…and I don’t care.
Well, I CARE, but not enough to not have them taken, because I’m “going to lose weight some day.” My kids need for these pictures to exist. THEIR kids and grandkids will love that these pictures exist. My sister took these pictures for us last fall. I accidentally put my watermark on them (whoops) www.lizallenphotography.com … check her out if you want fantastic family photography.
Do you know how many pictures I have seen of my parents with their own parents, being loved and snuggled, or just walking through the woods? Exactly zero. Zero. My mom’s mom died when she was 12. I’ll bet she would treasure a photo of the two of them together from her childhoold like nothing else.
It’s interesting, I remember seeing pictures of each grandmother with her first child; my mom’s mom sitting in the grass with her aunts and her newborn (my aunt Donna,) and my dad’s mom at the beach with aunt Judy as a toddler…and then nothing. Each grandmother had 5 children, and I never saw a photo with any of the other kids. Sure, everyone didn’t have digital cameras and iphones then, but photos were entirely possible.
Both of my grandmothers passed away young. I didn’t get to know either of them. I look to pictures to get a feel for their love, their lives, their relationships. But I can only do that to the extent that they exist. So, when I do portrait sessions for people, I consciously try to get pictures of just mom and kid/kids/just dad and kid/kids…mix them up, show the connections, make sure these images exist for them.
Please don’t wait to get pictures with your children. They don’t need to be award winning. You don’t need a special occasion, because TODAY is a special occasion, especially if you are healthy. Take one hour, or even a half hour, sit down, love on your babies (even if they are all grown up,) and have someone document it.
If you hate having your pictures taken, or hate how you look, please keep in mind that IT ISN’T ABOUT YOU, OR FOR YOU. It’s for your children and grandchildren. It’s for the people, someday, who will only have these portraits to get to know you.
And you don’t need to lose weight. But if you do, then schedule another session, maybe just for yourself. I know an amazing photographer who does makeovers and specializes in women’s photography….
This mother’s day, please consider having some photos done with your mother, your kids, or both. This is YOUR gift….to them.
This image is from last fall. How cool are the similarities between this and the one from 10 years ago?
And then this…I love this pic of them. Happy anniversary, J + D!
Going over all of these gave me a bit of insight into my portrait style. I’m very literal, so I never got the “baby in a bag” or “baby on a plate” trend. I know you’re probably reading this and gasping in disbelief. Don’t get me wrong, I have seen some beautiful photographs of babies in bags, and eventually I think I learned it’s supposed to represent a stork sack…? Is that right? Babies packed in suitcases can make pretty pictures, but of course, I wonder if you would really want to send that through regular baggage, or whether it wouldn’t be a better idea to put the baby in your carry on so they don’t go through the xray machine? (haha. LOL. In case I need to tell you I’m kidding. I am.)
by SERENDIPITY
no comments