It's said that a picture is worth 1,000 words. But this photo, “Tu4Tu,” which took first place in the People & Families category of our 2015 Lens on Lake Minnetonka photo contest, offers even more of a story.
Photographer Tracie Bea Daum explains that the photo captures an exciting reunion: Her family was able to get together with long-distance friends from Atlanta, whom they initially met several years ago, when Daum was going through the process of adopting her son Elias from China and encountered fellow mom Allison, who was also adopting a son from China.
“The photo took place when we were finally able to get back together,” Daum remembers. Taken with a Canon 6D camera and 70-200L lens on Lake Minnetonka, the two girls on the right are Daum’s daughters Penelope, 4, and Ava, 8. On the left are Allison’s daughters Ella, 11, and Shannon, 13.
“I’ve had this box of wigs forever,” says Daum. “I thought it would be fun to show us playing around and having some fun.”
Daum works as a child and family photographer, and she grew her business from simply taking photos of her own kids. She says she likes to give people printed photos for their homes. “Print what you want to preserve,” she says. “I like to photograph people in their favorite spots. It really captures the families better. It’s too stuffy inside.”
She also acts as a volunteer coordinator for Tiny Sparrow Foundation, a nonprofit organization that photographs children with life-threatening illnesses for their families. “I like to volunteer my time in places where I feel I can make a difference,” Daum says.
&: This July, you can find Tracie Bea Photographie's new brick-and-mortar shop at 441 Second St., Excelsior.
