Behind the Lens: The Importance of Laugh Lines

If you have followed this blog for a decently reasonable amount of time, you might notice that I can be a bit of a ‘thinker.’ I will often start my sentences with phrases like, “I’ve been pondering lately” or “have you ever thought about…(insert some random musing that most wedding photographers don’t include on their blog).” This of course in no way guarantees that the proceeding collection of words and phrases will be anything meaningful, thought-provoking or awe-inspiring. There is no promise of great philosophical food for the soul, if you will, but there is something equally as intriguing…the opportunity to dive in to some of the inner-workings of my heart and mind. Not a hint of sarcasm in that at all…

Sometimes those who love me most say that I ‘think too much’ but at the end of the day, it is who I have been made to be. So, either pick up your cup of coffee and snuggle up for today’s little nugget, or consider yourself fairly warned that now would be a good time to click on over to your next blog. The one that talks about really cool things like cooking, baking, fashion, interior design and how to get rockin’ abs. You know, the topics that I am clueless on.

So, “I”ve been pondering lately”…

My family LOVES to laugh. No really, we do. When all of my sisters get together, it’s an immediate giggle-fest as we share stories, find ourselves dancing in the kitchen and lose all composure. Just ask my brother-in-laws…they can tell you because they have had to endure it far too many times. Seriously, we are laughers. Well, over the last few years, I have had that dreaded moment where you look at yourself in the mirror and begin to notice things that you swear weren’t there the day before. Those creases that somehow suggest you aren’t as young as you thought you were. Reminders that though you are no ancient artifact, you certainly aren’t just applying for your driver’s license. You know…wrinkles.

As I was editing some new head shots I had taken recently, I did a double take at some laugh lines that I noticed had appeared so cleverly under the radar. My first reaction was of course to freak out inside and dramatically say to myself, ‘You have lost your youth!” A ridiculous statement, of course. However, as my mind mulled it over for a bit, I began to see the beauty of those lines and how grateful I was for them. Being a photographer, I typically document people in some of the prime times of life and beauty. Their hair and makeup are done, their clothes are perfectly selected, their wedding dress made up of beautiful materials and generally, their physique is benefiting from the ‘Wedding body’ workout plan. The one that you work so hard on only to throw out the window the minute the wheels touch down at your honeymoon spot. While those things are certainly aids in making someone beautiful, the more I age and watch as beauty unfolds, I am all the more aware that what really gives beauty are those things we hate the most. Wrinkles. They are imprints of a life well-lived. They are remnants of emotion that has exerted itself in expression. They are Ebeneezers to experiences that shape the man or woman whom they inhabit. They are credentials for wisdom that only comes with age. They are markers and milestones made visible by the left-overs of one of life’s greatest medicines. Laughter.

So, as I seek to document what is truly beautiful, here’s to a life that is lived more to embrace the wrinkles than trying to escape them! I hope that today, you find experiences and people who will deepen your laugh lines.

Happy Monday!