Resolutions, smesolutions. We all have them – some we follow through with, others get lost on the wayside of daily life. Lose weight, get more financially stable, be a better friend, blog more, the list goes on and on. Something I’m committing to this year (one of many new commitments I’m making) is to take my camera out more and photograph my family. I know, I know what you are thinking – and if you know me in real life or have followed me for any amount of time you’ll know I take quite a few photos, ahem, quite often. However what I’m referring to is intentionally picking up my camera and simply capturing my kids, our family, in our every day element – without expectations, perfect smiles, or awkward poses.
Twenty years from now, will I want to only remember the intentional trips to a location I set up for their Christmas photos, or will I want to picture their shared bedroom at the ages of 1 and 5? The color story, the transportation theme, the inevitable pile of clothes my 17 month old pulls out, without fail, all the time. How about the way my husband and oldest like to build block towers just to see my youngest knock it over and then burst out into laughter? As a young, busy, working-at-home-mother of two I often overlook the beauty that is here, in our lives. I ‘shoot’ children and families all the time, capturing them in their element – why not my own?
How about you, do you snap photos of the every day? Do you pull out the camera during family breakfast, en route to Starbucks, or even during the mid-afternoon meltdown? What about your teenagers messy room, the afternoon cup of strawberry milk that brightens your child’s day, or your husband’s work boots by the door. Often we don’t think of these as prime time to take pictures – when ultimately they are the tiny moments that weave the fabric of our families. The beautiful, organic, sincere pieces of your life.
I hope that as you leap, glide, or saunter into 2010, your camera will be nearby and your eyes open. Happy New Year!
