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"The Most Important Word in the English Language"
Have you thought about it? What's the most important word in the English Language - that is besides proper nouns (as in the names of people)?
Some people would say the most important word would have to be "love." A former pastor, friend and mentor of mine wrote a book* in which he made a very strong case that the most important word is relationships. One of his key points was that without relationships, there is no roadway or track on which love can run. You've got to have relationships in order to communicate love. He makes a good point.
Can you relate at all to this? Sometimes, it seems we live in a "gray" world. It seems there are no absolutes, nothing you can count on, nothing you can be sure of, nothing to hold onto that doesn't change. The economy is shaky. The world news is full of disasters. Even more significant, sometimes it seems the family, and everything else of value, is under attack through the "situation ethics" (what's right or wrong depends on the situation) that is served to us regularly by TV, movies, and popular music - sometimes subtly, and sometimes blatantly. Sometimes it seems everything is in shades of gray - nothing is black and white.
In a World Where Few Things Are Black and White...
...One Thing Is Certain, and That Is Your Love.
Of all our human relationships, family has got to be the most important. We spend most of our time with family. They give us encouragement, support, strength, and we do the same for them. Not only are they the most important people in our lives, they are the ones who love us the most. It's in those relationships that we learn what relationship and love is all about. In those relationships we learn how to relate to everyone else who comes into our lives. Love is the absolute we can always count on, and it is learned, expressed and experienced through our closest relationships.
That's why we create Love Is Portraits as a distinct division of Carr Portrait Art. We wanted a way to celebrate and reinforce relationships and the love they communicate. There are times when the absolute best way to do this is through a simple, uncluttered, black and white portrait.
 Imagine this, you've met the love of your life. You've spent time together, gotten to know each other, found numerous common interests, but the number one thing is simply each other! You enjoy spending time together - so much so, that he has finally "popped the question!" You're best friend is now your fiancé, and soon to be your husband. You're sitting together. You snuggle up close. His arms are around you. He's looking in your eyes, and you see the love there. You feel so content, so safe and secure. Nothing else matters. You lean into him, resting in his arms and in his love. That's what Love Is.
Don't miss this moment, in simple, artistic black-and-white, with nothing to distract from the emotion of the moment.
 You've committed your lives to one another, your love is growing every day. And now, so is your tummy! Congratulations, the two of you are about to become three! As you sit and talk about the future, he reaches over and touches your beautiful, baby-filled belly - maybe even leans down to kiss it, to speak to his little one, or just rest his head - and that's what Love Is.
Don't miss this moment, as part of a series of black-and-white images that showcase the joy of expecting that new relationship. No frills, no clutter, just the emotion of the moment.
Then the day comes when that "bundle of joy" arrives. It's amazing, isn't it? How delicate and beautiful that little baby is! The soft skin. The innocence. Imagine your husband, holding that soft, bare little baby in his rough hands against his shoulder and for all his toughness and masculinity, "Daddy" just can't help but kiss that soft little head. That's what Love Is.
Don't miss this moment - Daddy and baby, you and baby, and the three of you (plus any other children you may already have) in an elegant, simple grouping of black and white images that capture the beauty and strength of family relationships.
Are you catching the idea?! Isn't this exciting?! I'm getting excited about it just writing this!!
It's exciting to me because I remember the emotion I felt when Trish and I had Elise create some Love Is images for us. And it's exciting to think about offering the opportunity to you to experience it for yourself!
Now imagine your child a bit older, maybe in her teens. Your relationship has changed some as they've gotten older. She'll always be your child, but she's not seeming so much like a child anymore. In some ways, she's becoming a young friend. You do things together, go shopping, go out to eat, maybe play basketball in the driveway. You want to do something to acknowledge this, and to hold on to it. You know it won't be long before she's graduating, going off to college or career, finding a guy of her own.... Hang on a minute! You're not ready for that yet. ...You see so many good things developing in her character, and you have so many hopes for her. Imagine writing a personal note to her that tells her of your love, your pride in who she's becoming, and your hopes for her. Tape the note to the back of the portrait. When she graduates high school and gets ready to move into a place of her own, give her that portrait as a gift for her new home, and let her read the note that shares your heart for her. That's what Love Is.
Don't miss this moment. Capture it in a beautiful, simple black and white portrait of the two of you.
 Imagine your children are all grown. Your "nest" is empty. It's just the two of you again. You're finding out all over how much you love each other. You're amazed that the love you had on your wedding day, seems so shallow compared to the love you share now. You're sitting together. You're talking. You snuggle up close. His arms are around you. You feel so content, so safe and secure. You look into his eyes, and you see tears there as he, too, realizes what an incredible blessing it is that you love him, that he loves you, and how much your love has grown. That's what Love Is.
