Monday, October 19, 2009

Pumpkin Patch 2009

The past few weeks have been pretty crazy for the Walker's out here in Texas. For those who don't know I (Sean) am finishing off my last semester of school in the great town of Waco. Well, Waco isn't the most desirable place to live, but Baylor University is an awesome school that makes this town special. Recently I have been bombarded with school and tests which have forced me to set aside photography stuff (which drives me crazy) and bear down to get through. This past weekend was a huge relief as I dominated all my tests and was graced with a shortened week due to Fall Break. Brianne and I thought we would make the most of this "fall weekend" by doing some "fall-ish" stuff. What is more "fall-ish" than going to a pumpkin patch? So we headed out to the countryside to the Silo Christmas Tree Farm pumpkin patch. Since I felt deprived of photography lately I felt this would be a great little place to take some fun pictures. Brianne and I (mostly me) stuck out so much amongst the crowd. First, we were the only couple there that didn't have kids racing around. And it wasn't like there were just a few kids, there were hundreds. Second, I must have looked like the biggest dork with my camera gear strapped on my back, camera in one hand and tripod in another. Yes I know, huge dork. I just don't trust people taking pictures of Brianne and I because they usually end up nothing like I envisioned. So I kept my head held high and carried my tripod and gear around, set the camera timer and had a fun little shoot. Here are some of the pictures from the day.

My beautiful wife modeling for me as I get the settings all dialed in.

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I love putting on my boots. Ain't going to lie, deep down I wish I was a cowboy.
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This one is my favorite from the day. I love seeing my wife laugh.
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The huge silo that gives the place it's name.
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This one is for my nephew Diego who is obsessed with tractors.
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Brianne found the best pumpkin there!
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The story behind these last few pictures really has resonated with me the past few days. As we were waiting in line for some food the women behind me asked if I was a professional photographer (I wonder what clues gave it away) and asked if I would mind taking a picture of her little family with her camera. As we got to talking, Nancy began to share that her husband was currently serving in Iraq. He has been there for nearly 10 months and won't be coming home until February (if he doesn't get scheduled for a longer term). For a brief moment Brianne and I were able to get a glimpse into her life and hear some of the struggles that come along with raising 2 young children on her own. I can only imagine that on top of this she must constantly fear the possibility that her husband might never come home. I really can't imagine being able to do it. I wanted to do something to show my support for her and encourage her, but wasn't sure what to do. I told Brianne that we should buy their lunch for them, but I didn't know if that would be weird. So instead, I asked her if I could do a quick 10-minute photo shoot with her and her boys so she could send them to her husband. This got me thinking last night at 3am when I couldn't sleep. My goal is to touch lives through photography and until this point I have been lost as of how to make the biggest impact. So here is a little plan I have come up with. If you or any of your friends/family have loved ones serving in Iraq or anywhere abroad, I would love to arrange a free photo session. I would love to do as many as I can in time for the holidays. Help get the word out since this whole idea has just sprung up within the past 24hours. Please pass along any names that might come to your mind. Visit www.seanwalkerphotography.com and go to the contact page. Fill out the information and make sure to put in the comment section "FREE MILITARY FAMILY SESSION"

Brian was loving the big Pumpkins!
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The Pumpkins were as big as little Brennan
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Nancy and her young men.
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5 comments:

  1. Man, so cool. Keep up the good work.

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  2. With tears running down my cheeks, as a friend of Nancy I have to say ....THANK YOU!

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  3. my friend showed me your blog and i think your work is incredible. i, too, am a photographer and don't trust anyone else to take my photos. pretty impressive that you pulled off getting photos of you and your wife like that. i also come from a miltary family. my dad is a retired marine and served two tours in vietnam. i have a very deep respect for our military and am touched by your desire to serve them and their families by touching their lives with your wonderful photos. bravo.

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  4. You make me so proud little bro. You have the most amazing heart and I think what you are doing is fantastic! Love ya :)

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