Emotional connections in B&W
I don’t know about you, but I am a feeler. I have deep emotions and love to reflect on my inner feelings. I rate these images based on their level of emotion and personal connection to me! I love each and every one of these photos dearly because of how emotive they are. Honestly, these photos really can’t be in any particular order. I just want to share why I love them so much! (The number and description is above each photo)
#9
This is my God-sisters daughter Yayla. Her name means “Happy child”. It is truly fitting to her personality! She is so full of joy that anytime she enters a room, no matter how I am feeling, she will brighten my day guaranteed! She never stops smiling and laughing. I love the snaggle-tooth photos because it just shows how little they are! I took this photo in 2020 when she was 7 years old. COVID-19 had its way in the world and was destroying hope in me. I lost a lot in 2020. One thing I lost was motivation to enjoy anything. It was my first year going to college on campus since I had been doing online. I was excited to maybe make new friends and experience college life, and of course, COVID swoops in and makes me mad. But Yayla. She, along with many other kids, lost a lot too. They lost the ability to go to school in person and be with their friends… they had to talk to people online. They couldn’t have birthday parties or hangout with others. Some may have lost a sense of normalcy in life because so many things shifted. So, they too had lost a lot. But Yayla NEVER stopped being her happy self. And even now, at 10 years old, she is still the same happy child who loves to make everyone smile! She’s a beautiful reminder to, through it all, choose joy! Even as a baby she never stopped smiling! I used to ask her mom for her to come over simply because she lighted any mood and made the day so much brighter! She encourages me to be that light for someone else!
#7
Myra Jo. This image of her just makes me feel peace. I take a deep breath when looking at it. Does it make you feel that way too? This baby is only 2 years old here and somehow, posed this way all on her own. This photo was taken in my living room with just a simple black sheet and a miniature blanket around her head. I love the emotion it conveys!
#5
This family did a session on the beach, and I captured this photo of their oldest child. I can’t quite explain it. But his eyes tell it all. I see a really strong child wants to always protect family just like dad. A child who walks closely with his dad, following in his footsteps. I could tell that he really looks up to him! I love capturing kid’s eyes because as the saying goes, they really are a window to the soul.
#3
This is little Siana and her dad. I love her gaze here and how she’s resting on her dad’s shoulder. This photo is one of my favorites because she reminds me of me when I was child. I was a daddy’s girl and I was basically inseparable from him. If you read my bio, you read that I lost my dad when I was about 8 years old, and that I never could’ve imagined being a photographer. The idea never even crossed my mind. But I believe that God helped me to discover my gift in photography to help heal some of my wounds from losing my father. I somehow, in an unexplainable way, am blessed when I am able to bless others with the gift of photography. I’m grateful to witness these connections and capture them for people. When I started editing this photo, I just had a slight vision of me resting on my dad’s shoulder just like this. This was me. I love this picture because in the midst of wanting to pretend I was never a daddy’s girl, in the midst of masking the sadness and suppressing my real feelings toward losing my father, this picture reminds me of those happy and tender memories that I should never want to forget.
#1
These two babies! They were both 1-year olds in this photo and this is also the first time they met! I provided childcare for the both of them during this time and captured this picture on a random day! Not really sure how I happened to get them both to look at me because that’s pretty rare for 1-year olds! To paint you a picture, they became best friends at first sight! There were no questions asked. They ran to each other and gave each other a big hug. They began laughing and telling their own baby secrets to each other. I mean, the absolute cutest thing ever. Myra Jo (Left) and Zenya (Right) to this day, are best friends. They are both 4 years old now and I just really love that they formed such a beautiful connection. I love that babies are born with a love for others and without any judgement whatsoever. I titled this photo “Born Equal” because of how they don’t know anything about race. They just love each other. I continue to pray that one day, we will get to experience this kind of love in every corner of the earth. I pray that one day soon, the whole world will realize that we all bleed red. That we all come from the same creator. We have only one maker. God created each of us and he wanted us to be different. He wanted us to learn from each other and share experiences because we are all one. Before I named my business AshleyAriaPhotography, it was “InHisImagephotography. I made the change only because I recognized another photographer with this name! But it was based off of the verse Genesis 1:27 ” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them.” Which simply means that we were made to resemble God! So, if created us, and also sent his son Jesus Christ to come and relate to each of us, wouldn’t that mean that perhaps Jesus is just like all of us and that we are all also just alike! If we are all God’s children, why would he create us to dislike each other because of what we look like? He didn’t! We are all just variations of multiple colors and ethnicities but were made to resemble the same God. So, this is one my favorite images. Because in the world we live in today, where hatred is spread like a wildfire, it gives me hope for the next generations to come. Hatred it taught. But God is Love. And if we are created in the image of God, we are born with love.
