Sometimes when you photograph something you know what you are going to get. You know that when you look in that little window in the back of your camera what you will see is an image that you composed. You have posed someone, or given them a prompt, whether that is something to think about, say, or a way to move their body. But one of the reasons I love candid images is because sometimes your photos are the only evidence of a split second interaction between two individuals. Like in this photo.

My oldest son and I were at the orthodontist earlier today and there was this adorable little boy there who was probably no older than two. I looked over and smiled, and thought about how most of us will smile or give a small wave if we see a little one looking our way.

And as I was going through my images from this wedding, I realized that that's what I had captured in this moment. This was probably the only photo of these two together the whole night, but it was this sweet, funny split second that honestly could probably never be recreated even if I tried.

I think the photos that stop us in our tracks aren't always the ones with the glowey lighting, or the perfect pose, but are oftentimes the ones that cause us to pause, to observe a moment that would have been otherwise lost in the busyness of a wedding day.