Thanks for the Memories…
2025 will be another & new chapter for Matina Cordell Photography, Belle Dame Boudoir and my newest venture, Love at First Site Styled Shoots. I’m unbelievably excited for the surprises that’ll unfold over this coming year. I’m looking forward to the new people I’ll meet and the moments I’ll be able to capture for them. As optimistic as I am for this year, it started on a hard note for me. It’s amazing how someone you’ve never met, can still have such an impact on you and your actions.
Today I attended a service for an extremely close family friend of my husband’s. A woman who I had never met before, someone who, only until recently, I wasn’t even aware about, but she sounds like she was amazing. She sounds like the kind of person I could have been serious friends with, not only for sharing a love of Disney, but for being close with my family.
She was taken from us at only a short 34 years of life. I listened for hours as friends and family came up to talk about how incredible she was. Every story was centered around her joy of making people happy. This beautiful and moving celebration of life took place in a room FILLED to the brim of photos of her smiling; enjoying life to the fullest and doing things she loved. At the end of the speeches, we watched a slideshow of her life. Seeing every photo from her as a little one, growing up and going to school, to accomplishing her dreams… It made me think about how precious not only all of our lives are, but how important it is to have that photo taken. Even if it’s not perfect. Even if you’re making a silly face. There are memories attached to photos that’ll never leave, and can always be passed down to the next generation.
When my husband, Curtis, and I took our engagement photos I wanted those picturesque grand shots that you see everyone get. We were in beautiful Big Bear taking photos in the freezing cold and dressed like we should’ve been in the desert. No matter how beautiful all our photos came out, hands down, without question, my favorite photo are these two…
Our photographer had asked us to walk across this little patch of snow which had a small layer of ice on it. Curtis decided to take this opportunity to fake falling, which actually caused me to slide and ended up with us laughing so hard our stomachs hurt.
These genuine smiles are the ones I strive for with all of my clients. These special moments are the ones to capture and remember. These are the moments of pure joy that should be savored.
I was reminded about that today. Seeing someone who was so full of joy and life and who had been taken too soon. Today gave me the drive to make this year count for all my photographs and clients, because sadly, since it is the truth and there is no way to beat around the bush about it,… all of these photos we take will be passed down. The memories will be immortalized and these are the moments that we and posterity will remember.
I would love to capture all those moments for you. From little to monumental. Anything you feel you want to have recorded and immortalized, whether it’s as simple as your child’s sporting event, getting ready for their senior prom… or something as big as your wedding day and giving you’re significant other those saucy photos you never thought you’d EVER convince yourself to take.
I’m here for all of those moments… I look forward to sharing the joy with you.
Thank you “D” for reminding me that the memories will always be cherished with the photos. And that the photos are ALWAYS worth taking.
