Girlfriends
I had a wonderful personal and photographic experience last week. I was asked by Esther (a good friend of my Mothers) to create a portrait of her with her best girlfriend that was visiting from out of town. No problem, I can do that. When they came to the session I started to get the history of their relationship. It was such a wonderful story. Esther and Galina have been best girlfriends for 52 years. They started showing me photographs of them together over the years and telling me stories. They had meet as school girls in their native Russia. They had spent time together working as young woman. They married about the same time. The two couples were very close through the years. At one point they had country homes right next to each other. The history of their relationship was such heartwarming story. They had their families at the same time; they grieved together through personal tragedies, they grew older together.
Almost 20 years ago their friendship would change forever as Esther and her family immigrated to the United States from Russia. Now they had a long distance friendship through letters, a few phone calls, e-mails and a few visits. This is what really struck me. It would have been natural for their friendship to change and for them to grow apart with such a distance between them. The exact opposite happened as Esther and Galina continued to grow old together. They shared even more and grew closer together, in spite of the physical distance between them.
I have often times said that for me photography it is all about the “story and the relationships” that I enjoy. Of course, I am inspired by photographing however my real inspiration comes from my subjects. When I get to know who I am photographing and what makes them tick that is when I feel that my portraits really have “life” to them. I do that with everyone I photograph it many different ways. What I have not mentioned as I started to hear Esther and Galina’s stories, I was only hearing half of the story as Galina does not speak a word of English. What a great idea it was to bring me some photographs of them together through they years. I learned about them from their snapshots together. What I did not realize until just this moment is; I watched their body language and without understanding what they were talking about I saw how they talked to each other. I learned about them by just experiencing them together.
Well let me tell you that experience was so inspiring and special. It made me think of all of my amazing girlfriends. All my girlfriends that have laughed with me in good times and supported and at times carried me along during my most difficult times. The girlfriends I have had for 30 years and the ones I am just as close to only after a few years. I have so many great girlfriends from all over the country and world. I am blessed to have a bunch of good girlfriends from so many aspects of my life. I have my photography girlfriends that I have traveled the world with. I have a dear, dear girlfriend from High School I am still close to. I have relatives that I consider girlfriends. I have good friends that I went to summer camp with as a kid. I have many clients that have become my girlfriends over the years. I have so many diverse and different strong, kind, loving, funny and passionate friends. I am reminded yet once again how blessed and lucky I am.
I wanted to share with you my favorite portrait of Esther and Galina. I took a beautiful portrait of them happy and looking into the camera they both loved. That is the portrait that they had in mind when they asked me to photograph them together. However, the image that I had to capture and that really spoke to my heart is the two of them just being close and really being as one heart together. As much as I know that this really them it was kind of difficult to actually take that picture. Remember I could not give Galina any verbal direction as she could not understand me. I got the image that was in my heart of them and they loved it too. I hope that you enjoy this image as much as we do and that this story reminds you how blessed by the good friends you have in your life.
On Tuesday, I am off to spend several days with two of my dear girlfriends. I am so excited to spend time with Lynn and JuliAnne. I am sad that the fourth person in our group Annell is not able to join us this time. These 3 amazing woman are all fabulous photographers and we get together yearly to share, create and inspire each other. As much as I don’t enjoy my body getting older with all its aches and pains I sure do appreciate and enjoy my many friendships and I look forward to growing old with all my girlfriends. They sure do make all the highs much higher and the lows a little easier to endure. Here is a big hug and kiss to all my girlfriends (way to many to mention by name and you know who you are) and you know how much I cherish and love each and every one of you. Until next time, be well.
Comments
Monica commented on July 13th, 2009
Aaahhh...So glad to have been able to see several images from this awesome session!What a story of them and how well-written by you!
Joan Strunk commented on July 22nd, 2009
Beautiful story, beautiful image.
Annette Graves commented on July 22nd, 2009
Hi Angela, love this and your writings. Still remember our girls classes we took in Conn. with Joyce Wilson and others, Was a good time for me and hope all the others that took it. Did remember got to visit a tad at a La convention. And look at you- doing wonderful as ever. Hugs Annette Annette
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