Mattioli's Sunday Dinner

I love that being a photographer allows me to be a witness. A quiet observer. And most importantly, a preserver of moments in time.

I met with the Mattioli’s to photograph a family dinner. It was full of all the things that come to mind when you think of a Sunday dinner - great food, great conversation and lots of love.

As I was going through these photos, I smiled.

I thought of my Grandma.

How I would have loved to have had a photo like this with her from a quiet onlooker of the way we interacted during what most people would perceive as small moments in between the bigger ones. Those bigger moments - I have photos of the two of us from my baptism and communion. Graduation. Confirmation. Birthdays. But my favorite, a thanksgiving selfie and snapchat video of the two of us with the dog filter. It’s the informal ones that I hold closest to my heart.

When I was in college, I took a photography class. I wish I would have taken many more or studied the subject exclusively, but that’s a story for another day. For one of the projects, I used my grandma as my subject. I had this idea to take a photo of her hands, up close and personal. I loved the way she held a tea cup. I loved the way she wore her wedding ring long after her husband had passed. I loved all the wrinkles and the story they told.

When I look at those photos I took of my grandma, the hands aren’t in focus enough. My settings were way off. But they put me right back into her kitchen, sitting beside her sharing a “nice cup of tea” and “good conversation” as she would often say. I miss that.

As a photographer, I am always hoping to grow technically. I want to learn the best editing techniques. I want my instagram feed to be consistent and full of natural light. I want to grow and build and find success. But above all, I want to make sure I never forget why I fell in love with photography and decided to pursue it professionally - I want to preserve memories. To tell a story. To tell your story.

I want to give you something to hold in your hands when they’re wrinkled and aged while smiling next to someone you love over a nice cup of tea and good conversation.