Alexandria & Emma | a mother-daughter session

Our task must be to free ourselves...by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beings. - Albert Einstein

There are people in this world that inspire us. They inspire us to widen our hearts, to see the good in the world, believe in ourselves and chase after the life we dream of. They inspire us to embrace the dark corners of ourselves and to use the weight of struggle to manifest love and creation.

Alexandria has become one of those people to me.

When I first met her you could feel her kindness, but there was a mystery to her. One I couldn't quite put my finger on. But as we got to know each other, I realized the otherness she carried was not the guardedness I initially perceived it to be. What was different was that she truly and whole heartedly is the kindness that she radiates. Her humbleness and compassion for others and the world around her is unique and refreshing in a time when so many seek to point out your weakness. 

I had the privilege to photograph Alexandria and her daughter, Emma. A daughter that is already so much like her mother in how she sees the world with a vivacious sense of curiosity. 

We spent the evening exploring the Ellwood Bluffs not far from their home in Santa Barbara. There were winding paths, discovering new flowers, climbing through tangles of tree branches and soaking up the energy of the sea as the sun darkened behind the clouds. The ocean held us close as the wind danced with our hair and the last bit of light gave way to the night. 

Capturing the electric connection between these two and their appetite for nature was so much more than an experience. It left me with a new understanding and joy for life. 

An Evening Together

"There is a reason that dreams and magic walk hand in hand. They both require that ability to let go, imagine, and create. Children do this without effort. The whole world is their canvas because the wish it to be." - Alexandria Ramon

We watched, merely standing by to provide support as they climbed amongst the tangled branches, moved though paths of various directions or simply forging one anew. We laughed as they fed ducks and screamed with joy as they took flight. And we encouraged their wildness as they danced among reeds and painted their own creations of love among mud and moss. 

It was a mingling of worlds; A mother's and a child's, coming together briefly to share in the joy of a moment, then parting ways again. We were all there together, conversations of life and light flowing freely but what we saw and what we felt through those hours was not alike. And that's ok. We each walked away understanding that we had played and marveled in a space of beauty and wonder with people that brought a smile to our heart. Together.