The Good Old Days
I really wanted them to be cleaned up, bathed, hair combed nice, dressy outfits. I wanted Selah to wear her beautiful princess dress I bought, and Daddy to wear a dress shirt and a tie. I wanted to take them to a field of flowers and everything was magical. I wanted the sun to shine through their hair and make everything golden. I certainly didn’t want these photos taken in our backyard, where weeds grown, and it badly needs to be mowed. I did want Riley (the dog) in the photos, but I wanted her hair brushed and freshly cut.
But that’s not the way it happened. Selah was grouchy that day, so I was behind on my work, she hadn’t been bathed or combed in a few days, and I was far to exhausted to accomplish that. Merv had had a long day at work, and I knew there was no way I could convince him to put on a dress shirt and tie. But we took pictures anyway.
I was at the coffee shop with one of my friend the other day, and every few sentences of our conversation Selah would run away, wanting me to chase her. Some people, would smile and wave at her a she waddled past their tables, others would look bewildered and a little horrified, as they frantically looked around trying to find the mom. (People quickly forget what it’s like to have a toddler) I particularly remember one kind older gentleman, that looked up at me and smiled with a twinkle in his eye “these are the good old days” He said.
And deep, deep down in my heart I knew he was right. I never, ever in a million years want to take these moments for granted. Especially not the real ones, the ones with crazy hair, dirty faces, greasy hands. The ones with lots of playing, and lots of laughter. The ones that sift so quickly through our fingers. The ones so easily forgotten.
Selah is in the stage that she begs and begs us to read to her. She follows me all around the house toting her favorite books, saying Mama, Mama. It’s late right now, and everyone else is in bed, the wash still needs to be folded, the floors need to be swept and mopped, the dishes need to be put away. It’s hard to get everything done that should be done. But everyday I remind myself that soaking up moments with my little girl is far, far more important then a clean house. Letting her help me bake cookies is so much more valuable then doing it myself, and doing it faster with less mess. The cookies might last a few days, but the memories I create with Selah will last forever.
As I look at these photos, yes, it’s less then ideal for a “photoshoot”, but I know with all my heart that I will treasure these photos forever. These regular, everyday moments will be gone before we know it, and even though I still want my perfect princess and her king photos, deep down I know that these moments are more valuable. They are real, untouched, everyday, less than perfect, moments. And in that they are perfect.
I have a lot of family sessions coming up in September, and for those of you who booked with me, I want to leave you with a little encouragement.
More often that not with family sessions, people arrive at their session stressed. Their baby had a blow out right before they walked out the door, making them late. Mom didn’t have time to curl her hair. Little boy already got his outfit dirty. Little girl is in tears because she didn’t get to wear the dress she wanted. Dad is frustrated, this is exactly why he HATES getting their photos taken. Sound familiar?
Things rarely go as planned. Photoshoots rarely end up perfect. But it’s in the imperfection that real life happens, and I believe it is in the imperfections that you find the most precious treasures.
Trust me, I know trying to get a family ready for a photoshoot is hard. It is hard to keep your kids clean and happy all at the same time, and it’s frustrating when they don’t smile for the camera, and keep running away. I get it. But my encouragement to you is embrace the imperfections. So what if your hair isn’t perfect? So what if your a little late? Try to celebrate your family for who they are and what they bring, and if your son keeps making silly faces at the camera, run over and throw him in the air, and plant a kiss on his cheek. There’s bound to be a smile somewhere in there. If your little girl keeps crying because she’s scared, hold her tight to your chest, and sing her your favorite song. A precious moment is automatically created.
With a relaxed, confident mindset, not only will you have beautiful photos, full of precious moments, but you will have wonderful memories too. Your husband will stop dreading photoshoot, and your kids will learn to love them.
Those of you that signed up for the Mini Sessions, I can’t wait to meet all of you, I’m excited to capture your family for who they are, with wonderful memories. Try not to stress, and try to have fun! And if your husband shows up greasy and with his work clothes still on, I won’t be mad. If your a little late, I’ll understand. If you didn’t have time to curl your hair, you still look beautiful! Allow yourself to radiate the joy that motherhood brings you! You guys are awesome!
xoxo
-Ash