Colossians 3:14 “And Above all these put-on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
#10
What a precious babe! I just love how tender it is to hold your heart in your hands. This baby will grow up and look back at this photo one day. He will see how much his parents have loved him since the very beginning. That sweet little message to your baby that says ” I love you, Ill hold you forever” is so special. Babies know they are safe in your arms. The connection from birth is so worth capturing!
#8
I love to capture raw emotions. I mean the emotions that you might think are a bit frustrating and annoying right now. The emotions that seem to come at the most inappropriate times. But I will say, in my photo sessions, there’s no better time for your kids to have those emotions. It is so precious to me, to capture the real feelings. It will one day remind you of how tiny they were! How they viewed the world. How they worked hard to understand their own feelings but couldn’t quite understand it! How they were completely dependent on you for comfort and understanding! Riya ran into her mom’s arms when she got emotional. Little kids are still learning to express themselves and I think that tears only remind us that we are human! So, I love to capture it all! I photograph the real moments. Let’s not wait until there is a ‘happy’ moment to take a photo, because all the moments are fleeting and they all matter!
#6
There’s simply not enough words to describe how heartwarming this photo is! (I could say the same about all of these) But this is so precious to me! The emotion in this image is why its one of my favorite. Just such a sweet and peaceful connection.
#4
We are in a generation where many children feel emotionally disconnected from their dads. We live in a generation where boys are afraid to be vulnerable because society tells them that men don’t cry or share emotions. That it’s socially unacceptable. This photo warms my heart because, in this moment Hudson wasn’t having the best day. I love that his dad allowed him to feel what he was feeling. A common misconception is that boys need to toughen up and not show any weakness. But I think it’s so important for kids to know that it’s okay to share your emotions because we are all human.
#2
My niece Imani (Right) and Maddie, a friend she met on the beach! The pure innocence of children is the sweetest blessing that we all have been given the chance to learn from! They didn’t know each other but immediately hit it off and enjoyed time at the beach together! I love friendships that form like this. Organically and completely random. Kids are a joy because they are just full of love and compassion for others. I wish I could go back to around 2009 when making friends was this easy! As an adult, friendships rarely form like this. But it’s still really sweet to see it form with children. It’s sweet to see that they didn’t care about how the other looked a little different from them. Imani was not very comfortable in the ocean as it was her first time. Maddie was playing in the water near her. They met when Maddie asked if she wanted to play and go further in the water, but Imani told her she was too afraid to. So, Maddie was being a good friend and helped Imani out of the water and they ran to the shore together to build sandcastles! How sweet this was to see! I even captured them holding hands and bracing the waves together. They had fun jumping over the waves and it helped my niece Imani get more comfortable in the water! They didn’t stop to consider any differences in appearance. They just locked hands and became friends. On this very same day, Maddie stepped on a sharp shell and got a cut on her foot. Imani was there to comfort her saying “It’s okay! Don’t worry I will stay right here!” I spent the whole day on the beach hanging out with them and it was so cool to witness two complete strangers become friends so quickly and easily. And though they live in two different states and had to give tight hugs as they went separate ways, they exchanged numbers and had chances to facetime! I am certain they will both always remember this day and the impact they had on each other. I hope one day, they reunite in person, and that I’ll get to tell yet another beautiful story of their friendship. And that leads me to #1!
