Red Deer Family Photographer
Think back to your house growing up… or your grandparent’s house. And what was on the fridge? Drawings? Photos? Probably both? And on the walls of the hallway? I’m guessing a lot of you would say that there were framed photos of family throughout the years (some we didn’t really want on display?) Pictures of our middle school fashion mistakes, awkward smiles, and large-and-in-charge hair styles. But also beautiful memories that we are reminded of that mean the world to us. (And who didn’t love looking through old photo albums?) Graduation, weddings, the arrival of babies, etc. The reason they are there is because they show the things that we feel are important. We enjoy looking at the faces of people we love, and places we made memories in (vacation photos). And if you ask anyone what the first thing that they would grab in case of a fire? Photos. Photo albums. Or computers filled with pictures yet to be printed. They are priceless.
In fact, my husband, just this weekend, lost his phone while kayaking. He doesn’t care about how much money it cost, or the information on the phone. But he was heart-broken to lose irreplaceable photos of our kids. It’s just something that we can’t focus on (and I’m making sure to backup my own photos from my phone!) Pictures aren’t just ‘pictures’… they are a link to those we care about.
I’m sure you know where I’m going with this blog post. As a photographer, it’s my job to remind you of the importance of taking photos often. Not JUST when you feel pretty enough, or thin enough, or think the kids are old enough to behave. The truth is, you don’t know if all of those you love will be around when you feel ‘ready’ for a family photo session. A fellow photographer friend was photographing a wedding in Mexico recently and offered family sessions to the guests. One of the families who got theirs done was one with 2 little kids. They were beautiful photos on the beach and really showed the connection and admiration they all had for each other. A few months later, the young father tragically passed away. These photos went from being a nice keepsake to an irreplaceable memory that will be cherished like no other.
Now I don’t write this to scare you into getting photos taken… and I’m right there with you, not wanting to be in front of the camera… but I encourage you to get those people you love together and take photos of the memories you make together. Your kids won’t care if you could stand to lose 15 pounds, or your clothes don’t fit the way they used to (and trust me, everyone is feeling the same about themselves)- those little people want to see you. And only you the way you are. Right now. Maybe you have baby weight that’s sticking around, or are waiting for your hair to grow longer, or you think your session would be less stressful when the kids are a bit older. (Trust me, I have two kids- I know how stressful they can be). But don’t wait. If you don’t want to do it for yourself, just do it for your kids or the people who love you and want to have reminders of what you mean to them.
(Ever heard of ‘preaching to the choir’? Yup. That’s happening right now.)
The fact is, we are getting our family photos taken next week and I don’t want to. I know I’ll look at them and think my arms are too big, or I need to lose my jowls, and my waist has disappeared… but I’m doing it for my kids. I want them to remember me how I am… cause this is it. Baby weight and all. And I want them to look at photos of themselves on the walls of our house and know they are important in this family.
It’s funny- we do this for ourselves- waiting until we change a bit more into what we want to look like. But we do the opposite for our kids. We want to capture every moment and milestone and awkward stage because it is who they are. And yet, we want to forget what we look like now, and focus on what we could look like in the future. (Again, this post is as much for me as it is my readers.)
So take the photo. And GET IN the photo. And if you need someone to take them, I happen to know a girl 😉
If you want to see more Red Deer family photos, kids photos, or get more info on booking a session, please get in contact with me! Summer and fall are the best times for photo sessions (evening light in the long summer days is simply divine!) My email is danielle@belovedlifephotography.com. Or just hit ‘Follow’ on Facebook or Instagram!
Cheers.
