Carrie Dockery + The Story Behind
We have seen rainbows being used in so many pictures in our IG tag feed and for the most part, they symbolize hope during this pandemic. But when we asked Carrie to be part of our The Story Behind series, we took a pause when she shared what they meant to her. Her image is the definition why we started this beloved little series because every photo has a story and every story needs to be heard. Keep reading Carrie’s own words on how this precious image came to be.
IG Handle:.
@carrie.dockery
What inspires your art?
My daughter! I love to document our days + find ways to save these special memories I’m making with her so that I can share them with her when she’s older.
Where was this photo taken?
At our home here in SoCal!
How did the location add or hinder to your image?
I love the natural light we always have in California so that always helps with my photos.
DSLR, iphone, instant or film?
iPhone. I only shoot with my iPhone! I have a nice camera but my phone is always accessible so much easier to snap a quick photo. I edit afterwards in Lightroom.
Can you tell us “The Story Behind” this shot?
We lost a baby last summer and it’s been two years now of struggling through secondary unexplained infertility so rainbows bring me hope. My daughter and I were playing with chalk and I drew a rainbow for this and then she laid down inside of it and I thought it was the perfect memory to hold onto.
What speaks to you about this image? What specifically made you press the shutter?
I wanted to hold onto the hope that Finn will be a big sister to our rainbow baby one day.
What was your composition technique with this shot?
I centered my daughter in the photo because the rainbow fit perfectly around her that way.
Did you have any lighting challenges/How did you light the image?
No light challenges! It was an afternoon in the shade so lighting was all natural and easy.
Did you use any special techniques – freelensing, prism, etc?
No special techniques.
Was this photo happenstance or did you visualize it prior? If so, how did you envision the image and set up for it?
It happened right in the moment! It’s one of my favorite photos now.
Did you use a preset to edit this image, your own selective edits or a combination of both?
No preset on this photo, just lightened and brightened a bit in Lightroom.
Do you have any addition information you would like to share with our readers?
The rainbow in this photo has a lot of symbolism for us hoping for our rainbow baby one day. I’ve talked openly about our struggle on my Instagram account and have connected with so many others struggling through the same thing.