During the spring of 2015 Emby Taylor Photography was introduced to Dream On 3 and we fell in love with the organization at first sight!!! There are those little things in life on which you can’t put a price….our connection to Dream On 3, initially via a mutual friend, is one of those things for me. I can’t express how grateful I am that we were brought in to Dream On 3.
I am one of the storytellers, one of those that captures and shares the Dreams through pictures with everyone out there. Photographing a Dream is a dream in itself. Our cameras are always with us, lens caps off ready to shoot because we know that around every corner, there will be fun, touching, caring, or just down right awesome moments happening!
Of course, a huge part of the story is the moment when the actual dream is coming true, the culmination of the whole trip. Watching this happen is incredible and fills your soul like nothing else can. It is my role to bring this moment to everyone back home so that we all get to see how it unfolds and comes true for the Dreamkid. We want to share the perspective that portrays what it is really like for the Dreamkid…
and of course the commemorative photo for the album! :)
and making the most of those moments! Dream Kid Chase couldn’t believe that I laid down on the ground and asked the Seattle Seahawks to huddle up with her so that I could get the “insider angel” of JR Sweezy and his offensive line along with Russell Wilson for her.
But of course, with Dream On 3, that’s not all you get. There are so many events and plans to make it a once-in-a-lifetime experience! According to Dream On 3, if Luke Keuchly is going to be at a Dream Kids birthday party, well, then let’s go shopping! Dream On 3 took Dream Kid Jessica to Sloan Boutique in Charlotte to pick out her birthday party outfit.
It’s important for us to interact with the families so we can get to know them and understand them. It’s not like true photojournalism, while we never stage or create moments to photograph, we are not a “fly on the wall” either. We interact and become a part of the experience to capture that insider perspective. When shopping with Jessica, I noticed her delight and gratitude as her personal shopper helped her choose the perfect outfit. As I got to know Jessica throughout the day, I knew that she showed her happiness through affection.
Or how a big brother can know exactly what to do to make waiting time seem less overwhelming
And we get to know and understand what will really make the Dreamkids happy so that we can be at the perfect place at the perfect time to capture their pure joy!
Or knowing the family’s story so that when you see that inside moment that means the world to them, you can capture it. Like when an NFL coach is being watched by Concord Spider’s Coach-Dad at practice while his daughter, who has always supported and loved her daddy’s coaching, stands by….
Then there’s what we refer to as the “Dream Mojo” It always happens…. a home game is won when that hasn’t happened in close to two years...
or running into a Disney’s Kid President on the sidelines of an NFL game!
A no-hitter happens for only the fifth time in franchise history, the Panthers go on an incredible winning-streak.
You can always rely on some form of “Dream Mojo” to happen, and when it does, we all just high-five and relish the moment!
But one of our favorite parts of the Dreams to capture are the relationships. The new ones….
It’s these little moments that we sneak a peek at that make us smile the most. The Dream Kids are having the time of their lives meeting new people and making new friends, while the families are over-the-moon watching their loved one enjoying their time.
The adoration that we see can’t be fully described in words, but it sure shows in pictures.
But it’s not all serious or sappy times! The Dream Kids get to do things they’ve always wanted to!
Like run a play on a NFL practice football field…
Or record a song with their family….
or sit courtside while your favorite NBA player warms up for a big game...
It’s so much fun to share these experiences, and as the photographer, interacting and capturing the experience is something that I personally can’t get enough of. I love that it allows everyone to “come along for the ride” with the Dream Kid and most of all, that it commemorates the Dream experience for the family so that they can look back with fond memories of their Dream come true!!!