Life Getting You Down? Try This Remedy....

The perpetual wars in the Mideast. Racial tensions coming to a head nationwide. Drug makers vastly inflating prices of medications, because “all the cool pharmaceutical CEOs are doing it”. Women STILL fighting the fight to be considered equal. Everyone watching the economy with collectively quickening pulses and bated breath. The Caribbean being clobbered by a storm whose satellite imagery looked remarkably....villainous. Native Americans protesting their lands from a hostile takeover all for petroleum. And coming down to the wire of a potentially historic, if not decidedly exasperating, election season. It becomes difficult to try and function like a normal human being with the constant bombardment of everything wrong in our society via the wonders of 24/7 “journalism” and social media, doesn't it? It becomes difficult to remember a time when things were much simper, and times were much happier, right? Well, as my first blog post on my revamped little corner of the internets, I decided to pay homage to my absolute favorite part of my business, which is coincidentally the same thing that reminds me that no matter how bad being a modern day adult in a world LITERALLY getting crazier every 2.5 seconds is, there is still hope for it all:

…..kids.

I have always loved working with kids. My very first shoot in the field was a maternity shoot with an awesome couple I'm still friends with to this day. I've watched their son grow into an amazing little guy with an equally amazing personality, and I'm so thankful to have been able to be apart of watching this family grow.

I've been lucky enough to work with even more families and their equally amazing kids. There's been many times when I'll meet people in my line of work, and they introduce me to their son, daughter, or niece/nephew. And within a few minutes, this usually ends up happening:

The Human Jungle Gym, at your service.

If you can't tell from the photos, most of the time I'm a grown (albeit a little vertically challenged) kid myself! With that being said, kids have a tendency to gravitate towards me. Because of that, I've been able to get some really cool shots of even some more introverted kids.

I value working with kids for one reason (aside from them treating me like a human jungle gym....)

 

Usually, The wonderful (and I say that with every ounce of sarcasm I can muster) world of adulting hasn't impeded on a child's ability to see life without jaded, cynical eyes. The only thing on a child's mind? What saturday morning cartoons do I watch with my cereal? Do I build a fort out of couch cushions and pillows, or draw on every surface I can find with crayons and markers? Ride bikes or play baseball? Climb trees or hide and seek? Build snowmen and igloos, or stay inside and have some hot chocolate?

 

I love working with kids because at the end of the day, they have an innate ability to appreciate the simpler things in life, something that we as adults forgo as time moves on. Children represent possibility, adventure, and probably most important of all, hope....something that, more so nowadays than ever, seems lost upon us. These moments in their lives, before life comes for their innocence, are some of the most important to capture, and I recommend for any and every family to do so!

 

So next time you feel like the election seems pointless, your job is getting you down, or life in general is coming at you like a full bag of bricks....reach out to your son, or daughter, niece or nephew, or any young family member. Don't have any young family members? Volunteer for Big Brother/Sister organizations. And go build that snowman or that go kart. Teach them how to swim. Play football. Help show them that life really can be as awesome as they think it is. And who knows? At the same time, they just might be able to help you remember the very same thing.

Most of the photos of me are by Stephanie Ramones over at www.contigophotography.com.

Brandon WalkerComment