Images Can Heal

photography by karen kuehn of Landon and Grandma

Iconic Images

Photographs hold a lot of power and can make others feel just about every emotion if you capture the right moment, the right feeling, and in some cases these images become iconic for us as they remind the viewer of how impermanent a time can be, therefore a priceless memory.  The DeSmet family are farmers for the most part.  Erica DeSmet has modeled for me for over a decade.  Farm kisses on tracktors with her now husband Michael, blindfolded shots sybolizing that love is some sort of leap of faith, naked in the corn hawt shots and than naked pregnant and what about those nursing shots where her new son at the time was dressed up like a little calve for Halloween pictures.  We have a history together that is a treasure.  On this day we circled round their dairy farm taking images. We ended up with grandma.  A moment I will never forget for sure and as Wendy rises above her cancer issues, her grand kids are some of the motivating factors for her to stick around longer.   Cancer sucks for sure and when you have a family you love, it is a big help to kick it to the curb.  Not always the case for some but for Wendy she is in remission. Erica now has her second son and both are gifts not only to this farm family but to the community.  New Mexico is not a mecca of money making adventures but the friends I've made her are very down to earth and sometimes that can sustain a souls piece of mind.  As a photographer you can make a difference for subjects.  Find those connections and tell creative stories with your camera.  A year later I am asked to do more shots for some family pics and I found this shot framed and made into a canvas piece.  Its great to see this as it confirms the good you can share with the world at large.  Make a difference, you can.

 

“I'm Wendy DeSmet, I was diagnosed with Leukemia January 2011. It started out with bruising on the skin all over my body. I was on a trip with my children and thought I had gotten the flu, I had a sore throat, feeling tired and running a fever. Came home sick and went to the doctor, I had blood work done and was called back in and they told me I had to see an oncologist that day. My husband Huck took me and they did a biopsy of the bone marrow and they told me I had cancer and would be admitted into the hospital immediately for treatment. I was in shock with this news, that I would get real sick with chemo and lose my hair. They were right I did, but with the help and support from my family and my new grandson Landon. I am now in remission as of May 2011. So Landon and I had a contest to see who would get more hair and I won. He is the most precious grandson in my life and now we have another precious little boy named Logan. I am so blessed.

I love the picture that Karen Kuehn did of Landon and I, I even had it made in canvas for my bedroom, plus I show it to all my friends.  This photo she took was the best medicine I could of had, it means so much to me, it shows how much I love my grandson and now I have Logan to share my love with, Thank you from the bottom of my heart Karen for taking such a beautiful picture of me and my Grandson Landon.   Love to you.”

Praise the Lord.

Wendy