Welcoming Pearl

Erin Blinn-Curran April 6, 2018

Connection creates the most compelling story a photograph might tell, every time. When a collection of photographs communicates the unique and yet universal beauty of a family, together, in the comfortable security of just being, I find my most prevalent response to their photos one of gratitude. They've allowed me to see and document something true and good about life, about the world.

Pearl's newborn session, just three days after her birth, stands out to me because the joy and energy in her family as they adjusted their lives to welcome this tiny person felt tangible from beginning to end. I saw so much love, from her confident, proud biggest sister and her finding-her-way little not-quite-as-big sister to her smiles-never-left-their-faces mom and dad. It felt like they'd all been waiting for her all their lives and like in 72 short hours her permanence in their hearts and home was long established. I saw so much connection that day.

When Photos Become Love Letters

Erin Blinn-Curran September 18, 2017

The moment my nephew was born last July I stood mesmerized, and to borrow a line from Bono, his first cry was a joyful noise. I had the privilege of witnessing most of Jameson's first year as an in-town auntie, and watching him grow and change from newborn to baby to toddler, somehow in the span of no time at all, helped me see all the good stuff in life. Unsurprisingly, my sister and her husband took to parenting with confidence and ease. I got to see that too.

Meghan and I always thought we'd welcome babies around the same time; that wasn't meant to be. Her precious boy, though, taught me to allow myself the grief of the motherhood I might not experience while celebrating the joy of this wee baby who won my heart from the get-go. I didn't know how redemptive his presence would be, nor did I know how much I needed tangible redemption. When we decided to move I was sad about leaving our families and saddest about losing the privilege of being a week-by-week witness to Jameson becoming himself.

I'd meant to blog his birth photos, his newborn photos, photos through the year... And somehow I never got around to it. I love that now that I finally pulled photographs I have a collection of his story through his first year, mostly in horizontal black and white for cohesion's sake (along with a very important post-birthday diptych). I've always loved documenting an ongoing story most, and this year-in-the-life makes my heart explode. These photographs, they are my love letter, not just to Jameson but to myself and to my family. He is ours, for keeps.

Adventures in the PNW with the Bestie and Her Sidekicks

Erin Blinn-Curran November 2, 2015

"To live would be an awfully big adventure." -J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan A friendship forged during twenty-something globetrotting fueled by passion and marked by adventure started with a whole lot of wandrelust. It's fitting, then, that these days my friendship with Carla looks like everyday explorations with three inquisitive minds. We may not be collecting passport stamps these days, but our conversations remain rich. The time we get together these days, fleeting because of the many miles between DFW and the PNW, is something of a sacred space for me.

I learn a lot from Carla. She's wise in her relationships. Her marriage is full of grace and kindness. Her intentionality with her children- genuine consideration for each little personality and heart- is something I hope to emulate in motherhood some day. The places she takes her brood on any given day invites imagination, wonder and an appreciation for what is beautiful on this good earth. While we didn't manage a single family photo during my last trip, what we did capture tells a whole lot of story about what really matters in the life of my dear friend. Revisiting these photographs inspires and delights me.