We had never met before, but Rita's warm hug & smile at the door made me feel like we were old friends. Coffee was brewing in the kitchen, a pile of shoes sat by the side door, & a curly-haired pup came to say hello...it reminded me of home.
Rita, Jaime, & their three boys were on the couch & as we settled in to make pictures, I asked if they had ever had family photos taken before. Rita responded & said that they had not, that she took photos often but was rarely in them herself...it's an answer I've heard many times before, almost always from mothers & sometimes from fellow photographers...
And so I took note...of the love & pride in her eyes as she gazed at Patricio, her eldest son. I took note of the warm, easy smile on Pablo's face as he was wrapped in his mother's arms. I took note of Rita & Diego's laughter, their joy infectious & true. I took note of the beauty in their everyday, because I wanted Rita to see what I want all mothers to see...that they are at the center of it all.
