told Danielle she wanted her to do something she knew it would be hard for her to do: to think of her husband and let those feelings show.
None of us will forget when she asked:
"Is it alright if I cry?"
A resounding "YES" came next and this beautiful image was born - we were so thankful Danielle allowed us into her grief and memories in this moment.
*click this image for her story on our website
Uncharted
Our hearts broke further as we shared in her memories when she pulled out her husband's wedding band for several shots ...
as she stared off in remembrance of him, portrayed a butterfly stuck in a cocoon and touched a fractured wall representing her fractured heart.
Unveiled, Uncovered and Uninhibited
And then the lifting of the sadness to embrace her new future - not that this means she doesn't miss her husband terribly ... but she's embracing and loving herself, allowing herself to move forward in grace and trust and strength.
Free from the bonds, a floating butterfly, dancing in the rain puddles in pure delight.
This story is not over but our day had to end...and our last shot was
UNBELIEVABLE
The clouds moved away for just a split second and the light shone directly down the tree-lined street.
Danielle's only ever requested pose
was of her standing facing away from us in the rain,
eyes looking heavenward, hands lifted high as though stretched out to her husband.
The moment was magical.
Everything halted.
It was as though a supernatural embrace was surrounding her
...and we got the fringe benefits!
Unhindered
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Unexpected 3.0
We had hoped and prayed and wondered a LOT before our session date
if our efforts would meet Danielle's needs
at such an integral point in time of her life.
We felt so responsible for getting this RIGHT!
But why were we worried?
Hadn't we prayed scripture over this session?
And God answered with a resounding YES!
And little did we know her session and story would mean so much to US!
We healed, learned and grew too!
In closing, we were able to witness her amazing transformation back into color...