Don't miss this moment in simple, artistic black-and-white, with nothing to distract from the emotion of the moment.
But let's take that a step further. You have several images of the two of you together. They make a beautiful collection of focal point art over your sofa in your living room or family room. They're a constant reminder when your kids come to visit, of how much Mom & Dad love each other - hopefully an example for them to follow. What they don't know, is each of your children will inherit one of those images; and each one has a note on the back - a personal note from Mom & Dad - telling them how proud you are of them, and how much you love them, and what your hopes are for them now that they're grown. You won't be around forever, but they'll each have a forever reminder of your love. That's what Love Is.
Don't let your grown children miss this moment. Pass on the legacy of love and relationship to the next generation.
Can't any photograph be printed in black-and-white?
Yes. However, what makes Love Is portraits unique, and different from what any other photographer in the area is doing, is that they are created from the start to be black and white images. We don't take a bunch of photographs and then say, "Oh, this would be nice in black-and-white." This type of image is not an accident for your photographer to stumble onto.
Nor is this a matter of just shooting a bunch of close-ups to print in black and white. Any photographer can record your face. For that matter, anyone with a camera can "record faces." A professional should be able to do it with an artistic style and technical excellence that goes far beyond a snapshot. But even more important, is understanding both the psychology and emotion of relationships in a way that will help bring out the expressions so that anyone looking at your portrait will think, "Wow, that's what love is!" That's what I've committed my life to doing. That's why I am a photographer, and why I sometimes call myself a "Relationographer**."
When you come in to chat with us about your portraits, we'll begin to get to know one another. We'll talk some about your home, and how you want to use your portraits in your home decor. We'll also talk some about your family. We will find out how old your children are, and what's important to you in your relationships at this stage in your life, so that we can make some recommendations as to what type of portrait might best meet your needs. Then we can talk about locations and clothing, etc.
If you've read this and you're convinced a Love Is Portrait is what you want, or if in talking with you, we recommend it and you agree, we'll plan your portrait experience around that concept. We'll recommend clothing that is most effective for the simplicity of this type of portraiture. When you come for your session, we'll have the appropriate background and lighting to help with the sensitive mood and emotional message of this type of portrait.
So, What Should You Do Right Now (and why?)
Pick up the phone and call my studio at 392-3929. Even if it's after business hours, still call right now. I've got an answering machine that is just waiting to cheerfully take your message, and I'll personally call you back so we can chat. Just let me know when is a good time to call you back. Don't worry. I'm not going to try to "pressure" you at all into working with me. Plus, there's no cost or obligation at all for us just to chat.
Why right now? You know how things are. If you don't pick up the phone right now, and at least call me to chat, you will probably get swamped with other things, and forget all about it. Then before you know it, a year - two years - five years have gone by. How different your family will be by then? This moment will be gone.
These are precious times, and although things will change, this moment never has to slip through your fingers.
Don't put this off. You know how life is. A portrait to celebrate the relationships in your life, as they are right now, is something you deserve.
Plus, You Will Save 50% Off the Creation of Your Portraits and 20% Off Your Order By Acting Right Now!
Just suppose you call my studio and chat with me. Just suppose you decide you would like me to be your Relationographer. As long as you are one of the first 25 people to call before May 1, 2010, for your FREE chat, I will send you a certificate for 50% off the creation of your Love Is Portrait and 20% off your initial order, that will be valid through December of this year.
What does that mean? You don't have to actually have the photographs created immediately - although you don't want to put it off too long - just call me to chat. (Why are we putting limits on the number of people we are offering this to, and on the dates to call? We've looked at what we're offering and have determined what we can afford to offer in a given time period. There will probably be other specials later. However, we probably won't do the 20% off your order on the Love Is Portraits again as this is an introductory offer for this product line to go with our updated web site.)
So, for now, just take one simple step toward holding onto the important relationships in your life. You can call anytime. If I don't answer, just leave your name and number at the beep, and I'll call you back.
Rick Carr
Relationographer
P.S. - Remember, if you're one of the first 25 to call by May 1, 2010, just to chat about Love Is Portraits, you'll save 50% off the creation of the images and 20% off your initial order.
*Oscar Thompson, Concentric Circles of Concern (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1981)
**Since I'm giving credit where it's due, the term "relationographer" was coined by Bruce Hudson, a photographer from Seattle, WA.
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