Why You’ll Never be ‘Picture Perfect’

Trust me, I’m a Photographer

Why Your Family Photos Will Never Be 'Picture Perfect‘

Trust me, I’m a Photographer

Ok so that may sound weird, right?  But it's true..in it's own way.

My mum HATES her photo being taken.  She always has done.  As a little girl I remember Mummy always turning away from the camera

with a hand up over her face saying "Please don't get me in it!".  

My Dad loved photography and was always capturing us growing up, on holidays, days out and just everyday life.  Thinking about it now, I'm struggling to think of a single photo of the four of us - Mum, Dad, me and my older brother.  Hmm.. gonna have to raid the albums again -

there must be one right?

That was my introduction to photography and somehow I turned in to a Photographer who doesn't like my picture being taken!..(you'd be

surprised at how many of us photographers are like that!)

So a few weeks ago I planned a photo session with my family.  There was me, my husband, our 2 children, my parents and my husbands parents.  We set off to a beautiful location only 20 minutes drive away and had our family shoot. Easy right?

Well no.

I had put off this photo session for a year.  Yes you read that right - a whole 12 months.  My reason?

ME.

I still haven't managed to shift the extra weight I'd put on since having our daughter, Isla.  Ok, she's 3 in November so maybe I've had the time to do it but not the energy..or the

energy and motivation but not had time around my job: whatever the reasons, I still don't look or feel as good as I

did before I had her.

Yes, I could have waited until I'd lost the weight but in the meantime Isla was getting older.. You know how fast children grow - she's no longer a toddler, now she's a little girl, more

like me every day with her own personality and ideas.  I've no idea where she gets her stubborn side from, seriously! ;)

 We've only had one very quick family picture taken since she was born in 2011.  That's ridiculous.  ONE PHOTO.  And

even then I was doing my best to hide!

My point is, we've missed out.I'm never going to be 'picture perfect'.  I'm never going to have flawless model skin and a super slim physique - even though we all know its photo shopped... don't believe me?  

check this video out 

It's also never going to be the ‘perfect time'.  I could always spend money on other things (landscaping the garden, bills, a

new paint job...)

But if I did that, if I carried on waiting - I would miss out.  My husband would miss out.  My children would be another year

older and still not have those precious family photos with Mum & Dad as they grow up.

You know when you look at other peoples family photo's that they share on Facebook with such excitement?  They've gone

to a photographer and had a ton of fun at a family photo session and just can't wait to share those images with all their

friends & family?  I bet you either go one of two ways: annoyed (read, ever so slightly jealous so I'm going to pretend

I don't care) or in awe.  The majority of you will love seeing those pictures.  You'll see how the kids have grown, how

happy everyone looks, that Mum & Dad still have that look of love for each other and their children in their eyes.

If I'd put off my family photo shoot for yet another few months, or worse still, another year then my children would

have gotten more grown up, I'll still not be societies version of 'picture perfect' (what ever that actually is anyway!) and

we'd never - NEVER - get that time back.

Once that day, week or month has passed, it's passed.  Once that milestone has been reached, it's gone, never to happen again.  Your child will never look exactly the same, they will

never be exactly the same people.  Life will move on without you.

I don't want to be the 'missing mum' in my family's photos.  I don't want my kids to ask me "Were you there with us

Mum?" or "Why aren't you in any pictures?!"

Remember this advert where Mum was always missing? She's just a hand or a foot in the picture? I refuse to be that Mum any

more.

I may not be perfect, but I'm pretty sure I'm perfect in my

children's eyes.

And my husband married me, and is still happily in love with me so I guess he thinks I'm kinda ok too!

I struggle to find family photos of Me & my Mum from when I was young - and to be honest it's not that easy now either!  (Although Mum says that I'm "the only one who can take a

decent photo of me!"  YAY!!)

I want to be in the photos with my kids!  I want them to be able to look back on them in years to come

and ooh and ahh over the memories they create.  I want to sit and laugh at silly fashion trends & hair styles with them,

knowing that we've not only got the photos to remind us of fun times gone by, but that we're creating more memories

that very second.

I love having pictures of my family around me, on my walls at home and desk at work so when times are tough or I feel low I

can look at them and say "This is who I'm doing this for".

I'm making a pledge to be in their lives, to be a part of the family, to appear in photos with my children (and husband!) and to never again be the foot, the body without a head, the hand in front of the face.  We are a family.  We take holiday

snaps together, we have family photo shoots together, we live life together.

More to come then Mum, I don't want to miss you.  

And to my son, daughter and husband, no more excuses –

I AM IN!

You're family photos

aren't for you; they're for your

family

What do you think?  We all have things that hold us back, but isn't it so much more important to

be involved?!  

Share this post with your Mum, your Dad, your family and friends and lets support each other and

our families together.

Let me know if you're in by commenting 'I am in' below!

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