Whimsical Shots
“Who was that cute couple you just talked to?” he asked as he walked into her home studio with his coffee mug. She was doing Photoshop on her Mac.
“Barbie and Kenny,” she replied. He raised his eyebrows.
“Seriously, those are their names!” she said, half-laughing.
“What do they want for their pre-nup?” he asked, referring to the pre-nuptial photo shoot that couples want included in their wedding photo packages nowadays.
“The usual – outdoor, playful,” she said as she continued working on her Mac. “She wants it shot around his BMW,” she giggled.
“Ha! I knew it,” he said. “And only this Barbie talking while….” He sipped at his coffee.
“…Kenny…”
“…while Kenny kept looking at your hemline. Not a good sign.”
“Dad! He wasn’t looking at me. And stop being a marriage…forecaster!” she laughed.
He sat beside her and put down his coffee mug on the computer table. “You know I’ve shot countless weddings, then baptisms, birthdays, graduations…” his voice trailed off. “My clients say I chronicle their lives. Too many times I’ve seen hope and happiness turn to disappointments.”
She said nothing.
“You really have an eye for romantic shots,” he glanced at the photo she was working on.
“My clients say I make fairy tales,” she said without taking her eyes off the monitor.
“Fairy tales don’t come true,” he took another sip at his coffee.
They were quiet for a while. “One client told me their wedding album saved their marriage,” she said. “They had a bad quarrel, but they cried when they saw the photos.”
He did not speak. She continued working on the Mac.
“Dad, I was looking at your earlier work. They were like my shots.”
She looked at her then closed his eyes.
“Whimsical shots,” he said finally. Then he added, “I had to raise a daughter by myself since…”
“…since Mom passed away?” she completed the sentence. “When I was ten,” she added before he could continue.
“I had to get the paycheck shot every time,” he continued. “No time for whimsical shots,” he said as he looked at her.
Her eyes were fixed on the Mac.
He took a closer look at the photo on the monitor. It was a young couple captured in a moment of shared laughter. He was carrying her on his back in an open field, her arms around him, and they were both looking at the camera. The love that shone in their eyes in that split second was frozen for all eternity. He stared at the monitor for a very long time.
“Of all the weddings you’ve shot, what’s your favorite?” he asked suddenly, smiling at her.
“The first one! I did it for free, for my best friend. It was so much fun – they were a naturally happy couple,” she smiled, remembering. That wedding album started the word of mouth that made her the hottest name in wedding photography.
“Maybe not all fairy tales come true, Dad. But who knows?” she said, smiling back at him.
He stood and headed for the door, then stopped.
“May I help you shoot Barbie and Kenny’s pre-nup?” he asked.
She looked at him. “Sure thing, Dad. Why?”
“Thanks. I’m going to practice making whimsical shots again. For someone’s wedding. I don’t want to miss a shot when the time comes,” he said as he walked out the door with his coffee mug.
“Barbie and Kenny,” she replied. He raised his eyebrows.
“Seriously, those are their names!” she said, half-laughing.
“What do they want for their pre-nup?” he asked, referring to the pre-nuptial photo shoot that couples want included in their wedding photo packages nowadays.
“The usual – outdoor, playful,” she said as she continued working on her Mac. “She wants it shot around his BMW,” she giggled.
“Ha! I knew it,” he said. “And only this Barbie talking while….” He sipped at his coffee.
“…Kenny…”
“…while Kenny kept looking at your hemline. Not a good sign.”
“Dad! He wasn’t looking at me. And stop being a marriage…forecaster!” she laughed.
He sat beside her and put down his coffee mug on the computer table. “You know I’ve shot countless weddings, then baptisms, birthdays, graduations…” his voice trailed off. “My clients say I chronicle their lives. Too many times I’ve seen hope and happiness turn to disappointments.”
She said nothing.
“You really have an eye for romantic shots,” he glanced at the photo she was working on.
“My clients say I make fairy tales,” she said without taking her eyes off the monitor.
“Fairy tales don’t come true,” he took another sip at his coffee.
They were quiet for a while. “One client told me their wedding album saved their marriage,” she said. “They had a bad quarrel, but they cried when they saw the photos.”
He did not speak. She continued working on the Mac.
“Dad, I was looking at your earlier work. They were like my shots.”
She looked at her then closed his eyes.
“Whimsical shots,” he said finally. Then he added, “I had to raise a daughter by myself since…”
“…since Mom passed away?” she completed the sentence. “When I was ten,” she added before he could continue.
“I had to get the paycheck shot every time,” he continued. “No time for whimsical shots,” he said as he looked at her.
Her eyes were fixed on the Mac.
He took a closer look at the photo on the monitor. It was a young couple captured in a moment of shared laughter. He was carrying her on his back in an open field, her arms around him, and they were both looking at the camera. The love that shone in their eyes in that split second was frozen for all eternity. He stared at the monitor for a very long time.
“Of all the weddings you’ve shot, what’s your favorite?” he asked suddenly, smiling at her.
“The first one! I did it for free, for my best friend. It was so much fun – they were a naturally happy couple,” she smiled, remembering. That wedding album started the word of mouth that made her the hottest name in wedding photography.
“Maybe not all fairy tales come true, Dad. But who knows?” she said, smiling back at him.
He stood and headed for the door, then stopped.
“May I help you shoot Barbie and Kenny’s pre-nup?” he asked.
She looked at him. “Sure thing, Dad. Why?”
“Thanks. I’m going to practice making whimsical shots again. For someone’s wedding. I don’t want to miss a shot when the time comes,” he said as he walked out the door with his coffee mug.
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