A client recently asked me if I would photographer her dad, who's health was ailing and she wasn't sure how much time he had left. He actually said to her, "I'm not going to make it to Christmas." I was heartbroken upon hearing this, but jumped at the opportunity to try to capture what spirit was left in this wonderful father of hers. This morning was the shoot. He had just come from a doctor's appointment and had to rest before we got started. My client and I got to visit and she gave me some background to his favorite pastime, which was working on his antique cars, some of which he built from the ground up and some that he just collected and maintained. I learned that he built his first car at the age of 11, and that he has won various trophies in drag racing and boat racing over the course of his life. The shoot started and he was able to move around a little but was very stiff. We managed to get him in a few cars, and I had him lean on others. The longer we worked, the more excited he got, and his passion for cars became more and more prevalent. I tried to imagine him in his youth, the stories coming to life. At the end of the shoot I got a few clicks in of him and his wife next to one of the antique convertibles. I had warned her that it was something I wanted to do because I didn't want to catch her "off guard." So often we focus on the one person but forget to incorporate them with the people they love. For a few shots, I had her next to him and coached him to stare at the camera while she kissed him on the cheek multiple times. He started smiling and laughing. I fought back a tear before wrapping things up. As I was leaving, my client said to me that she hadn't seen her dad smile that much in months and it was wonderful to see him so happy. {sigh} I feel so fortunate to have met such a wonderful person, even if for a short time. We are hoping to do one more shoot with him in coming days, if we are able.  "Back in the day..."Albuquerque Lifestyle Photographer Kate Livingston