Emotional connections in B&W
I don’t know about you, but I am a feeler. I have deep emotions and love to reflect on my inner feelings. I rate these images based on their level of emotion and personal connection to me! I love each and every one of these photos dearly because of how emotive they are. Honestly, these photos really can’t be in any particular order. I just want to share why I love them so much! (The number and description is above each photo)
#10
What a precious babe! I just love how tender it is to hold your heart in your hands. This baby will grow up and look back at this photo one day. He will see how much his parents have loved him since the very beginning. That sweet little message to your baby that says ” I love you, Ill hold you forever” is so special. Babies know they are safe in your arms. The connection from birth is so worth capturing!
#9
This is my God-sisters daughter Yayla. Her name means “Happy child”. It is truly fitting to her personality! She is so full of joy that anytime she enters a room, no matter how I am feeling, she will brighten my day guaranteed! She never stops smiling and laughing. I love the snaggle-tooth photos because it just shows how little they are! I took this photo in 2020 when she was 7 years old. COVID-19 had its way in the world and was destroying hope in me. I lost a lot in 2020. One thing I lost was motivation to enjoy anything. It was my first year going to college on campus since I had been doing online. I was excited to maybe make new friends and experience college life, and of course, COVID swoops in and makes me mad. But Yayla. She, along with many other kids, lost a lot too. They lost the ability to go to school in person and be with their friends… they had to talk to people online. They couldn’t have birthday parties or hangout with others. Some may have lost a sense of normalcy in life because so many things shifted. So, they too had lost a lot. But Yayla NEVER stopped being her happy self. And even now, at 10 years old, she is still the same happy child who loves to make everyone smile! She’s a beautiful reminder to, through it all, choose joy! Even as a baby she never stopped smiling! I used to ask her mom for her to come over simply because she lighted any mood and made the day so much brighter! She encourages me to be that light for someone else!
#8
I love to capture raw emotions. I mean the emotions that you might think are a bit frustrating and annoying right now. The emotions that seem to come at the most inappropriate times. But I will say, in my photo sessions, there’s no better time for your kids to have those emotions. It is so precious to me, to capture the real feelings. It will one day remind you of how tiny they were! How they viewed the world. How they worked hard to understand their own feelings but couldn’t quite understand it! How they were completely dependent on you for comfort and understanding! Riya ran into her mom’s arms when she got emotional. Little kids are still learning to express themselves and I think that tears only remind us that we are human! So, I love to capture it all! I photograph the real moments. Let’s not wait until there is a ‘happy’ moment to take a photo, because all the moments are fleeting and they all matter!
#7
Myra Jo. This image of her just makes me feel peace. I take a deep breath when looking at it. Does it make you feel that way too? This baby is only 2 years old here and somehow, posed this way all on her own. This photo was taken in my living room with just a simple black sheet and a miniature blanket around her head. I love the emotion it conveys!
#6
There’s simply not enough words to describe how heartwarming this photo is! (I could say the same about all of these) But this is so precious to me! The emotion in this image is why its one of my favorite. Just such a sweet and peaceful connection.
#5
We are in a generation where many children feel emotionally disconnected from their dads. We live in a generation where boys are afraid to be vulnerable because society tells them that men don’t cry or share emotions. That it’s socially unacceptable. This photo warms my heart because, in this moment Hudson wasn’t having the best day. I love that his dad allowed him to feel what he was feeling. A common misconception is that boys need to toughen up and not show any weakness. But I think it’s so important for kids to know that it’s okay to share your emotions because we are all human.
#4
This family did a session on the beach, and I captured this photo of their oldest child. I can’t quite explain it. But his eyes tell it all. I see a really strong child wants to always protect family just like dad. A child who walks closely with his dad, following in his footsteps. I could tell that he really looks up to him! I love capturing kid’s eyes because as the saying goes, they really are a window to the soul.
