I often think of my grandmother…
Remembering
I often think of my grandmother. How I would give anything to be sitting with her on the patio at her south Alabama home in the muggy heat of the summer. She would set up paints and let us try our best at creating anything that semi-resembled the flowers in her backyard, while she steadily painted away at a masterpiece next to us.
The people who fill ours lives shape us. It’s the hand squeeze our mom gives us right before we go on stage for our big ballet performance, or our dads pep talk before the championship soccer game. The memories of grandparents massive hugs that seem to overtake us, and goofing off with your siblings that probably got us into trouble.
I hold close the photos of family members I never got to meet, or those who pasted long before they should have. Time moves quickly, and our memories become what we hold onto. And if you’re anything like me, the photos help me remember.
They help me remember my childhood, my family members dear faces when I live across the country from them, and they help me remember the beautiful life I am building with my partner, Craig.
I realized how quickly our memories fade and how easily a photo can bring me back to a memory that could’ve otherwise been lost.
All of these ramblings have become the woven foundation of my work. I think of the words I wrote a decade ago about this business: “Fashioning honest + heartfelt memories into a documented legacy.” I wanted this work to be about something more than pretty photos. It’s about humanity, the shortness of life, and creating something that helps us remember.
I’m an East Tennessee girl who married a West Colorado boy, now living somewhere in-between and traveling often.
My partner, Craig, and I met in a film class and with one smile, we new there was something more. After five years of dating, long distance, and some cross country moves, we love seeing how our life continually takes new shapes as the years pass. I often call us a social butterfly of a couple. We are quick to jump in on plans with friends and ready for a good time. On the flip side, we can get lost in a conversation with a new or old friend and value friendships most in life.
Like most of us humans, I often feel like I am a bottled up mix of contradictions. I love a party, friends and socializing, but oh does alone time sustain me. I enjoy bold fashion, art of all forms, and a loud statement with color and texture, yet I wouldn’t ever describe myself as a “loud” or “bold” gal. I typically find corners of a room to chat quietly with a new or old friend and I have had dozens of clients share that I was a “ground & peaceful” presence of their wedding day. Its funny how a person can love to blend into the crowd and be a fly on the wall, but also find herself at the end of the night on the dance floor, and yes that is me. I think this interesting mix of personality is what makes wedding photography feel like this ever-evolving perfect fit of a job. Every wedding is different and I love the fluidity that is needed to move through each day.
Its a career that found me unexpectedly, and continues to surprise me year over year with new reasons to love it
A little bit more about Ruthie…
