stuck

I had a four hour photo shoot today, of a three year old's birthday party. I don't cover a lot of kid's parties professionally, but I've been there for every birthday party this little girl has ever had. I took pictures of her the day she was born and at a few other points in her young life. This year they'd originally planned the party for a date that I was unavailable, so they switched the date. I could say that this is flattering, but it's more than that. These are people who put their confidence in me four years ago, when I wasn't even sure I could call myself a professional photographer. They have photos that I've taken hanging throughout their house, in the homes of friends and family, and on their screensavers. They count on me to capture the story of their little girl's growth. When I left this afternoon, the mother said, "You know you're stuck with us, right?!" It's an honour.