The bulk of my clients are parents with young children. For the most part, they’re in the same socio-economic bracket and are very similar to one another. They shop in the same stores, eat at the same restaurants, watch the same television shows, and frequent the same websites. Same same.

I’m always a little extra enthusiastic when photographing those clients who are different from the norm. The more radically different they are the more excited I am to portray this on film. For a long time I thought my reasoning behind this was simply that variety is always a good thing, but looking at it closer I’ve decided that there’s something else ultimately motivating me.

Ironically, when photographing those people who may be from a foreign land, hold very different belief systems, or live an unusual lifestyle from the norm, what I’m most hoping to convey is how underneath it all they are just the same as I am…..as anyone is. The fundamental desire for love and acceptance is at the core of each one of us, and it seems to me that the more we can open ourselves to recognizing this fact, the greater tolerance we’ll develop.

Imagine how much more peace we might experience in our lives if only we could increase our tolerance for what is externally different. Connecting with what is the same internally may be a small step in the right direction.



~Cynthia