“As a wedding photographer I’m very much immersed in other people’s love and trying to capture and preserve their special moments and feelings for each other. I love doing that. But what about taking pictures of people I love and trying to preserve these feelings and moments just for myself?
I’ve been wanting to taking some pictures of my parents in a natural and relaxed manner for a while now. They’re well into their 70′s and it’s their 50th Wedding Anniversary next year. So as far as post-wedding shoots go this one is quite postponed!
I love my parents dearly and I’m left in no doubt that they greatly love me as well. We do however have a somewhat traditional middle-class relationship whereby we’re more likely to talk about the traffic conditions or the state of the economy then tell each other how much we respect and love each other. I’ve always imagined that one day we’d have ‘that’ conversation, you know the one, the one were we drop all the barriers and speak from the bottom of our hearts. But as time passes I’m beginning to realise that perhaps those conversation only happen in the movies.
For their age, my parents are both in rude health but I still feel that in the next decade or so I’ll very much be starring down the barrel of losing one or both of them. So that’s why these photographs are so important to me. I wanted some photographs of my parents while they were still both around and in good health. I wanted some photos that I could remember them by when they’re gone.
It’s been an odd and quite emotional time taking and processing these pictures of my parents but most of all it’s reminded me of just how amazing, powerful and important photographs can be.
So this is what 75 years of life and almost 50 years of marriage looks like. Not bad indeed. I love them both immensely – even if I don’t say it as often as I’d like.”
You can find Brett Symes on The Love Lust List in South West Photographers.
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