.jpg "Leigh Ann Hines concert photographer and modern lifestyle portraits")
WHY?
Why do I do what I do? WHY am I a photographer?
When someone asks me “what do you do?” its a easy answer:
I’m a photographer.
I create art.
I capture true life and emotion.
I help families and couples connect and express their love and create art that captures their truth and tells their story.
I help people find their inner beauty and give them something to remind them everyday how gorgeous they are, inside and out.
Nobody ever asks “why?”
I’ve been pondering this question for awhile. Over the last several years I’ve been exploring new connections in my art, sampling from my background in psychology to bring more meaning into my images.
One afternoon last spring, while preparing dinner, I had the tv on. Oprah. One of her final episodes. Let me start with saying I’m not a huge fan of the Oprah show, but I am a fan of her. She’s done great things for people and causes. She uses her fame as a platform to help others.
Ok, so one thing she said hit a bullseye in my heart.
Use your life to serve the world
Stop. Think about that for a moment.
It’s not just about charity. It’s about using your heart and your passion to make your community, your family, and this world, a better place. What type of energy do you put out into the world?
This struck me because I’ve been exploring and digging into connections within my work.
Finding Meaning.
Capturing Truth.
I don’t want to just create pretty pictures of people. I want to create meaningful images. Images that capture the true passion and emotion that is the essence of someone. I strive to capture the connection between people, the love of a couple, a mothers love for her child, a family’s joy and love. We are more than a pretty pose with nice clothes and a great expression. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing beautiful pictures of myself that make me look beautiful, thinner, younger, hip & cool… But what I love the most are images that have meaning in my life. They transport me back to the experience and emotions of that moment. Its like music. I can hear a song and instantly I defy the laws of time and space and be transported back to a memory, to a time when that song had meaning. I not only remember those times and feelings, but I actually FEEL them again. I want to do that with my images. I want to help people experience something real and meaningful while capturing it on camera, and those images become that time machine that takes them back to that moment and that experience. I want to help people strip away the daily burdens and connect to their inner beauty, the love inside themselves, the connections they have with their family and partners. I want to capture that true love, that true connection, those authentic moments with my camera so they can be transported back to that feeling everytime they see it. That’s what I want to create for others. That’s why I do what I do. It’s the closet I can get to creating a time machine for people.
by leighann
18 comments
Tilda Grace - wow. I totally get it. I totally want it.
Graeme - This is wonderful and honest and completely you.
Janet Roggy - I love this! You are amazing and I am in love with the way you see the world and how you enable me to see myself. Thank you x100!
Nancy - What a beautifully written post! What a great job of articulating your why.
Declan - You set my mind and soul to a new place when we talked. I wish everyone could experience what you give to others. You opened my mind to new worlds in my songwriting. The heart speaks truth and you helped me see that. Just as this beautifully articulated piece speaks truth. I hope you understand how much you’ve opened my eyes and heart to what I wasn’t seeing. You my dear make this world a better place.
Josh - Beautiful…just beautiful.
Tony - Beautifully said.
Amelia - You amaze me. I’ve never felt as beautiful than when you photographed me. You made me feel beautiful and that’s what I see in the pictures and in the mirror. <3
Gaz - love this more than a big pot of jam. jammy biscuit material indeed. youre the real deal my dear. octopus hugs.x
gareth - im still whirling from the words and images you captured and now this. every photographer, person, needs to spend an hour with you to open their eyes & heart to all your goey goodness. sign me up for your next round of sessions in london please. soon. please.
Pauly - Wow. Those are powerful thoughts. I understand exactly what you mean when you talk about music taking me to a different time and place but never thoughtvof photos in the same way. You’re exactly right though. They do take me back. Thanx for opening me up to this whole concept.
Gemma - your perspective of the world always astounds me. authentic is the perfect word, both to describe you as well as your photos. some day all photographers will embrace authenticity, we can only hope. <3
Michelle - you completely inspire me
Tony Baloney - THIS is why you are the rockstar. THE ROCKSTAR who captures rockstars. haha.
Johnny - a musician’s dream, to have my music bring joy and, as youve described, transport again and again back to that joy.
leighann - Thanks Johnny, that means a lot. Music moves me. Your music moves me.
leighann - Thank you everyone. I’m glad that many of you get this, and get me. It’s all such a personal exploration.
Adelaide - <3 <3 <3