Photograph, 2023
Purchase prints
The devout prophetess Anna met the Christ child in the Jerusalem temple. She thanked God for the gift of His Son and became a powerful voice for His cause. From Luke 2:36-38.
Backstory
Here’s the story behind this photoshoot, written by the patron who requested it:
We expected the birth of our first and only daughter at Christmastime. Scouring the scriptures for good girl names, I read again the familiar story in Luke chapter 2 of Anna, a prophetess who recognized the Savior as a little baby after he was presented in the temple. But this time, reading this account, I saw something new: not only did she recognize Jesus for who he really was, but she “told everyone who looked for salvation” about him. She was a faithful witness of Jesus Christ! Recognizing and declaring truth were attributes I wanted from my new little girl, so I named her Anna!
As my Anna has grown, I have told her this story multiple times in the hopes that she would grow up to be like the prophetess. If only there was a realistic, up-close picture of this scene that would help my Anna connect to her namesake! But I could find none. My Anna loves babies, and I imagined that the prophetess not only rejoiced in seeing the infant Messiah but loved him as the most special baby that ever lived! I wanted a picture that portrayed that feeling. I also wanted the prophetess, though very old, to be attractive so that my young Anna could picture herself having the love exhibited by this good woman.
When I learned we had a local artist who recreated scenes from the scriptures, I asked him if he would be willing to recreate this one so I could display it in my daughter’s bedroom. It became a family project among me, my daughter, and her new baby brother. Happily, the artist agreed. He allowed me to pose as Mary and took reference pictures of our young Anna holding her little brother as well. This is the result.
The whole experience was even more special to me as a mom because it allowed my Anna to gain a greater connection with her brother. She has an innate love of babies and was in the birthing room with him. This pose showcases that growing connection.
The Shoot
Below are a few other images from the photo shoot.