#3
This is little Siana and her dad. I love her gaze here and how she’s resting on her dad’s shoulder. This photo is one of my favorites because she reminds me of me when I was child. I was a daddy’s girl and I was basically inseparable from him. If you read my bio, you read that I lost my dad when I was about 8 years old, and that I never could’ve imagined being a photographer. The idea never even crossed my mind. But I believe that God helped me to discover my gift in photography to help heal some of my wounds from losing my father. I somehow, in an unexplainable way, am blessed when I am able to bless others with the gift of photography. I’m grateful to witness these connections and capture them for people. When I started editing this photo, I just had a slight vision of me resting on my dad’s shoulder just like this. This was me. I love this picture because in the midst of wanting to pretend I was never a daddy’s girl, in the midst of masking the sadness and suppressing my real feelings toward losing my father, this picture reminds me of those happy and tender memories that I should never want to forget.
#2
My niece Imani (Right) and Maddie, a friend she met on the beach! The pure innocence of children is the sweetest blessing that we all have been given the chance to learn from! They didn’t know each other but immediately hit it off and enjoyed time at the beach together! I love friendships that form like this. Organically and completely random. Kids are a joy because they are just full of love and compassion for others. I wish I could go back to around 2009 when making friends was this easy! As an adult, friendships rarely form like this. But it’s still really sweet to see it form with children. It’s sweet to see that they didn’t care about how the other looked a little different from them. Imani was not very comfortable in the ocean as it was her first time. Maddie was playing in the water near her. They met when Maddie asked if she wanted to play and go further in the water, but Imani told her she was too afraid to. So, Maddie was being a good friend and helped Imani out of the water and they ran to the shore together to build sandcastles! How sweet this was to see! I even captured them holding hands and bracing the waves together. They had fun jumping over the waves and it helped my niece Imani get more comfortable in the water! They didn’t stop to consider any differences in appearance. They just locked hands and became friends. On this very same day, Maddie stepped on a sharp shell and got a cut on her foot. Imani was there to comfort her saying “It’s okay! Don’t worry I will stay right here!” I spent the whole day on the beach hanging out with them and it was so cool to witness two complete strangers become friends so quickly and easily. And though they live in two different states and had to give tight hugs as they went separate ways, they exchanged numbers and had chances to facetime! I am certain they will both always remember this day and the impact they had on each other. I hope one day, they reunite in person, and that I’ll get to tell yet another beautiful story of their friendship. And that leads me to #1!
These two babies! They were both 1-year olds in this photo and this is also the first time they met! I provided childcare for the both of them during this time and captured this picture on a random day! Not really sure how I happened to get them both to look at me because that’s pretty rare for 1-year olds! To paint you a picture, they became best friends at first sight! There were no questions asked. They ran to each other and gave each other a big hug. They began laughing and telling their own baby secrets to each other. I mean, the absolute cutest thing ever. Myra Jo (Left) and Zenya (Right) to this day, are best friends. They are both 4 years old now and I just really love that they formed such a beautiful connection. I love that babies are born with a love for others and without any judgement whatsoever. I titled this photo “Born Equal” because of how they don’t know anything about race. They just love each other. I continue to pray that one day, we will get to experience this kind of love in every corner of the earth. I pray that one day soon, the whole world will realize that we all bleed red. That we all come from the same creator. We have only one maker. God created each of us and he wanted us to be different. He wanted us to learn from each other and share experiences because we are all one. Before I named my business AshleyAriaPhotography, it was “InHisImagephotography. I made the change only because I recognized another photographer with this name! But it was based off of the verse Genesis 1:27 ” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them.” Which simply means that we were made to resemble God! So, if created us, and also sent his son Jesus Christ to come and relate to each of us, wouldn’t that mean that perhaps Jesus is just like all of us and that we are all also just alike! If we are all God’s children, why would he create us to dislike each other because of what we look like? He didn’t! We are all just variations of multiple colors and ethnicities but were made to resemble the same God. So, this is one my favorite images. Because in the world we live in today, where hatred is spread like a wildfire, it gives me hope for the next generations to come. Hatred it taught. But God is Love. And if we are created in the image of God, we are born with love.
Colossians 3:14 “And Above all these put-on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”
#1
Let’s talk! Comment below your favorite photo! I’d love to know what you think!