Capturing joy: A moment that remind us

Letting yourself be playful or being fully present—even in small, unscripted moments—keeps you connected to what feels authentic. It makes life softer. It gives you energy, not just toward goals, but in the journey.

There’s something about seeing children playing on the beach that makes me feel alive. The laughter. The sand under their feet. The way the wind pulls at hair and clothes. To capture raw moments like these — spontaneous, messy, full of light — is one of the greatest gifts of this work.

We spend so much of our lives tied up in chores, deadlines, “being responsible.” We forget about the child inside us — the one who wants to run, to jump, to feel held and free, to simply enjoy. Every effort, every plan, every goal is, ultimately, for joy. And yet so often we push that joy off, as if it were a luxury instead of part of what makes life worth living.

When I lift my camera, what I hope to hold is this: the unseen delight in someone’s eyes, the way muscles move in laughter, the moment of pause when someone realizes they are safe, enough, understood. Because the process — the in-between parts of life — is what shapes us, what colors us, what builds depth and character. It’s easy to celebrate the end — the finished image, the completed project — but there is magic in the doing. Magic in the waiting, the lighting, the imperfect framing, the small mistakes that feel human.